大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, rinn mi iomradh air Faclair na P脿rlamaid. A bharrachd air a鈥� bhriathrachas a th鈥� ann, tha am faclair cudthromach ann an d貌igh eile. Tha p矛os ann aig toiseach an leabhair a tha a鈥� m矛neachadh an t-seasaimh a bh鈥� aig an luchd-deasachaidh air litreachadh, gr脿mar is sgr矛obhadh a鈥� ch脿nain.

Anns an fharsaingeachd, lean an sgioba na molaidhean a rinneadh o chionn fichead bliadhna fon ainm GOC. Tha sin a鈥� seasamh airson 鈥淕aelic Orthographic Conventions鈥�. 鈥橲 e sin an siostam a tha na sgoiltean air a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh bhon uairsin. Am measg molaidhean GhOC, tha fear a bha gu math connspaideach aig an 脿m 鈥� airson faighinn cuidhteas an str脿c geur.

Roimhe sin, bha d脿 she貌rsa de str脿c ann 鈥� an str脿c geur neo accute accent, agus an str脿c trom, neo grave accent. Mar eisimpleir, bha am facal 鈥渕貌r鈥� sgr矛obhte 鈥渕-贸-r鈥�, seach mar a tha e an-diugh 鈥� 鈥渕-貌-r鈥�. Air an l脿imh eile, bha am fuaim 鈥溍测�� air a shealltainn le str脿c trom. 鈥溍斥�� agus 鈥溍测��. Tha iad eadar-dhealaichte o ch猫ile, nach eil?

Bha an aon rud f矛or mun litir 鈥渆鈥�. Bha an str脿c trom air 鈥渆鈥� a鈥� d猫anamh an fhuaim 鈥溍ㄢ�� mar a tha e ann an 鈥渘猫amh鈥�. Bhiodh an str脿c geur a鈥� d猫anamh 鈥溍┾�� mar a tha e ann an 鈥渢r茅igsinn鈥�.

Uill, a r猫ir molaidhean GhOC, cha robh an str脿c geur feumail tuilleadh. Bha e a鈥� nochdadh ann an gl猫 bheag de dh鈥檉haclan, agus bha an sgioba dhen bheachd gu robh c貌ir faighinn cuidhteas e, agus an str脿c trom a-mh脿in a chur gu feum nuair a bhathar a鈥� sealltainn gu bheil fuaimreag nas fhaide nan 脿bhaist. Cha chreid mi nach robh iad dhen bheachd gum biodh fios aig daoine gur e 鈥渢r茅igsinn鈥� a chanadh iad, seach 鈥渢r猫igsinn鈥� fi霉 鈥檚 nuair a tha e air a litreachadh le str脿c trom, mar a tha e an-diugh

Ach chanainn gun do dh矛ochuimhnich iad an luchd-ionnsachaidh - an fheadhainn a tha ag ionnsachadh a鈥� ch脿nain agus a bhios a鈥� leughadh fhaclan nach cual鈥� iad a-riamh. Ciamar a bhiodh fios acasan gur e 鈥渢r茅igsinn鈥� a chanadh iad, seach 鈥渢r猫igsinn鈥�? Bha a鈥� cheist ann an do rinn an siostam 霉r gnothaichean na bu dhorra do luchd-ionnsachaidh.

鈥橲 d貌cha gun do rinn ach, air an l脿imh eile, tha fad鈥� a bharrachd chothroman aig luchd-ionnsachaidh G脿idhlig a chluinntinn an-diugh 鈥� air an r猫idio, air an telebhisean, air t猫ip is CD, agus air an eadar-l矛on air feadh an t-saoghail. Le bhith ag 猫isteachd ri uiread, cluinnidh iad faclan mar 鈥渢r猫igsinn鈥� is bidh iad e貌lach air an fhuaimneachadh. Bidh fios aca gur e 鈥渃茅ilidh鈥� a chanas iad, seach 鈥渃猫ilidh鈥� nuair a leughas iad am facal le 鈥溍ㄢ�� mar a tha e an-diugh.

Chan eil a鈥� chonnspaid mu dheidhinn nan str脿can air b脿s fhaighinn, ge-t脿. Tha feadhainn ann a bhios a鈥� sgr矛obhadh ann am p脿ipearan-naidheachd is leabhraichean a th鈥� air di霉ltadh gabhail ri molaidhean GhOC. Tha an str脿c geur fhathast be貌 鈥� air 猫iginn. Ach am bu ch貌ir a bhith? Mura h-eil na Gaidheil comasach air tighinn gu aonta air rud cho bunaiteach, carson a bhiodh an saoghal m貌r a-muigh a鈥� toirt sp猫is dhaibh is don c脿nan?

As d猫idh fichead bliadhna, agus ginealach 霉r air 猫irigh gun e貌las aca air an str脿c gheur, ach a-mh脿in bho sheann leabhraichean, nach eil an t-脿m againn a chur air an t-sitig is a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a sgr矛obhadh leis an str脿c throm a-mh脿in, mar a mhol GOC agus Faclair na P脿rlamaid. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil an str脿c geur feumach air str脿c le speal gheur! D猫 ur beachd fh猫in?

Faclan na seachdaine: connspaideach: controversial; n猫amh: heaven; tr猫igsinn: abandoning; bunaiteach: basic.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a鈥� m矛neachadh an t-seasaimh a bh鈥� aig an luchd-deasachaidh air litreachadh is gr脿mar: explaining the stance of the editors on spelling and grammar; anns an fharsaingeachd: in general; airson faighinn cuidhteas X: to get rid of X; cha robh an str脿c geur feumail tuilleadh: the acute accent was no longer of use; an str脿c trom a-mh脿in a chur gu feum: only use the grave accent; nuair a bhathar a鈥� sealltainn gu bheil fuaimreag nas fhaide nan 脿bhaist: when they were showing that a vowel is longer than normal; an do rinn an siostam 霉r gnothaichean na bu dhorra do luchd-ionnsachaidh: did the new system make the situation more difficult for learners (dorra is the comparative of duilich); a th鈥� air di霉ltadh gabhail ri molaidhean GhOC: who have refused to accept GOC鈥檚 recommendations; carson a bhiodh X a鈥� toirt sp猫is dhaibh?: why would X respect them?; nach eil an t-脿m ann againn a chur air an t-sitig?: isn鈥檛 it time to discard it (ie to put it on the dungheap)?; 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an str脿c geur feumach air str脿c le speal gheur: perhaps the accute accent could do with a blow from a sharp scythe (in the manner of the grim reaper; this is a play on the words str脿c and geur); d猫 ur beachd fh猫in?: what do you think?

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: The text of the Litir concerns the recommendation in Faclair na P脿rlamaid that written Gaelic follow the Gaelic Orthographic Conventions (GOC) of 1981 in using only the grave accent to represent a lengthened vowel, and that the use of the acute accent for particular vowel qualities (ie 茅 and 贸) be discontinued (this is now largely adhered to, but not universally). Thankfully, a revised and expanded edition of GOC is to be published later this year. There are two observations I would like to make on the matter. Firstly it is imperative for learners to become familiar with the spoken word. Although Gaelic orthography is probably more regular than English, it is still important to hear the word spoken. Only that way will you know for sure that the 鈥溍ㄢ�� in r猫is (RAYSH), m猫ile (MEH-luh) and m猫aran (MEE-uh-run in some dialects), for example, are not the same. I could make the same observation about the lengthened 鈥渙鈥� in p貌la (POE-luh) and p貌caid (POCHK-utch). There is now so much spoken Gaelic available (Radio nan Gaidheal is now live-streamed on the internet, for example) that this is getting easier all the time. Secondly, on the general matter of lengthened vowels, it is important to realise that dialectal differences are often not indicated by the standard written form. For example, m脿thair is pronounced MAA-hur by the majority, but MEH-hur in Islay and one or two other places). Similarly, a-m脿ireach (uh MAA-ruch) is sometimes pronounced uh MEH-ruch.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: tha an str脿c geur fhathast be貌 鈥� air 猫iginn: the acute accent is still alive 鈥� but only just. Air 猫iginn 鈥� only just (lit. with great difficulty).