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Tha an sreath phrògraman agam air na Ceiltich a’ teannadh ris an deireadh. An t-seachdain seo bheir sinn sùil air Eilean Mhanainn.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Chan eil Eilean Mhanainn mar phàirt dhen Rìoghachd Aonaichte. Tha pàrlamaid aca fhèin. Cha bhi iad a’ cur riochdairean gu Taigh nan Cumantan ann an Lunnainn. Tha iad, ge-tà, co-cheangailte ri crùn Bhreatainn. ʼS i Banrigh na Rìoghachd Aonaichte a’ bhanrigh acasan.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ʼS dòcha gun robh Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn ann an Eilean Mhanainn cho tràth ris a’ chòigeamh linn an dèidh Chrìosd. Ach bha na Sasannaich agus na Lochlannaich a’ gabhail gnothach ris an eilean. Ann an dà cheud deug, seasgad ʼs a sia (1266), ghabh Alba grèim air fo Chùmhnant Pheairt.

Aig deireadh a’ cheathramh linn deug, thàinig Eilean Mhanainn fo smachd nan rìghrean Sasannach. Agus dh’fhàs na ceanglaichean eadar na Manainnich agus na Gàidheil ann an Alba is Èirinn na bu laige.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Nochd an Tiomnadh Nuadh anns a’ Ghàidhlig Mhanainnich ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad ʼs a seachd (1767). Thàinig am Bìoball slàn a-mach ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a còig (1775). Bha sin ginealach mus do nochd am Bìoball Gàidhlig slàn ann an Alba.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ach tha an siostam sgrìobhaidh anns a’ Ghàidhlig Mhanainnich eadar-dhealaichte bho shiostam nan Albannach ʼs nan Èireannach. Tha e nas fhasa do Ghàidheal Albannach an cànan Manainneach a thuigsinn nuair a tha i air a labhairt, seach nuair a tha i sgrìobhte. Mar eisimpleir, tha na Manainnich a’ sgrìobhadh ‘is thu fhèin?’ mar AS OO HENE. Air an làimh eile, ʼs dòcha gu bheil an siostam aca nas fhasa do luchd na Beurla.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ʼS e House of Keys a chanas iad ann am Beurla ris an taigh ìosal sa phàrlamaid aca. Chaidh innse dhomh nach eil an t-ainm co-cheangailte ri iuchraichean. Tha e a’ tighinn bho Yn Kiare as Feed – a’ ciallachadh ‘An Ceithir air Fhichead’ – oir ʼs e sin àireamh nam ball anns an taigh.

My series of programmes on the Celts is approaching the end. This week we’ll look at the Isle of Man.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom. They have their own parliament. They don’t send representatives to the House of Commons in London. They are, however, connected to the British crown. The Queen of the United Kingdom is their queen.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Gaelic might have been spoken on the Isle of Man as early as the fifth century AD. But the English and the Scandinavians also got involved with the island. In 1266 it came to Scotland as part of the Treaty of Perth.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý At the end of the fourteenth century, the Isle of Man came under the control of the English kings. And the connections between the Manx and the Gaels in Scotland and Ireland grew weaker.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The New testament appeared in Manx Gaelic in 1767. The complete Bible came out in 1775. That was a generation before the full Gaelic Bible appeared in Scotland.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý But the writing system in Manx Gaelic is different from the system of the Scots and the Irish. Itʼs easier for a Scottish Gael to understand the Manx language when it is spoken, rather than when it is written. For example, the Manx write ‘is thu fhèin?’ as AS OO HENE. On the other hand, perhaps their system is easier for English-speakers.

ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý They call their lower house of parliament the House of Keys in English. I was told that the name is not connected to keys. It comes from Yn Kiare as Feed – meaning ‘the twenty four’- because thatʼs the number of members in the house.