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Teach yourself Gaelic



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Tòin: bottom/butt/bum
A hard word to pronounce: say 'toon', but then add a short y-sound to the end of the n-sound. It has all the sniggering, 10-year-old connotations of the English word bum, and it's the kind of word to avoid in very polite company, but an exasperated parent might shout at a child "Suidh air do thòin" (See ur do thoon), sit on your bottom. One arguably controversial use of the word crops up in geography; the south of England, especially the south-east, is often called "Tòin Shassain", literally the arse-end of England. "A bheil an tòin agam a' coimhead mòr le seo?" (Uh vull mo hoon uh koo-wad more le shaw?) Does my bum look big in this? "Chan eil" (kha nyul), no, is always the answer.





The full article contains 146 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 29 March 2008 8:21 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Gaelic language
 
1

Calum Crubag,

30/03/2008 09:47:33
Toin Shasainn. Nach math siud!
2

Alasdair91,

Dolair, Siorrach Chlach Mhannainn 30/03/2008 13:44:09
Shouldn't it be:

"A bheil mo thòin agam a' coimhead mòr le seo?" ?
(Ah vale mo hawn-y akam uh coo-vit mawr lih shaw)
3

Murdo MacLeod/Murchadh MacLeòid,

Edinburgh/Dùn Èideann 31/03/2008 19:11:08
Dear Alasdair91. No it shouldn't. You could say "mo thòin" or "an tòin agam", they are both ways to say "my bottom". But you can't mix the two together in the same sentence. It's either "Am bheil an tòin agam..." or "Am bheil mo thòin..." But not "mo thòin agam." Hope this helps. Tha mi'n dòchas gu bheil seo na chuideachadh.
Mise le meas.
4

Tearlach,

Juneau 02/04/2008 14:31:23
"A bheil an tòin agam a' coimhead mòr le seo?"

"Chan eil" (kha nyul), no, is always the answer.

Tha freagairt eile ann cuideachd:

"Chan eil, 's ann air sàilleamh gu bheil thu reamhair gu bheil an tòin agad a' coimhead mòr. "

Chuala mi gun do dh'fheuch fireannaich a bha seo an fhreagairt seo. Chan eil iad còmhla tuilleadh.
5

Alasdair91,

Dolair, Siorrach Chlach Mhannainn 03/04/2008 17:30:45
I realised after i posted it it shouldn't have "agam" in it, but i didn't want to double post...

 

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