麻豆约拍

Bidh luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig uaireannan a鈥� cur ceist orm mu dheidhinn litreachadh a鈥� ch脿nain. 鈥橲 e cuspair m貌r a th鈥� ann agus, gu dearbh, chan eil e as aonais connspaid! Tha cuimhne agam gun do dh鈥檉haighnich t猫 dhiom turas ciamar a litreachainn a鈥� Gh脿idhlig airson nose. 鈥淪-r-貌-n,鈥� fhreagair mi.

鈥淪eadh,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渁gus ciamar a tha thu ga r脿dh?鈥�

鈥淪tr貌n,鈥� fhreagair mi.

Choimhead i orm gu geur. 鈥淐huir thu 鈥榯鈥� ann a sin nach eil anns an fhacal ann,鈥� thuirt i. Thuirt thu 鈥榮tr貌n鈥� ach tha am facal air a litreachadh 鈥榮r貌n鈥�.鈥�

Agus bidh fios agaibh d猫 an ath cheist a bh鈥� aice: 鈥淐arson?鈥�!

鈥淪maoinich air a h-uile duine as aithne dhut aig a bheil G脿idhlig,鈥� thuirt mo bhana-charaid (agus bu ch貌ir dhomh r脿dh gu robh seo o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean) 鈥渁gus innis dhomh ciamar a chanadh iadsan am facal sin.鈥� B鈥� fheudar dhomh aideachadh nach b鈥� urrainn dhomh smaoineachadh air duine nach canadh 鈥渟tr貌n鈥�.

鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渃arson fon ghr猫in a tha am facal air a litreachadh as aonais 鈥榯鈥�? Carson nach eil e air a litreachadh 鈥榮-T-r-貌-n鈥�?鈥�

Tha fhios gu bheil luchd-ionnsachaidh tric a鈥� cur ceistean mar sin air fileantaich agus, gu h-脿raidh nuair a tha iad 脿s ceann a tuath na Gaidhealtachd, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach bi cuid de na fileantaich buileach cinnteach air an adhbhar. Feuchaidh mise ri beagan taic a thoirt dhaibh.

Tha d脿 adhbhar ann airson sr貌n a litreachadh as aonais an 鈥榯鈥�. 鈥橲 e a鈥� chiad rud nach eilear ag r脿dh 鈥渟tr貌n鈥� anns a h-uile sg矛re ann an Alba. Tha 脿iteachan ann far a bheilear ag r脿dh 鈥渟r貌n鈥�. Tha seo air a mh矛neachadh gu snog ann an leabhar inntinneach a chaidh fhoillseachadh an-uiridh: The Gaelic of Islay: A Comparative Study le Seumas Grannd 脿 Roinn na Ceilteis ann an Oilthigh Obair Dheathain.

Tha an t-Ollamh Grannd a鈥� sealltainn dhuinn gur e 鈥渟r貌n鈥� a chanas muinntir Ile. Is chan e Ile a-mh脿in. Thug e s霉il air Earra-Ghaidheal air fad agus 鈥檚 e 鈥渟r貌n鈥� a chanas daoine air feadh na sg矛re, ach a-mh脿in ann an tr矛 脿iteachan anns a鈥� cheann a tuath 鈥� Tiriodh, Colla agus Aird Ghobhar. Anns na tr矛 脿iteachan sin, thathar ag r脿dh 鈥渟tr貌n鈥� 鈥� an aon rud ri ceann a tuath na Gaidhealtachd.

A鈥� coimhead air ais don 脿m nuair a bhathar a鈥� sgr矛obhadh G脿idhlig o shean, leithid nuair a bhathar ag eadar-theangachadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill gu G脿idhlig, bha sgoilearan 脿s Earra-Ghaidheal gu m貌r an s脿s ann. Bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig fada na bu l脿idire ann an Earra-Ghaidheal na tha i an-diugh. Agus bha na sgoilearan cuideachd e貌lach air d貌igh-sgr矛obhaidh G脿idhlig na h-Eireann. Eadar an d脿 rud sin, bha e n脿darrach gu le貌r dhaibh, am facal sr貌n a sgr矛obhadh s-r-貌-n, ged a bhiodh muinntir a鈥� chinn a tuath ag r脿dh 鈥渟tr貌n鈥�.

Ach tha adhbhar eile ann cuideachd agus tha seo gu math cudthromach. Ciamar a chanadh sibh, ann an G脿idhlig, 鈥渕y nose鈥�? Seadh? 鈥淢o shr貌n鈥�. Ciamar a chanadh sibh ri balach beag, 鈥渂low your nose, lad鈥�? 鈥淪猫id do shr貌n, 鈥檌lle.鈥� Bidh sibh a鈥� mothachadh nach eil 鈥榯鈥� sam bith a鈥� nochdadh anns an fhacal nuair a tha e air a sh猫imheachadh, deas neo tuath. Chan d猫anadh 鈥榯鈥� feum neo ciall anns an fhacal anns an t-suidheachadh sin. Mar sin, tha e nas fhasa, airson d猫iligeadh ris a h-uile suidheachadh anns an nochd am facal, gur e 鈥榮r鈥�, an 脿ite 鈥榮tr鈥�, a th鈥� ann aig an toiseach.

Ach tha sin gam thoirt fh猫in gu ceist. Ciamar a chanas sibh ann an G脿idhlig, 鈥淚 am going to climb the mountain鈥�? Bheir sinn s霉il air a sin an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: sr貌n: nose; litreachadh: spelling; cuspair: subject; tric: often; fileantaich: fluent speakers (of Gaelic); Roinn na Ceilteis: Celtic Department; Oilthigh Obair Dheathain: Aberdeen University; Earra-Ghaidheal: Argyll.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chan eil e as aonais connspaid: it鈥檚 not without controversy; dh鈥檉haighnich t猫 dhiom turas ciamar a litreachainn: one (female) once asked my how I would spell; ciamar a tha thu ga r脿dh?: how do you say it?; carson fon ghr猫in a tha X air a litreachadh as aonais 鈥榯鈥�?: why on earth is X spelled without a 鈥榯鈥�?; nach eilear ag r脿dh X anns a h-uile sg矛re ann an Alba: they don鈥檛 say X in every part of Scotland; tha seo air a mh矛neachadh gu snog: this is nicely explained; is chan e Ile a-mh脿in: and not only Islay; nuair a bhathar ag eadar-theangachadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill gu G脿idhlig: when the Bible was being translated into Gaelic; muinntir a鈥� chinn a tuath: the people of the north; nuair a tha e air a sh猫imheachadh, deas neo tuath: when it is lenited, south or north; cha d猫anadh 鈥榯鈥� feum neo ciall: 鈥榯鈥� would not be useful or meaningful.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: B鈥� fheudar dhomh aideachadh: I had to admit. The phrase 鈥檚 fheudar do is a very useful one and means 鈥渕ust鈥�. 鈥橲 fheudar do Chailean fuireach far a bheil e an-dr脿sta (Colin has to stay where he is for the moment). It is commonly heard in conversation with the 鈥渄o鈥� converted to a prepositional pronoun (ie dhomh, dhut, dha, dhi, dhuinn, dhuibh, dhaibh). eg 鈥檚 fheudar dhomh falbh (I must go). It is commonly used in the past tense as b鈥� fheudar eg B鈥� fheudar dhi dhol dhachaigh (she had to go home); b鈥� fheudar dhaibh an taigh m貌r aca a reic (they had to sell their big house). In some places, notably in parts of Argyll, you will hear it used with 鈥済u鈥� for 鈥減erhaps鈥� or 鈥減robably鈥�. For example, you might hear a conversation like this: 1st man: Bha Alasdair gun fheum 鈥� cha chreid mi nach robh an deoch air. (Alexander was useless 鈥� I reckon he was drunk) 2nd man: 鈥橲 fheudar gu robh (quite possibly). You may also hear chan fheudar nach robh in a similar situation, meaning the same thing 鈥� another of these colourful double negatives we all love so much!

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: S猫id do shr貌n, 鈥檌lle: blow your nose, lad. 鈥檌lle is a contraction of 鈥渁 ghille鈥� ie the word gille in the vocative case (in which the gille is addressed by another). You will commonly hear this if a man is addressing a boy. It is also used by older men to younger men and even by men of similar age to each other in a very informal setting. It would not be used in a formal setting or to an elder.