FOREWORD

In April 1976 the Board, at the request of its Gaelic Panel, set up a Sub-committee of the Panel to investigate the problem of Gaelic orthography insofar as it affected the Board's examinations.

In making its request, the Panel had pointed out that there had been numerous complaints from SCE Examiners about candidates' spelling of Gaelic, and that actual evidence produced by the Principal Examiner indicated beyond doubt that the standard of spelling fell far below the requisite levels on both the Ordinary and Higher grade.

The Panel indicated its belief that the lack of an authoritative set of published orthographic conventions to which reference might be made by teachers and candidates for both native speakers and learners alike, was an important factor leading to this situation.
The remit of the Sub-Committee was to produce a set of standard orthographic conventions which would be utilised by the Board's Examiners, Setters and Markers as basic criteria in dealing with Gaelic examination papers and scripts and would serve as a guide to teachers and to candidates preparing for the examinations.

The proposals of the Sub-Committee, approved by the Panel, were issued to nominated interested bodies for comment in December 1978. Following consideration of the comments submitted, the Sub-Committee amended the document and presented it to the Board's Gaelic Panel, which has now finalised the conventions, incorporating some further modifications.

The Panel wishes to record its indebtedness and gratitude for the work done by Sub Committee and for the contributions of individual members. In fairness to members of the Sub Committee it should be noted that the responsibility for the content of the document as now presented rests solely with the Panel.

It is hoped that the principles set out in this document will go some way towards removing the inconsistencies, indecisions and minor irritations thst arise:from the absence of a firmly defined standard, and that in doing so they will help teachers and learners (and indeed all writers of Gaelic) to write the language more confidently. The Panel is keenly aware that Gaelic is at present at an interesting stage of development, from a social and educational as well as from a linguistic point of view. This has been kept continuaily in mind and deliberations have been directed to ensuring that the orthographic flexibility required for these developments should be retained. Clearly this did not make the task easier, but the burden was lightened by the realisation that the subect of study was a language that has retained great vitality and versatility.

These orthographic conventions will be followed in the Board's question paperin and after 1985. Candidates will be required to use the conventions in and after 1988.

MEMBERSHIP OF SUB-COMMITTEE

Gaelic Panel Members
Mr D MacAulay (Convener) University of Aberdeen
Mr L F Dick (Secretary) Adviser in Gaelic, Western Isles Islands Council
Mr M Macleod HMI
Mr D A Macdonald Bellahouston Academy, Glasgow
Mr J A MacDonald (until 29/4/77) (deceased)Jordanhill College of Education
Mr D J M Maciver Nicolson Institute, Stornoway
Mr A J Macleod (until 29/4/77) Sir E Scott Secondary School, Tarbert, Isle of Harris
Mr J MacPhee (from 15/9/77) Daliburgh Secondary School, Lochboisdale, Isle of South Uist

Others
Mr K D MacDonald University of Glasgow
Mr R MacNeil Langside College, Glasgow
Mr D Morrison Retired; formerly Oban HS
Mr J Murray (until 5/5/78) Dir. of Bilingual Education Project, Western Isles Islands Council
Professor D S Thomson University of Glasgow

Note: All locations of contributors were correct during the work of the Sub-Committee; subsequent retirements or changes of employment are not shown.

INTRODUCTION
The difficulties of Gaelic spelling raised and discussed by the Sub-Committee did not all prove equally tractable. In some cases the Sub-Committee was able to recommend substantive changes with some confidence; these constitute the substance of the present document. Others, such as the problem of the forms of the article with the noun, appeared irreducible to such a degree that the Sub-Committee felt unable to make any recommendation. Some suggestions, such as one for a thorough-going simplification of consonant groups, proved to have such wide-ranging implications that the Sub-Committee considered they would create more problems than they would solve.

The Sub-Committee concentrated in the first place on the identification of general principles applying to its fields of investigation. These principles were considered in conjunction with detailed assessments of the areas of difficulty referred to above. It was decided, for example, that it would not be desirable to violate etymological principles to any considerable degree, or injstitute changes on such a scale as would make books written in the traditional orthography too difficult for new readers. As a result of this certain general rules were arrived at. These rules along with exemplificatory materials appear below.

Early in the Sub-Committee's deliberations certain factors concerning the nature of these rules became clear. The first and most important of those concerned the Sub-Committee's remit, viz '...to produce a set of standard orthographic conventions..." The Sub-Committee, while recognising the force of arguments for a norm, and in spite of pressure from some of its members, was unable to recommend singulary standard forms in all cases. Its position was that diversity of usage and the state of Gaelic literacy at the present time both conspire to make the prescription of a singulary standard for all cases unrealistic. Indeed it considered that such a rule would be self defeating, being more honoured in the breach than in the observance.

Furthermore, the Sub-Committee was of the opinion that were it to recommend a single form this would, in some cases, entail judgements that had nothing to do with orthography and were, therefore, outwith the Sub-Committee's remlt. Such judgements would have left it open to charges of prejudice in preferring one dialect form rather than another (a course of action to be avoided i~ the present circumstances) or, indeed, open to charges of a lack of understanding of the range of appropriate forms concomitant with different levels of usage (which it is considered important to develop rather than curtail).

Having arrived at the principle of permitting plurality of forms, the Sub-Committee considered the problem of where and to what extent the principle should be applied and decided that it should operate reasonably widely. (This is probably best illustrated in section 8 on prepositional pronouns below.) At the same time it seemed necessary to recognise some degree of standardisation, within the range of alternatives, for particular purposes. For this reason it was agreed that where such a range was cited the form of the item most appropriate for formal written discourse should head the list of alternatives, and be cited in the alphabetical list of words appended. This compromise which both avoids too narrow prescription and presents a standard form for a particular purpose ls adhered to in the illustrative materlal which follows.

ORTHOGRAPHIC CONVENTIONS

Consonant Quality
1.1 The initial problem in representing consonant quality is that a system free from all ambiguity would involve cumbersome devices and over-proliferation of symbols; this is especially the case when consonants have three qualities, for example l and n. On the other hand ambiguity should be reduced as much as possible.

1.2 The primary device for indicating consonant quality is the 'Gaelic spelling rule' which lays down that
(a) consonants or consonant groups with palatal quality should be indicated by placing front vowels (e,i) adjacent to them, eg: (in word-initial position) ceann, seall steall, greann, sprèot, etc; (in word final position) cruinn, Goill, saill, rùisg, cuirm, etc.; (in word-medial position) truilleadh, sileadh, cruinne, sailleadh, clisgeadh, guirme, etc.
(b) consonants or consonant groups with velar or neutral quality should have back vowels adjacent to them (a, o, u) eg: (in word-initial position) gaill, stòr, gràn, sprochd, etc; (in word-final position) ceann, seall, sealg, balach, cosg, etc; (in word-medial position) ceannaich, balach, cosgais, lochdan, etc.

1.3 Problems in this area have arisen overt he interpretation of the spelling rule in relation to consonant clusters which may, on occasion, consist of sequences in which the elements belong to different classes. This disparity may be ignored in word-initial and word-final positions: the vowel simply marks the class of the consonant immediately next to it (eg: greann, spreòt above) and the other consonants have no vocalic elements next to them.
Intervocalic clusters, however, have vowels on each side of them, and it has sometimes been advocated that they should be flanked by vowels of the same class irrespective of any difference in the class of the consonants that constitute them. Here, the more straightforward interpretation is followed , viz that with consonant groups having consonants of different classes, as in all other situations, the class of the consonant should be signalled by the class of the adjacent vowel. The commonest places for the occurrence of mixed groups are (a) at the boundary between stems and endings in certain word forms and b) in compounds. The following examples illustrate the application for the above cases.
(a) The commonest place of occurrence is with the past participles passive, eg leag/te, tog/te where the t of the ending is palatal but the g of the stem is not. This is not always the case, of course, cf mill/te, where the stem consonant is palatal and dèan/ta (in lieu of dean/te) where the t of the ending is not palatal.
(b) Examples of compounds with mixed groups are bànrigh, mocheirigh, etc.

1.4 There are a small number of words in which traditionally the spelling rule has not been observed: eg, ged where the d is not palatal (in fact e is not usually found before consonants indicating palatality), and the spelling of is where the s is not palatal. There have been several attempts to amend the traditional spelling of is at different times: as, us, s, etc. However, the traditional spelling is should be retained , as should also the traditional spellings for ged and similar items as no recognizable gain would seem to flow from innovation.

1.5 Seo and suid are now widely accepted forms (in lieu of so, sud) and the spellings showing palatal quality should be accepted.

1.6 r does not have palatal quality initially except occasionally in words such as riamh. Again the traditional spelling should be used, eg, righ not ràigh. In the case of taigh, however, the spelling indicating the non-palatal quality of the initial t is now generally accepted (in lieu of tigh).

Consonant Groups and Simplification
2.1 The normal group to indicate hiatus should be th: eg, bithidh, fitheach, bathar, prothaid. Exceptions would arise from homographs: eg, adhar (to avoid confusion with athar, the genitive of athair.

2.2 There is some confusion apparent in the practice of spelling words with st or sd groups. For word-initially, this is always st- and this should continue to be the case. For intervocalically and finally, st- should be used: eg, astar, rithist.

2.3 Svarabhakti groups with prefix an- should continue to be written and normalised as ana- (ie with the vowel). When stress is initial they should be written as one word: eg, anabarrach; when stress is not initial they should be hyphenated: eg, ana-miann (cf an-iochd). (See Section 4 on Word Stress below).

2.4 The prefix comh- should be simplified to co where it does not take the stress: eg, instead of comh-chòrdadh, use co-chòrdadh, etc. When it bears stress and has lost distinctive nasalisation it should be simplified also: eg, coitheanal, coileanta (but not coimhleanta with nasal vowel, meaning 'composmentis'.

2.5 Where the groups -dhgh- are juxtaposed they should simplified to gh: eg buadhghallan should be written as buaghallan.

2.6 It should be noted that, notwithstanding certain dialectal pronunciations, the historical spellings should be retained for groups with pre-aspiration: ie, mac (NOT machd or machc), sloc (NOT slochd), boc (NOT bochd = 'buck'), etc.

Vowel Representations
For the most part the established conventions for vowel representations are adequate. There are some problems however.

3.1 In the case of words spelt with eu (eg, beul, cued, meud) there would be no great gain in making a change in the spelling generally (to bial, ciad, miad, for example, though such spellings are commonly enough found in contemporary sources and have to be recognized, therefore, as occurring forms.

3.2 The traditional spelling should also be retained for words of the type fìon, fìor, mìos.

3.3 When there are homophones, however, these should be differentiated in spelling where such differentiation is feasible: eg, ceud = '100' vs ceud = '1st', ceud = '100' should be retained and '1st' should be written ciad; and mìos ='month' should be retained while the word for 'basin' should be written mias; feur = 'grass'; fìor = 'truth'; fiar = 'squint'.

3.4 The long central vowel (phonetically as ' ') is often represented by ao: eg, aobhar, aobrann, aoradh. These and similar words should be written as adhbhar, adhbrann, adhradh (which was the traditional spelling) as the -ao- diagraph is more appropriate to represent the sound in, for example, faobhar, saor, daor, gaoth, etc.

3.5 The variations to be found in unstressed syllables should be reduced and based on -a- instead of -o- or -u-: for example,
(a) instead of boirionn, firionn, timchioll, etc, use boireann,
fireann, timcheall,etc.
(b) instead of àluinn, altrum, Bìobull, dorus, fallus, maduinn, solus, turus, etc., use àlainn, altram, Bìobull, doras, fallas, madainn, solas, turas, etc.

3.6 Agus should, in view of its frequency and familiarity, be allowed as an exception to this rule.
3.7 Of the two length marks at present used in Gaelic, the acute accent ( ´ ) should be dispensed with, in view of the small number of words on which it occurs, and the grave accent ( ` ) alone should be used to indicate length. [This is an ambiguous rule which some have interptretted to mean 'don't use it at all' while others interpret it to mean 'replace acutes with graves'. In the case of mór, I've opted for the former so it's still Ruairidh Mor. Ed.]

3.8 In the case of the spelling of diphthongs occuring before m in words such as cam, lom and lampa, the traditional spelling should be retained. except that am in 'time' sense should be spelt àm to differentiate it from other am forms.

3.9 The traditional spelling should also be used in the representation of the vowel quality of the adjectival endings in such words as ainm/eil, and sgil/eil which in many areas contain back vowels (as in fearail, for example, where the spelling rule allows a closer representation of the occurring sound).

Word Stress
4.1 In Gaelic the stress comes on the first syllable in words and proper compounds. In such items any secondary stress has no bearing on orthographic representation. Items conforming to this pattern should be spelled as one word, irrespective of the number of syllables they contain and irrespective of whether they are compounds (recognizable or otherwise) or not: eg, balach, smaoineachadh, cuingealachadh, imeachd, atharrais, barrall, bànrigh, dìociumhnich.

4.2 By the same argument, items in which the stress does not fall upon the first syllable should, in general, be hyphenated with the hyphen coming normally before the word bearing the stress: eg, cas-chrom, ban-diùc.

4.3 The case of words with prefixes might raise some problems, for in some cases the stress falls on the prefix and in other cases on the word. In these cases, the simplest expedient is to use the rules stated above -- when the stress is initial, the word should be written as one word; when it is not, a hyphen should intervene: eg, anacothom, anabarrach, eucoir, etc. vs ana-miann, mì earbsach, ao-coltach.

4.4 There are some problems with words that have unstressed suffixes also, for example:
(a) the emphasising particles -sa, -se, -san. These should be written generally as one word: eg, dhòmhsa, dhìse, dhasan; exceptions to accommodate two ss include leis-san and ris-san. Where the emphasising particle follows a noun or adjective, it should be hyphenated: eg, mo thaigh-sa = 'my house, mo ch`ota gorm-sa = 'my blue coat'.
(b) The marked indefinite forms in -eigin should generally be written as one word also: eg, rudeigin, feareigin, air choreigin. However, the forms latha-eigin and tè-eigin should be hyphenated to accommodate the juxtaposition of the vowels.
(c) The unstressed forms of seo, sin, siud should be written as follows -- am fear sa/seo, am fear sin, am fear ud.

4.5 Certain expressions which are strongly felt to constitute a unit but have primary stress on a non-initial element may be hyphenated: eg, a-mach, a-steach, a-muigh, a-staigh, a-null, a-nall, an àird, a-nuas, a-bho, a-rithist, a-nis, a-mhàin, etc.

Compound prepositions (taking the genitive case) having primary stress on non-initial elements should be written as two words: eg, à measg = 'from among', a rèir, os cionn, ri taobh, etc.
Ciamar, carson and airson should be written as one word (in spite of such forms as air a shon fhéin).

4.6 There are special cases:
(a) The days of the week should be written as one word without internal capitalization: eg, Diluain, Dimàirt, Diciadaoin, etc. but Latha na Sàbaid.
(b) Similarly surnames should be written as one word but with internal capitalization eg, MacAilein, and MacDhòmhnaill. Exceptions are names of the form Mac an Aba, Mac a' Ghobhainn, etc.
(c) For place names the following rules apply: (1) names consisting of two or more Gaelic elements should reflect this in their spelling: eg, Inbher Nis, Dùn Eideann; (2) where elements have become obscure, a hyphen may be inserted: eg, Earra-Ghaidheal; (3) names with a final element derived from the Norse -ey = 'island' should be spelt -aigh (NOT -aidh) to indicate the distinctive open 'a' pronunciation in the last syllable: eg, Bearnaraigh, Sgalpaigh, etc.

4.7 Hyphens should not be used in borrowed words that have non-initial stress: eg, tombaca, buntàta, telebhisean.

4.8 Some words appear in both stressed and unstressed position. This is particularly the case with parts of the verb tha; both of the forms bithidh/bidh and bhitheadh/bhiodh are acceptable. Thubhairt/thuirt are acceptable for similar reasons. (See section 7 on Irregular Verbs).

5 The Article, Abbreviation, and the Use of Apostrophes.
5.1 With regards to the forms of the article in article + noun structures, the traditional practice should be retained in all cases. This applies inter alia to the apostrophe with the article.

5.2 The usage of the apostrophe in prepositional phrases is dealt with below in the section on that topic.

5.3 In constructions with ag+ verbal noun the apostrophe should be dropped: for example, Bha e gam irraidh (NOT Bha e 'gam iarraidh. Similarly, constructions with with gu should no longer use the apostrophe. It should, however, be retained with reduced forms of ag before consonants: for example, Tha e a' falbh.
5.4 In reported speech the apostrophe should not be used in the introductory gun, gum, gur in affirmative clauses: for example, gun cuala, gum faca, gur e.
5.5 The apostrophe should be retained after the past tense dh' before vowels and f followed by a vowel: for example, dh'òl, dh'fhalbh, in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. There should be no space between the apostrophe and the following letter.
5.6 If the verb is is not written out in full in constructions like is math, is dòcha etc, then the apostrophe should be retained: for example, 's math, 's dòcha. The s should not merge with the following word.

5.7 When linking is (=agus) is not written out in full, the apostrophe should be retained: for example, duine 's bean.

5.8 The apostrophe should be retained with forms of the possessive mo and do before vowels and f followed by a vowel: for example, m' athair, d' fheannag and a space should intervene between the apostrophe and the next word.

5.9 If an uair is not written out in full (as a conjunction only) then it should take the form nuair, without an apostrophe.

5.10 When a word ending in a vowel is followed by a word beginning with a vowel and the final vowel of the first word is not written then an apostrophe should replace it: for example, duine òg/duin' òg.

5.11 It should be noted that in formal written discourse forms such as in 5.7 and 5.10 and similar contractions such as bh' aig, bh' ann, etc, should in fact be written out in full (but not nuair) (as a conjunction)).
5.12 The phrases là' rna mhàireach, ce'l`a-deug (ceither latha deug), co'là-deug (còig latha deug), should be written as làrna-mhàireach, ceala-deug, cola-deug.

6 Borrowed Words
Borrowed words raise considerable problems since they contain sounds not easily rendered unambiguously in Gaelic.

6.1 This is the case especially with the alveolar sounds of English d, t, l, n; and it accepted that these symbols will simply have to carry the extra burden: for example, làraidh (cf làrach), nàidhlean, dàibhear, dràibhean, tàidh ('tie'); tì and teatha ('tea').

6.2 Initial h- should be allowed in borrowed words: for example, hama, hangar, etc.

6.3 Initial qu- should be represented by cu-: for example, cuaraidh, 'quarry'.

6.4 V should be represented by bh: for example, bhan(a) 'van'. Exceptions are proper names Bhictoria/Victoria, Vicky, Villon, Voroshilov and abbreviations V.C., V.A.T., etc.

6.5 W should be represented by ue/ua: for example, ueir(e) 'wire', ualras 'walrus' (NB Uilleam 'William', Uilidh 'Willie').

6.6 X should be represented by -cs-: for example, tacsaidh 'taxi"; by s: for example, saidhlofòn 'xylophone. X-Ray as an international term should retain its form. Proper names and trade names such as Xerox would also be exceptions.

6.7 Y + u may be represented by iu: [e.g.], Iùgoslavia 'Yugoslavia'.

6.8 Z should normally be represented by s:, [e.g.], sutha 'zoo'.

6.9 The words 'jazz', 'jet', 'yacht' should retain their English spellings, since an attempt to Gaelicise them results in forms look somewhat bizarre. [This a case of the pot calling the kettle black if there ever was one].

There is also some problems with rendering of vowels.
6.10 The obscure vowel { } [schwa] should normally represented in loan words from English as oi: for example, soircas 'circus', coiridh 'curry'. The word bus, because of its familiarity in that form, should be an exception.

6.11 Diphthongs in borrowed words should have syllable final -dh (NOT -gh): for example, bàidhsagal 'bicycle'; stoidhle 'style'.

6.12 Final { i } in loan words should be represented by -(a)idh:, for example, cofaidh 'coffee'; poileasaidh 'policy'.

7 Irregular Verbs
The forms shown below should apply for the verb tha.

7.1 a bhith rather than a bhi for the infinitive, and bi/bhi for the future/habitual.

7.2 Both bithidh and bidh, and bhithidh and bhiodh as alter-native forms, respectively stressed and unstressed. (See Section 4).

7.3 a bheil and gu bheil (but am beil and gum beil are also acceptable). Similarly, a robh and gu robh.
7.4 bhite/bhithist as spellings for impersonal forms of the past habitual.

Verb chì.
7.5 chì (with accent)

7.6 Spellings for impersonal forms:
(a) past independent: chunnacas
(b) past habitual: chìte; faicte and chithist; faicist.

Verb cluinnidh.
7.7 cluinnear (NOT) cluintear.

7.8 chluinnte (NOT chluinnteadh) and chluinist.

Verb nì.
7.9 nì and dèanamh, both with accents.

7.10 nìthear/nìtear, and dèanar (NOT) dèantar.

7.11 gun do rinn/gun d'rinn/gun/rinn; an do rinn/an d'rinn/na rinn; nach do rinn/nach d'rinn are all acceptable forms. The same rules hold for the past tenses of other verbs in r (e.g., rug, ràinig, etc.)

Verb thig.
7.12 an tig; gun tig, etc, and an tàinig; gun tàinig, etc.

Verb thèid.
7.13 an tèid, etc (cf 7.12).

7.14 an deachaidh, an dreach, etc (but NOT an deacha).

7.15 an deigheadh, an dreigheadh, etc are both acceptable (but NOT an teigheadh, etc; an deadh is the shortened form.

Verb bheir.
7.16 tabhairt and toirt and an tabhair and an toir are acceptable (depending on stress; see section 4).

7.17 an tug is recommended (cf 7.12) Similarly, an tugte and
an tugaist.

Verb ràdh.
7.18 ràdh (NOT radh or radha).

7.19 ag ràdh and a' ràdh are both acceptable.

7.20 an tubhairt and an tuirt, depending on stress (See 7.12 and section 4).

Verb is.
7.21is e and 's e are both acceptable.

8(A) Prepositional Phrases and (B) Prepositional Pronouns
Structures (A1) preposition + article + noun and
(A2) preposition + possessive + noun.
8.1 Several versions of (A) exist for most prepositions:, for example, do + an+ baile yields do'n bhaile (to take the present accepted form), don a' bhaile, dhan bhaile (sometimes spelt dh'an or dha'n), and dhan a' bhaile, depending on dialectal provenance and orthographic practice [A cop out in a ukase?].

8.2 It is not considered appropriate to select one of these as correct and reject the others. In appropriate circumstances any of them might be acceptable. The forms which come first below are those which should be used in formal written discourse. In order to avoid apostrophes where possible, the forms should be spelt: don bhaile; don a' bhaile; dhan bhaile; dhan a' bhaile.

8.3 Similar rules are applicable, as appropriate, to other examples of the structure preposition + article + noun.

8.4 As for (A1), different versions of (A2), preposition + possessive + noun, also exist and the same principals apply.
do + mo + baile yields dom bhaile; do mo bhaile; dham bhaile; dha mo bhaile.
do + do + baile yields dod bhaile; do do bhaile; dhad bhaile; dha do bhaile.
do + a(masc.) + baile yields da bhaile; dha bhaile.
do + a(fem.) + baile yields da baile; dha baile.
do + ar + baile yields do ar baile; dar baile; dhar baile; dha baile.
do + ur + baile yields do ur baile; dur baile; dhur baile; dha ur baile.
do + an + baile yields dom/dam baile; dham baile; do am baile.

8.5 Similar rules should apply to the (A2) structures with other prepositions. In the first and second plural forms contractions should be avoided in instances where homographs would result: e.g., de ar and de ur should be used rather than der and dur.

8(B) Prepositional Pronouns
8.6 Different forms have to be admitted in this case also: for example, do + personal pronoun
1sg. dhomh/domh
2sg. dhut/dut
3sg. masc. dha/da
3sg. fem. dhi/di
1pl. dhuinn/duinn
2pl. dhuibh/duibh
3pl. dhaibh/daibh

9 Common Errors
9.1 Many common orthographic problems giving rise to errors are covered in the word list appended [in a future issue]. Some examples might be raised, however, that have a particular interest.

9.2 Many errors seem to stem from dialectal usage which has been considered, in terms of general literary usage, substandard. It is difficult to establish general rules in this area. An attempt has been made not to allow dialectal prejudice to enter into the decisions, and this consideration has in some instances caused a variety of forms to be regarded as acceptable. This is considered the sensible policy in the present circumstances. At the same time a list of recommended forms is given , based on what are regarded as the demands of formal literary Gaelic. The following examples may help to show the sort of criteria which are considered important.
(a) Most Gaelic dialects do not make a distinction between the forms of the prepositions do and de in most circumstances (only in some forms of the prepositional pronouns). Nevertheless, in written form it is desirable to keep the forms distinct in order to avoid ambiguity as far as possible.
(b) Some dialects use le where others use ri. This is regarded simply as a difference of usage, which does not enter into the domains where ambiguity might ensue. On the other hand, some dialects use ro for tro, where confusion might occur; it is considered best to keep the forms distinct in the written language.

WORD LIST ILLUSTRATING SPELLING PRINCIPLES AND CHOICES

a bheil?/am beil?
a' dol (apostrophe with verbal noun)
a' tuigse/a' tuigsinn
à (out of) a' (of the def. article)
a' bhon-dè
a' bhon-raoir
a' bhon-uiriah
A' Ghearmailt
a-bhàn
a-bhos
a-chum
a-ghnàth
a-mach
a-màireach
à measg (from among)
am measg (among)
a-mhàin
a-muigh'
a-nall
a-nis
a-null
a-raoir
a rèir
a-rèisd
a-riamh
a-ris/a-rithist
a-staigh
a-steach
a-thaobh
adhar (sky)
adhart (in phrase air adhart)
adhbhar
adhbrann
adhradh
àgh (happiness, etc.)
ag ràdh/a' ràdh
agus
aifreann
aigne
ainneamh
àird (an ear, etc.)
airneis
airson
aiseal/asal
à1ainn
altram
àm (time)
amharas
àmhghar
an deidh (after)
an asgaidh (free)
An Eadailt
an robh?
An t-Oban
an-abaich
an-àird
an-diadhachd
anÐfhios
an-dè
an-diugh
an-earar
an-uiridh
ana-miann
anabarrach
anbhainne
anfhann
annam etc. (not unnam)
anshocair
aodomhainn
aoigh, aoigheachd
aon-deug, dhà-dheug etc.
ar-a-mach
arsa/ars
às (out of the)
as t-earrach
as t-fhoghar
as t-samhradha
astar
ath-bheothachadh
athoidhch
bachall
baidh (affection, etc.)
baidhsagal
baiteal/batal
ban-diùc
bana-bhàrd
banachag
banacheard
bànrigh
baoghal
Barrsigh
barrall (shoe-lace)
barrfhad
bàthach
bathar
beart
beartach
beòshlaint
beul
beul-aithris
beulaibh
bhan (van)
bhite
bhith (in inf. a bhith)
bhithist
bhod (from your)
bhom (from my)
bhon (from the/their), (since)
bhòt (vote)
bi/bhi (future)
biathadh
bidh/bithidh
Bìoball
bìth (tar)
boc (buck)
bochd (poor)
boireann
bonaid
brèagha
britheamh
brosgal
brudhearg
bruich
buaghallan
buntàta
bus (omnibus)
caidreabh
cailear (pleasant, etc.)
cailleachan, (pl. of cailleach)
caiptean
caiseart (footwear)
Caitligeach
cam
camara (pl.of camarathan)
cànain (f., gen. -e/cànan
m., gen. cànain)
caoirich, (pl. of caora)
carbad
carson
Cas-Chrom
cathadh (blizzard)
ceula-deug
Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain
cearcall
ceilear
Cèitean
ceud (hundred)
chan eil
chì
chluinnte
choreigin
ciad (first)
ciamer
cidhe
cìobair/cìobaireachd
clag
clàimhean (door-bolt)
clann-nighean
cleachdte
clo (tweed, print)
cluinnear
cnuimh
co/cò (unstressed/stressed forms)
co-dhiù
co-threòiriche
coibhneas
coibhneil
coilean
coileanta (regular)
coimhleanta (compos
mentis)
coiridh (curry)
coitheanal
cola-deug
colaisde
comadaidh (comedy)
comataidh (committee)
còmhdhail
còmhla
còmhlann
còmhnadh
còmhnard
còmhradh
còmhrag
conntraigh
craiceann
crèadh
creideamh
cruithear/cruthaighear
cuaraidh (quarry)
cùbaid/cùbainn
cuibheall/cuibhle
cuideigin
cuinnean/cuinnlean
cùlaibh
da/dha (to his/her)
da-rìreadh/
dha-rìribh/
da-rìribh
dachaigh
dad/dhad (to your)
dannsa,a' dannsadh
dar as well as do ar
(to our)
dara/dàrna
datha
de/dhe (of his/her)
de ar/ur (of/off our/your)
[an] deach/deachaidh
dèanamh
deasbad
ded/dhed (of/off your)
[gun] deigheadh
deilignit
dem/dhem (of/off my/
their) [before
labials]
den/dhen (of/off
the/their)
deug (in compounds,e.g.
aon-deug,
dhà-dheug,
trì-deug;
dà-fhear-dheug;
sia-ceud-deug
dh'òl/dh'fhalbh,etc. (no space)
dha (to his/her) dhachaigh (adv.)
dhad (to your)
dhaibhsan
dham (to my/to their) [before
labials]
dhan (to the/their)
dhar (to our)
dhàsan
dhìse
dhòmhsa
dhur (to your)
dhut/dut
Diardaoin
diathad
Diciadain
dìdean
Didòmhnaich
Dihaoine
Diluain
Dimàirt
dìnnear
dìochuimhnich/di-chuimhnich/dìochainich
diofar
dìoro (giro)
Disathairne
dithis
doctair/dotair
dod (to your)
dom (to my)
domhainn (deep)
domhan, gen. domhain (universe)
don (to the/their)
doras
draibhear
draoidh
dreuchd
drùchd
drùdh (soak); dhrùidh (it soaked)
dubh-ghorm/dubhghorm
dùdan
duine òg/duin' òg
Dùn Eideann
dur [as well as do ur]
(to your)
eadrainne
eagal
ealla (in the phrase a' gabhail ealla)
eanraich
earball
eatarrasan
èigh, èigheach (shout)
èiginn
eilean
èiridh (will rise)
èirigh (rising)
eisimpleir
esan
eud (jealousy)
eugmhais
fa-near
fàd/fòd
faiehnich, faighneachd
failmean
fàire
fairtlich
fallas (sweat)
famhair
faram
farasta (gentle)
farsaing
fathann
feart
fèath
feobhas
feuch
feur (grass)
feusgan
fhuilear (See fuilear)
fiacaill/fiacall
fiar (crooked)
fiodhall
fìon
fìor (also in comps. fìorfhuil, fìoreur
fireann
fo ar/ur (under,our/your)
fod (under your)
fodha (under him)
foghnan
foidhidinn
foipe (under her)
foirfeach, foirfeachd
fom (under my/their) [before labials]
fon (under the/their) [before labials]
fòpa (under them)
fuaigh, fuaigheal
fuaim
fuidheall
fuilear (in phrases chan-fhuilear,)
fuiling
fulang
furasta (easy)
gad (at our/to our)
gailleann
gam (at my/to my)
Gaidheal,Gaidhealtachd
gainneamh/gainmheach
gar (at our/to our)
gàrradh
gasta
gèadh
gearan
geimhleag
Gìblean
gidheadh
giuthas
glaine (cleanness, cleanliness)
glainne (glass)
grànda
greusaiche
griùlach/griùrach
gu ar/ur, gar/gur
gu leòr
gud (to your)
gum/gun (e.g.tha e ag
radh gum bi/gun tig)
gum (to my/their)
gun (to their)
gun robh
gur (at your/to your)
hama
hangar
Hiort
iarann (iron)
iathadh
imeachd (rather than iomachd)
Inbhir Aora
Inbhir Nis
ìne (fingernail)
Innse Gall
ioma/iomadh
iongantach/ioghantach
iongnadh/ioghnadh
ionnsaigh
iosal/iseal
iosgaid
Iseabail
Latha na Sabaid
latha-eigin
lachdann
lampa
lamraig
làraidh
làrna-mhàireach
le ar (with our)
le ur (with your)
leaba/leabaidh
leann
leathan, (Compar.
leatha)
lethbhreac
lethcheann
lethchiallach
led (with your)
leis-san
lem (with my/their)
len (with their)
leomhann
lèor (in phrase
gu lèor)
leth-amadan
lì
liabag/leòbag
locair
loidhne (line)
luaths
lùths
m' athair/d' aithair (keep space)
MaGhobhainn
Mac an t-Saoir
MacAmhlaidh/MacAmhlaigh
MacDhòmhnaill
MacGhilleathain/MacGillathain
maidainn (gen. maidne)
maighdeann,maighdeannas
maighistir, maighistir-
sgoile
mairtfheòil
maoil (forehead)
mar-aon
math,
mathanas,
mathas
meadhan (middle)
mean
meas/mios (esteem), (fruit)
meata
mèinneadair
mèirle
meur
meuran (thimble)
mì-mhodhail/mìomhail
mias (basin)
minig
ministear, (pl. ministearan)
mìorun
mìos (month)
mocheirigh
marthir
mu ar/ur (about our/your)
mu choinneimh
mu dheidhinn
mud (about your)
muicfheòil
muiltfheòil
muinichill
mum (about my/their)
mun (about the/their)
na b' òige
Na Hearadh
na (in his/in her)
nàbaidh
nad
nàdar
naidheachd
naidhlean (not
naidhlon)
nam (of the) [def.art.]
nam (in my) .
nan (of the) [def.art.]
nan (in their)
naoi
nar (in our)
nas
neas
neo-ar-thaing
neo-lochdach
neòghlan
nì (thing)
nì (will do)
nìonag
nis
nuair
nuair sin/an uair sin
nur (in your)
obair, pl.obraichean
Ogmhios
oidhirp
òigear
oilthigh
òirdhearc
oisean m.gen. oisein/oisinn
f.gen. oisne
on (since)
onair
onarach
os cionn
othaisg, pl. òisgean
pàigh
pàipear
pàisde
pannal
pathadh
piàno
pitheid (magpie, etc.)
plèna (plane)
poileasaidh, pl. poileasaidhean
poileataics
pongai1
pòsta
ràdh
raineach
ràithe, pl. ràitheachan/ràitheen
reòth, reothadh
reudan (timber-moth) etc.
ri ar (with our)
ri ur (with your)
ribh (to you)
rid (to you)
rim (to my/their)
rin (to their) etc.
rinn (to us)
[an d']rinn/[an do]rinn/[na]rinn
[gun)rinn/[gun d']rinn/[gun do]rinn
rionnach
rionnag
ris-san
rithist/rìs
ro [not roimh]
ro ar/ur (before our/your)
robh/a robh/gu robh
rod (before your)
roghainn ..
roimhpe (before her)
rom (before my/their)
romhpa (before them)
ron (before the/their)
Ruairidh/Ruaraidh
rudeigin
rùrach
's dòcha
's fheudar
sa
sabhal, pl. saibhlean
saidhlofòn
samhail
Samhain
samhla
san (in the)
's an (and the)
Sasainn
Sassanach
seachdain
seagh, seaghail
Sealtainn
seanachaidh, seanachas
seusan (season)
seiche
seileastair
sèimh
seo
seud (jewel, treasure)
sgèan (startled look)
sgìths
sgoilear, pl. sgoilearan or sgoileirean
also sgoilearachd/sgoileireachd
sgreuch
sia.
siabann
siad (a bold fellow)
similear
sinn-seanmhair
sìochaint
sionnsar
siud
sleamhainn
smac (kind of boat)
smachd (control)
's math dh'fhaodte
smior
sna (in the)
soircas (circus)
soisgeul, soisgeulach,
soisgeulaiche
solas (light)
sòlas (joy)
sònraichte
staidhir/staidhre
stairseach
stiùireadair, stiùireadh
stiùrag
stoidhle (style)
suirghe
sùith (soot)
sutha (zoo)
tabhair/toir
tabhairt/toirt
tacsaidh
tàidh (tie)
taigh
[an] tàinig
tairig (nail), pl.tairgean
tè-eigin
teatha/tì (tea)
(an) tèid
tèile (= tè eile)
telebhisean
thathar
thathas
thugainn/tiugainn
timcheall
tiotal
tobar
m.gen. -air/tobair
f.gen. -rach
Tobar Mhoire
togte
toirsgeir
tomàto
tombaca
trealaich
trèana
trìlleachan
tro [not troimh]
tro ar/ur (through our/your)
trod (through your)
troigh
troimh-chèile
troimhpe (through her)
trom (through my/their)
tromhpa (through them)
tron (through the/their)
truinnsear
[an] tubhairt/tuirt
[an] tug
tughadh
turas
turrach-air-tharrach
uabhas, uabhasach
uaimh (cave)
uainfeòil
ualras (walrus)
ubhall
uèir[e] (wire)
ugh, pl. uighean
uidheam
uileann
uimhir
uinnleag
uiread
uirsgeul
ùrnaigh
urra/urrainn
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