The Centre for Faclair na Gàidhlig
Faclair na Gàidhlig will provide an authoritative, comprehensive and accessible historical dictionary of Scottish Gaelic, facilitated by the development of ground-breaking dictionary technologies. Faclair na Gàidhlig is being compiled using historical principles, similar to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (DOST) and will take its place among these respected dictionaries, continuing a tradition of producing world-class lexicographical resources in Scotland.
In addition to developing lexicographical systems, dictionary entries and a lexicographical team, staff have worked tirelessly on the development of their own dictionary excerpting and writing system, Meanma, to ensure that entries published on the new website show the depth of the work that has been put into entries. The website is responsive on all types of devices so that the dictionary entries are accessible to all users.
Ionad Faclair na Gàidhlig is a long-term partnership initiative involving Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, and the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde.
The Centre is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
The Centre is managed from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig under the direction of Dr Gillian Rothach, Principal of the College and Convener of the Board of Management.
Phase I (2005-08) to create the editorial and textual foundation for the dictionary was carried out at the University of Edinburgh under the direction of Professor Donald Meek and Professor William Gillies of Celtic & Scottish Studies.
Phase II has produced a full-text database of Scottish Gaelic from which the dictionary will be compiled. This project is directed by Professor R Ó Maolalaigh of the Department of Celtic and Gaelic, University of Glasgow under the auspices of the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG) project.
Faclair na Gàidhlig is a major long-term project which will produce an essential resource for the Gaelic language. Publication began in September 2023 when the new website and the Centre for Faclair na Gàidhlig were launched.
You can find more information on the project website www.faclair.ac.uk
Centre Manager: Sharon Pearson
Faclair na Gàidhlig, Ionad Iain Nobail, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Sleat, Isle of Skye, IV44 8RQ.