麻豆社

Tha sinne ann an Alba a鈥� gabhail misneachd gu bheil a-nise Ministear airson na G脿idhlig ann an Riaghaltas Alba Nuaidh. Is esan Aonghas Mac脤osaig. Chan eil roinn mh貌r aige ag obair as leth a鈥� ch脿nain, ach tha e brosnachail dhuinn uile gu bheil 脿ite aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann am poilitigs na m貌r-roinne, anns an robh na ficheadan mh矛ltean de luchd-labhairt a鈥� ch脿nain uaireigin.

Dh鈥檉haodar a r脿dh, 鈥檚 d貌cha 鈥� gu h-eachdraidheil 鈥� gun robh 脿ite na bu mhotha aig G脿idheil ann am poilitigs Chanada na bha ann am poilitigs na h-Alba. 鈥橲 iomadh duine aig an robh G脿idhlig a bha an s脿s ann am poilitigs Chanada anns an naoidheamh linn deug.

A dh鈥檃indeoin sin, ge-t脿, cha chreid mi gun d鈥� fhuair an c脿nan riamh inbhe oifigeil. Is beag an t-iongnadh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead air mar a chaidh d猫iligeadh rithe ann an Alba fh猫in. Ach rinneadh oidhirp aon turas ri a d猫anamh na c脿nan oifigeil ann an Canada.

Bha sin ann an ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890). B鈥� e am fear a chuir am bile air adhart ann an Seanadh na d霉thcha T貌mas MacAonghais. Rugadh MacAonghais ann an Alba Nuadh, ach bha e an s脿s ann an poilitigs Cholumbia Bhreatannaich. Bhuineadh e do shliochd nan G脿idheal. Chuir e air adhart bile air an robh 鈥淎ct to provide for the use of Gaelic in

Official proceedings鈥�.

Nuair a bha e a鈥� bruidhinn mun bhile, thuirt MacAonghais gun robh ceithir cheud m矛le a bharrachd de shliochd nan G脿idheal ann an Canada na bh鈥� ann de shliochd nam Frangach. Bha na G脿idheil anns a鈥� phr矛omh 脿ite a thaobh 脿ireamh sluaigh. Ciamar a fhuair e sin? Uill, bha e a鈥� cunntadh nan Albannach is nan 脠ireannach c貌mhla.

Bha sluagh nan 脠ireannach is nan Albannach c貌mhla a鈥� tighinn gu cha mh貌r millean is seachd ceud m矛le (1,700,000). Anns an d脿rna 脿ite bha na Frangaich le cha mh貌r millean is tr矛 cheud m矛le (1,300,000). Cha robh ann de Shasannaich ach cha mh貌r naoi ceud m矛le (900,000) agus bha na Gearmailtich anns a鈥� cheathramh 脿ite le d脿 cheud gu leth m矛le (250,000). Ciamar fon ghr猫in, ma-th脿, a fhuair na Sasannaich l脿mh-an-uachdair ann an Canada? Uill, 鈥檚 e ceist mh貌r a tha sin, agus f脿gaidh mi i do latha eile!

Goirid mus do nochd bile na G脿idhlig ann am P脿rlamaid Chanada, bha bile eile ann leis an amas cur 脿s do ch貌raichean luchd-labhairt na Fraingis. Bhruidhinn am Pr矛omhaire, Sir Iain A D貌mhnallach, an aghaidh sin, agus e a鈥� toirt a thaic do na Frangaich. Bha cuid de na G脿idheil na bu bhuailtiche an taic a thoirt don Fhraingis na bha iad don c脿nan fh猫in.

Tha sin air a dhearbhadh leis na figearan airson na thug taic don bhile anns an t-Seanadh 鈥� d矛reach seachdnar. Bha ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 na aghaidh. Bha sin a dh鈥檃indeoin tomhas MhicAonghais gun robh deichnear anns an t-Seanadh aig an robh G脿idhlig na h-Alba is ochdnar aig an robh G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann (agus trithead 鈥檚 a dh脿 buill ann an Taigh nan Cumantan ann an Ottawa aig an robh G脿idhlig de she貌rsa air choreigin).

鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh am bile aige d矛reach ro anmoch. Bha G脿idhlig mu thr脿th air an rathad s矛os ann an Canada mar a bha i ann an Alba. Tha i air a dhol s矛os anns an d脿 dh霉thaich ach chan eil i marbh ann an t猫 seach t猫 dhiubh. Agus a-nise tha 脿ite oifigeil aice ann am poilitigs nach robh aice riamh roimhe. Far an laigh na fir, 鈥檚 ann a dh鈥櫭╥reas iad.

Faclan na Litreach: Aonghas Mac脤osaig: Angus MacIsaac; roinn: department; Seanadh: Senate; T貌mas MacAonghais: Thomas MacInnes; cha mh貌r: nearly; seachdnar: seven people; deichnear: ten people.

Abairtean na Litreach: tha sinn a鈥� gabhail misneachd: we are encouraged; Riaghaltas Alba Nuaidh: the Government of Nova Scotia; ag obair as leth a鈥� ch脿nain: working on behalf of the language; poilitigs na m貌r-roinne: the politics of the province; anns an robh X uaireigin: in which there was/were X at one time; dh鈥檉haodar a r脿dh: it might be said; cha chreid mi gun d鈥� fhuair an c脿nan riamh inbhe oifigeil: I don鈥檛 think the language ever achieved official status; nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead air mar a chaidh d猫iligeadh rithe ann an Alba: when its treatment [how it was treated] in Scotland is considered [looked at]; rinneadh oidhirp aon turas: an effort was made on one occasion; b鈥� e am fear a chuir am bile air adhart: the man who proposed the bill was; poilitigs Cholumbia Bhreatannaich: British Columbian politics; bhuineadh e do shliochd nan G脿idheal: he belonged to the descendants of Gaels; na bh鈥� ann de shliochd nam Frangach: than there were of descendants of the French; a thaobh 脿ireamh sluaigh: in terms of population numbers; ciamar a fhuair na Sasannaich l脿mh-an-uachdair?: how did the English achieve dominance?; leis an amas cur 脿s do ch貌raichean luchd-labhairt na Fraingis: with the aim of eliminating the [linguistic] rights of the Francophone community; na bu bhuailtiche an taic a thoirt don Fhraingis na bha iad don c脿nan fh猫in: more inclined to assist the French language than they were to assist their own language; airson na thug taic don bhile: for those who gave their support to the bill; trithead 鈥檚 a dh脿 buill ann an Taigh nan Cumantan: 32 members in the House of Commons; de she貌rsa air choreigin: of one sort or another; chan eil i marbh ann an t猫 seach t猫 dhiubh: she is not dead in either of them.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: ri a d猫anamh na c脿nan oifigeil: to make her an official language [lit. 鈥渢o make her in her official language鈥漖. Remember that languages, including Gaelic, are conceptually and grammatically feminine. This is reflected in the above phrase. If it had been masculine, I would have said ri a dh猫anamh na ch脿nan oifigeil [lit. 鈥渢o make him in his official language]. The lenition is because of the effect of the masculine third person singular possessive eg a bhr脿thair (his brother) cf a br脿thair (her brother). 鈥淭o make them official languages鈥� would be rin d猫anamh nan c脿nanan oifigeil [lit. 鈥渢o make them in their official languages鈥漖.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Far an laigh na fir, 鈥檚 ann a dh鈥櫭╥reas iad: where men lie down they will get up (ie do not get discouraged about what has happened to our language 鈥� we can arise once more!)