大象传媒

Bha mi ann an Eirinn o chionn ghoirid ann an Gaeltacht Th矛r Chonaill, sg矛re anns an iar-thuath far a bheil an c脿nan, Gaeilge, gu math l脿idir. Th脿inig mi tarsainn air an t-sean-fhacal a leanas ann an sin agus tuigidh sibh anns a鈥� mhionaid, nuair a chluinneas sibh e, d猫 cho coltach 鈥檚 a tha an d脿 ch脿nan, agus an d脿 chultar, ann an Alba agus Eirinn: 鈥淚s fe谩rr carad 鈥檚 a g-c煤irt 鈥檔a bonn sa spar谩n鈥�.

Uill, nach eil sinn fh猫in ann an Alba ag r脿dh an dearbh rud. 鈥淚s fhe脿rr caraid 鈥檚 a ch霉irt na cr霉n 鈥檚 a sporan.鈥� 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e 鈥渃r霉n鈥� a chanadh na h-Eireannaich fh猫in uaireigin, agus gun d鈥檉huair iad cuidhteas sin air sg脿th adhbharan poilitigeach. C貌 aige tha fios. Ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin cr矛ochan poilitigeach a chaidh a thogail eadar Alba is Poblachd na h-Eireann anns an fhicheadamh linn, chan eil teagamh nach eil an d脿 dh霉thaich, agus an d脿 Gh脿idhlig, faisg air a鈥� ch猫ile ann an iomadach d貌igh.

Chan eil sin a鈥� ciallachadh, ge-t脿, nach eil diofar ann agus nach gabh mearachdan d猫anamh bho 脿m gu 脿m nuair a tha Albannach thall ann an Eirinn, agus e a鈥� feuchainn ri Gaeilge a labhairt. Tha cuid de na faclan G脿idhlig againne cuideachd aig na h-Eireannaich ach le ciall rudeigin eadar-dhealaicht鈥� orra. Agus feumaidh tu bhith gu math faiceallach!

Am facal 鈥渂odach鈥� mar eisimpleir. Mar is trice, ann an Alba, tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇ear aosta鈥�. Ach chan eil an ciall sin aig an fhacal ann an Eirinn. An 脿ite sin, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂leigeard鈥�. Agus feumaidh tu bhith faiceallach ann an Eirinn leis an fhacal 鈥渄貌igheil鈥�. Chuir boireannach Eireannach ceist air fear Albannach a bha c貌mhla rium 鈥� 鈥渃aid茅 mar a t谩 t煤?鈥�, neo 鈥渃iamar a tha thu?鈥� Thuirt e 鈥渢谩 m茅 go d贸igheil鈥� neo 鈥渢ha mi gu d貌igheil鈥� agus chuir sin stad air a鈥� ch貌mhradh buileach. Tha d貌igheil a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂r猫agha鈥� neo 鈥渂貌idheach鈥� ann an Eirinn agus bha a鈥� bhan-Eireannach a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh mo charaid ag r脿dh gu robh e d矛reach 鈥渂貌idheach鈥�! Agus nach robh irioslachd sam bith aige!

Rinn mi-fh矛n rudeigin car coltach ri sin nuair a bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn ri t猫 ann an taigh-seinnse. Thug mi iomradh air boireannach eile agus thuirt mi ris a鈥� bhan-Eireannach gur e 鈥渂ean ghasta鈥� neo 鈥渂oireannach gasta鈥� a bh鈥檃nns an t鈥檈ile. Bha mi a鈥� ciallachadh gu robh i c貌ir, laghach. Ach, ann an Eirinn, tha 鈥済asta鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓uath, sgiobalta鈥�. Smaoinich a鈥� bhan-Eireannach gu robh mi a鈥� ciallachadh gu robh an t鈥檈ile na boireannach luath 鈥� mar a bhiodh Sonia O鈥� Suileabh谩in, an luth-chleasaiche. Ach nas miosa na sin, faodaidh 鈥渂ean ghasta鈥� cuideachd a bhith a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇ast woman鈥�, leis an droch chiall mar a th鈥檃ca ann am Beurla. Cha mh貌r nach do rinn mi mearachd mh貌r!

Ach canaidh mi aon rud mu dheidhinn nan Eireannach: tha iad math air sp貌rs is fealla-dh脿 a dh猫anamh, agus cha ghabh iad dragh m貌r sam bith mu mhearachd neo dh脿 mar sin. Agus tha iad nas fhe脿rr na tha muinntir na G脿idhealtachd againne ann a bhith a鈥� cumail a dol leis a鈥� Ghaeilge an 脿ite a bhith a鈥� tionndadh gu Beurla. Thuirt boireannach ann an T矛r Chonaill

rium gu robh Alba br猫agha br猫agha agus gun do ch貌rd a l脿ithean-saora a bhon-uiridh anns na h-Eileanan Siar agus anns an Eilean Sgitheanach rithe gu m貌r, ach a-mh脿in aon rud. 鈥橲 e sin nach bruidhneadh aon neach G脿idhlig rithe anns na h-eileanan air fad, ach a-mh脿in aig Sabhal M貌r Ostaig. Gu fortanach, cha b鈥檈 sin an se貌rsa f脿ilte a fhuair mi-fh矛n ann an Gaeltacht Th矛r Chonaill.

cr矛ochan: borders, boundaries; thall: over there; faiceallach:careful; aosta: old; bleigeard: lout; gu d貌igheil: well; b貌idheach: beautiful; irioslachd:humbleness; taigh-seinnse: pub; gasta, c貌ir, laghach: nice; luth-chleasaiche: athlete;fealla-dh脿: fun; a bhon-uiridh: the year before last.

Gaeltacht Th矛r Chonaill: the Donegal Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht,the equivalent of our G脿idhealtachd, is applied in Ireland to small areas of the countrywhere Gaelic is spoken by most of the people and has a special status); sg矛re anns aniar-thuath: an area in the north-west; th脿inig mi tarsainn air an t-sean-fhacal a leanas:I came across the following proverb; anns a' mhionaid: immediately; d猫 cho coltach' sa tha: how similar are; gun d'fhuair iad cuidhteas sin air sg脿th adhbharan poilitigeach:that they got rid of that for political reasons; ann an iomadach d貌igh: in many ways;nach gabh mearachdan d猫anamh: that mistakes cannot be made; thug mi iomradh air:I made mention of: cha mh貌r nach do rinn mi mearachd mh貌r: I almost made a bigmistake; cha ghabh iad dragh m貌r sam bith: they dont take any great offence; ach amh脿in: except; nach bruidhneadh aon neach G脿idhlig rithe: that not one person wouldspeak Gaelic to her.

chaidh a thogail: which were built, constructed.The verb rach, go, may be used with a Verbal Noun (often lenited) to form thePassive Voice. To fully understand this you will need to consult a grammar book or aGaelic teacher, but some examples will show how it works eg the verb d猫an, do,make. The Verbal Noun is d猫anamh eg Tha mi a' deanamh t矛 agus cofaidh (I ammaking tea and coffee). Using rach we can make the following: Th猫id an cofaidh adh猫anamh (the coffee will be made), chaidh an cofaidh a dh猫anamh (the coffee wasmade), thuirt e gun deach an cofaidh a dh猫anamh le bean an taighe (he said the coffeewas made by the landlady), tha mi'n d貌chas gun t猫id an cofaidh a dh猫anamh adh'aithghearr le cuideigin! (I hope the coffee will be made soon by somebody!). It alsoworks in the Subjunctive Mood eg rachadh an l霉chairt a thogail 's a' mhionaid nan robhan t-airgead ann air a son ( the palace would be built straight away if the money werethere for it). Note also the following examples: Chaidh mo thogail ann an Alba (I wasbrought up in Scotland); chaidh a thogail ann am Be脿rnaraigh (he/it [masc] was broughtup/built in Berneray); chaidh a' togail ann a sin (she/it [fem] was brought up, builtthere).

Is fhe脿rr caraid 's a ch霉irt na cr霉n 's a sporan: a friend inthe court is better than a crown in the purse. This proverb is still in common use andis probably just as applicable today as regards the Scottish Parliament as it was in theold royal courts! The Irish version is very similar and shows how old it must be.