Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Clip

Litir 166: An cunntas-sluaigh mu dheireadh

Feumaidh sinn feitheamh gu tr脿th an ath-bhliadhna airson faighinn a-mach gu h-oifigeil cia mheud duine aig a bheil G脿idhlig ann an Alba. Ach, a r猫ir fiosrachadh a th脿inig a-mach am-bliadhna os 矛osal, tha c貌rr is seasgad m矛le (60,000) ann. Ch矛 sinn.

Bha seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig m矛le (65,000) ann anns a鈥 chunntas-sluaigh mu dheireadh ann an naoi-deug, naochad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1991), agus bha d霉il gun tuiteadh an 脿ireamh deich m矛le no barrachd anns an deichead as d猫idh sin. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha e co-dhi霉 thairis air bliadhnaichean an fhicheadamh linn.

Ach bha aon deichead ann nuair a bha an call fada na bu mh貌 nan 脿bhaist. Thachair sin eadar naoi-deug 鈥檚 a h-aon-deug (1911) agus naoi-deug, fichead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1921). Thuit an 脿ireamh bho cheud, ochdad 鈥檚 a ceithir m矛le (184,000) gu ceud, ceathrad 鈥檚 a naoi mile (149,000) 鈥 call m貌r de thrithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig m矛le (35,000). Agus bidh fios agaibh d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich e 鈥 an Cogadh M貌r.

Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach e sin an aon adhbhar, oir bha an st脿ite air a bhith a鈥 d猫anamh droch l脿imhseachadh air a鈥 Gh脿idhlig ann an foghlam as d猫idh st猫idheachadh Achd an Fhoghlaim ann an ochd-deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1872). Thug sin droch bhuaidh air a鈥 ch脿nan, gu h-脿raidh air t矛r-m貌r.

Ach 鈥檚 e an cogadh as m貌 a dh鈥檃dhbharaich an call. Bha mo sheanair 脿 Eilean Le貌dhais agus chaill esan tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean anns a鈥 chogadh. Bha an suidheachadh sin cumanta anns na coimhearsnachdan aig cridhe a鈥 ch脿nain. Ann an Le貌dhas, chaidh sia m矛le is seachd ceud (6,700) duine a-steach do na feachdan cogaidh. B鈥 e sin fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 脿s a鈥 cheud (23%) de shluagh an eilein; faisg air aonan 脿s gach ceathrar.

A-mach 脿s an fheadhainn sin, chaill m矛le, ceud, caogad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1,151) dhiubh am beatha anns a鈥 chogadh, seachd-deug 脿s a鈥 cheud (17%) dhen fheadhainn a chaidh a-steach do na feachdan. Agus a bharrachd air sin, chaidh c貌rr is d脿 cheud saighdear Le貌dhasach a bh脿thadh aig deireadh a鈥 chogaidh nuair a chaidh an soitheach a bha gan toirt dhachaigh, an Iolaire, fodha taobh a-muigh Ste貌rnabhaigh. Bha sin air L脿 na Bliadhn鈥 脵ire, naoi-deug is naoi-deug (1919). Bidh sinn an d貌chas, airson iomadach adhbhar, nach fhaicear a leithid de chall a-chaoidh tuilleadh.

Aon turas, ge-t脿, chan e call a bh鈥 ann eadar an d脿rna cunntas-sluaigh agus an ath-fhear, ach 脿rdachadh. Thachair sin nuair a chaidh a鈥 cheist atharrachadh. Anns a鈥 chiad chunntas anns an robh ceist mun Gh脿idhlig ann, ann an ochd-deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1881), chaidh fhaighneachd dhen t-sluagh am biodh iad ga bruidhinn gu cunbhalach.

Uill, cha robh fios aig cuid d猫 cho tric 鈥檚 a dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bruidhinn airson comharra a chur anns a鈥 bhocsa sin, agus bha m貌ran ann, aig an robh G脿idhlig, a chuir fiosrachadh ce脿rr air na bileagan aca. Mar sin, chaidh a鈥 cheist atharrachadh deich bliadhna as d猫idh sin gu 鈥渁 bheil G脿idhlig agaibh?鈥 agus chaidh am figear suas fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 m矛le (23,000) gu c貌rr is d脿 cheud, caogad 鈥檚 a ceithir m矛le (254,000).

An-uiridh, chaidh a鈥 cheist atharrachadh a-rithist, gus clann fo aois tr矛 bliadhna a thoirt a-steach, agus feadhainn a tha a鈥 tuigsinn na G脿idhlig, ged nach bruidhinn iad i. Air s脿illeamh sin, tha mi an d貌chas nach bi an 脿ireamh cho 矛osal 鈥檚 a bha feadhainn a鈥 cumail a-mach. Agus tha daoine mar sibh fh猫in 鈥 an luchd-ionnsachaidh 鈥 a鈥 cur ris an 脿ireamh sin gu m貌r cuideachd.

鈥橲 i a鈥 cheist a tha nam cheann 鈥 cuin鈥 a ch矛 sinn 脿rdachadh ann an 脿ireamh luchd-labhairt na G脿idhlig? Bidh greis ann fhathast, tha eagal orm, ach, le de貌in agus spionnadh agus oidhirp, gabhaidh e d猫anamh.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: deichead: decade; an Cogadh M貌r: the Great War (1914-1918); Achd an Fhoghlaim: the Education Act; call: loss; feachdan cogaidh: the armed services.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: feumaidh sinn feitheamh gu tr脿th an ath-bhliadhna: we must wait until early next year; anns a鈥 chunntas-sluaigh mu dheireadh: in the last census; bha d霉il gun tuiteadh an 脿ireamh: it was expected the number would fall; bidh fios agaibh d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich e: you will know what caused it; bha an st脿ite air a bhith a鈥 d猫anamh droch l脿imhseachadh air a鈥 Gh脿idhlig: the state had been treating Gaelic badly; thug sin droch bhuaidh air a鈥 ch脿nan: that had a bad effect on the language; chaill esan tri霉ir bhraithrean anns a鈥 chogadh: he lost three brothers in the war; faisg air aonan 脿s gach ceathrar: nearly one person in every four; nuair a chaidh an soitheach fodha: when the vessel went down; nach fhaicear a leithid de chall a-chaoidh tuilleadh: that a loss of the like will never be seen again; nuair a chaidh a鈥 cheist atharrachadh: when the question was changed; am biodh iad ga bruidhinn gu cunbhalach: did they (would they) speak it (fem.) habitually; d猫 cho tric 鈥檚 a dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bruidhinn: how often they would need to speak it (fem.); airson comharra a chur anns a鈥 bhocsa sin: to put a tick (mark) in that box; gus clann fo aois tr矛 bliadhna a thoirt a-steach: to include children under 3 years of age; cuin鈥 a ch矛 sinn 脿rdachadh?: when will we see an increase?; le de貌in, spionnadh agus oidhirp, gabhaidh e d猫anamh: with purpose, vigour and effort, it can be done.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: The Litir this week is full of numbers and I hope you can cope with them. They are all in the modern decimal counting system which is slowly catching on in the community, and which is now taught in schools. I would, however, like to make a point as to how best to deal with percentages in Gaelic. The English per cent/percentage derives from the medieval Latin per centum (鈥渙ut of a hundred鈥) and, while Gaels will also use and understand 鈥減er cent鈥 when talking Gaelic, they commonly use the Gaelic equivalent of the Latin, 脿s a鈥 ch猫ud, literally 鈥渙ut of a hundred鈥 eg c貌ig 脿s a鈥 ch猫ud (5%), deich 脿s a鈥 cheud (10%), ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 脿s a鈥 cheud (43%). But be aware of other ways of dealing with figures, particularly as many fluent speakers will not be familiar with the Gaelic decimals. Simplify numbers if possible, eg for 60% you might say sia 脿s gach deich, and for 80% ceithir 脿s gach c貌ig. If you are dealing with percentages of people, you might use the special numerical nouns for people eg dithis 脿s gach c貌ignear (2 out of 5 or 40%), tri霉ir 脿s gach ceathrar (3 out of 4 or 75%).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: a r猫ir fiosrachadh a th脿inig a-mach os 矛osal: according to information that came out covertly, secretly, ie that was leaked.

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