Bratach a'Bhothchanain | The Flag of Buchanan

Bha mi a’ dèanamh clàradh a-steach airson an itealain ceithir mìosan air ais ann am port-adhair ann an Sasainn. Bha mi air mo iongnadh gun robh a’ bhean-chlàraidh às na h-Eileanan agus gun robh i a’ bruidhinn Gàidhlig. Bha mi toilichte bruidhinn sa Ghàidhlig an latha sin, ach tha amannan mar sin tearc. Is e an duilgheadas a bh‘ ann gun robh i mar aon de shluagh a bha a’ sìor chrìonadh de luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig, agus tha mi mar aon de na luchd-ionnsachaidh beaga. An-diugh, tha timcheall air 57,000 neach-labhairt fleanta na Gàidhlig ann an Alba, le beagan àiteachan thall thairis, gu h-àraidh ann an Chanada.

Tha cha mhòr a h-uile neach a bhios a’ bruidhinn na Gàidhlig ann an Alba a’ fuireach anns na h-Eileanan. Is e a’ chiad duilgheadas anns na h-Eileanan gu bheil bailtean mòra leithid Steòrnabhagh a’ sìor fhàs nas Beurla-labhairteach. Is e an duilgheadas eile gu bheil nas lugha de dhaoine òga a’ bruidhinn Gaidhlig agus gu bheil an sluagh a th’ ann mar-thà a’ fàs nas sine. Dh’fhaodadh call air cànan màthaireil na Gàidhlig adhbhrachadh barrachd call air cultar. Mar sin, dh’fhaodadh seo leanntainn gu call air filmichean, ceòl agus sgeulachdan Gàidhlig an-diugh. Ann an tìr-mòr na h-Alba, tha Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn gu math nas ainneimhe, agus mar as trice le daoine fa leth. An sin, ‘s ann air soidhnichean-rathaid no air taobhan chàraichean poileis a chì thu a’ mhòr-chuid den Ghàidhlig. Tha seo mar thoradh air laghan bhon riaghaltas a tha gan sgaoileadh air feadh na dùthcha.

Ged a tha àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig fhathast ìosal, tha barrachd dòchais ann an-diugh na bha riamh. Tha seo mar thoradh air oidhirpean thar nan linn gus an cànan a chòdachadh agus a bhrosnachadh, gu h-àraidh anns na bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh. B’ e teacsaichean cràbhach a’ chiad rud a chaidh a sgrìobhadh sa Ghàidhlig. Mar eisimpleir chaidh na Sailm a chlò-bhualadh ann am Baile Chuidir ann an 1684 dìreach tuath air fearann Buchanan. An dèidh sin chaidh an Tiomnadh Nuadh eadar-theangachadh ann an 1767 ann an Chill Fhinn le cuideachadh bho Dugald Buchanan. Chaidh an Seann Tiomnadh a chrìochnachadh ann an Luss ann an 1801. Gu h-inntinneach tha na trì eadar-theangachaidhean tràth seo uile faisg air fearann Buchanan. Chaid a‘ chiad fhaclair Gàidhlig foillseachadh ann an 1828 le Comann Gàidhealach na h-Alba.

Ach tha a’ mhòr-chuid den leasachadh ann an suidheachadh na Gàidhlig air tighinn o chionn ghoirid. Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air a bhith a‘ putadh gu cruaidh airson a’ Ghaidhlig a ghleidheadh agus a leudachadh ann an Alba sna 20 bliadhna a dh’fhalbh. Tha trì prìomh dhòighean air an cleachdadh leis an Riaghaltas, a chaidh a thoirt a-steach leis an Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005.

1) Chaidh Bòrd na Gàidhlig a stèidheachadh leis an Achd gus cànan na Gàidhlig ann an Alba a chur air ìre. Tha a’ bhuidheann seo a’ cumail suas na “Gnàthasan Litreachaidh na Gàidhlig”. (Ged a chaidh a’ chiad agus an dàrna irisean den Gnàthasan sin a chruthachadh le Ùghdarras Theisteanais na h-Alba ann an 1981 agus 1990).

B’ e an t-adhbhar a bha an cunbhalachadh cho cudromach gu bheil a‘ Ghàidhlig gu mòr air a roinn ann an dual-chainntean ionadail, o chionn ‘s gun robh na coimhearsnachdan air an sgaradh le gleanntan is eileanan. Airson a’ mhòr-chuid de eachdraidh, b’ e cànan labhairteach a bh’ ann an Gàidhlig, gun a bhith ga sgrìobhadh gu cunbhalach, agus mar sin tha eadar-dhealachaidhean mòra ann an litreachadh – gu h-àraidh ann an ainmean-àite.

Is e aon eisimpleir de dh’ ainmearachd neo-riaghailteach “Cambusmore” far a bheil an t-eitim-eòlas a’ tighinn bho “Camas” agus “Mòr”. Ach gheibhear am facal “Mòr” air feadh na h-Alba litreachadh ann an diofar dhòighean: “mòr”, “mhòr”, “mor”, “mhor”, “more”, “moir”, “muir”, agus “moran”.

2) Tha an Riaghaltas air foghlam Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh gu mòr le clasaichean sgoile, goireasan didseatach, cùrsaichean bogaidh, agus taic-airgid.

3) B’ e an treas rud san Achd 2005 gun iarradh an Riaghaltas air buidhnean poblach mòra “Planaichean Cànain Gàidhlig” a chur an gnìomh. Mar thoradh air seo, tha barrachd Gàidhlig ri fhaicinn air feadh Alba - mar eisimpleir air soidhnichean rathaid, càraichean poileis, làraich-lìn, is sgrìobhainnean.

An-diugh, tha cultar agus moit ann a bhith a’ bruidhinn na Gàidhlig, a chithear ann am mòran de luchd-ciùil neo-eisimeileach, barrachd phrògraman air BBC Alba (mar eisimpleir an dràma-crìonaidh sàr-mhath “An t-Eilean”), leabhraichean agus ealain. Mar eisimpleir tha mi an dùil leabhar a cheannach mu mallachdan is mionnanan thraidiseanta Gàidhlig, leis gu bheil iad gu math eadar-dhealaichte ann an tòna is brìgh bhon Bheurla.

Ach an-diugh tha draghan mòra ann mu mar a thathar ga faicinn, a’ Gàidhlig mar “nach eil cho cudromach” an coimeas ris a’ Bheurla. A bharrachd air an sin chan eil mòran theaghlaichean a’ dol air adhart leis a’ chànan da chlann aca, agus tha mòran de luchd-labhairt eilthireach a’ tighinn à sgìrean Gàidhlig. Chì sinn san àm ri teachd am bi an gluasad ath-bheothachaidh làidir gu leòr gus casg a chur air crìonadh nàdarra cànain bheag is àrsaidh agus air a’ chultar gu lèir a tha co-cheangailte rithe.

 I was checking in for a flight four months ago at an airport in England. I was surprised that the check-in lady was from the Islands and that she spoke Gaelic. I was pleased to speak Gaelic that day, but such moments are rare. The problem was that she was one of a continually shrinking group of Gaelic speakers, and I am one of the few learners. Today, there are about 57,000 fluent Gaelic speakers in Scotland, with a few places overseas, especially in Canada.

Almost all Gaelic speakers in Scotland live in the Islands. The first issue in the Islands is that big towns like Stornoway are becoming increasingly English-speaking. The other problem is that fewer young people speak Gaelic and the existing population is getting older. The loss of Gaelic as a mother tongue could lead to further loss of culture. As such, it could result in the loss of today's Gaelic films, music, and stories. In mainland Scotland, Gaelic is spoken much more rarely, usually by individuals. There, you mostly see Gaelic on road signs or on the sides of police cars. This is due to government laws spreading it across the country.

Although the number of Gaelic speakers is still low, there is more hope today than ever before. This is due to efforts over the centuries to preserve and promote the language, especially in recent years. The first texts written in Gaelic were religious. For example, the Psalms were printed in Balquhidder in 1684 just north of Buchanan’s land. After that, the New Testament was translated in 1767 in Killin with the help of Dugald Buchanan. The Old Testament was completed in Luss in 1801. Interestingly, all three of these early translations were near Buchanan’s land. The first Gaelic dictionary was published in 1828 by the Highland Society of Scotland.

But most of the improvement in the state of Gaelic has come recently. The Scottish Government has strongly pushed to preserve and grow Gaelic in Scotland over the past 20 years. Three main methods have been used by the government, introduced under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005:

1. Bòrd na Gàidhlig was established by the Act to elevate the status of Gaelic in Scotland. This body maintains the "Gaelic Orthographic Conventions" (although the first and second editions of these conventions were created by the Scottish Qualifications Authority in 1981 and 1990).
   The reason why standardisation was so important is that Gaelic is deeply divided into local dialects, as communities were historically separated by glens and islands. For most of its history, Gaelic was a spoken rather than written language, leading to major differences in spelling—especially in place names.
   One example of inconsistent naming is “Cambusmore,” where the etymology comes from “Camas” and “Mòr.” But the word “Mòr” can be found spelled in various ways across Scotland: “mòr,” “mhòr,” “mor,” “mhor,” “more,” “moir,” “muir,” and “moran.”

2. The government has strongly promoted Gaelic education through school classes, digital resources, immersion courses, and financial support.

3. The third part of the 2005 Act required major public bodies to implement “Gaelic Language Plans.” As a result, Gaelic is now more visible throughout Scotland—on road signs, police cars, websites, and documents.

Today, there is culture and pride in speaking Gaelic, seen in many independent musicians, more programs on BBC Alba (such as the excellent crime drama An t-Eilean), books, and arts. For example, I plan to buy a book about traditional Gaelic curses and oaths, as they are very different in tone and meaning from English ones.

But there are still major concerns about how Gaelic is perceived—as "less important" compared to English. Moreover, not many families are passing on the language to their children, and many Gaelic-speaking immigrants are coming from outside Gaelic-speaking areas. Time will tell whether the revival movement is strong enough to halt the natural decline of a small and ancient language—and the entire culture associated with it.