#18: Gàidhlig ann an Canada

[English further below]

Sin thu, a charaid! Tha mi air ais ann an Alba, às dèidh dhomh trì seachdainean mìorbhaileach a chur seachad ann an Canada còmhla ri Ciorstain.

Agus…bha an cothrom agam Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn ann an Ceap Breatainn agus ann an Halafacs!

Seo beagan fiosrachaidh mun Ghàidhlig ann an Canada an Ear. Tha mi duilich nach bi farpais #sgrìobhi ann a-nis tro mhìos na Dàmhair – tha mi fhathast a’ fàs cleachdte ris a’ bheatha làitheil a-rithist! 😁 Ach tha mi an dòchas gum bi na leanas inntinneach dhut.

Màbu

’S e coimhearsnachd bheag ann an Ceap Breatainn a th’ ann am Mabù. ’S e Màbu fear dhe na bailtean far an do thachair sinn ri caraid aig a bheil Gàidhlig. ’S e Lili an t-ainm a th’ air a’ charaid seo. Thachair sinn rithe ann an taigh-bìdh air a bheil A’ Bhròg Dhearg.

Tha Lili fileanta ann an Gàidhlig. Mar sin, bha sinn a’ cleachdadh tòrr Gàidhlig (agus beagan Beurla) còmhla. Am measg rudan eile, tha Lili ag obair aig Baile nan Gàidheal (Highland Village Museum) pàirt dhen bhliadhna, agus tha i a’ cluich na fìdhle cuideachd.

Nise…tha diofaran ann eadar Gàidhlig na h-Alba agus Gàidhlig Chanada. Mar eisimpleir, ’s e làn a chanas sinne ann an Alba, ach ann an Alba Nuaidh, tha am fuaimneachadh coltach ri wàn. ’S e “glug Eigeach” a chanas na h-èolaichean ri seo. A thuilleadh air Eilean Eige ann an Alba, tha clàraidhean fhathast ann le duine no dhà à Hiort, ’s iad a’ cleachdadh an aon fhuaimneachaidh! Ged a chaidh Hiort fhalamhachadh ann an 1930, cha do dh’fhàg an glug Eigeach an guthan.

Colaisde na Gàidhlig

Ann am Baile Anna ann an Ceap Breatainn, tha againn Colaisde na Gàidhlig. Tha an t-àite seo coltach ri Sabhal Mòr Ostaig anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha sinn ann an-uiridh airson ceangal no dhà a thogail ris a’ Cholaisde, agus abair gun deach fàilte bhlàth a chur oirnn 🙂

An turas seo, thill mi dhan Cholaisde, agus bha Cailean Dòmhnullach ann, ’s e a’ cumail seisean air a bheil Na Gaisgich Òga. Seo prògram le sreath de thachartasan a tha ag amas air òigridh Cheap Breatainn aig a bheil ùidh anns a’ Ghàidhlig. Còmhla ri Eamag Dhòmhnullach, ghabh sinn òrain-luaidh còmhla, agus bha an cothrom agamsa bruidhinn ris na gaisgich òga mu na tha sinn a’ dèanamh ann an Glaschu aig An Lòchran, agus ann an Dùn Èideann aig an Riaghaltas.

Ma bhios tu ann an Ceap Breatainn aig àm air choreigin, mholainn Colaisde na Gàidhlig le m’ uile cridhe. ’S e sàr-obair ris a bheil iad, agus gabhaidh tòrr ionnsachadh an sin!

Oifis Iomairtean na Gàidhlig

Aig ìre phoileataigeach, tha Oifis Iomairtean na Gàidhlig ann cuideachd. Tha a’ phrìomh-oifis stèidhichte ann an Halafacs, ach ’s ann ann am baile Shidni (Sydney) a thachair sinn ri fear air a bheil Iain MacLeòid.

’S e duine gasta a th’ ann an Iain. Tha e air a bhith aig An Lòchran, an seo ann an Glaschu, turas no dhà cuideachd. Ann an Sidni, chuir Iain seachad dà uair a thìde còmhla rinn, ’s e a’ mìneachadh gu dè tha esan agus an sgioba aige ris ann an Canada an Ear airson cànan agus cultar na Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh. Gheibh thu tuilleadh fiosrachaidh air an cuid obrach tro bhith a’ tadhal air Facebook.

Rud eile a bha èibhinn – mus do thachair sinn ri Iain anns a’ chafaidh, bha Ciorstain agus mise a’ seopadaireachd air an aon t-sràid. Ann am bùth a bh’ ann, bha tè ag obair ann aig an robh Gàidhlig cuideachd! ’S e Seiteag an t-ainm a th’ oirre, agus tha i gu math eòlach air Lili, an tè air an tug mi iomradh gu h-àrd fo “Mhàbu”. ’S e saoghal beag a th’ ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig, nach e?!

Clò a’ Bhradain (Bradan Press)

Mu dheireadh, bu toil leam iomradh a thoirt air foillsichear ann an Halafacs a tha ri obair gu math cudromach ann an saoghal litreachas na Gàidhlig. Tha iomadh foillsichear agus bùth ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig a tha ri mholadh, ach a thaobh Canada, ’s ann le Clò a’ Bhradain a tha an tionndadh Gàidhlig de dh’Anne of Green Gables le L. M. Montgomery – sgeulachd à Eilean a’ Phrionnsa a tha mi a’ leughadh ann an Gàidhlig an-dràsta fhèin.

’S ann le Emily NicEòghainn a tha a’ chompanaidh fhèin. Ma tha thu airson tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach mu obair an fhoillsichear, agus mu sgeul Anna Ruaidh, nach tadhail thu orra an seo.

Sin e an-dràsta, a charaid! Bidh farpais #sgrìobhi air ais an ath-mhìos mar as àbhaist!

Le gaol

Andy xx

[English]

Hey there! I’m back in Scotland, after spending three magical weeks in Canada with Kerstin.

And…I got the chance to speak Gaelic in Cape Breton and in Halifax!

Here’s some information about Gaelic in East Canada. I apologise that there’s no #sgrìobhi writing competition this month – I’m still readjusting to daily life! 😁 But I hope the following will be of interest to you.

Mabou

Mabou is a wee community in Cape Breton. Mabou is one of the places where we met a friend who speaks Gaelic. This friend’s name is Lili; we met her in a restaurant called The Red Shoe Pub.

Lili is fluent in Gaelic. Therefore, we used a lot of Gaelic (and some English) together. Among other things, Lili works at Baile nan Gàidheal (Highland Village Museum) part of the year, and she also plays the fiddle.

Now…there are some differences between Scottish Gaelic and Canadian Gaelic. For example, in Scotland we say làn (“full”), but in Nova Scotia, the pronunciation is similar to wàn. Experts refer to this as the “Eigg cluck”. In addition to the Isle of Eigg in Scotland, recordings have survived of one or two people from St Kilda using the same pronunciation! Although St Kilda was evacuated in 1930, the Eigg cluck never left their voices.

Colaisde na Gàidhlig (The Gaelic College)

In St Anns in Cape Breton, we have Colaisde na Gàidhlig. This place is similar to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye. We were in St Anns last year to build a link or two with the College, and what a warm welcome we received 🙂

This time, I returned to the college, and Colin MacDonald was there running a session called Na Gaisgich Òga (The Young Heroes). This is a series of events aimed at young people in Cape Breton who are interested in Gaelic. Along with Emily MacDonald, we sang some milling songs, and I had the opportunity to talk to the youngsters about what we’re doing in Glasgow at An Lòchran, and in Edinburgh at the Government.

If you’re ever in Cape Breton, I would warmly recommend the Gaelic College. They’re doing great work, and there’s so much to learn there!

Oifis Iomairtean na Gàidhlig (Office of Gaelic Affairs)

At political level, we have the Office of Gaelic Affairs as well. The headquarters are based in Halifax, but it was in Sydney that we met a man named Iain MacLeod.

Iain’s a nice guy. He’s also been to An Lòchran, here in Glasgow, a few times. In Sydney, Iain spent two hours with us explaining what he and his team are doing in Eastern Canada to promote Gaelic language and culture. To find out more about their work, just head over to Facebook.

Another funny thing – before we met Iain in the café, Kerstin and I were shopping on the same street. In one particular shop, there was a young lady working who also spoke Gaelic! Her name is Seiteag (Sadie), and she knows Lili very well, the lady I mentioned above under “Mabou”. The Gaelic world is wee, isn’t it?!

Clò a’ Bhradain (Bradan Press)

Last of all, I’d like to mention a publisher in Halifax doing very important work in the world of Gaelic literature. There are many publishers and outlets for Gaelic that deserve commendation, but as far as Canada goes, Bradan Press has the Gaelic translation of Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery – a story from Prince Edward Island that I’m currently reading in Gaelic.

The company itself is run by Emily McEwan. If you’d like to find out more about the publisher’s work, and about the story of Anna Ruadh, why not visit them here.

That’s all for now! Our #sgrìobhi writing competition will be back next month, as usual!

With love

Andy xx