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An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Reachdas 脤, no The Statutes of Iona, a rinn cron m貌r air G脿idheil taobh an iar na h-Alba ann an sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1609). Chaidh d貌ighean 霉ra a sparradh air na cinn-chinnidh. B鈥� fheudar dhaibh an ainmean a chur ri cunnradh ann an Eilean 脤 as t-samhradh sa bhliadhna sin. Bha d脿 earrainn ann an Reachdas 脤 a bha gu s貌nraichte millteach air d貌igh-beatha agus dualchas nan G脿idheal.

B鈥� e a鈥� chiad earrann gun robh aig gach duine-uasal G脿idhealach, aig an robh ionmhas luach co-dhi霉 tr矛 fichead beathach mairt, ri a mhac a bu shine a chur don Ghalltachd airson foghlam Beurla. Mura robh mac aige, bha aige ris an nighean a bu shine aige a chur don Ghalltachd airson foghlam Beurla.

A r猫ir na h-earrainn eile, cha bhiodh cead tuilleadh aig b脿ird a bhith a鈥� dol timcheall taighean nan ceann-cinnidh. Bhiodh aig na cinn-chinnidh b脿rd sam bith a nochdadh a chur a-mach 脿s an sg矛re aca. Bha an riaghaltas a鈥� d猫anamh coimeas eadar b脿ird agus 鈥渂eggars [and] vagabonds鈥�.

Ann an d貌igh, dh鈥檉haodar a r脿dh gur e rud math a bh鈥� ann gum biodh cinn-chinnidh d脿-ch脿nanach, oir b鈥� i a鈥� Bheurla c脿nan oifigeil na r矛oghachd. Bha na cinn-chinnidh gu tric ioma-ch脿nanach, agus Laideann aca, agus cha b鈥� e sin f脿th na h-earrainn sin co-dhi霉. Chanainn gun robh tr矛 rudan fa-near don riaghaltas leis an earrainn sin 鈥� gum b鈥� urrainn dhaibh mic nan ceann-cinnidh a chumail mar ghiallan nam biodh feum air (airson d猫anamh cinnteach gum biodh an athraichean a鈥� coileanadh toil an riaghaltais), gum faigheadh iad foghlam Pr貌stanach, agus gum biodh iad a鈥� f脿s na bu Ghallta.

Agus dh鈥檕braich e, ged a thug e 霉ine, 鈥檚 d貌cha. Dh鈥檉hosgail caolas eadar cinn-chinnidh agus an tuath. Dh鈥檉h脿s na h-uaislean Gallta. Tro th矛de dh鈥檉h脿s m貌ran dhiubh Sasannach nan d貌igh. Agus cia mheud de na cinn-chinnidh an-diugh aig a bheil G脿idhlig? Gl猫 bheag, ma tha gin ann idir.

Cha b鈥� e sin an aon ionnsaigh a thug an Riaghaltas Albannach air na G脿idheil anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. Ann an sia ceud deug is sia-deug (1616), chuireadh achd an s脿s leis an amas foghlam Beurla a sgaoileadh air feadh na r矛oghachd, agus b脿s a thoirt air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig.

Ach d猫 mun earrainn eile ann an Reachdas 脤 鈥� airson stad a chur air na cinn-chinnidh bho bhith a鈥� toirt taic do bh脿ird? Bha 脿ite s貌nraichte aig na b脿ird aig ceann shuas saoghal na G脿idhlig agus bha iad a鈥� tighinn be貌 air an airgead a thug cinn-chinnidh dhaibh. Bha e gun chiall a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh coimeas eadar na daoine foghlamaichte sin agus 鈥渂eggars [and] vagabonds鈥�. Cha robh an sin ach propaganda riaghaltais.

Tha sinn a鈥� cluinntinn gu tric mun bhliadhna sh貌nraichte a bhios ann an ath-bhliadhna air a bheil Homecoming Scotland 2009. Chan urrainn dhomh G脿idhlig a thoirt dhuibh air sin oir chan eil facal G脿idhlig aig Homecoming Scotland air an l脿raich-l矛n aca.

Bithear a鈥� comharrachadh m貌ran rudan matha mu Alba an ath-bhliadhna. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bu ch貌ir cuideachd a bhith a鈥� cuimhneachadh mar a th貌isich an st脿it ar d矛meas a dh猫anamh air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig 鈥� le droch phoileasaidhean a lean gu o chionn ghoirid. Ach a bheil na buidhnean G脿idhlig, no na craoladairean G脿idhlig a鈥� dol a chomharrachadh Reachdas 脤 an ath-bhliadhna? Bu ch貌ir dhaibh.

Abairtean na Litreach: chaidh d貌ighean 霉ra a sparradh air na cinn-chinnidh: new ways were forced upon the clan chiefs; b鈥� fheudar dhaibh an ainmean a chur ri cunnradh: they had to put their names to a treaty; gu s貌nraichte millteach air d貌igh-beatha agus dualchas nan G脿idheal: particularly damaging to the way of life and heritage of the Gaels; aig an robh ionmhas luach co-dhi霉 tr矛 fichead beathach mairt: who had riches to the value of at least sixty cows; ri a mhac a bu shine a chur don Ghalltachd: to send his eldest son to the Lowlands; cha bhiodh cead tuilleadh aig b脿ird: poets/bards would no longer be permitted; b脿rd sam bith a nochdadh a chur a-mach 脿s an sg矛re aca: to expel any bard who appeared from his area; dh鈥檉haodar a r脿dh gur e rud math a bh鈥� ann: it could be said that it was a good thing; cha b鈥� e sin f脿th na h-earrainn sin co-dhi霉: that wasn鈥檛 the purpose of that clause anyway; chanainn gun robh tr矛 rudan fa-near don riaghaltas: I鈥檇 say that the government intended three things; gum biodh an athraichean a鈥� coileanadh toil an riaghaltais: that their fathers would fulfil the wishes of the government; dh鈥檉hosgail caolas eadar cinn-chinnidh agus an tuath: a gap opened between clan chiefs and their tenantry; cha b鈥� e sin an aon ionnsaigh: that wasn鈥檛 the only attack; leis an amas foghlam Beurla a sgaoileadh air feadh na r矛oghachd, agus b脿s a thoirt air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig: with the aim of spreading English language education throughout the kingdom, and bringing about the death of Gaelic; bha iad a鈥� tighinn be貌 air an airgead a thug cinn-chinnidh dhaibh: they lived on the money the clan chiefs gave them; bithear a鈥� comharrachadh m貌ran rudan matha: many good things will be marked/commemorated; mar a th貌isich an st脿it ar d矛meas a dh猫anamh air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig: how the state began to disrespect Gaelic; bu ch貌ir dhaibh: they should.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: gum b鈥� urrainn dhaibh mic nan ceann-cinnidh a chumail mar ghiallan: that they could keep the sons of the clan chiefs as hostages. Are you unsure about when the second element in ceann-cinnidh lenites? It acts in the same way as an adjective would in agreement with its noun, in this case ceann. We would say an ceann m貌r (the big head) in the nominative singular so we say an ceann-cinnidh in the same case. Here is the compound carrying some other inflexions. Cinn-chinnidh (cf cinn mh貌ra), air na cinn-chinnidh (cf air na cinn mh貌ra), nan ceann-cinnidh (cf nan ceann m貌ra), air ceann-cinnidh (cf air ceann m貌r), air a鈥� cheann-chinnidh (cf air a鈥� cheann mh貌r). If you鈥檙e unsure about the rules governing lenition of adjectives, a grammar text like Gr脿mar na G脿idhlig by Michel Byrne might be of assistance.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: bha e gun chiall a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh coimeas eadar na daoine foghlamaichte sin agus X: it was senseless to make a comparison between those educated people and X.