Colin Mark is a British teacher, lexicographer and writer on the

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

. He is the author of three books, a number of articles as well as short stories published in the Gaelic language quarterly ''

Gairm ''Gairm'' was a Scottish Gaelic quarterly magazine founded in 1951 by Derick Thomson, and Finlay J. MacDonald (Fionnlagh Domhnallach). Its first issue was published in Autumn 1952. MacDonald served as an editor until 1964; Thomson remained present ...

''. After study at

Peterhead Academy Peterhead Academy is a six-year Comprehensive Community School in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is operated by Aberdeenshire Council. History The original building of Peterhead Academy was built in 1846 and was originally a boys only sc ...

Colin Mark achieved an undergraduate degree in

classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

from the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

. He taught for nearly 40 years in a number of schools in the south-east and north-east of Scotland. His ''Gaelic Verbs Systemised and Simplified'' (2006) received widespread praise including from

Ruairidh MacIlleathain Ruairidh MacIlleathain is a Scottish Gaelic broadcaster and author with an interest in Gaelic learners. He edited the learner's newsletter '' Cothrom'' (published by Clì Gàidhlig) and hosts the radio shows ''Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh'' and ''An ...

BBC Alba BBC Alba is a Scottish Gaelic-language free-to-air public broadcast television channel jointly owned by the BBC and MG Alba. The channel was launched on 19 September 2008 and is on-air for up to seven hours a day with BBC Radio nan Gàidheal s ...

journalist and writer, who praised the book's attention to idiom. His ''Gaelic to English Dictionary'' (2002) is one of a small number of

Scottish Gaelic dictionaries The history of Scottish Gaelic dictionaries goes back to the early 17th century. The high-point of Gaelic dictionary production was in the first half of the 19th century, as yet unrivalled even by modern developments in the late 20th and early 21st ...

in the modern era and has received praise for its practical and user friendly nature. David Stifter, who reviewed the dictionary in ''

Language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

'' the journal of the

Linguistic Society of America The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) is a learned society for the field of linguistics. Founded in New York City in 1924, the LSA works to promote the scientific study of language. The society publishes three scholarly journals: ''Language'', ...

praised the dictionary's comprehensiveness, including over 90,000 entries gathered from twenty years of study, in his opinion unparalleled except by older dictionaries by

Edward Dwelly Edward Dwelly (1864–1939) was an English lexicographer and genealogist. He created the authoritative dictionary of Scottish Gaelic, and his work has had an influence on Irish Gaelic lexicography. He also practised as a professional genealogist ...

and Malcolm MacLennan. The dictionary was also recommended by Victor Price. Mark resides in the Scottish seaside town of Buckie with his wife Jean.The Gaelic-English Dictionary Preface viii Routledge 2002 __NOTOC__

Works

Books

* ''Gaelic Verbs''. Glasgow University Press (Roinn nan Cànan Ceilteach Oilthigh Ghlaschu) 1986. * ''The Gaelic-English Dictionary''. Routledge 2002 (hardback) (paperback) * ''Gaelic Verbs Systemised and Simplified''. Steve Savage Publishers 2006 *

Short stories

Short stories (in Gaelic) by Colin Mark include: * "Smuaintean ann an Taigh-seinnse" (Thoughts in a Pub) Gairm 127 (1984) * "Liombo" (Limbo) Gairm 133 (1985) * "Ath-thilleadh Fhearghuis" (Fergus Returns) Gairm 136 (1986) * "An Ioma-shlighe" (The Labyrinth) Gairm 143 (1988) * "Craobh an t-Saoghail" (Tree of the World) Gairm 152 (1990)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mark, Colin Scottish schoolteachers Scottish lexicographers Scottish Gaelic writers Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Living people Year of birth missing (living people)