Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Clip

Litir 419: Eilean Mhanainn

Uaireannan bidh luchd-ionnsachaidh a鈥 faighneachd dh矛om, 鈥淐arson a tha G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann is G脿idhlig na h-Alba air an sgr矛obhadh an 矛re mhath air an aon d貌igh, ach gu bheil G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn a鈥 coimhead cho eadar-dhealaichte?鈥 Uill, 鈥檚 e an fhreagairt sh矛mplidh gun robh a鈥 Gh脿idhlig ann an Alba is 脠irinn air a sgr矛obhadh o chionn fhad an t-saoghail. Aig an 脿m bha iad co-ionann. Chruthaich manaich siostam sgr矛obhaidh dhi, st猫idhichte air Laideann. 鈥橲 ann anns na beagan cheudan a dh鈥檉halbh a nochd G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn ann an cl貌 鈥 agus chaidh siostam eile a chleachdadh air a son.

Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach an e sin an st貌iridh gu l猫ir. Tha e doirbh a chreidsinn nach do nochd a鈥 Gh脿idhlig Mhanainneach ann an cruth sgr矛obhte uair no uaireigin ann an eachdraidh fhada an eilein. Ach 鈥 a thaobh riaghladh 鈥 鈥檚 d貌cha gun robh m貌ran dheth sin air a dh猫anamh ann an Lochlannais agus 鈥 脿s d猫idh nan Lochlannach 鈥 ann am Beurla nan Sasannach.

Thairis air na ceudan, cha robh e gu diofar c貌 bha a鈥 riaghladh nam Manainneach 鈥 Lochlannaich no luchd na Beurla 鈥 鈥檚 e G脿idhlig a bh鈥 aig na daoine cumanta. Anns an t-seachdamh linn deug, sgr矛obh grunnan a chaidh don eilean gur e Beurla an c脿nan a b鈥 fhe脿rr leis na h-uaislean ach gur e G脿idhlig a bh鈥 aig c脿ch. Bha muinntir na h-eaglaise mothachail gun robh stuth leughaidh a dh矛th air an t-sluagh 鈥 ann an c脿nan a thuigeadh iad.

Rinn Easbaig Mhanainn 鈥 Cuimreach air an robh John Phillips 鈥 eadar-theangachadh de leabhar 霉rnaighean tr脿th san t-seachdamh linn deug. Chruthaich e siostam litreachaidh airson sin nach robh st猫idhichte air G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann no G脿idhlig na h-Alba. Ach cha do nochd sin ann an cl貌 aig an 脿m. Ann an seachd ceud deug 鈥檚 a seachd (1707), nochd a鈥 chiad leabhar ann an cl貌 鈥 Prionnsabalan is Dleastanasan Cr矛osdachd. 鈥橲 e an t-Easbaig T貌mas Wilson a bh鈥 air c霉l sin. Agus th貌isich esan pr貌iseact m貌r 鈥 eadar-theangachadh a鈥 Bh矛obaill.

Nochd am B矛oball Manainneach ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1775) 鈥 agus bha an siostam sgr矛obhaidh aca st猫idhichte an uair sin. Ach cha b鈥 ann gun str矛 a nochd am B矛oball. Nuair a bha mi anns an eilean, chaidh innse dhomh mu chl猫ireach a bha a鈥 siubhal ann am b脿ta leis an sgr矛obhainn gu l猫ir airson a鈥 Bh矛obaill. Bha e air an t-slighe chun a鈥 chl貌-bhualadair. Chaidh am b脿ta air na sgeirean. Ach fhuair an cl猫ireach gu s脿bhailte don chladach, agus e a鈥 cumail na sgr矛obhainn tioram os a chionn!

Mar a bha na G脿idheil ann an Alba is 脠irinn, bha na Manainnich uabhasach d猫idheil air ce貌l. B鈥 e an fhidheall an ionnstramaid a bu chumanta a bh鈥 aca. Ann am meadhan a鈥 gheamhraidh 鈥 eadar an t-aonamh latha fichead dhen D霉bhlachd agus an siathamh latha dhen Fhaoilleach 鈥 bhiodh c猫ilidhean is dannsaidhean ann a h-uile oidhche. B鈥 e sin Yn Kegeesh Ommidjagh 鈥 an Ceala-deug Amaideach!

Ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1765), chaidh uachdranachd an eilein a thoirt air falbh bho Dhi霉c Athall gu Cr霉n Bhreatainn. Agus, 脿s d猫idh sin, thug na h-霉ghdarrasan Breatannach smachd air a鈥 ch霉iltearachd a bha st猫idhichte anns an eilean. Chaidh marsantaich Shasannach a dh鈥檉huireach ann. Ach bha cr矛onadh san eaconamaidh. Agus dh鈥檉halbh m貌ran dhen t-sluagh a-null thairis. Rinn an d脿 rud sin cron m貌r air a鈥 ch脿nan.

Ach cha robh i deiseil airson leigeil suas an de貌. Agus, gu dearbh, tha i a鈥 dol am meud a-rithist san latha an-diugh.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Eilean Mhanainn: Isle of Man; co-ionann: equal, equivalent; Lochlannais: Norse language; c脿ch: the others; easbaig: bishop; Cuimreach: Welshman; c霉iltearachd: smuggling; marsantaich: merchants; cr矛onadh: downturn.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: air an sgr矛obhadh an 矛re mhath air an aon d貌igh: written pretty much in the same way; chruthaich manaich siostam sgr矛obhaidh dhi: monks created a writing system for it; st猫idhichte air Laideann: based on Latin; anns na beagan cheudan a dh鈥檉halbh: in the past few centuries; an e sin an st貌iridh gu l猫ir: is that the full story; ann an cruth sgr矛obhte uair no uaireigin: in a written form some time or other; cha robh e gu diofar c貌 bha a鈥 riaghladh: it didn鈥檛 matter who was governing; an c脿nan a b鈥 fhe脿rr leis na h-uaislean: the language the gentry preferred; gun robh stuth leughaidh a dh矛th air an t-sluagh: that the populace was short of reading material; saoil cia mheud ball a th鈥 aca?: how many members do you think they have?; a thuigeadh iad: which they would understand; eadar-theangachadh de leabhar 霉rnaighean: a translation of a book of prayers; cha do nochd sin ann an cl貌: that didn鈥檛 appear in print; Prionnsabalan is Dleastanasan Cr矛osdachd: The Principles and Duties of Christianity; cha b鈥 ann gun str矛 a nochd am B矛oball: it wasn鈥檛 without a struggle that the Bible appeared; mu chl猫ireach a bha a鈥 siubhal leis an sgr矛obhainn: about a churchman who was travelling with the manuscript; chun a鈥 chl貌-bhualadair: to the printer; tioram os a chionn: dry above his head; d猫idheil air ce貌l: keen on music; Ceala-deug Amaideach: Foolish Fortnight; bho Dhi霉c Athall gu Cr霉n Bhreatainn: from the Duke of Atholl to the British Crown; a-null thairis: overseas; airson leigeil suas an de貌: to breathe her last; a鈥 dol am meud: expanding.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bidh luchd-ionnsachaidh a鈥 faighneachd dh矛om: learners ask me. Some of you might be wondering why I didn鈥檛 say a鈥 faighneachd dhomh. In some places that indeed is what is said 鈥 in parts of Lewis it is universally so. Depending on dialect, the preposition used with faighneachd is either de/dhe or do/dha ie you either ask 鈥渙f鈥 or you ask 鈥渢o鈥. Both are correct. It鈥檚 best to learn one and stick to it. So, to say 鈥淲e asked them鈥 you might say Dh鈥檉haighnich sinn dhiubh or Dh鈥檉haighnich sinn dhaibh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: o chionn fhad an t-saoghail: a long long time ago (lit. the length of the world ago).

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic

Tha Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic (le PDFs)

All letters

Tha na litrichean uile an seo / The letters are available here

Podcast: Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

Letter To Gaelic Learners

Podcast