Colin Mark (1936–2020) was a British teacher,

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines: * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionary, dictionaries. * The ...

and writer on the

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

. He was 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 prese ...

''. After study at Peterhead Academy Colin Mark achieved an undergraduate degree in

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

from the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

. 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. The name ' is the Scottish Gae ...

journalist and writer, who praised the book's attention to idiom. An updated and expanded third edition of 'Gaelic Verbs' will be published in late 2024 by Waterfront Books. His ''Gaelic to English Dictionary'' (2002) is one of a small number of Scottish Gaelic dictionaries 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 that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

'' 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 genealogi ...

and Malcolm MacLennan. The dictionary was also recommended by Victor Price.The Gaelic-English Dictionary Preface viii Routledge 2002

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)