Gaelic Orthographic Conventions - Scottish Qualifications Authority

5 Word stress and emphasis
a
b
c
d
Initial stress
Where stress is on the first syllable of words, including proper compounds, these should be
spelt as one word:
atharrais, banrigh, barrall, cuingealachadh, dìochuimhnich, eatarrasan, imeachd,
smaoineachadh, leabharlann
Words with prefixes conform to the same pattern:
anabarrach, anacothrom, aocoltach, aodomhainn, eucoir
Non-initial stress
Words in which stress does not fall on the first syllable should generally be hyphenated, with
the hyphen coming before the part of the word bearing the stress:
ban-diùc, cas-chrom
Words with prefixes conform to the same pattern:
ana-miann, ath-bheothachadh
However, hyphens should not be used in borrowed or adapted words that have non-initial
stress:
buntàta, telebhisean, tombaca
Pronouns with emphasising particles (-ne, -sa, -se, -san) should generally be written as
one word:
againne, astasan, dhaibhsan, dhutsa, leathase, troimhesan
But leis-san and ris-san should be hyphenated to avoid the juxtaposition of ss.
Where the emphasising particle follows a noun or an adjective, the word should be
hyphenated:
a brògan-se, ar càirdean-ne, mo leabhar-sa, mo sheacaid ùr-sa
However, adjectival forms of seo, sin and siud should be written as separate words:
an rud seo/an rud sa, an rud sin, an rud ud
Adverbial expressions of time and place which constitute units should be hyphenated:
a-màireach, a-nis, a-nochd, a-raoir, a-rithist, am-bliadhna, an-ceartuair, an-dè, an-diugh,
an-dràsta, an-earar, an-uiridh
a-bhàn, a-bhos, an-àird, a-nall, a-nìos, a-nuas, a-null
a-chaoidh, a-cheana, am-feast, a-mhàin, a-riamh
a-mach, a-muigh, a-staigh, a-steach
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