h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Blicky, have ye nay got the knees forra kilt.....

The difference is that Burns didn't write in Gaelic. It wrote in Scots which which has its roots in the Germanic languages of the Vikings like many North British dialects.

Gaelic is a Celtic language originating in Ireland.


Donald

Yes until you get to the North East of Scotland where the Doric takes over. I've heard a theory that Doric is one of the bases for English.

And is Mallaig a Gaelic word?

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Of which Scots Gaelic (pronounced 'gallic' as opposed to 'gay-lic') is a dialect... Just felt the need to fill in that extra detail.

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*Points at Blicky*
Blasphemer!

Is a Mallaig Gaelic Word.

I don't know about Doric being a basis for English.

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=88ushlc76fki4?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Doric+dialect&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&sbid=lc01b

I remember my Mother once saying that English was a bastard language. This surprised me at the time as she was not given to such strong language. She went on to explain that it was called bastard language because it has no definite roots. It's a mixture of the Celtic language of the Welsh and Irish and Germanic languages of the Anglo Saxons and Vikings with many other influences thrown in just to confuse the issue.

Donald

English is about 60% Anglo-Saxon, 30% Norman French and about 10% Latin. Celtic has contributed very little to English, other than a smattering of words.

OK, so once you've done Mallaig, try something really tricky like

Auchtermuchty



I used to live in St. Andrews nearby and could never drive through Auchtermuchty without having to say it to myself about five times.

Hint, if you can't say loch properly, don't even try

I presume Auchtermuchty is pronounced the way it is spelt.

Well yes but it's hilarious listening to English people trying to say it

That reminds me of Blackadder's comment on Wales:

"You need half a pint of phlegm in your throat just to pronounce the placenames. Never ask for directions in Wales Baldrick, you'll be washing spit out of your hair for a fortnight."

Ecclefechan's quite a good one too...

Try Kilmalcolm for size

Poor Malcolm...

Not to mention Maryculter and Peterculter

For some reason Stornoway and Uig present problems to the English as well, despite being spelled phoenetically... maybe they all assume that Scottish place names have to be difficult to pronounce regardless of spelling.

Also, why do do many English types have to put on an awful facsimilie of a Scottish accent whenever they say Aberdeen?

Another good'un is my surname: McKerracher
I have heard many interesting variations...

If that were an Irish name, I'd say it would be pronounced Muh-kerr-ruh-hur.

Close enough... being Scots Gaelic it's a complete bitch to write phonetically.

The Northern lights of old Aybadeen