A' Hobat: Professor translates The Hobbit into Gaelic
Now, after many phases of editing, the book is available to order, complete with an afterword explaining why Professor Watson alighted on the word hobat to translate 'hobbit' and why it has a' and not the more 'expected' an.
'Enjoyment of reading is of tremendous importance on many levels when it comes to the esteem and status of a language,' he said.
'Being able to select from a wide range of engaging texts is also extremely important when learning a language or when making the decision to dig in and make that long, sustained extra effort necessary to go from competence in a language to mastery.
'I've read the book in at least nine languages so far. Whenever I learn a new language now, I always check to see if there is a translation of The Hobbit. If there is, I buy it.
"That way, I can read a novel early on in the learning process, because I already know the story very well at this point.
'Every single time I read it, in every single language, I get to experience the deep, rich joy of discovering Tolkien's world.'
Photograph of Prof. J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Pictured in Oxford, 1972 (Image: NQ) The Gaelic translation, supported by the Gaelic Books Council, joins a growing list of languages allowing new engagement with the classic story the world over, including Hawaiian, Esperanto, Breton and Yiddish.
Professor Watson is Director of Ionad Eòghainn MhicLachlainn: the National Centre for Gaelic Translation, which exists specifically to support the translation of literature into Gaelic.
He also teaches on the MSc in Translation at the University of Aberdeen, which is currently the only institution worldwide which offers a translation degree in Gaelic to that level.
READ MORE:
The book includes all the drawings by the author and Professor Watson says it was a pleasure and privilege to delve deeply into the maps, runes and illustrations when triple-checking translations before publication.
'It's no wonder people fell in love with this book, and continue to do so nearly 90 years after it was first published,' he added.
'I'm very lucky to have had the chance to work with it and I hope that people enjoy it.'
Professor Watson is also completing a Gaelic translation of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine, which includes an academic essay on how elements of translation theory can help the translator work through some of the trickier parts of a text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Avoid paying crazy golf prices when taking up the sport with our four savvy tips
Read on to find out how to get £5 off at Co-op SUN SAVERS Avoid paying crazy golf prices when taking up the sport with our four savvy tips Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GOLF'S US Open is in full swing and could leave you feeling inspired to tee-off. The sport rightly has a reputation for being a pricey pastime to take up, but there are ways to cut costs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up PAR FOR THE COURSE: Many courses offer reduced rates for playing later in the day and into twilight. Clubs often have other off-peak hours when it is cheaper to tee-off. Or start off with a nine-hole round rather than the full 18 to save. If you have a mobility issue, ask whether there is a reduced cost for a buggy to help you get around the course. MEMBER PERKS: Club memberships can save on costs if you start to play more regularly. The PlayMoreGolf app allows you to book rounds at more than 200 partner courses – and as part of signing up you get access to exclusive member offers and promotions. Use code USOPEN15 and you'll currently get five free rounds. GET THE GEAR: Golf clubs can cost a pretty penny. Buy second-hand to cut costs. Check sites such as Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, as well as charity shops or car boot sales. You can also buy used balls. Search eBay and Amazon for balls that are not box fresh. PITCH & PUTT: Many big parks have mini-golf courses that you play with one club and a putter and it's a great way to get a taste for the game. The equipment is supplied and costs are normally very reasonable. Or try an indoor golf venue where you can have an evening out playing golf, with food or drinks — again all equipment is supplied and it's a novel way to enjoy the sport. 7 We reveal ways to cut the costs of playing golf Credit: Getty DJ Khaled gets golf advice from Rory McIlroy All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. Deal of the day 7 This hanging chair is down to £99.99 at The Range online Credit: Supplied ENJOY your outdoor space with this hanging chair, down from £199.99 to £99.99, at The Range online. SAVE: £100 Cheap treat 7 This new body mist is £5 at Sainsbury's Credit: Supplied THIS So…? Unique coconut and vanilla body mist is a perfect scent for summer. It's new in at Sainsbury's, £5. What's new? PIZZA Express has refreshed its menu for summer with additions including Hawaiian hot dough balls and buffalo chicken wings. Top swap 7 This crab mug is £9.60 from Credit: Supplied 7 Or grab this mug for £3 at B&M Credit: Supplied SIP your everyday brew out of this crab mug, £9.60 from Or get a similar mug, for £3 from B&M. SAVE: £6.60 Little helper STOCK up your cleaning cupboard with buy five and save 25 per cent on selected clean and laundry items at Tesco with your Clubcard. Shop & save 7 This red lace bra is down to £5 at Matalan Credit: Supplied REFRESH your underwear drawer with this red lace bra, down from £10 to £5 at Matalan. SAVE: £5 Hot right now CO-OP customers can get £5 off a £30 shop when ordering online using the code SAVER5. Offer runs until Tuesday. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Popular Scottish island music festival announces 2025 line-up
The Tiree Music Festival (TMF), which takes place on the Isle of Tiree between July 11 to 13, will feature the brightest lights in pop, indie, folk and trad including supergroups Skerryvore and Skippinish who are set to perform on the Big Top stage. Acts already announced for TMF's 13th edition include Gaelic trad band Mànran, folk fusion duo The Laurettes and singer-songwriter Kirsteen Harvey. (Image: Tiree Music Festival) The festival's final day will hold an anniversary celebration, with Mànran marking 15 years together and artist Scott Wood celebrating a decade since the release of his acclaimed album Upsurge. Trail West will also be reflecting on 15 years of music, and Highland favourites Torridon celebrating 20 years together. READ MORE: Scotland's rarest and most stunning wild animals to see if you're lucky Rising star Callum Beattie has also been added to the TMF bill and is the final headliner to be announced. Having established himself as one of Scotland's premiere independent artists, he is now swapping the streets of Musselburgh for stages across the UK to embark on a tour. Callum Beattie (Image: Tiree Music Festival) He will perform at TMF alongside several other young Scottish artists, such as Ben Walker and Amy Papiransky. Beattie said: 'Tiree is one of my favourite places on earth, and it's the only Scottish festival we are playing this year, before our Hydro show in November. I love it there – great music and great people.' Daniel Gillespie, artistic director for Tiree Music Festival, said: 'TMF is all about providing a platform for independent artists who capture the hearts and imaginations of our audiences and we know how beloved Callum is among Tiree audiences.' Many up-and-coming indie artists are also set to take the stage this summer including social media sensation Jarad Rowan, Lochaber singer-songwriter Little Win, and trad bands Heron Valley and Culla. Glasgow busking sensation Maria McAveety, and the four-piece Fèis Phàislig Ceilidh Trail will also perform across the weekend. The festival's 2025 theme is "Myths and Legends" and will bring the folklore of Tiree to life for visitors, while silent discos, and a kids area with sandpits, slimebaths, tug o' war and storytelling, will also be on offer. READ MORE: Yellow weather warning issued for parts of Scotland for thunderstorms Special film screenings will run across the weekend from Screen Argyll, including a showing of Disney's Brave introduced by the voice of the soundtrack herself, Julie Fowlis. In a Scottish music festival first, attendees will be offered sauna experiences from Spear Sauna situated on the beachfront. The festival will also feature sound bath relaxation sessions and seaweed foraging walks as well as existing activities such as beach yoga, surf lessons, and tours to Tyree Distillery. Tiree Music Festival will take place between July 11 to 13. A limited number of tickets remain at with foot passenger ferry spaces only available via CalMac
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I tested flavoured ciders… fresh-flavoured £2.75 winner tasted just like a can of Lilt and would be great with cheese
Scroll down to find out which cider would be nice as a pudding wine alternative INTO A DE-CIDER I tested flavoured ciders… fresh-flavoured £2.75 winner tasted just like a can of Lilt and would be great with cheese WITH a whopping 324million pints sold last year, cider is now the most popular alcoholic drink after beer. And it's not just classic versions we are enjoying – because premium fruit-flavoured options account for 72 per cent of orders. As pub gardens gear up to supply us with refreshing summer pints, Alex James – Blur bassist, Big Feastival founder and now cider maker – gives his verdict on an array of the flavoured tipples. Rattler Pineapple Cider 500ml, 3.4%, £2.75, Tesco 6 The Rattler Pineapple Cider is full of fresh pineapple flavour Credit: Olivia West IT'S perfectly possible to make cider from just apples and nothing else. Apple skins carry natural yeasts that will cause juice left in a barrel over the winter to ferment and magically transmogrify into cider by spring. This minor miracle has always been more than enough for me, but I can see the appeal of adding exotic flavourings to spice things up a bit. Unsurprisingly, this one tastes a bit like Lilt. It's full of fresh pineapple flavour and would be great, Hawaiian pizza-style, with cheese on toast. Also makes me think I'd love to try an alcoholic drink made purely from fermented pineapple juice. That really would be something. RATING: 5/5 Rekorderlig is launching a new cider cocktail range Alska Strawberry & Lime Cider 500ml, 3.4%, £1.99, Aldi 6 This Swedish cider tastes exactly like a 'red' flavour freeze pop Credit: Olivia West A SWEDISH cider with an eye-catching label bursting with colourful illustrations of fresh strawberries and limes. It's almost like they're tricking you into thinking you're buying a yoghurt of some kind, rather than a bottle of booze with added sugar and flavourings. It must be hard enough growing apples and strawberries in Sweden, let alone limes, but we'll skim over that. It tastes exactly like a 'red' flavour freeze pop. It's too overwhelmingly sugary to pair with a lot of foods or other drinks. But pouring it over ice would dampen the sweetness and make it a decent lunchtime aperitif. On a boiling hot day, upgrading from a crafty Mr Freeze to one of these in the garden wouldn't be a bad idea. RATING: 2/5 Crumpton Oaks Strawberry Fruity Cider 568ml, 4%, £1.50, Tesco 6 This can of cider tastes of strawberry flavour rather than actual strawberries Credit: Olivia West A MIGHTY, pint-sized can of cider. It's very pink and very sweet and it's among the stronger offerings in today's field at four per cent alcohol by volume. It tastes of strawberry flavour rather than actual strawberries, but is by far the cheapest of the bunch. If it's value you're after, you could easily add a shot of strawberry syrup to your favourite cider, but if it's strawberry flavour convenience that you want, then look no further. Syrupy sweet, so might be nice as a pudding wine alternative. Try it with ice cream or apple pie, or maybe even delivered lovingly to the wife while she's halfway through a long soak in a bubble bath. RATING: 3/5 Old Mout Kiwi & Lime Cider 500ml, 4%, £2.38, Asda 6 This cider smells like a bag of Jelly Babies and tastes like an exotic species of Fanta Credit: Olivia West IF the idea was to train your children in how to drink alcohol, this would be the perfect way to get them started. It might be an alcoholic tipple, but it smells like a bag of Jelly Babies and tastes like an exotic species of Fanta. I have to say I rather liked it. I can see it going down really well at a barbecue as it's full of fizz, with enough zest and fruitiness to square up to the traditional burned sausage. That said, I've also got a feeling you could get something very similar for much cheaper by adding a shot of already-open booze, like vodka, to a glass of your favourite fruity fizzy pop. RATING: 4/5 Pulpt Melba (White Peach & Scottish Raspberry) Cider 500ml, 3.4%, £2.65, Tesco 6 This cider would work best served as cold as possible on a swelteringly hot sunny day Credit: Olivia West THIS cider reminds me of the rhubarb-and-custard chews I used to enjoy on my Saturday morning trips to the sweet shop as a child. It looks like a glass of plain old cider but then, when you try it, you get a good biff of raspberry flavour. Any peachiness was harder to detect. As with most of these cheap and cheerful drinks, I think older teens would love it, but whatever your age, it would work best served as cold as possible on a swelteringly hot sunny day. You're basically getting a two-for-one alcohol and sugar hit. It would also ride very nicely alongside a pork pie or a Scotch egg at a picnic. RATING 2/5 Woodgate Blood Orange Cider (4x440ml), 3.4%, £2.99, Lidl 6 This blood-orange tinned tipple actually tastes nothing like cider Credit: Olivia West THERE are so many things I like about cider. Apple orchards are enchanting places – the Biblical Garden of Eden, which was a paradise, was an orchard, after all. Even relatively recently, cider was used as currency to pay farm workers, so whoever made the best cider got the best workers. And it helped lead to a revolution in British glass manufacturing that ultimately shaped the drinking habits of the entire world. This blood-orange tinned tipple actually tastes nothing like cider at all. Instead, it looks, tastes and smells just like a famous orange fizzy drink. But it would make a decent birthday breakfast substitute for a Buck's fizz. Or swig it as an accompaniment to a weekend fast food smash. RATING: 4/5
