NA GÀIDHEIL AGUS AN AINMEAN-
ÀITE AN ALBAINN NUAIDH

The Gaels and their place
names in Nova Scotia

• CLÀR-SAMHLA / LEGEND 


COIMHEARSNACHD / COMMUNITY




SIORRAMACHD / COUNTY



• MU’N CHLÀR-DÙTHCHA 

Anmoch ’s na 1700an, thug Gàidheil á Gàidhealtachd is Eileannan an Iar na h-Albann an cànan is an dualchas leotha gu Albainn Nuaidh. Rinn iad dachaidhean, stéidhich ’ad coimhearsnachdan is ’s e ainmean Gàidhlig a bh’ac’ air a’ chruth-tìre mun cuairt orra. Ann an 1900, b’ e a’ Ghàidhlig an cànan a bha ’ga bruidhinn aig a’ chuid as motha de dhaoine air taobh an ear na h-Albann Nuaidhe. An diugh, ’s e Alba Nuadh a’ roinn a-mhàin, taobh a-muigh na h-Albann, na h-Éireann is Eilean Mhanainn far a ghléidheas Gàidheil caochlaidhean Gàidhlig is a cultur mar fhiamhan làthail beatha na coimhearsnachd.
’S ann an clàr-dùthcha seo, goireas do Ghàidheil, dhan fheadhainn a tha ’teasgasg na Gàidhlig, agus do dhuine sam bith aig a bheil suim ann an cànan agus culture nan Gàidheal ann an Albainn Nuaidh. Gheobhar an cois na làraich seo na coimhearsnachdan far an do shuidhich na Gàidheal is na h-ainmean-àite is a’ Ghàidhlig a bh’ac’ orra. Gheobhar foighlichean-fuaime dha na h-ainmean-àite seo is beagan tuairisgeil mu na h-ainmean-àite.

• ABOUT THE MAP 

Gaels from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland brought their language and culture to Nova Scotia in the late 1700s. They built homes and established communities and had Gaelic names for the surrounding landscape. In 1900, Gaelic was the dominant language spoken in Eastern Nova Scotia. Today, Nova Scotia is the only jurisdiction outside of Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man where Gaels maintain variations of Gaelic language and its attendant culture as everyday aspects of community life.
This map is a resource for Gaels and those who are teaching Gaelic and for anyone with an interest in the language and culture of the Gaels in Nova Scotia. Included in this site are the communities where Gaels settled and the Gaelic placenames they had for them. Included as well are Sound files for these placenames with a little description about them.

• BRIATHRACHAS / VOCABULARY 

mór

big

allt

brook

cóbh

cove

gleann

glen/valley

eilean

island

loch

lake

beag

little

beinn

mountain

caolas

narrows

ùr/nuadh

new

tuath

north

deas

south

ear

east

iar

west

pon

pond

abhainn

river

baile

town

cnoc

hill

dùn

fortress/hill

rubha

point/peninsula

bun

base/lower part

bràigh

higher part/high ground

srath

low valley land

rathad

road

acarsaid

harbour

drochaid

bridge

port

port

bàgh

bay

 

 

• CREIDEASAN / CREDITS 

Iomairtean na Gàidhlig

Miar do Roinn nan Coimhearsnachdan, a’ Chultair agus an Dualchais
fiosgaidhlig@gov.ns.ca

Gaelic Affairs

A Division of the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage
1-888 U-GAELIC (1-999-842-3542) toll free




Toponym data source: Canadian Geographical Names - Nova Scotia. Government of Canada; Natural Resources Canada; Earth Sciences Sector; Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation; Geographical Names Section. Publication Date: 8 January 2015. Retrieved February 2015 from Geogratis.

County data source: Nova Scotia Specialy Maps, 1:500,000. Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia Geomatics Centre.




Map created by Heather Smith through the Centre of Geographic Sciences, Nova Scotia Community College, Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia.