Gaelic Proverbs

Designed for those interested in the lore and tradition of a language, spoken until comparatively recently across much of Scotland, this is acompendium of Gaelic sayings and usage. The book includes notes, historical and social, and comparisons with sayings in different languages.Alexander Nicolson, one of the best scholars of his day, has gathered together a wide-ranging collection covering such diverse topics aswomen and marriage, wise men and fools, friendship and courage, and poverty and wealth.The proverbs appear in Gaelic along with the English translation, carefully preserving the pith of the original. These sayings, which as Nicolsonremarks in his Preface, ‘come from thatched cottages and not baronial and academic halls’, reflect keen intelligence and a distinct sense ofhumour. This is a comprehensive and important collection, with a foreword by Ian MacDonald of the Gaelic Books Council.