麻豆约拍

Nuair a bha mi ann an Eilean Mhanainn na bu tr脿ithe dhen bhliadhna sa, 鈥檚 iomadh duine a thuirt rium, 鈥淐uin a tha na h-eileanan agaibh 鈥� eileanan taobh siar na h-Alba 鈥� a鈥� dol a thighinn for smachd a-rithist?鈥� Bha ball na p脿rlamaid aca am measg na thuirt sin rium. Chan eil mi eadhon cinnteach an robh e fh猫in is c脿ch ri fealla-dh脿. Tha m貌ran anns an eilean 鈥� co-dhi霉 an fheadhainn aig a bheil 霉idh ann an eachdraidh is dualchas 鈥� a鈥� toirt sp猫is do na seann cheanglaichean eadar an d脿 r矛oghachd.

Ged a tha ceanglaichean do dh鈥櫭坕rinn cuideachd 鈥� agus do Shasainn 鈥檚 a鈥� Chuimrigh 鈥� th脿inig e a-steach orm gur ann le Alba a tha na seann cheanglaichean as l脿idire. Chan e a-mh脿in na c脿nanan a tha gar toirt dl霉th ri ch猫ile, ach cuideachd na ceanglaichean a chaidh a thogail ri linn nan Lochlannach.

Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do nochd a鈥� Gh脿idhlig 鈥� no Gaelg 鈥� ann an Eilean Mhanainn anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn no mar sin. Bha an c脿nan is cultar l脿idir gu le貌r airson seasamh an aghaidh buaidh nan Lochlannach 鈥� a r脿inig an t-eilean aig toiseach an naoidheamh linn. Th脿inig G脿idheal is Gall c貌mhla agus thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh na h-uaislean d脿-ch脿nanach airson 霉ine mh貌r. Cha robh ach G脿idhlig, ge-t脿, aig na daoine bochda.

Thug na Lochlannaich buaidh mh貌r air siostam poilitigeach an eilein, ach cha tug iad uiread buaidh air a鈥� ch脿nan. Tha nas lugha fhaclan-iasaid Lochlannach ann an G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn na tha sa Gh脿idhlig againn fh猫in. Tha grunn ainmean-脿ite Lochlannach ann, ge-t脿. Tha ainm baile Laxey, mar eisimpleir, a鈥� tighinn bhon aon fhreumh ri Lacasaigh ann an Le貌dhas 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁bhainn a鈥� bhradain鈥�.

Tha baile gu tuath air Laxey air a bheil Ramsey 鈥� 脿ite eile le ainm Lochlannach. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil e co-cheangailte ris an lus ris an canar creamh ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba 鈥� wild garlic. Nise, ann am Beurla, 鈥檚 e aon ainm air an lus seo 鈥� ramsons 鈥� agus bha ainm car coltach ri sin aig na seann Lochlannaich.

Uill, cha bhiodh sin ro choltach mar mh矛neachadh air Ramsey 鈥� ach a-mh脿in airson aon rud. Tha allt ann am meadhan a鈥� bhaile 鈥� a tha a-nise a鈥� sruthadh fon talamh 鈥� air a bheil ann an G脿idhlig an eilein 鈥� Strooan ny Craue 鈥� sin sruthan no allt a鈥� chreamha. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do dh鈥檈adar-theangaich na Lochlannaich ainm an uillt don ch脿nan aca fh猫in agus gur ann 脿 sin a th脿inig an t-ainm Ramsey.

Tha an t-uabhas de dh鈥檃inmean cinnidh ann an Eilean Mhanainn a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig, ged nach eil sin follaiseach do dh鈥橝lbannach anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach. Dh鈥檃tharraich Mac anns na h-ainmean gu tric gu d矛reach C 鈥� no san latha an-diugh C, K agus

Q. Mar eisimpleir, th脿inig Kermode bho MacDhiarmaid, Quarry bho MacGuaire agus Kissack bho Mac脤osaig.

Anns an aonamh linn deug, bha Eilean Mhanainn aig ceann r矛oghachd air an robh R矛oghachd Mhanainn is nan Eilean. B鈥� iad na h-eileanan sin 鈥� an fheadhainn far chosta siar na h-Alba. Ged a bha ceudan de dh鈥檈ileanan ann, bhathar a鈥� tomhas 鈥� airson adhbharan rianachd 鈥� gun robh trithead 鈥檚 a dh脿 ann, le Eilean Mhanainn aig cridhe poilitigeach na r矛oghachd.

B鈥� e p脿rlamaid nan eilean Tinvaal 鈥� no Tynwald 鈥� facal a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥減脿rlamaid鈥� ann an Lochlannais. 鈥橲 ann 脿s a sin a th脿inig an t-ainm-脿ite Beurla a th鈥� air Inbhir Pheofharain 鈥� Dingwall. Tha Tinvaal fhathast a鈥� dol 鈥� agus tha na Manainnich ag r脿dh le moit gur e a th鈥� innte a鈥� ph脿rlamaid as fhaide a mhair 鈥� gun bhriseadh sam bith 鈥� air an t-saoghal.

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

Abairtean na Litreach: 鈥檚 iomadh duine a thuirt rium: many people said to me; a鈥� dol a thighinn for [fo ar] smachd a-rithist: going to come under our control again; chan eil mi eadhon cinnteach an robh e fh猫in is c脿ch ri fealla-dh脿: I鈥檓 not entirely sure if he and the others were joking; a鈥� toirt sp猫is do na seann cheanglaichean: respect the old links; th脿inig e a-steach orm: it occurred to me; chan e a-mh脿in na c脿nanan a tha gar toirt dl霉th ri ch猫ile: it is not only the languages which bring us close together; ri linn nan Lochlannach: in the days of the Norse (Vikings); thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh: it is thought; gun robh na h-uaislean d脿-ch脿nanach: the upper echelons were bilingual; cha tug iad uiread buaidh air a鈥� ch脿nan: they didn鈥檛 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鈥檛 be too likely; ach a-mh脿in airson aon rud: except for one thing; a鈥� sruthadh fon talamh: running underground; allt a鈥� chreamha: the stream of the wild garlic; an t-uabhas de dh鈥檃inmean cinnidh: many surnames; ged nach eil sin follaiseach do dh鈥橝lbannach: although that鈥檚 not obvious to a Scot; aig ceann r矛oghachd: at the head of a kingdom; an fheadhainn far chosta siar na h-Alba: the ones off the west coast of Scotland; bhathar a鈥� tomhas 鈥� airson adhbharan rianachd: it was reckoned 鈥� for administrative purposes; cridhe poilitigeach: political heart; gur e a th鈥� innte a鈥� ph脿rlamaid as fhaide a mhair: that it is the longest lasting parliament.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Tha nas lugha fhaclan-iasaid Lochlannach ann an G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn na tha sa Gh脿idhlig againn fh猫in: 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 鈥� 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鈥檉haclan-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.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: na bu tr脿ithe dhen bhliadhna sa [seo]: earlier this year.