So in spite of being at the San Diego premiere and also attending an advanced screening of Outlander Episode 101 last Wednesday, I was also one of the many Outlanders who tuned into Starz at 12:01 August 2 to watch the first Outlander episode yet again. On my initial viewing of the episode titled “Sassenach”, I was only able to pick out a couple of words of the Gàidhlig dialogue. However, after several more viewings (more than 5 but less than 10, but who’s counting?), I have come up with the following list of Gàidhlig I believe I have been able to understand. There is absolutely no guarantee that it is correct and I am quite sure some of the grammar is likely incorrect. 🙂 For words that I could find audio pronunciation files, I have linked them.
So here goes my best attempt. Hopefully the list will go longer with each episode.
Note: Some people might consider my descriptions of the scenes below a bit of a spoiler, so consider yourself warned.
Outlander Episode 101: Sassenach
The timings listed are from playing the episode through the Starz.com website.
In the woods:
44:23 Murtagh to Claire after he knocks out BJR
Trobhad! – Come!
In the cottage:
45:08 When Murtagh brings Claire in:
Mhurchaidh – Murtagh, sounds like: ah vur-ah-hee because of lenition
Creag an Dùin – Craig na Dun
Murtagh says “caileag shassanach” (English girl). The other man asks “an do ghoid thu as a leapaidh, a bhalaich?” (did you steal/take her from her bed, lad?) [Thanks to Lori and Laurie for this bit. Confirmed by Àdhamh.]
46:59 Someone hands Jamie the whisky
Taing dhut – Thanks.
48:15 Claire puts Jamie’s arm back in joint:
Taing Dhia! – Thank God
51:00 After Claire helps wrap the plaid, Jamie says something to her.
Seo, a-nis. – Here, now. [Not positive yet. Have asked Àdhamh for confirmation. Confirmed by Àdhamh and he says Sam improvised this himself.]
51:18 Dougal to the others
Trobhad – Come
On the road:
52:49 Jamie to Claire
Clach a’ Choillich – Cocknammon Stone
54:07 Jamie War Cry
Tulach Ard!
56:53 After Jamie brings Claire back after the ambush:
Slàinte mhath – Good health! or Cheers!
58:53 When Jamie comes to as Claire cleans his shoulder with alcohol:
Tha mi gasta. – I’m fine.
Resources
For those interested, my go to resource, other than Àdhamh Ó Broin, is the Dictionary available at LearnGaelic.Net. The dictionary is very good and easy to use for both English->Gaelic as well as Gaelic->English translations. There are also audio pronunciation files for many of the Gàidhlig words and phrases.
Great Scot! 
You’re doing better than I am!! I’m hoping a few more views and I can concentrate enough on just the Gaelic -I’m still to enthralled with character details, costume, etc! After seeing the first episode, I just want more!!!
Well, it is definitely taking multiple views! And I want more as well!
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. So awesome.
My pleasure.
Moran taing!! I understood more than I expected to! I haven’t asked Àdhamh yet but I’d like to exactly know Cocknammon Rock, nearest I could make out is Clach Coileach? I thought Dougal said tionndan/turn? I’ll have to listen again. Lastly I coulda swore Jamie said sheas/stay to his horse! 🙂
Yes, I think he told the horse to stay, too. It sounds very much like our “stay.” You can hear it here, just click on the first play button for sound.
http://en.glosbe.com/en/gd/stay
Taing! I now think he meant “stand” by it, also I think we have to take Sam’s “Jamie accent” into account, everyone’s Gàidhlig accent is said to be period/region authentic & thus different than standard now. This is exciting stuff to me 😀 “sheas” was said in the books a lot!
Jumping in a bit late (like the blog) but it sounds quite a bit like “stop” in Irish. I don’t speak Gaidhlig but I have a bit of Gaeilge. Sounded like “stad” to me.
Thanks! I’m planning some more updates tomorrow.
I think Cocknammon Rock is Craig a Coileach.
I just heard back from Àdhamh, he says the spelling is Clach a’ Choillich (Cocknammon Stone). He also says Craigh na Dun is Creag an Dùin in Gaelic. Taing!
Thanks! I’ll update it.
Nice work! I was very happy that I recognized a few words too. I attribute it to you and Àdhamh being on Twitter and FB. There were some really fun and informative conversations going on!
Aren’t the conversations fun! I can’t wait for the next episode to hear more.
I know about the dictionary at LearnGaelic.net. I’ve had it bookmarked for a while and use it frequently. I, too, picked out lots of words and phrases and as Ron Moore promised, you don’t really have to know the language to understand what’s going on. But it’s more fun if you do.
I adored the first episode. It’s all that I’d hoped it would be and more. Sam Heughan must have been born to play Jamie…he’s that perfect. I’ve watched it six times on Starz YouTube channel, which is better than the Starz web site, IMO. You can choose HD and full screen and for me at least, at Starz it was a bit blurry and not as big. I also recorded it on the BLOCK channel at DishNetwork last night at 11 PM, also free, and am transferring it to DVD as I write.
I loved Tobias Menzies and Graham McIntosh, too. I liked Caitriona, but I think I’ll like her more later on. I can’t believe we have to wait until August 16th to see the next episode.
It was all wonderful!
Hi Mandy — Ron & Sam had it right, that’s for sure. Use of the Gaelic was another tool that served to keep us experiencing the world through Claire’s senses. We stayed aligned with her. The whole episode blew me away
Me too. Better than I could have even imagined.
I had Closed Captioning on – mostly it said “[speaking in Gaelic]” but there was once it said “Druid” (which a Google search says means close). I think its the same word you said was Trobhad – come (which makes more sense).
Yes. The two words do sound pretty similar.
thank you! I recognized a couple of the words,but love knowing more!
‘S e do bheatha! You are welcome!
Tapadh leat, a Mhandaidh! It really is a wonderful introduction to the series, isn’t it? 🙂 Every time I listen to it, I catch a bit more of the Gaelic – which is an excellent excuse to watch and re-watch, right? I’m doing homework!
When Murtagh enters the cottage with Claire, one of the other men addresses him “a bhalaich” (oh, lad/boy) – the vocative form of balach. I heard more of an “eehk” at the end than an “ahk”. Same fellow (?) continues speaking and I caught “as a leapaidh” – (from his/her bed) but missed something before that. Oh, gee, I’ll have to watch it again!
“Trobhad” is used several times. Murtagh to Claire and as they were leaving the cottage. Does Dougal change it to the plural – trobhadaibh – when he’s rousing all of them against the English ambush?
It took me a bit to catch that Jamie was using the vocative form of Dùgall – Dhùgaill when he spurred up to tell Dougal about the ambush possibility. Having that first “d” sound turn into a hard “g” threw me for a bit.
Another excellent online resource for looking up both English and Gaelic is Am Faclair Beag: http://www.faclair.com/index.aspx?Language=en
Correction to my earlier post – it’s not a bhalaich when Murtagh enters the cottage with Claire. The other fellow addresses Murtagh by name: a Mhurchaidh, sounds like: ah vur-ah-hee
Murtagh says “caileag shassanach” (English girl). The other man asks “an do ghoid thu as a leapaidh, a bhalaich?” (did you steal/take her from her bed, lad?) That’s a reference to Claire’s “shift” 🙂
Awesome. Lori was pretty sure about the bed part as well. I was fairly certain about the Shassenach. Do you mind if I incorporate into the main body of the post?
Sure (gu dearbh!)
Mandy, can you help me understand the difference in “an” and “na” in the two versions of “Creag an Duin” and “Craig na Dun” (and pease add the accent for me)?
Also, and I don’t know why I never wondered about this before, but do “duin” and “dun” mean the same as “brown” in “Dunbonnet”? Were the stones supposed to be brown, or does it mean something else entirely? Thanks!
Also, doesn’t “dun” mean something like “hill fort”?
Hi Kathryn,
I think it boils down to the fact that “Craig na Dun” is an English representation of a Gàidhlig name, so things get corrupted a bit over time. I think that’s how the an and na got changed.
As for Dun, it’s means heap, mound, fort, etc. Brown is ‘donn’. I think the dun just refers to the hill itself, not anything to do with the stones. Both words just sound very alike to the English ear.
Hope this helps,
Mandy
Thanks so much, Mandy. I knew you’d be able to help, and I had a feeling that was the answer to my “an”/”na” question. On “dun” versus “donn” I was thinking about what I heard, forgetting the correct spelling. So “Dunbonnet” must be an Anglicization, too. I was thinking about all the Scottish place names with “dun” in it, like Dunbarton Castle just today. Thanks again.
Kathryn
I do my best. 🙂
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If you wonder what those HIghlander are saying in Outlander Episode #101: SASSENACH, check out Mandy’s blog.
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A couple more additions for you!
When they are discussing Samhain & Saint Odhrain, Mrs. Baird says the old Highland phrase: “Chaidh ùir air sùil Odhràn”
Which Frank knows from his studies as: “The earth went over Odhrain’s eye” (Though he says “eyes”, sùilean)
There’s a story that originated this phrase, worth researching!
I’ve been stumped on the spelling for Murtagh’s reply after he’s asked if he stole the lass from her bed. I finally asked & here it is per Àdhamh Ó Broin: “Fhuair mi dìreach gur e math i, aig bun Creag an Dùin.” Àdhamh also says that the line got a bit jumbled & should’ve been: “Fhuair mi dìreach mar a tha i, aig bun Creag an Dùin.” He says, it still retains some sense 🙂
Tapadh leat!
Thanks! I caught your Tweets with Àdhamh this morning and I’ve added them to the updated post I just published about 5 minutes ago. Thanks for the help!! I really appreciate it. In this case, the more ears, the better. 🙂
What was Dougall said just before he rose-up to approach Claire?
Reblogged this on Outlander Watch.
Thank you for sharing all the gaelic words and phrases! I love learning new languages – whether dead, alive or just uncommon 🙂
My pleasure, Laura!
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Thanks very much for helping my American ears! At 48:15, I heard “Tan Deer” for Taing Dhia! – Thank God :))
You’re welcome! Thanks for reading.
druids were religious leaders – dun in this context is a castle or fort as in dungannon in northern ireland. there is no h in gaelic save as a vocative case so seumas (janes) would become a sheamais pronounced hamish this you here when characters are addressed
Could you please tell me what Jamie says when he is in the hall and calls out to offer himself for punishment instead of Laoghaire? Sounds like stanna ma nish!
It’s Stadadh a-nis. Basically, stop now! You can find more Gàidhlig from that episode here: https://greatscotblog.com/2014/08/17/outlander-episode-102-castle-leoch-the-gaidhlig-bits-i-could-decipher/
Thank you for the translations! Love being able to not miss a single thing! Can you translate and add on this page what he says to Dougal warning of a possible ambush?
Dia duit a Mhándaigh! (I took a stab at the Irish spelling for funzies). I’ve recently finished the first season a second time, and I stumbled across your blog when I was trying to fill in gaps of my Gaelic. I’ve actually only seriously studied Irish, but the two are similar enough that they’re mutually intelligible to a degree.
I noticed that I caught a few bits that you didn’t, so I though I’d add them here. For my own sake, I’ll be using some of the Irish spellings since I’m more familiar with it, but I’m sure the Gàidhlig is close enough.
When Murtagh first brings Claire into the cabin, Rupert says the words “isteach” and “anois,” before he says “a Mhurchaidh.”
Isteach = inside
Anois = a-nis =now
I took it to mean, “What are you bringing in now, Murtagh?”
The word “deoch” got thrown around a couple of times for obvious reasons, since it means “drink.”
When Jamie explains Claire’s warning to Dougal, Dougal says “an caileag sassenach seo,” which could be “this English girl?” as in the Irish or perhaps “the English girl means here?” (I’m not yet familiar with the usage of “seo” in Gàidhlig, only in Irish.)
In Irish, seo = this, and anseo = here, hence my confusion.
Jamie responds to Dougal with “Sea, go díreach,” meaning, “Yes, exactly.”
I hope that helps!
Thanks so much! I definitely need to go back through the episodes. I can recognize so much more now than I did back then.