大象传媒

Bha tri霉ir an s脿s gu m貌r ann a bhith a鈥� toirt a鈥� Bh矛obaill gu G脿idheil na h-Alba ann an G脿idhlig. B鈥� iad sin Robert Boyle, mac Iarla Chorcaigh 脿 脠irinn, Seumas Kirkwood, ministear a bha uaireigin a鈥� fuireach ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, agus Raibeart Kirk, ministear ann an Obar Phuill anns na Tr貌iseachan. Thug Kirk a-mach am B矛oball 脠ireannach ann an cl貌 R貌manach airson G脿idheil na h-Alba ann an sia ceud deug is naochad (1690).

Ach bha an Eaglais fhathast slaodach ann a bhith gan sgaoileadh. Feumaidh gun robh Kirkwood a鈥� f脿s searbh dhen n脿imhdeas a bh鈥� ann don Gh脿idhlig. Aig deireadh nan naochadan, dh鈥檉hoillsich e iris airson cleachdadh na G脿idhlig ann an creideamh a bhrosnachadh. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a bh鈥� oirre An Answer to the Objection against Printing the Bible in Irish as being prejudiciall to the designe of extirpating the Irish language out of the Highlands of Scotland. Tha an tiotal ag innse m貌ran mu shuidheachadh na G脿idhlig aig an 脿m.

Ach cha do dh鈥檉h脿s c霉isean m貌ran na b鈥� fhe脿rr. Tron chiad leth dhen ochdamh linn deug cha robh 脿ite sam bith aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann am foghlam. Dhi霉lt Ard-sheanadh na h-Eaglaise d脿rna iris dhen Bh矛oball 脠ireannach a chur an cl貌. Agus, ged a bha cuid de mhinistearan a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill sin anns a鈥� ch霉baid, bha an Eaglais an aghaidh a bhith ga chleachdadh ann an sgoiltean.

鈥橲 i a鈥� bhuidheann a bu mhotha a bha an urra ri foghlam air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd an SSPCK 鈥� Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. Aig an toiseach bha iad fada an aghaidh na G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil e a cheart cho math gun do chaochail Seumas Kirkwood goirid mus do th貌isich na sgoiltean aca. Bha Boyle agus Kirk le ch猫ile marbh mu thr脿th.

Tro th矛de, ge-t脿, dh鈥檃tharraich an SSPCK. Dh鈥櫭╥rich dragh, ged a bha clann anns na sgoiltean aca a鈥� leughadh na Beurla, nach robh iad a鈥� tuigsinn na bha iad a鈥� leughadh. Agus ghabh an Comunn ris gum biodh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig feumail ann a bhith a鈥� cuideachadh le ionnsachadh na Beurla.

Ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1741) chaidh leabhar ainmeil fhoillseachadh. B鈥� e sin am faclair aig Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair 鈥� Leabhar a Theagasc Ainminnin. Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air A Galick and English Vocabulary with An Appendix of the Terms of Divinity in the said Language.

Tha an leabhar sin pr矛seil dhuinn an-diugh mar chruinneachadh de dh鈥檉haclan G脿idhlig. Ach, aig an 脿m sin, rinn an SSPCK soilleir gun robh e 鈥渋ntended as a means to Introduce the English Language more Universally into the Highlands and Islands.鈥�

Bha iad dhen aon bharail tr矛 bliadhn鈥� deug 脿s d猫idh sin. Bhathar a鈥� foillseachadh iris 霉r dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh 脠ireannach ann an Alba. Leum an SSPCK a-steach. Bha iad ag iarraidh a dh猫anamh d脿-ch脿nanach, le aon duilleag ann an G脿idhlig agus an duilleag mu a coinneimh ann am Beurla. Ach bha am pr貌iseact air a dhol ro fhada airson sin a dh猫anamh.

Mar sin, chuir an SSPCK romhpa eadar-theangachadh 霉r a dh猫anamh dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh 鈥� ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba. Chaidh an obair a thoirt do dh鈥橝lasdair MacPh脿rlain 脿s an Arar. Ach, mar a ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain, 鈥檚 e ministear 脿 Siorrachd Pheairt a chuireadh cr矛och oirre.

迟谤颈霉颈谤: three people; slaodach: slow, tardy; Ard-sheanadh: General Assembly; Tiomnadh Nuadh: New Testament.听

mac Iarla Chorcaigh 脿 脠irinn: a son of the Earl of Cork, from Ireland; ministear a bha uaireigin a鈥� fuireach ann an Siorrachd Pheairt: a minister who was at one time living in Perthshire; Obar Phuill anns na Tr貌iseachan: Aberfoyle in the Trossachs; am B矛oball 脠ireannach ann an cl貌 R貌manach: the Irish Bible in Roman type; deireadh nan naochadan: the end of the nineties; iris airson cleachdadh na G脿idhlig ann an creideamh a bhrosnachadh: a pamphlet to encourage the use of Gaelic in religion; cha do dh鈥檉h脿s c霉isean m貌ran na b鈥� fhe脿rr: things didn鈥檛 get much better; ged a bha cuid de mhinistearan a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill sin anns a鈥� ch霉baid: although some ministers were using that Bible in the pulpit; a bu mhotha a bha an urra ri foghlam: that was the main provider of education; le ch猫ile marbh mu thr脿th: both dead already; nach robh iad a鈥� tuigsinn na bha iad a鈥� leughadh: that they weren鈥檛 understanding what they were reading; ann a bhith a鈥� cuideachadh le ionnsachadh na Beurla: in assisting with learning English; agus an duilleag mu a coinneimh ann am Beurla: and the page opposite it in English; chuir X romhpa eadar-theangachadh 霉r a dh猫anamh: X decided to make a new translation; chaidh an obair a thoirt do dh鈥橝lasdair MacPh脿rlain 脿s an Arar: the work was given to Alasdair MacFarlane from Arrochar; 鈥檚 e ministear 脿 Siorrachd Pheairt a chuireadh cr矛och oirre: it was a minister from Perthshire that would finish it.

The Education (Scotland) Act of 1872 is rightly seen as having a calamitous effect on the status and place of the Gaelic language in public life in Scotland. But the churches, most notably the Church of Scotland, in the 17th and 18th Centuries, in refusing to countenance the production of a popular and readable version of the Scriptures in Gaelic for decades, deserve similar castigation. Two figures mentioned in the Litir should be honoured as 鈥済aisgich鈥� 鈥� heroes of Gaelic Scotland, for their perseverance in bringing Gaelic translations of the Scriptures 鈥� albeit initially in Irish Gaelic 鈥� to the congregations of the G脿idhealtachd. These are Rev Robert Kirk and Rev James Kirkwood (both Episcopalian ministers). They worked tirelessly for the language and its speakers and both likely went to the grave in a state of exhaustion because of their endeavours in continually fighting against a hostile religious and educational establishment. We would do well to remember them today, as the struggle for our language continues, albeit in a slightly more supportive milieu.

Bha iad dhen aon bharail: they were of the same opinion.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA