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Photo: Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
What anchors a language in history?
For Scottish Gaelic, one of the most significant answers is Faclair na Gàidhlig – Scotland’s national historical dictionary of Gaelic. Designed on the same historical principles as the Oxford English Dictionary and the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, it is creating an authoritative, evidence-based record of Gaelic as it has been used across the centuries.
Such a project requires a long-term linguistic infrastructure
Faclair na Gàidhlig (FnaG) is a partnership led by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, working with the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde. It began publishing online in 2023 and is freely accessible at www.faclair.ac.uk.
From conversation to national project
The project began in 2003, following discussions between Professor Norman Gillies, then Director of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, and Lorna Pike of the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue. A Strategy Committee was formed, and Ms Pike later became FnaG’s Director of Lexicography, guiding its development for two decades.
Key academics joined the initiative, including Professor Donald Meek (University of Edinburgh), who had worked on the earlier Historical Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic, and Professor William Gillies. Together, they established the intellectual and methodological foundations for a dictionary compiled according to rigorous historical principles.
Between 2003 and 2005, an extensive review of existing Gaelic dictionaries was undertaken, supported by funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Leverhulme Trust. This phase laid the editorial and textual groundwork.
A turning point came with the development of Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG), a digital archive led by Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh at the University of Glasgow. The archive’s Corpas na Gàidhlig – now containing approximately 40 million words – provides the evidential backbone for dictionary entries. Every definition is grounded in real historical usage, drawn from manuscripts, literature and other recorded sources.
Building digital infrastructure
From 2009 onwards, stable funding from the Scottish Funding Council and Bòrd na Gàidhlig allowed the project to expand its technical capacity. A Systems Developer and Corpus Assistants were appointed to build and populate the corpus. From 2018, lexicographical and editorial trainees joined the team.
In recent years, close collaboration between editors and the Systems Developer has led to the creation of Meanma, a bespoke dictionary writing and compilation system tailored specifically to the needs of historical Gaelic lexicography. Editors will begin fully using Meanma from March 2026.
As a born-digital resource, Faclair na Gàidhlig is not static. Entries can be revised, expanded and updated as scholarship progresses. To date, 52 entries have been published, with further entries added regularly. The website launched officially in 2023, marking twenty years of sustained work.
Why it matters
Historical dictionaries serve a different purpose from standard modern dictionaries. They document the development of words over time – their earliest attestations, shifts in meaning, regional variations and literary uses. They provide the evidential base for academic research, translation, broadcasting, publishing and education. In policy terms, they form part of the intellectual infrastructure that underpins language planning.
Under the Scottish Languages Act 2025, Gaelic’s status and development are central to national language policy. Faclair na Gàidhlig strengthens that framework by ensuring that Gaelic is documented to the highest scholarly standards and made freely accessible worldwide.
It also demonstrates that minority language scholarship can lead in digital innovation. The development of Meanma shows how tailored technological solutions can support complex linguistic research and may provide a model for future dictionary projects.
Faclair na Gàidhlig represents long-term commitment in its collaboration across institutions, sustained public funding, and specialist expertise built over decades. It places Scottish Gaelic alongside the great historical dictionary traditions of Europe.
More information is available at www.faclair.ac.uk.
Sharon Pearson, Centre Manager at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
