大象传媒

鈥橲 iomadh duine, a tha ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig, a bu mhath leotha a bhith mar a bha an Cardanal Mezzofanti. Carson? Uill, cha robh a-riamh m貌ran ann a bha cho math ris-san ann a bhith ag ionnsachadh c脿nanan. Seo na bh鈥� aige mus do chuir e cr矛och air a鈥� ch霉rsa-oilthigh aige: Laideann, Gr猫igis, Eabhrais, Arabais, Sp脿inntis, Frangais, Gearmailtis agus Suainis. Sin a bharrachd air Eadailtis.

Rugadh Mezzofanti ann am Bologna ann an seachd ceud deug, tr矛 fichead 鈥檚 a ceithir-deug (1774). Bha athair na shaor, agus bha an gille 貌g air an dearbh rud a dh猫anamh ach gun do mhothaich sagart gur e sgoilear air leth a bh鈥� ann. Rinn e cinnteach gum faigheadh an gille tr猫anadh airson na sagartachd. Ach chan ann d矛reach aig an oilthigh a dh鈥檌onnsaich Mezzofanti na c脿nanan aige.

Bhiodh e a鈥� falbh timcheall taighean-貌sta Bhologna, a鈥� coimhead airson coigrich aig an robh c脿nanan eile. Chuireadh e ceistean orra, a鈥� sgr矛obhadh notaichean agus a鈥� faighinn leasanan ann an d貌ighean-labhairt. Saoil an obraicheadh a leithid sin do luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig?!

A bharrachd air a sin, cha robh e di霉id. Cha chuireadh duine dheth e. Chumadh e a dol ge b鈥� oil leotha, mar a dh鈥檉heumas luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig a dh猫anamh. Ach bha e fortanach ann an aon d貌igh. 鈥淭hug Dia cuimhne mhath dhomh,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁gus comas air leth anns na buill-bhodhaig a n矛 cainnt.鈥�

Fhuair e obair mar 脿rd-ollamh ch脿nanan aig Oilthigh Bhologna agus bhathar ag aithris ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a fichead (1820) gu robh d脿 chanan deug ar fhichead aige. Ochd bliadhna as d猫idh sin, ghabh e dreuchd mar Chardanal agus ghluais e don R貌imh, far an robh e na phr矛omh leabharlannaiche anns a鈥� Bhatacain. Ann an ochd ceud deug is d脿 fhichead (1840), sgr矛obh sgoilear Gearmailteach gu robh e貌las aige 鈥渁ir a h-uile c脿nan E貌rpach鈥︹��

Bha e a鈥� ciallachadh c脿nanan dhen 鈥渃hiad chlas鈥�, mar a sgr矛obh e fh猫in, a鈥� gabhail a-steach feadhainn mar Laideann is Frangais is Beurla, feadhainn dhen 鈥渄arna clas鈥�, leithid Duitsis, D脿nais, Ruiseanais, P貌lainnis, Teiceis, agus c脿nanan dhen 鈥渢reas is ceathramh clasaichean鈥�, mar Gh脿idhlig na h-Eireann, Cuimris is Alb猫inianais. Bha comas aige ann an Rom脿nais nam beanntan Alpach, Lapais, Sanscrait, Airmenianais, S矛onais, Eti貌ipianais is mar sin air adhart.

Chan e d矛reach gu robh comas aige anns na c脿nanan, ach gu robh comas aige bruidhinn ann an diofar dhualchainntean, leis a鈥� bhlas cheart. Mar eisimpleir, dh鈥檉haodadh e c貌mhradh ann am Frangais Pharis agus Frangais Toulouse. Bha e cho math air a鈥� Bheurla 鈥檚 gum b鈥� urrainn dha innse do Shasannach d猫 an siorrachd 脿s an robh e.

A bharrachd air na taighean-貌sta, bhiodh Mezzofanti tric a鈥� tadhal air pr矛osanaich a bhuineadh do dhiofar dh霉thchannan, airson an c脿nanan ionnsachadh, agus airson taic a thoirt dhaibh. Chan e gu bheil mi a鈥� moladh sin do luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig! Thathar ag radh gun tigeadh fear aig an robh c脿nan air nach robh an Cardanal e貌lach airson aideachadh, agus dh鈥檌arradh Mezzofanti d脿il de thr矛 seachdainean gus am faigheadh e cothrom an c脿nan ionnsachadh!

Chum e a-mach gu robh e ag ionnsachadh c脿nanan le bhith ag ionnsachadh gr脿mair. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach eil sin ag obair don a h-uile duine, ach dh鈥檕braich e gu math dh脿san. Nuair a fhuair e b脿s ann an ochd ceud deug, d脿 fhichead 鈥檚 a naoi (1849), bhathar ag r脿dh gu robh suas ri ceithir fichead c脿nan aige! Cha chuala mi gu robh G脿idhlig na h-Alba aige gu fileanta, ach c貌 chanadh nach do dh鈥檌onnsaich e sin thairis air deireadh-sheachdain air choreigin nuair nach robh cus aige ri dh猫anamh!

Faclan na seachdaine: an Cardanal Mezzofanti: Cardinal Mezzofanti; Laideann: Latin; Gr猫igis: Greek (language). Note that in all the following instances, the ending 鈥渋s鈥� indicates a language. The equivalent non-linguistic noun or adjective ends in 鈥渃h鈥� eg Greek nationality is Greugach; Eabhrais (or Eabhra): Hebrew; Arabais: Arabic; Sp脿inntis: Spanish; Frangais: French; Gearmailtis: German; Suainis: Swedish; Eadailtis: Italian; c貌igrich: foreigners; di霉id: shy; leabharlannaich: librarian; Bhatacain: Vatican; Duitsis: Dutch; D脿nais: Danish; Ruiseanais: Russian; P貌lainnis: Polish; Teiceis: Czech; Alb猫inianais: Albanian: R貌manais nam beanntan Alpach: Romansch of the Alps; Lapais: Lapp; Sanscrait: Sanskrit; Airm猫nianais: Armenian; S矛onais: Chinese; Eti貌pianais: Ethiopian; dualchainntean: dialects; siorrachd: county; aideachadh: confession; d脿il: delay.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha athair na shaor: his father was a carpenter; bha an gille 貌g air an dearbh rud a dh猫anamh ach gun do mhothaich sagart gur e sgoilear air leth a bh鈥� ann: the young lad would have done the same thing except that a priest noticed that he was an exceptional scholar; rinn e cinnteach gum faigheadh X tr猫anadh airson na sagartachd: he made certain X would be trained for the priesthood; chuireadh e ceistean orra: he would ask them questions; saoil an obraicheadh a leithid do X?: do you think the same would work for X?; cha chuireadh duine dheth e: nobody would put him off; comas air leth anns na buill-bhodhaig a n矛 cainnt: particular ability in the organs which make speech; ghluais e don R貌imh: he moved to Rome; c脿nanan dhen 鈥渃hiad chlas鈥�: languages of the 鈥渇irst class鈥�; leis a鈥� bhlas cheart: with the right accent, mode of speaking; pr矛osanaich a bhuineadh do dhiofar dh霉thchannan: prisoners who belonged to different countries; dh鈥檕braich e gu math dh脿san: it worked well for him; nuair nach robh cus aige ri dh猫anamh: when he did not have too much to do.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Chumadh e a dol ge b鈥� oil leotha: he would keep going despite them. Oil means vexation, grief, pain, offence, regret, spite. It is used frequently with 鈥渓e鈥� eg cha b鈥� oil leam ged a dh鈥檉halbhadh tu (I wouldn鈥檛 be aggrieved even if you left); mas oil leat e, carson nach sguir thu? (if it offends you, why don鈥檛 you stop?). Ge b鈥� oil le X means 鈥渋n spite of X鈥�. Here are two examples of its use in the idiom which appears in the Litir: N矛 mi sin ge b鈥� oil leis (I will do that regardless of him); tha sinn a鈥� dol a ph貌sadh, ge b鈥� oil leibh (we are going to marry, despite you).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Mus do chuir e cr矛och air a鈥� ch霉rsa-oilthigh aige: before he completed his university course. A鈥� cur cr矛och air X means to finish or complete X.