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Storytelling

Seanchas

The subject of this lesson is storytelling , but what does that mean?

There is no single word in the English language that accurately describes storytelling.

Seanchas can mean great traditional stories—'lore' or 'saga' in English, but seanchas can also mean a conversation, news, or a small unimportant story—'conversation', 'news' , or 'anecdote' in English.

The word appears often in phrases/expressions.

We can say Bidh sinn ri seanchas fhathast , meaning 'We will keep in touch'.

If someone tends to be somewhat ròlaisteach (given to exaggeration), you would say that they would spice up their stories.

So, seanchas can be a big, broad topic!

In this lesson, we'll take another look at Gaelic storytelling and folklore, at stories and traditional customs.

But we'd better get started, before we get ahead of ourselves !

Seanchas (m)
storytelling, (folk)lore,
Ròlaisteach (adj)
given to exaggeration saga, anecdote
Bidh sinn ri seanchas fhathast
We will keep in touch
Chuireadh i blas air a seanchas
She would lend spice to her tales
Tha sinn a' dol seachad air ar seanchas
We are getting ahead of ourselves
A bheil seanchas agad mu … ?
Do you know any tales about … ?
DÈ DO BHEACHD? | WHAT DO YOU THINK?
A bheil thu eòlach air cuideigin a chuireas blas air an seanchas?
Do you know anyone who spices up their stories?
A bheil cuimhne agad air seanchas na Fèinne?
Do you remember the Tales of the Fianna?
A bheil seanchas agad mu chreutairean os-nàdarra?
Do you have any stories about supernatural creatures?
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FAQs

What does “Level” mean (A1, A2, B1, B2)?

All courses and resources on SpeakGaelic are organised according to internationally recognised language levels. If you have learnt a language before you may be familiar with this terminology—the SpeakGaelic levels map onto those defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Within SpeakGaelic, levels are colour-coded to help you find your way about.

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A2 is “Bunaiteach” (Foundation). Widen your knowledge of sentences and frequently-used expressions. Communicate simple tasks and basic descriptions.

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How do I type the Gaelic accents?

Tap or click on a letter to put it on your clipboard, you can then paste it anywhere:

Lowercase letters:

Uppercase letters:

Alternatively, these methods may work for you:

Windows

Some simple ways to type grave accents in MS Windows, depending on which version you use. The grave accent ` is next to the number 1 at top of keyboard.

à, è, ì, ò, ù Ctrl+`, release and type letter;

À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù Ctrl+Shift+`, release and type letter

OR

Alt key + character code on the numeric keypad on right of keyboard (laptops will vary). Ensure that the NUMLOCK is on.

à Alt+133 or 0224
è Alt+138 or 0232
ì Alt+141 or 0236
ò Alt+149 or 0242
ù Alt+151 or 0249

À Alt+0192
È Alt+0200
Ì Alt+0204
Ò Alt+0210
Ù Alt+0217

Mac

Push and hold a character to bring up a menu and choose.

E.g. hold the letter e to choose the letter è

What is the Gaelic Alphabet?

Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu

For more information visit LearnGaelic’s Scottish Gaelic Alphabet

How do I pronounce Gaelic sounds?

SpeakGaelic always gives you a sound file for the word you are learning. For more information on individual sounds, visit LearnGaelic’ Sounds section.

What are slendar and broad vowels?

The slender vowels are e and i.

All the others are broad.

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