麻豆约拍

Feumaidh sinn feitheamh gu tr脿th an ath-bhliadhna airson faighinn a-mach gu h-oifigeil cia mheud duine aig a bheil G脿idhlig ann an Alba. Ach, a r猫ir fiosrachadh a th脿inig a-mach am-bliadhna os 矛osal, tha c貌rr is seasgad m矛le (60,000) ann. Ch矛 sinn.

Bha seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig m矛le (65,000) ann anns a鈥� chunntas-sluaigh mu dheireadh ann an naoi-deug, naochad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1991), agus bha d霉il gun tuiteadh an 脿ireamh deich m矛le no barrachd anns an deichead as d猫idh sin. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha e co-dhi霉 thairis air bliadhnaichean an fhicheadamh linn.

Ach bha aon deichead ann nuair a bha an call fada na bu mh貌 nan 脿bhaist. Thachair sin eadar naoi-deug 鈥檚 a h-aon-deug (1911) agus naoi-deug, fichead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1921). Thuit an 脿ireamh bho cheud, ochdad 鈥檚 a ceithir m矛le (184,000) gu ceud, ceathrad 鈥檚 a naoi mile (149,000) 鈥� call m貌r de thrithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig m矛le (35,000). Agus bidh fios agaibh d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich e 鈥� an Cogadh M貌r.

Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach e sin an aon adhbhar, oir bha an st脿ite air a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh droch l脿imhseachadh air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann an foghlam as d猫idh st猫idheachadh Achd an Fhoghlaim ann an ochd-deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1872). Thug sin droch bhuaidh air a鈥� ch脿nan, gu h-脿raidh air t矛r-m貌r.

Ach 鈥檚 e an cogadh as m貌 a dh鈥檃dhbharaich an call. Bha mo sheanair 脿 Eilean Le貌dhais agus chaill esan tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean anns a鈥� chogadh. Bha an suidheachadh sin cumanta anns na coimhearsnachdan aig cridhe a鈥� ch脿nain. Ann an Le貌dhas, chaidh sia m矛le is seachd ceud (6,700) duine a-steach do na feachdan cogaidh. B鈥� e sin fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 脿s a鈥� cheud (23%) de shluagh an eilein; faisg air aonan 脿s gach ceathrar.

A-mach 脿s an fheadhainn sin, chaill m矛le, ceud, caogad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1,151) dhiubh am beatha anns a鈥� chogadh, seachd-deug 脿s a鈥� cheud (17%) dhen fheadhainn a chaidh a-steach do na feachdan. Agus a bharrachd air sin, chaidh c貌rr is d脿 cheud saighdear Le貌dhasach a bh脿thadh aig deireadh a鈥� chogaidh nuair a chaidh an soitheach a bha gan toirt dhachaigh, an Iolaire, fodha taobh a-muigh Ste貌rnabhaigh. Bha sin air L脿 na Bliadhn鈥� 脵ire, naoi-deug is naoi-deug (1919). Bidh sinn an d貌chas, airson iomadach adhbhar, nach fhaicear a leithid de chall a-chaoidh tuilleadh.

Aon turas, ge-t脿, chan e call a bh鈥� ann eadar an d脿rna cunntas-sluaigh agus an ath-fhear, ach 脿rdachadh. Thachair sin nuair a chaidh a鈥� cheist atharrachadh. Anns a鈥� chiad chunntas anns an robh ceist mun Gh脿idhlig ann, ann an ochd-deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1881), chaidh fhaighneachd dhen t-sluagh am biodh iad ga bruidhinn gu cunbhalach.

Uill, cha robh fios aig cuid d猫 cho tric 鈥檚 a dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bruidhinn airson comharra a chur anns a鈥� bhocsa sin, agus bha m貌ran ann, aig an robh G脿idhlig, a chuir fiosrachadh ce脿rr air na bileagan aca. Mar sin, chaidh a鈥� cheist atharrachadh deich bliadhna as d猫idh sin gu 鈥渁 bheil G脿idhlig agaibh?鈥� agus chaidh am figear suas fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 m矛le (23,000) gu c貌rr is d脿 cheud, caogad 鈥檚 a ceithir m矛le (254,000).

An-uiridh, chaidh a鈥� cheist atharrachadh a-rithist, gus clann fo aois tr矛 bliadhna a thoirt a-steach, agus feadhainn a tha a鈥� tuigsinn na G脿idhlig, ged nach bruidhinn iad i. Air s脿illeamh sin, tha mi an d貌chas nach bi an 脿ireamh cho 矛osal 鈥檚 a bha feadhainn a鈥� cumail a-mach. Agus tha daoine mar sibh fh猫in 鈥� an luchd-ionnsachaidh 鈥� a鈥� cur ris an 脿ireamh sin gu m貌r cuideachd.

鈥橲 i a鈥� cheist a tha nam cheann 鈥� cuin鈥� a ch矛 sinn 脿rdachadh ann an 脿ireamh luchd-labhairt na G脿idhlig? Bidh greis ann fhathast, tha eagal orm, ach, le de貌in agus spionnadh agus oidhirp, gabhaidh e d猫anamh.

Faclan na seachdaine: deichead: decade; an Cogadh M貌r: the Great War (1914-1918); Achd an Fhoghlaim: the Education Act; call: loss; feachdan cogaidh: the armed services.

Abairtean na seachdaine: feumaidh sinn feitheamh gu tr脿th an ath-bhliadhna: we must wait until early next year; anns a鈥� chunntas-sluaigh mu dheireadh: in the last census; bha d霉il gun tuiteadh an 脿ireamh: it was expected the number would fall; bidh fios agaibh d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich e: you will know what caused it; bha an st脿ite air a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh droch l脿imhseachadh air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig: the state had been treating Gaelic badly; thug sin droch bhuaidh air a鈥� ch脿nan: that had a bad effect on the language; chaill esan tri霉ir bhraithrean anns a鈥� chogadh: he lost three brothers in the war; faisg air aonan 脿s gach ceathrar: nearly one person in every four; nuair a chaidh an soitheach fodha: when the vessel went down; nach fhaicear a leithid de chall a-chaoidh tuilleadh: that a loss of the like will never be seen again; nuair a chaidh a鈥� cheist atharrachadh: when the question was changed; am biodh iad ga bruidhinn gu cunbhalach: did they (would they) speak it (fem.) habitually; d猫 cho tric 鈥檚 a dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bruidhinn: how often they would need to speak it (fem.); airson comharra a chur anns a鈥� bhocsa sin: to put a tick (mark) in that box; gus clann fo aois tr矛 bliadhna a thoirt a-steach: to include children under 3 years of age; cuin鈥� a ch矛 sinn 脿rdachadh?: when will we see an increase?; le de貌in, spionnadh agus oidhirp, gabhaidh e d猫anamh: with purpose, vigour and effort, it can be done.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: The Litir this week is full of numbers and I hope you can cope with them. They are all in the modern decimal counting system which is slowly catching on in the community, and which is now taught in schools. I would, however, like to make a point as to how best to deal with percentages in Gaelic. The English per cent/percentage derives from the medieval Latin per centum (鈥渙ut of a hundred鈥�) and, while Gaels will also use and understand 鈥減er cent鈥� when talking Gaelic, they commonly use the Gaelic equivalent of the Latin, 脿s a鈥� ch猫ud, literally 鈥渙ut of a hundred鈥� eg c貌ig 脿s a鈥� ch猫ud (5%), deich 脿s a鈥� cheud (10%), ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 脿s a鈥� cheud (43%). But be aware of other ways of dealing with figures, particularly as many fluent speakers will not be familiar with the Gaelic decimals. Simplify numbers if possible, eg for 60% you might say sia 脿s gach deich, and for 80% ceithir 脿s gach c貌ig. If you are dealing with percentages of people, you might use the special numerical nouns for people eg dithis 脿s gach c貌ignear (2 out of 5 or 40%), tri霉ir 脿s gach ceathrar (3 out of 4 or 75%).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: a r猫ir fiosrachadh a th脿inig a-mach os 矛osal: according to information that came out covertly, secretly, ie that was leaked.