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Craobhan

Trees

Each of the eighteen letters in the Gaelic alphabet is associated with a tree name and ordered according to the Ogham alphabet, a system which is hundreds of years old. The cover of the most well-known Gaelic dictionary—Dwelly—features all of these original tree names. Nowadays we use different names for most of these trees.

Letterold namemodern nameTree
Aailmleamhan (m)elm
Bbeithbeithe (f)birch
Ccollcalltainn (m)hazel
Ddàirdarach (m)oak
Eeadhacritheann (m)aspen
Ffeàrnfeàrna (f)alder
Ggorteidheann (f)ivy
H(h)uathsgitheach (m)hawthorn
Iioghiubhar (m)yew
Lluiscaorann (m)rowan
Mmuinfìonan (m)vine
Nnuinuinnseann (m)ash
Oonnconasg (m)gorse
Ppeith-bhogbeithe (f)birch
Rruisdroman (m)elder
Ssuilseileach (m)willow
Tteineconasggorse/whin
Uurfraoch (m)Heather    

Traditional names

ailm

elm

beith

birch

coll

hazel

dàir

oak

eadha

aspen

feàrn

alder

gort

ivy

(h)uath

hawthorn

iogh

yew

luis

rowan

muin

vine

nuin

ash

onn

gorse

peith-bhog

birch

ruis

elder

suil

willow

teine

gorse/whin

ur

heather

Modern names

leamhan (m)

elm

beith (f)

birch

calltainn (m)

hazel

darach (m)

oak

critheann (m)

aspen

feàrna (f)

alder

eidheann (f)

ivy

sgitheach (m)

hawthorn

iubhar (m)

yew

caorann (m)

rowan

fìonan (m)

vine

uinnseann (m

ash

conasg (m)

gorse

beithe (f)

birch

droman (m

elder

seileach (m)

willow

conasg

gorse/whin

fraoch (m)

heather

Some of the modern tree names appeared in the conversation.

darach (m)

oak

beithe (f)

birch

caorann (m)

rowan

calltainn (m)

hazel

sgitheach (m)

hawthorn

‘S toil leam an darach, a’ bheithe agus an caorann, ach san Dàmhair ‘s i a’ chraobh-challtainn as fheàrr leam.

I like the oak, the birch and the rowan, but in October it’s the hazel tree I like the best.

‘S e an sgitheach as fheàrr leam.

The hawthorn is my favourite.