大象传媒

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: 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: 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: 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: o chionn fhad an t-saoghail: a long long time ago (lit. the length of the world ago).