大象传媒

Coimheadamaid air an ainm-脿ite 鈥淕allaibh鈥�. Ann an d貌igh, tha e mi-fhortanach gur e sin an t-ainm a th鈥檃gainn airson na siorrachd as fhaide tuath air tir-m貌r na h-Alba. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃e脿rn nan Gall鈥�, agus 鈥檚 e Gall duine nach eil Gaidhealach, agus aig nach eil G脿idhlig. Ach nach robh G脿idhlig a-riamh aig muinntir Ghallaibh? A bheil na comhairlichean 脿s Gallaibh, a tha a鈥� cumail a-mach nach robh an c脿nan air a bruidhinn gu m貌r ann a sin, ceart neo ce脿rr? Uill, tha iad ce脿rr.

Ged is 鈥檚 e Lowlander a bhios sinn a鈥� ciallachadh mar is trice an-diugh le 鈥淕all鈥�, bha e tric a鈥� ciallachadh, o shean, 鈥淟ochlannach鈥� agus, nuair a ch矛 sinn ainmean air a鈥� mhap mar 鈥淐amus nan Gall鈥�, tha fios againn gur e 鈥淐amus nan Lochlannach鈥� a bhathar a鈥� ciallachadh. Bha seann ainm air na h-Eileanan Siar 鈥� Innse Gall 鈥� Eileanan nan Lochlannach. Ach chan eil an t-ainm sin iomchaidh an-diugh air sgath 鈥檚 gur iad na h-eileanan sin an t-脿ite as Gaidhealaiche a th鈥檃nn ann an Alba.

Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn Ghallaibh? Chan eil teagamh nach robh na Lochlannaich na bu l脿idire ann an sin na bha iad, can, ann an Cataibh. Agus ann am f矛or cheann an ear-thuath na siorrachd, tha a鈥� chuid as motha de na h-ainmean-脿ite a鈥� tighinn bho Lochlannais, an 脿ite G脿idhlig. Ach seallaibh air seo. Tha mi a鈥� cur map de Ghallaibh air mo bheulaibh air a鈥� bh貌rd, agus seallaibh air na h-ainmean G脿idhlig 鈥� Bl脿r an Fhraoich, Monadh nan C脿rn, Beinn Freacadain, Cnoc Alltan Iain Duinn, is mar sin air adhart. Tha an t-uabhas dhiubh ann. Ainmean glan G脿idhlig ann an Gallaibh air am faighinn bho mhuinntir an 脿ite fh猫in anns an naoidheamh linn deug (19mh linn). Ciamar a fhuair luchd nam mapaichean ainmean G脿idhlig bho na daoine mura robh an c脿nan aca?

Agus tha fianais eile ann gu robh G脿idhlig air a bruidhinn gu m貌r ann an Gallaibh, ach a-mh脿in anns an ear-thuath, agus ann an cuid de bhailtean, leithid Inbhir Uige, far an robh a鈥� Bheurla l脿idir. Tha aithris ann, a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh trath anns an ochdamh linn deug (18mh linn), a tha ag iarraidh oirnn smaoineachadh air loighne dh矛reach eadar Inbhir The貌rsa agus Inbhir Uige. 鈥溾�橲 e Beurla a th鈥檃ig a鈥� chuid as motha gu sear air an loighne,鈥� tha i ag r脿dh, 鈥淸ach] air an taobh siar 鈥檚 e G脿idhlig a th鈥檃ca. Anns an sg矛re sin [air an taobh siar] feumaidh ministearan searmonachadh anns an d脿 ch脿nan.鈥�

Ann am meadhan na h-ochdamh linn deug, sgr矛obh 霉ghdar eile, 鈥淭ha deich sg矛rean ann an Gallaibh, c貌ig aca sin anns a bheilear a鈥� bruidhinn Beurla dhen t-se貌rsa Albannach, agus anns a鈥� ch貌ig eile n脿dar de Gh脿idhlig bhriste...鈥� Aig deireadh na linne, ge-t脿, a-r猫ir an Old Statistical Account, bha a鈥� Bheurla a鈥� faighinn l脿mh-an-uachdair, ach a-mh脿in ann an sg矛re Mheaghrath anns an iar-thuath. Agus chum cr矛onadh na G脿idhlig a dol. Ann an ochd ceud deug, ceithir fichead 鈥檚 a h-aon deug (1891) cha robh ach ceithir m矛le duine air fh脿gail aig an robh G脿idhlig ann an Gallaibh, aona duine deug 脿s gach ceud anns an t-siorrachd.

Ach, cr矛onadh ann neo 脿s, chan eil e f矛or ri r脿dh nach eil dualchas Gaidhealach aig Gallaibh. Agus carson a tha e貌las mar seo cutromach? Uill, tha luchd-taic na G脿idhlig ann an Gallaibh air sp脿irn mh貌r a dh猫anamh airson sgoil-脿raich Gh脿idhlig a chur air chois ann an Inbhir The貌rsa. Agus a-nise, tha cuid de chomhairlichean Ghallaibh a鈥� cur na h-aghaidh, agus iad dhen bheachd nach robh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a-riamh l脿idir anns an sg矛re. Uill, tha mi鈥檔 d貌chas, aig a鈥� cheann thall, gun dean e貌las a鈥� ch霉is air aineolas.

coimheadamaid: let us look; Gallaibh: Caithness; siorrachd:county; ce脿rn: district; comhairliche/comhairlichean: councillor/councillors; ceart:correct; ce脿rr: wrong; tric: often; a searmonachadh: preaching; Inbhir The貌rsa: Thurso;Inbhir Uige: Wick; l脿mh-an-uachdair: the upper hand; Meaghrath: Reay; luchd-taic:supporters; sp脿irn: effort; sgoil-脿raich: nursery school.

as fhaide tuath: furthest north; ceann an ear-thuath nasiorrachd: the north-east of the county; seallaibh air seo: look (plural) at this; air mobheulaibh: in front of me; tha an t-uabhas dhiubh ann: there are lots of them; air amfaighinn bho mhuinntir an 脿ite: obtained from the local people; luchd nam mapaichean:the map people; mura robh an c脿nan aca: if they didnt have (speak) the language; acha-mh脿in anns an X: except in the X; loighne dh矛reach: straight line; gu sear air anloighne: east of the line; anns a bheilear a' bruidhinn Beurla: in which English isspoken; deireadh na linne: the end of the century; aona duine deug 脿s gach ceud:eleven percent of the population; cr矛onadh ann neo 脿s: regardless of whether or notthere has been (linguistic) decay; aig a' cheann thall: in the end (a Gaelic equivalentto at the end of the day).

Gall means a foreigner, non-Gael or Scottish Lowlander.In place names it is likely to mean Norseman, but in modern parlance it usuallyrefers to a Lowlander. The plural is Goill, as is the genitive. Bha coltas a' Ghoillair (he looked like a Lowlander). The genitive plural is, as is common in Gaelic, thesame as the nominative singular. Thus, on the map, we get Camus nan Gall (the bay ofthe Norsemen). The Lowlands are a' Ghalldachd (cf the Highlands a' Gh脿idhealtachd).The genitive of that feminine word is na Galldachd. 'S iad na Goill muinntir na Galldachd(the Goill are the people of the Lowlands). The associated adjective is Gallda whichmeans culturally Lowland and does not refer directly to landscape features. S e 貌ranGallda a tha sin (thats a Lowland song). A Gaelic phrase for the low country in thesouth of Scotland is a' Mhachair Ghallda.

gun dean e貌las a' ch霉is air aineolas: that knowledgewill overcome ignorance. D猫an a' ch霉is means achieve something or be successful. Am bi an c脿r a' dol a-nis? (does the car go now?). Bithidh, rinn mi a' ch霉is air(yes, I fixed it). C貌 n矛 a' ch霉is ann am Farpais Rugbaidh na Cruinne? (who'll win theRugby World Cup?). An do thuig thu am bodach sin? (did you understand that oldman?). O, rinn mi a' ch霉is (oh, I managed). A' d猫anamh a' ch霉is air can also meandefeating. Saoil an dean Celtic a' ch霉is air Obair Dheathain? (do you reckon Celticwill beat Aberdeen?) N矛 (yes). Rinn Brasail a' ch霉is air Alba dh脿 gu h-aon. Brazildefeated Scotland 2-1.