Cadal nan con sa mhuilinn

#scottishgaelic #gàidhlig #scotland

Cadal nan con sa mhuilinn – sleeping with one eye open
(Pronounced catal nan co sa voolinn)

"cadal nan con sa mhuilinn" is an idiomatic expression. In Scottish Gaelic, idioms often have meanings that aren't directly apparent from the individual words.

"Cadal nan con sa mhuilinn" literally translates to "the sleep of the dogs in the mill," but idiomatically, it means "sleeping lightly" or "sleeping with one eye open." This phrase is used to describe someone who is not in a deep sleep, often due to vigilance or caution.

Breakdown of the phrase:
cadal:

Translation: "sleep"
Pronunciation: [catal]
nan:

Translation: "of the" (genitive plural form)
Used to show possession or association with plural nouns.
Pronunciation: [nan]
con:

Translation: "dogs" (genitive plural of "cù")
Pronunciation: [con]

Sa

Translation: "in the" (a contraction of "anns a’")
Used before a noun starting with a consonant.
Pronunciation: [sa]

mhuilinn:

Translation: "mill" (dative form of "muilinn")
Pronunciation: [ˈvoolin]
Note: "muilinn" (mill) becomes "mhuilinn" due to lenition after "sa."
Putting it all together:
"cadal nan con sa mhuilinn"
Translation: "the sleep of the dogs in the mill"

Detailed Breakdown:
cadal:
"sleep"
nan con:
"of the dogs"
sa mhuilinn:
"in the mill"
Explanation:
The phrase captures the idea of dogs in a mill being in a state of light, watchful sleep, ready to wake up at any moment. This imagery is used to convey the concept of being alert or cautious even while sleeping.

Example Sentence Using the Idiom:

Bha mi a’ cadal nan con sa mhuilinn an-raoir.
Translation: "I was sleeping lightly last night."
———————————————————————————————

Tha mi a' leughadh – I am reading… (p: tha mi a layvoog)
leabhar – book (P; loir)

Tha mi: I am
Putting it together:
"Tha mi a' leughadh leabhar."

"Tha iad nan cadal."

Here's a breakdown:

Tha iad means "They are."
nan cadal means "in their sleep" or "sleeping."
In Scottish Gaelic, when using the possessive pronoun with the verbal noun "cadal" (sleeping), it changes to "nan" (their), making the complete phrase "They are sleeping."

Pronunciation:
Tha iad nan cadal (ha eeyat nan catal)

teaghlach (P: howlach) – family

I think I confused everyone (and me too) about the plurals – let me explain how they should be used:

In Scottish Gaelic, the word "cadal" (sleep) changes to "cadail" in certain grammatical contexts, specifically when used with prepositions and possessive pronouns. Here are some key instances:

1. Possessive Pronouns
When expressing possession with verbal nouns, "cadal" becomes "cadail."

My sleep: mo chadal → mo chadail
Example: Tha mi a' cur mo chadail air dòigh. (I am arranging my sleep.)
2. Prepositions
When "cadal" is used with certain prepositions, it can change to "cadail."

In sleep: ann an cadal → ann an cadail
Example: Tha e ann an cadail. (He is in sleep.)
3. Genitive Case
In the genitive case, "cadal" changes to "cadail" to indicate possession or close association.

Of sleep: cadal → cadail
Example: Taigh na cadail (The house of sleep).
Example Sentences:
Tha mi a' smaoineachadh air cadail. (I am thinking about sleep.)
Bidh mi a' gabhail mo chadail. (I will be taking my sleep.)
Summary
"Cadal" (sleep) changes to "cadail" mainly when used with possessive pronouns and in the genitive case.
This change typically indicates possession, association, or relationship to sleep.