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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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22/06/2007

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Litir 417: Eilean Mhanainn

Nuair a bha mi ann an Eilean Mhanainn na bu trĂ ithe dhen bhliadhna sa, ’s iomadh duine a thuirt rium, “Cuin a tha na h-eileanan agaibh – eileanan taobh siar na h-Alba – a’ dol a thighinn for smachd a-rithist?” Bha ball na pĂ rlamaid aca am measg na thuirt sin rium. Chan eil mi eadhon cinnteach an robh e fhĂšin is cĂ ch ri fealla-dhĂ . Tha mĂČran anns an eilean – co-dhiĂč an fheadhainn aig a bheil Ăčidh ann an eachdraidh is dualchas – a’ toirt spĂšis do na seann cheanglaichean eadar an dĂ  rĂŹoghachd.

Ged a tha ceanglaichean do dh’Èirinn cuideachd – agus do Shasainn ’s a’ Chuimrigh – thĂ inig e a-steach orm gur ann le Alba a tha na seann cheanglaichean as lĂ idire. Chan e a-mhĂ in na cĂ nanan a tha gar toirt dlĂčth ri chĂšile, ach cuideachd na ceanglaichean a chaidh a thogail ri linn nan Lochlannach.

Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun do nochd a’ GhĂ idhlig – no Gaelg – ann an Eilean Mhanainn anns a’ chĂČigeamh linn no mar sin. Bha an cĂ nan is cultar lĂ idir gu leĂČr airson seasamh an aghaidh buaidh nan Lochlannach – a rĂ inig an t-eilean aig toiseach an naoidheamh linn. ThĂ inig GĂ idheal is Gall cĂČmhla agus thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun robh na h-uaislean dĂ -chĂ nanach airson Ăčine mhĂČr. Cha robh ach GĂ idhlig, ge-tĂ , aig na daoine bochda.

Thug na Lochlannaich buaidh mhĂČr air siostam poilitigeach an eilein, ach cha tug iad uiread buaidh air a’ chĂ nan. Tha nas lugha fhaclan-iasaid Lochlannach ann an GĂ idhlig Eilean Mhanainn na tha sa GhĂ idhlig againn fhĂšin. Tha grunn ainmean-Ă ite Lochlannach ann, ge-tĂ . Tha ainm baile Laxey, mar eisimpleir, a’ tighinn bhon aon fhreumh ri Lacasaigh ann an LeĂČdhas – a’ ciallachadh “abhainn a’ bhradain”.

Tha baile gu tuath air Laxey air a bheil Ramsey – àite eile le ainm Lochlannach. Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil e co-cheangailte ris an lus ris an canar creamh ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba – wild garlic. Nise, ann am Beurla, ’s e aon ainm air an lus seo – ramsons – agus bha ainm car coltach ri sin aig na seann Lochlannaich.

Uill, cha bhiodh sin ro choltach mar mhĂŹneachadh air Ramsey – ach a-mhĂ in airson aon rud. Tha allt ann am meadhan a’ bhaile – a tha a-nise a’ sruthadh fon talamh – air a bheil ann an GĂ idhlig an eilein – Strooan ny Craue – sin sruthan no allt a’ chreamha. ’S dĂČcha gun do dh’eadar-theangaich na Lochlannaich ainm an uillt don chĂ nan aca fhĂšin agus gur ann Ă  sin a thĂ inig an t-ainm Ramsey.

Tha an t-uabhas de dh’ainmean cinnidh ann an Eilean Mhanainn a’ tighinn bhon Ghàidhlig, ged nach eil sin follaiseach do dh’Albannach anns a’ chiad dol a-mach. Dh’atharraich Mac anns na h-ainmean gu tric gu dìreach C – no san latha an-diugh C, K agus

Q. Mar eisimpleir, thàinig Kermode bho MacDhiarmaid, Quarry bho MacGuaire agus Kissack bho MacÌosaig.

Anns an aonamh linn deug, bha Eilean Mhanainn aig ceann rìoghachd air an robh Rìoghachd Mhanainn is nan Eilean. B’ iad na h-eileanan sin – an fheadhainn far chosta siar na h-Alba. Ged a bha ceudan de dh’eileanan ann, bhathar a’ tomhas – airson adhbharan rianachd – gun robh trithead ’s a dhà ann, le Eilean Mhanainn aig cridhe poilitigeach na rìoghachd.

B’ e pàrlamaid nan eilean Tinvaal – no Tynwald – facal a tha a’ ciallachadh “pàrlamaid” ann an Lochlannais. ’S ann às a sin a thàinig an t-ainm-àite Beurla a th’ air Inbhir Pheofharain – Dingwall. Tha Tinvaal fhathast a’ dol – agus tha na Manainnich ag ràdh le moit gur e a th’ innte a’ phàrlamaid as fhaide a mhair – gun bhriseadh sam bith – air an t-saoghal.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: grunn: several; Eilean Mhanainn: Isle of Man; freumh: root; dh’eadar-theangaich: translated; moit: pride.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: ’s iomadh duine a thuirt rium: many people said to me; a’ dol a thighinn for [fo ar] smachd a-rithist: going to come under our control again; chan eil mi eadhon cinnteach an robh e fhĂšin is cĂ ch ri fealla-dhĂ : I’m not entirely sure if he and the others were joking; a’ toirt spĂšis do na seann cheanglaichean: respect the old links; thĂ inig e a-steach orm: it occurred to me; chan e a-mhĂ in na cĂ nanan a tha gar toirt dlĂčth ri chĂšile: it is not only the languages which bring us close together; ri linn nan Lochlannach: in the days of the Norse (Vikings); thathar a’ smaoineachadh: it is thought; gun robh na h-uaislean dĂ -chĂ nanach: the upper echelons were bilingual; cha tug iad uiread buaidh air a’ chĂ nan: they didn’t have the same effect on the language; bha ainm car coltach ri sin aig X: X had a similar name to that; cha bhiodh sin ro choltach: that wouldn’t be too likely; ach a-mhĂ in airson aon rud: except for one thing; a’ sruthadh fon talamh: running underground; allt a’ chreamha: the stream of the wild garlic; an t-uabhas de dh’ainmean cinnidh: many surnames; ged nach eil sin follaiseach do dh’Albannach: although that’s not obvious to a Scot; aig ceann rĂŹoghachd: at the head of a kingdom; an fheadhainn far chosta siar na h-Alba: the ones off the west coast of Scotland; bhathar a’ tomhas – airson adhbharan rianachd: it was reckoned – for administrative purposes; cridhe poilitigeach: political heart; gur e a th’ innte a’ phĂ rlamaid as fhaide a mhair: that it is the longest lasting parliament.

Puing-chĂ nain na Litreach

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Tha nas lugha fhaclan-iasaid Lochlannach ann an Gàidhlig Eilean Mhanainn na tha sa Ghàidhlig againn fhùin: there are less Norse loan words in Manx Gaelic than in our own Gaelic. There are two ways of dealing with a noun following nas lugha – either by using the preposition de, with the noun in the dative eg tha nas lugha de choin ann a-nis (there are less dogs now) or, as in the example in the Litir, tha nas lugha de dh’fhaclan-iasaid Lochlannach .... Alternatively the noun goes into the genitive plural and there is no requirement for a preposition eg tha nas lugha chon ann a-nis.

GnĂ ths-cainnt na Litreach

GnĂ ths-cainnt na Litreach: na bu trĂ ithe dhen bhliadhna sa [seo]: earlier this year.

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