Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mun Urramach Seumas MacDhonnchaidh 鈥� James Robertson. Bha e na mhinistear ann an Calasraid, anns na Tr貌isichean. Rugadh e ann an Calasraid ann an seachd ceud deug, trithead 始s a naoi (1739). Sgr矛obh e an earrann mu Chalasraid anns an t-Seann Chunntas Staitistigeach. Bha sin ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad 始s a ceithir (1794).

Tha mi airson rud no dh脿 innse dhuibh a sgr矛obh Mgr MacDhonnchaidh mun Gh脿idhlig. Tha mi an d霉il gun robh G脿idhlig aige bho dh霉thchas. 始S e sg矛re Gh脿idhealach a bha anns na Tr貌isichean an uair sin. Eadhon aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug, bha G脿idhlig fhathast aig ceathrar 脿s gach deichnear anns an d霉thaich timcheall Chalasraid.

Bha Seumas MacDhonnchaidh e貌lach air Laidinn agus air an t-Seann Ghreugais. Tha e ag innse don leughadair gu bheil an aon fhacal ann airson 鈥榓n T矛 as 脿irde鈥� ann an G脿idhlig agus Greugais 鈥� Dia. Tha e cuideachd ag r脿dh gu bheil an aon fhacal ann an G脿idhlig agus Laidinn airson 鈥�land鈥�, 鈥�castle鈥� agus 鈥�harbour鈥�. Feumaidh gun robh e a鈥� beachdachadh air 迟矛谤, caisteal agus port.

Bha 霉idh aige ann an creideamh nan draoidhean. Tha e ag innse dhuinn gun robh na clachan seasaimh aig na draoidhean f矛or chudromach dhaibh 鈥� agus do na daoine a bha be貌 ri an linn. Tha e a鈥� sgr矛obhadh seo ann am Beurla: 鈥�... the same expression, which the people then used for their place of worship, is still used to this day; as the Highlanders more frequently say, 鈥榃ill you go to the stones鈥� or 鈥楬ave you been at the stones?鈥� than 鈥榃ill you go to, or have you been, at church?鈥�

Bha e a鈥� ciallachadh le sin, gum bi sinn a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail clachan airson eaglais no baile ri taobh eaglais. An robh thu aig a鈥� chlachan? Were you at church? Anns an latha an-diugh, chan eil sin cho cumanta 始s a bha e ri linn Sheumais MhicDhonnchaidh. Ach, gu traidiseanta, chan e 鈥楳inistear na Comraich鈥� a chanadh mo shinnsirean fh猫in ach 鈥楳inistear a鈥� Chlachain鈥� airson 鈥�the Minister of Applecross鈥�. Tuilleadh bhon Urr. Seumas MacDhonnchaidh an-ath-sheachdain.

I want to tell you about the Rev. James Robertson 鈥� James Robertson. He was a minister in Callander, in the Trossachs. He was born in Callander in 1739. He wrote the section about Callander in the Old Statistical Account. That was in 1794.

I want to tell you one or two things that Mr Robertson wrote about Gaelic. I imagine he spoke Gaelic as a native. The Trossachs were at that time a Gaelic area. Even at the end of the nineteenth century, four out of every ten people in country areas around Callander still spoke Gaelic.

James Robertson was familiar with Latin and Ancient Greek. He tells the reader that there is the same word for 鈥榯he Supreme Being鈥� in Gaelic and Greek 鈥� Dia. He also says that there is the same word in Gaelic and Latin for 鈥榣and鈥�, 鈥榗astle鈥� and 鈥榟arbour鈥�. He must have been thinking of 迟矛谤, caisteal and port.

He was interested in the religion of the druids. He tells us that the druids鈥� standing stones were very important to them 鈥� and to the people who were living in their era. He writes this in English: 鈥�... the same expression, which the people then used for their place of worship, is still used to this day; as the Highlanders more frequently say, 鈥榃ill you go to the stones鈥� or 鈥楬ave you been at the stones?鈥� than 鈥榃ill you go to, or have you been, at church?鈥�

He was meaning by that, that we use the word clachan for a church or a settlement beside a church. An robh thu aig a鈥� chlachan? Were you at church? Today, that is not as common as it was in James Robertson鈥檚 day. But, traditionally, it鈥檚 not Ministear na Comraich that my own ancestors would say but Ministear a鈥� Chlachain for 鈥榯he Minister of Applecross. More from the Rev. James Robertson next week.