100-proof Scottish

**furrycelt** · 25th January 06, 12:58 PM

I have never heard of the flashes being used to convey any meaning. Now the sgian dubh does. If you can see the knife on the other person, then that is his way of saying that he trusts the company that he is in. If you see a scot, and you do not see his knife, then he might be a bit jumpy.

Remember in the film Rob Roy? Liam Nesson's character kept the blade hidden in his tam.

Oh, and "sgian dubh" is actually pronounced: /skane doov/; in Gaelic, "bh" and "mh" are given the "v" sound.

-ian

**flyv65** · 25th January 06, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by furrycelt

Oh, and "sgian dubh" is actually pronounced: /skane doov/; in Gaelic, "bh" and "mh" are given the "v" sound.

Sometimes. The bh and mh actual sounds are dependant on their position in the word; for instance, "sibh" is pronounced "shiv" (the plural or formal of "you"), but is also pronounced as stated in the above text in the word "dubh". Basically, it can be either a "v" sound or a "w" sound.

Bryan...wish I remembered more of my gaidhlig-I'd give better examples...