大象传媒

C脿ite an robh na coimhearsnachdan mu dheireadh far an robh G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn air a cleachdadh ann an n貌s traidiseanta mar chainnt an t-sluaigh? Ceann a deas an eilein? Ceann a tuath an eilein? Uill, dh鈥檉haodadh nach ann an Eilean Mhanainn idir a bha iad. Dh鈥檉h脿g m貌ran Mhanainneach an t-eilean anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Cha robh e beartach an uair sin mar a tha e an-diugh.

Chaidh m貌ran dhiubh gu ruige Ohio agus Pennsylvania anns na St脿itean Aonaichte. Bha an c脿nan be貌 ann am Pennsylvania aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Agus bha i air a cleachdadh gu cunbhalach ann an grunn bhailtean ann an Ohio 鈥� a鈥� gabhail a-steach Cleveland fh猫in. Thathar a鈥� tomhas gu bheil t霉san Manainneach aig trithead m矛le duine ann an Cleveland. Chan eil ach ochdad m矛le ann an Eilean Mhanainn fh猫in.

Ach 鈥� d矛reach mar a tha ann an Alba an-diugh 鈥� 鈥檚 ann san t-seann dachaigh aice a mhaireas an c脿nan be貌 no a gheibh i b脿s. Mar a ch矛 sinn tha barrachd d貌chais aig muinntir Eilean Mhanainn an-diugh gum mair i na bh鈥� aca airson 霉ine.

Gu m矛-fhortanach, ge-t脿, anns an naoidheamh linn deug bha m貌ran 鈥� gu h-脿raidh ann an 霉ghdarrasan riaghlaidh an eilein 鈥� a鈥� guidhe b脿s dhi. Ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1871), bha i fhathast aig fichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig 脿s a鈥� cheud dhen t-sluagh 鈥� c貌rr is tr矛 m矛le deug duine. Aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn bha sin air tuiteam gu beagan is ceithir m矛le. Agus ann an naoi ceud deug fichead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1921), bha na bu lugha na m矛le air fh脿gail. Ceathrad bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin bha d矛reach dithis ann 鈥� Sage Kinvig, a chaochail bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, agus Ned Maddrell a chaochail ann an naoi ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1974).

Nuair a bha mi ann an Eilean Mhanainn chaidh mi a Chreneash. 鈥橲 e sin am baile anns an deach am film Waking Ned a dh猫anamh. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 am faca sibh am film ach tha e gl猫 shnog. Tha e st猫idhichte air coimhearsnachd iomallach ann an 脠irinn far a bheil bodach a tha seo 鈥� air a bheil Ned 鈥� a鈥� buannachadh a鈥� chrannchair n脿iseanta. Tha uiread de ghrad-iongantas a鈥� tighinn air nuair a gheibh e an naidheachd, 鈥檚 gu bheil e a鈥� faighinn b脿s sa spot. Tha a鈥� choimhearsnachd an uair sin a鈥� cur duine eile na 脿ite gus am faigh iad an duais.

Co-dhi霉, chaidh am filmeadh gu l猫ir a dh猫anamh ann an Eilean Mhanainn, agus 鈥檚 e Creneash a sheas mar am baile 脠ireannach. 鈥橲 e baile sean-fhasanta a th鈥� ann anns a bheil mullaichean tughaidh air cuid de na seann taighean fhathast. Agus tha am bogsa-f貌n anns a鈥� bhaile fhathast uaine oir chaidh a pheantadh airson a film. 鈥橲 e bogsaichean dearga a th鈥� aca ann an Eilean Mhanainn 鈥� an aon rud ri Breatainn.

Ann an d貌igh tha e car iongantach gur e Ned an t-ainm a bh鈥� air a鈥� bhodach 脠ireannach, agus Waking Ned a bh鈥� air a film, oir tha ceangal l脿idir eadar an t-ainm agus Creneash. Oir 鈥檚 e sin am baile far an robh Ned Maddrell a鈥� fuireach 鈥� am fear mu dheireadh aig an robh G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn mar chiad ch脿nan. Agus roimhe sin bha fear eile ann an Creneash a bha gu math ainmeil. B鈥� esan Edward Faragher. Ach bha daoine e貌lach air mar Neddy Beg Hom Ruy. Bha e na iasgair, sgr矛obhadair, sgeulaiche is b脿rd. Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu dheidhinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Eilean Mhanainn: Isle of Man; Na St脿itean Aonaichte: The United States; Creneash: Cregneash; sean-fhasanta: old-fashioned.

Abairtean na Litreach: ann an n貌s traidiseanta mar chainnt an t-sluaigh: in an old traditional manner as the speech of the people; ceann a tuath an eilein: the north end of the island; dh鈥檉haodadh nach ann an X a bha iad: perhaps it鈥檚 not in X they were; gu ruige Ohio: to Ohio; bha i air a cleachdadh gu cunbhalach ann an grunn bhailtean: it was used regularly in several towns; a鈥� gabhail a-steach: taking in; thathar a鈥� tomhas: it is estimated; t霉san Manainneach: Manx origins; 鈥檚 ann san t-seann dachaigh aice a mhaireas an c脿nan be貌 no a gheibh i b脿s: it is in her old home that the language will survive or die; gu h-脿raidh ann an 霉ghdarrasan riaghlaidh an eile: particularly in the island鈥檚 governing authorities; c貌rr is: more than; na bu lugha na m矛le: less than a thousand; a chaochail bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin: who died the following year [a year after that]; a鈥� buannachadh a鈥� chrannchair n脿iseanta: winning the national lottery; uiread de ghrad-iongantas a鈥� tighinn air: he gets such a shock [sudden surprise]; 鈥檚 gu bheil e a鈥� faighinn b脿s sa spot: that he dies suddenly; duine eile na 脿ite: another man in his place; gus am faigh iad an duais: so that they get the prize; anns a bheil mullaichean tughaidh air cuid de na seann taighean: in which some of the old houses have thatched roofs; chaidh a pheantadh: it was painted; bogsaichean dearga: red boxes; ann an d貌igh tha e car iongantach: in a way it鈥檚 quite surprising/remarkable; am fear mu dheireadh: the last man; bha daoine e貌lach air mar: people knew him as; Neddy Beg Hom Ruy: Neddy Beag Thom Ruaidh; iasgair, sgr矛obhadair, sgeulaiche is b脿rd: fisherman, writer, story-teller and poet..

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bha i fhathast aig fichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig 脿s a鈥� cheud dhen t-sluagh: it was still at [spoken by] 25% of the population. This is a revision of the linguistic point raised in Litir 166 (16.08.02) in which we looked at how to express percentages in Gaelic by saying 脿s a鈥� cheud (out of 100). 66% would be seasgad 鈥檚 a sia 脿s a鈥� cheud. But, of course, I might also have said aig a鈥� cheathramh chuid dhen t-sluagh or aig cairteal dhen t-sluagh (a quarter of the population). Note also the expression tr矛 m矛le deug duine which means 鈥渢hirteen thousand people鈥�. I might also have said (in a less traditional manner) tr矛-deug m矛le duine. Both are acceptable. Note that in a number like this we use the singular noun duine, rather than the plural daoine.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: a鈥� guidhe b脿s dhi: wishing it would die [lit. wishing death to her].