Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Clip

Litir 285: Aibidil G脿idhlig na h-Alba agus aibidil G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann

An do mhothaich sibh gu bheil diofar ann eadar aibidil G脿idhlig na h-Alba agus aibidil G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann. Ma choimheadas sibh ann am faclairean, ch矛 sibh gu bheil barrachd litrichean ann an aibidil nan 脠ireannach na tha ann an aibidil nan Albannach.

Bidh fios agaibh gu bheil ochd litrichean deug anns an abidil Gh脿idhlig. 鈥橲 iad an fheadhainn a tha ann an aibidil na Beurla nach eil againne: J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y agus Z. Ach seallamaid mionaid air a鈥 Ghearrfhocl贸ir Gaeilge-B茅arla aig 脫 D贸naill. Tha faclan aigesan a鈥 t貌iseachadh le J 鈥 mar eisimpleir, jabaireacht (airson jobbing) agus jaca铆 (airson jockey).

鈥橲 e a th鈥 annta faclan a th脿inig bhon Bheurla. Chan eil m貌ran dhiubh ann oir tha a鈥 Ghaeilge air d猫iligeadh ri faclan de a leithid mar as trice anns an aon d貌igh san do dh猫ilig a鈥 Gh脿idhlig riutha. Uaireannan tha sinn a鈥 cur I far am biodh an J ann am Beurla. Mar eisimpleir 鈥 am facal jubilee. Ann an 脠irinn, 鈥檚 e iubhaile; ann an Alba canaidh sinn iubailidh. Tillidh sinn don fhacal iubailidh ro dheireadh na Litreach.

Chan eil dad aig 脫 D贸naill fo K, ach tha fo Q 鈥 d脿 rud 鈥 quin铆n (airson quinine) agus quion贸l (airson quinol). Tha d脿 dhuilleig aige de rudan fo V, leithid verteabra is v铆reas. Chanamaid ann an Alba cnamh droma agus bh矛oras, le 鈥渂h鈥 aig an toiseach, a鈥 seasamh airson fuaim a鈥 鈥渧鈥. Fo Y, tha Y-chr贸mos贸m aige; bidh sinne ag r脿dh cromosom Y, agus tha rudan mar z煤 le 鈥渮鈥 aige (airson zoo) 鈥 facal a tha sinne a鈥 litreachadh le 鈥渟鈥 鈥 s霉.

C貌 chruthaich an siostam as fhe脿rr 鈥 na h-脠ireannaich no na h-Albannaich? Uill, bidh a bheachd aig gach duine air sin. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil an siostam 脠ireannach nas onaraiche a thaobh fuaimneachadh. Air an l脿imh eile, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil a鈥 Gh脿idhlig Albannach a鈥 d猫anamh gl猫idheadh a bharrachd air dualchas a鈥 ch脿nain.

Ach bidh sibh a鈥 mothachadh gun do leig mi 脿s aon litir bhon aibidil 鈥 X. Oir tha facal G脿idhlig a鈥 t貌iseachadh le 鈥渪鈥 鈥 x-ghath airson x-ray. Tha an aon rud aig na h-脠ireannaich. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bu ch貌ir dhuinn aideachadh a-nise gu bheil naoi litrichean deug anns an aibidil againn!

Tha mi airson tilleadh don litir V. Ciamar a sgr矛obhas sin Victoria? Uill, chithear an d脿 chuid bho linn na B脿nrigh fh猫in 鈥 le V no Bh aig an toiseach. Tha mi d矛reach air leabhar a chur a-mach mu dhualchas G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis agus nuair a bha mi a鈥 d猫anamh rannsachadh air a shon, lorg mi dealbh a chaidh a thogail air an d脿rna l脿 fichead dhen 脪gmhios, ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a seachd (1897). B鈥 e sin Iubailidh Daoimein na B脿nrigh agus bha bratach air Taigh a鈥 Bhaile air an robh an teachdaireachd: 鈥淔had 鈥檚 a mhaireas Clach na C霉dainn, mairidh cli霉 Victoria air chuimhne鈥. 鈥橲 e Clach na C霉dainn clach 脿rsaidh ainmeil ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha ainm na b脿nrigh air a litreachadh le V.

Ach nuair a bha a鈥 Bh脿nrigh ann an Ros an Iar fichead bliadhna roimhe sin, chaidh a turas a chomharrachadh le snaigheadh air clach faisg air Taigh-貌sta Loch Ma-Ruibhe. Bha e ann an G脿idhlig: 鈥淎ir an dara latha-deug deth mhios meadhonach an fhoghair, 1877, thainig Ban-Righ Bhictoria a dh鈥檉haicinn Loch-Maruibhe, agus nan criochan mu鈥檔 cuairt鈥︹ Bha ainm na B脿nrigh air a litreachadh an sin le Bh. Bidh sibh a鈥 mothachadh nach eil an t-ainm a鈥 leantainn na riaghailt litreachaidh 鈥 鈥渓eathann ri leathann is caol ri caol鈥, ach 鈥檚 e ceist eile a tha sin!

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: aibidil: alphabet; chanamaid: we would say; aideachadh: admit; 脿rsaidh: ancient; Loch Ma-Ruibhe: Loch Maree.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: ma choimheadas sibh ann am faclairean: if you look in dictionaries; seallamaid mionaid air a鈥 Ghearrfhocl贸ir Gaeilge-B茅arla: let鈥檚 look a minute at the Concise Irish-English Dictionary; anns an aon d貌igh san do dh猫ilig a鈥 Gh脿idhlig riutha: in the same way Scottish Gaelic dealt with them; c貌 chruthaich an siostam as fhe脿rr?: who created the better/best system?; nas onaraiche a thaobh fuaimneachadh: more honest with regard to pronunciation; gu bheil X a鈥 d猫anamh gl猫idheadh a bharrachd air dualchas a鈥 ch脿nain: that X more faithfully retains the linguistic heritage; gun do leig mi 脿s aon litir: that I left out one letter; chithear an d脿 chuid: both are seen; an d脿rna l脿 fichead dhen 脪gmhios: 22 June; Iubailidh Daoimein na B脿nrigh: the Queen鈥檚 Diamond Jubilee; Clach na C霉dainn: Clachnacuddin [stone of the tub]; chaidh a turas a chomharrachadh le snaigheadh air clach: her journey was marked by an inscription on a stone; mios meadhanach an fhoghair: the middle month of the autumn ie September 鈥 this terminology is still used in Ireland; an riaghailt litreachaidh: the spelling rule; leathann ri leathann is caol ri caol: broad to broad and slender to slender [Bhictoria breaks this because 鈥渋鈥 is a slender vowel and 鈥渙鈥 is a broad vowel; in the state of Victoria in Australia, some Gaelic speakers write Bhioctoria in order to obey the rule].

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: The Litir deals with an interesting point regarding the orthography of a minority language which comes under the influence of a more politically or commercially powerful tongue. For example, should Gaelic adopt the v of English loan words (which often originate in Latin) or should the v be replaced with a bh? There is no easy answer to that, although Scottish Gaelic has tended, in the case of v, to employ bh. But sometimes there are anomalies caused by the fact that the bh is thought of as a lenited b. There can be a process of reduction in which the loan word, which started its life with an English v adopts a Gaelic b. An example is the Gaelic for volcano. It is sometimes bholc脿no but one also sees and hears bolc脿no, with the 鈥渓enition鈥 lost.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bidh a bheachd aig gach duine air sin: every man will have his opinion on that.

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic

Tha Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic (le PDFs)

All letters

Tha na litrichean uile an seo / The letters are available here

Podcast: Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

Letter To Gaelic Learners

Podcast