大象传媒

Tha e coltach nach eil m貌ran air fh脿gail an-diugh de na Cuimrich ann an Saskatchewan. Tha mi a-mach air na Cuimrich a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Saltcoats ann an Saskatchewan ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1902). Nuair a nithear rannsachadh air an eadar-l矛on, feuch dualchas Cuimreach a lorg ann, gheibhear fiosrachadh mu chomann air a bheil The English/Welsh Society of Saskatoon. Is cinnteach, nan robh na Cuimrich l脿idir gu le貌r, nach biodh iad air a dhol an co-bhuinn ris na Sasannaich airson comann a dh猫anamh.

Carson a tha mi ag r脿dh sin? Uill, cha robh na daoine 脿s a鈥� Chuimrigh a rinn tuineachadh ann an Saskatchewan nan Cuimrich 脿bhaisteach. Gu dearbh, chan ann 脿s a鈥� Chuimrigh a bha iad. Bha iad 脿 Ameireagaidh a Deas.

Tha an st貌iridh a鈥� t貌iseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1865) anns a鈥� Chuimrigh fh猫in. She貌l ceud is seasgad Cuimreach air an t-soitheach Mimosa, a-mach 脿 Liverpool. Bha iad a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh dachaigh 霉r Chuimreach dhaibh fh猫in aig ceann thall a鈥� chuain.

Aig an 脿m sin, bha iad airson Ameireaga a Tuath a thr猫igsinn, oir chunnaic iad mu thr脿th gu robh an c脿nan aca a鈥� dol 脿 bith gu luath fo bhuaidh na Beurla. Chuir iad romhpa dhol gu sg矛re ann am Patagonia fad air falbh bho Bhuenos Aires, far an robh riaghaltas Argentina a鈥� t脿ladh in-imrichean. Ann a sin, fad air falbh o bhuaidh na Sp脿inntis is buaidh na Beurla, thog iad coimhearsnachdan Cuimreach. Chuir iad siostam lagha Cuimreach air d貌igh, rud nach robh anns a鈥� Chuimrigh fh猫in. Bha a鈥� Chuimris uile-chumhachdach mar ch脿nan coimhearsnachd, co-dhi霉 anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach.

Ach anns na naochadan dhen naoidheamh linn deug, th脿inig atharrachadh air na bailtean as m貌 anns an sg矛re. Bha iad soirbheachail gu h-eaconamach agus, air s脿illeabh sin, chaidh m貌ran choigreach a dh鈥檉huireach annta. Cha robh Cuimris acasan. Chan e sin a-mh脿in a dh鈥檉h脿g cuid de na Cuimrich m矛-thoilichte. Bha an riaghaltas ann am Buenos Aires a鈥� gabhail barrachd gnothaich ris na coimhearsnachdan Cuimreach cuideachd. Bha iad ag iarraidh pr矛omhachas airson Sp脿inntis anns na sgoiltean, mar eisimpleir. Th貌isich cuid de na Cuimrich air s霉il a thoirt a-mach a-rithist 鈥� gu d霉thchannan eile far am faodadh iad a bhith saor agus Cuimreach.

Chaidh buidheann dhiubh gu Saskatchewan, far an d鈥� fhuair iad cead grunn sg矛rean a thuineachadh. Anns a鈥� Ch猫itean naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1902), dh鈥檉h脿g c貌rr is d脿 cheud Cuimreach Patagonia. She貌l iad gu ruige Liverpool 鈥� an dearbh phort 脿s an do she貌l an sinnsearan a dh鈥橝meireagaidh a Deas. An uair sin, lean iad orra air soitheach eile a Chanada. R脿inig iad Quebec anns an 脪gmhios, agus ch霉m iad orra gu ruige Saskatchewan.

Air cl脿r an luchd-siubhail air an t-soitheach, tha Patagonia ainmichte mar dh霉thaich am breith airson a h-uile Cuimreach, ach chan urrainn gu bheil sin f矛or. Feumaidh gu robh cuid dhen fheadhainn a bu shine air am breith anns a鈥� Chuimrigh fh猫in, is gu robh iad air imrich a dh猫anamh d脿 thuras. Car coltach ris na G脿idheil Albannach a chaidh a dh鈥橝lba Nuadh, is an uair sin gu Astr脿ilia is New Zealand.

O chionn tr矛 bliadhna, ceud bliadhna 脿s d猫idh do na Cuimrich Saltcoats a ruigsinn, chomharraich muinntir an 脿ite 鈥淏angor Heritage Day鈥�. Ach, eucoltach ris na Cuimrich ann am Patagonia agus anns a鈥� Chuimrigh fh猫in, cha do ghl猫idh an fheadhainn ann an Saskatchewan an c脿nan, a r猫ir choltais. 鈥橲 iomadh rud a chailleas fear na h-imrich. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do rinn Cuimrich Saskatchewan cus dhith.

Faclan na Litreach: tuineachadh: colony, settlement; siostam lagha: legal system; naochadan: nineties; soirbheachail: successful.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: cha do ghl猫idh an fheadhainn ann an Saskatchewan an c脿nan: those in Saskatchewan didn鈥檛 retain the (or their) language 鈥� as c脿nan is masculine to me, the article could mean either 鈥渢he鈥� or 鈥渢heir鈥�. I am sometimes asked if c脿nan is masculine or feminine. In fact, it occurs in both genders. Traditionally it was feminine, and written (and pronounced) c脿nain. A鈥� ch脿nain: the language; fuaim na c脿nain(e): the sound of the language; this is still how it is for some Gaelic speakers. This is natural enough as languages are conceptually feminine and most specific language names are feminine eg a鈥� Gh脿idhlig, a鈥� Bheurla. But to many today the word for 鈥渓anguage鈥� is c脿nan, and it is masculine ie an c脿nan: the language; fuaim a鈥� ch脿nain: the sound of the language. If you are not sure which to adopt, follow the example of your teacher or those in the community around you.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: chan urrainn gu bheil sin f矛or: that cannot be true.

Abairtean na Litreach: nach eil m貌ran air fh脿gail an-diugh de: that there is not much left today of; tha mi a-mach air na Cuimrich: I am referring to the Welsh; nuair a nithear rannsachadh air an eadar-l矛on: when research is undertaken on the internet; an co-bhuinn ris na Sasannaich: in conjunction with the English; bha iad 脿 Ameireagaidh a Deas: they were from South America; ceud is seasgad: 160; aig ceann thall a鈥� chuain: at the other side of the ocean; fo bhuaidh na Beurla: under the influence of the English language; a鈥� t脿ladh in-imrichean: attracting immigrants; bha a鈥� Chuimris uile-chumhachdach mar ch脿nan coimhearsnachd: Welsh was all-powerful as a community language; co-dhi霉 anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach: at least to begin with; chaidh m貌ran choigreach a dh鈥檉huireach annta: many foreigners went to live in them; bha an riaghaltas a鈥� gabhail barrachd gnothaich ri: the government was getting more involved with; pr矛omhachas airson Sp脿inntis: primacy for Spanish; far am faodadh iad a bhith saor: where they could be free; an dearbh phort 脿s an do she貌l an sinnsearan: the same port from which their ancestors sailed; cl脿r an luchd-siubhail: the passenger list; air am breith anns a鈥� Chuimrigh: born in Wales; chomharraich muinntir an 脿ite: the local people marked, celebrated; eucoltach ris: unlike; 鈥檚 iomadh rud a chailleas fear na h-imrich: the flitting man loses much (proverb, see Litir 70); gun do rinn X cus dhith: that X did too much of it (migration).