麻豆社

Bha Gilleasbaig is Fionnladh Cook 脿聽Eilean Arainn. 鈥橲 e ministearan a bha聽annta. 鈥橲 e searmonaichean matha a bha聽annta. Bha m貌ran mhinistearan G脿idhealach聽anns an naoidheamh linn deug 脿聽Arainn.聽Rugadh Gilleasbaig, no Archibald,聽Cook ann an seachd ceud deug,聽ochdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1789). Bha Fionnladh聽aon bhliadhn鈥� deug na bu shine. Bha聽Fionnladh na mhinistear ann an聽Le貌dhas, Gallaibh agus Inbhir Nis. Bha聽Gilleasbaig na mhinistear ann an聽Gallaibh, Inbhir Nis agus Deimhidh,聽faisg air Inbhir Nis.聽Eadar ochd ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚聽a tr矛 (1823) agus trithead 鈥檚 a seachd聽(1837), bha Gilleasbaig ann an Latharan聽ann an Gallaibh. Bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig聽fhathast be貌 anns an sg矛re sin, ged a bha聽i a鈥� cr矛onadh. Bha Cook a鈥� searmonachadh聽ann an G脿idhlig. Aig 脿m a鈥櫬燾homanachaidh bha e cuideachd a鈥櫬爏earmonachadh ann am Beurla. Bha聽feadhainn a鈥� siubhal 脿 Inbhir 脵ige airson聽猫isteachd ris.聽Bha dualchainnt na G脿idhlig ann聽an Arainn eadar-dhealaichte bho dhual-chainntean eile. Mar eisimpleir, bha聽muinntir Arainn a鈥� fuaimneachadh na聽litreach 鈥渁鈥� mar dh脿-fhoghair, no聽diphthong. Tha e coltach gun robh聽muinntir Arainn ag r脿dh 鈥渕weh鈥� airson聽math. Tha e coltach cuideachd gun robh聽iad ag r脿dh 鈥渂w猫tuh鈥� airson b脿ta agus 聽鈥渂w猫鈥� airson b脿.聽Nuair a bha e ann an Gallaibh聽agus ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis ghabh聽Cook faclan neo-Arainneach a-steach聽don chainnt aige. Mar eisimpleir, ann an聽Arainn, 鈥檚 e madadh am facal a bha aig聽daoine airson dog. Ach bha Cook聽cuideachd a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail c霉.聽Bha Cook a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail聽n脿baidh, an 脿ite coimhearsnach, airson聽neighbour. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do thog e sin聽am measg nan G脿idheal ann an Gallaibh.聽Agus bha e a鈥� cleachdadh nam faclan t矛m聽is meall nach robh, a r猫ir choltais, ann an聽G脿idhlig Arainn.聽Thuirt feadhainn ann an聽Deimhidh gun robh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig aig聽Cook car annasach. Ach bha daoine ga聽thuigsinn. 鈥橲 e searmonaiche ainmeil a聽bha ann. Uaireannan bha na h-uibhir a鈥櫬爐ighinn a dh鈥櫭╥steachd ris. Bha an eaglais聽ro bheag dhaibh. Bha e an uair sin a鈥櫬燾umail na seirbheis a-muigh. Innsidh mi聽tuilleadh mun mhinistear sin an ath-sheachdain.

Archibald and Finlay Cook were聽from the island of Arran. They聽were ministers. They were good聽preachers. Many Gaelic-speaking聽ministers in the 19th Century聽were from Arran.聽Archibald Cook was born in聽1789. Finlay was eleven years聽older. Finlay was a minister in聽Lewis, Caithness and Inverness.聽Archibald was a minister in聽Caithness, Inverness and Daviot,聽near Inverness.聽Between 1823 and 1837,聽Archibald was in Latheron in聽Caithness. Gaelic was still alive聽in that area, although it was in聽decline. Cook was preaching in聽Gaelic. At communion time, he聽was also preaching in English.聽Some people were travelling聽from Wick to listen to him.聽The Gaelic dialect in Arran聽was different from other dialects.聽For example, the people of Arran聽were pronouncing the letter 鈥渁鈥澛燼s a diphthong. It appears that聽the people of Arran said 鈥渕weh鈥澛爁or math [good]. It also appears聽that they said 鈥渂w猫tuh鈥� for b脿ta聽[boat] and 鈥渂w猫鈥� for b脿 [cows].聽When he was in Caithness聽and in Inverness-shire, Cook聽absorbed non-Arran words into聽his speech. For example, in聽Arran, madadh was the word聽people had for dog. But Cook聽was also using the word c霉.聽Cook was using the word聽n脿baidh, rather than coimhearsnach,聽for neighbour. Perhaps he聽picked that up among the Gaels聽in Caithness. And he was using聽the words t矛m and meall which聽were not, it appears, in Arran聽Gaelic.聽Some in Daviot said that聽Cook鈥檚 Gaelic was a bit strange.聽But people were understanding聽him. He was a famous preacher.聽Sometimes large numbers of聽people were coming to listen to聽him. The church was too small聽for them. He was then keeping聽the service outside. I鈥檒l tell you聽more about that minister next聽week.