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Dè a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ air propaganda? Bidh sinn a’ cleachdadh an fhacail eadar-nàiseanta – propaganda! A bheil sin a’ ciallachadh nach biodh na Gàidheil ri a leithid anns an t-seann aimsir? Cha chreid mi gum biodh sin ceart!

Tha am facal a’ tighinn bhon ghnìomhair Laidinn propagare – a tha co-cheangailte ris a’ Bheurla propagate. Tha propaganda a’ ciallachadh ‘for that which is to be propagated’.Ìý

Nochd am facal anns an t-seachdamh linn deug anns an Eaglais Chaitligich. Chaidh buidheann a chur air dòigh airson seasamh an aghaidh an Ath-leasachaidh air an robh Congregatio de Propaganda Fide – ‘Coitheanal airson Sgaoileadh a’ Chreideimh’. Bha daoine eòlach air mar ‘Propaganda’.

Mu dheireadh an ochdamh linn deug, thòisich daoine air am facal a chur gu feum ann an co-cheangal ri gnothaichean saoghalta. Agus mu mheadhan an naoidheamh linn deug, nochd e ann am poilitigs. Ach chan eil e co-ionann anns a h-uile cànan. Ann am Portagailis, mar eisimpleir, tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘sanasachd’.

Ann an Gàidhlig, tha sinn a’ cleachdadh propaganda an ìre mhath mar a tha ann am Beurla. A thaobh litreachadh, tha e freagarrach mar a tha e oir tha e a’ tighinn ris an riaghailt litreachaidh leathann ri leathann is caol ri caol.

Co-dhiù, carson a tha mi a’ smaoineachadh air propaganda an t-seachdain seo? Tha, a chionn ʼs gun robh mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chath Chromdhail thairis air a’ cheala-deug a dh’fhalbh. Mar a mhìnich mi, chaill na Seumasaich gu dubh ann. Thug an cath ar-a-mach nan Seumasach ann an Alba gu crìch airson ginealach.

Ach chan ann mar sin a tha e anns an òran The Haughs of Cromdale, a chaidh a sgrìobhadh o chionn fhada ann an Albais. Tha an t-òran a’ tòiseachadh le aideachadh nach deach cùisean gu math do na Seumasaich:

As I cam in by Auchindoun, Just a wee bit frae the toun, Tae the Hielands I was bound, To view the Haughs of Cromdale. I met a man in tartan trews, Spiered at him whit wis the news, Quo' he, ‘The Hieland army rues, That e'er we cam tae Cromdale.’ 

Anns an dàrna rann, tha an t-òran a-mach air ‘The English horse’. Ge-tà, bha saighdearan Albannach ann am feachd an riaghaltais. Gu dearbh, bha seo ron aonadh eadar Alba is Sasainn. Tha an t-òran cuideachd ag ràdh gun do sheas na fineachan ri armailt an riaghaltais. Ach, gu fìrinneach, theich iad le ʼm beatha.

An uair sin, tha an t-òran a’ dol gu tur ceàrr. Tha e a’ toirt a-steach Montròs, seann cheannard airm. Bha esan air a bhith fon fhòid airson ceathrad bliadhna! Anns an òran, thathar a’ cumail a-mach gun do sheas na fineachan ri Crombail aig Cromdhail is gun do chuir iad ruaig air an nàmhaid. 

O’ twenty-thousand Cromwell's men, A thousand fled tae Aiberdeen, The rest of them lie on the plain, There on the Haughs of Cromdale.

Cha robh Oliver Crombail an sàs anns a’ chath. Cha robh ach dà mhìle saighdear aig armailt an riaghaltais. Tha an t-òranaiche a’ cuimhneachadh seann chogadh còrr is ginealach roimhe agus a’ cur gleans air an sgeulachd. À call, thàinig buaidh! Bha an t-òran soirbheachail oir tha gu leòr, tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth, a’ creidsinn gun do bhuannaich na Seumasaich aig Cath Chromdhail. Abair fìor dheagh eisimpleir de phropaganda!

Faclan na Litreach: co-ionann: equal, equivalent; riaghailt litreachaidh: spelling rule; an dàrna rann: the second verse; aonadh: union.

Abairtean na Litreach: Cha chreid mi gum biodh sin ceart: I don’t think that would be right; tha am facal a’ tighinn bhon ghnìomhair Laidinn: the word comes from the Latin verb; nochd am facal anns an t-seachdamh linn deug anns an Eaglais Chaitligich: the word appeared in the seventeenth century in the Catholic Church; airson seasamh an aghaidh an Ath-leasachaidh: to resist the Reformation; ann an co-cheangal ri gnothaichean saoghalta: in connection with secular matters; an ìre mhath mar a tha ann am Beurla: pretty much as it is in English; a thaobh litreachadh, tha e freagarrach: in terms of spelling, it is suitable; a chionn ʼs gun robh mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chath Chromdhail: because I was telling you about the Battle of Cromdale; chaill na Seumasaich gu dubh: the Jacobites lost badly; bha saighdearan Albannach ann am feachd an riaghaltais: there were Scottish soldiers in the government force; gun do sheas na fineachan ri armailt an riaghaltais: that the clans stood up to the government army; gu fìrinneach, theich iad le ʼm beatha: in truth, they fled for their lives; tha e a’ toirt a-steach Montròs, seann cheannard airm: it brings in Montrose, an old military leader; fon fhòid airson ceathrad bliadhna: dead (under the sod) for forty years; thathar a’ cumail a-mach gun do sheas na fineachan ri Crombail aig Cromdhail: it is maintained that the clans stood against Cromwell at Cromdale; gun do chuir iad ruaig air an nàmhaid: that they put the enemy to flight; tha an t-òranaiche a’ cuimhneachadh seann chogadh còrr is ginealach roimhe: the songster remembers an old war more than a generation before; a’ cur gleans air an sgeulachd: polishing the story; à call, thàinig buaidh: from loss came victory; abair fìor dheagh eisimpleir: what a great example.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: leathann ri leathann is caol ri caol: broad to broad and slender to slender. This is the basic spelling rule in Gaelic and is generally known by its Gaelic name even when speaking English. A vowel on each side of a consonant or consonant group must be of the same class – either broad (a, o, u) or slender (e, i). Propaganda fits the bill perfectly as all the vowels are broad.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: thairis air a’ cheala-deug a dh’fhalbh: over the last fortnight.