The Celts (9)
My series of programmes on the Celts is approaching the end. This week
we’ll look at the Isle of Man.
The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom. They have their own
parliament. They don’t send representatives to the House of Commons in
London. They are, however, connected to the British crown. The Queen of
the United Kingdom is their queen.
Gaelic might have been spoken on the Isle of Man as early as the fifth
century AD. But the English and the Scandinavians also got involved
with the island. In 1266 it came to Scotland as part of the Treaty of
Perth.
At the end of the fourteenth century, the Isle of Man came under the
control of the English kings. And the connections between the Manx and
the Gaels in Scotland and Ireland grew weaker.
The New testament appeared in Manx Gaelic in 1767. The complete Bible
came out in 1775. That was a generation before the full Gaelic Bible
appeared in Scotland.
But the writing system in Manx Gaelic is different from the system of
the Scots and the Irish. Itʼs easier for a Scottish Gael to understand
the Manx language when it is spoken, rather than when it is written.
For example, the Manx write
‘is thu fhèin?’ as AS OO HENE.
On the other hand, perhaps their system is easier for English-speakers.
They call their lower house of parliament the House of Keys in English.
I was told that the name is not connected to keys. It comes from
Yn Kiare as Feed
– meaning ‘the twenty four’- because thatʼs the number of members in
the house.
Manx Gaelic is taught in some of the schools on the island. It came close
to [its] death but it survives. Long may the three Gaelic languages live
on!
Na Ceiltich (9)
Tha an sreath phrògraman agam air na Ceiltich a’ teannadh ris an deireadh.
An t-seachdain seo bheir sinn sùil air Eilean Mhanainn.
Chan eil Eilean Mhanainn mar phàirt dhen Rìoghachd Aonaichte. Tha pàrlamaid
aca fhèin. Cha bhi iad a’ cur riochdairean gu Taigh nan Cumantan ann an
Lunnainn. Tha iad, ge-tà, co-cheangailte ri crùn Bhreatainn. ʼS i Banrigh
na Rìoghachd Aonaichte a’ bhanrigh acasan.
ʼS dòcha gun robh Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn ann an Eilean Mhanainn cho tràth
ris a’ chòigeamh linn an dèidh Chrìosd. Ach bha na Sasannaich agus na
Lochlannaich a’ gabhail gnothach ris an eilean. Ann an dà cheud deug,
seasgad ʼs a sia (1266), ghabh Alba grèim air fo Chùmhnant Pheairt.
Aig deireadh a’ cheathramh linn deug, thàinig Eilean Mhanainn fo smachd nan
rìghrean Sasannach. Agus dh’fhàs na ceanglaichean eadar na Manainnich agus
na Gàidheil ann an Alba is Èirinn na bu laige.
Nochd an Tiomnadh Nuadh anns a’ Ghàidhlig Mhanainnich ann an seachd ceud
deug, seasgad ʼs a seachd (1767). Thàinig am Bìoball slàn a-mach ann an
seachd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a còig (1775). Bha sin ginealach mus do nochd
am Bìoball Gàidhlig slàn ann an Alba.
Ach tha an siostam sgrìobhaidh anns a’ Ghàidhlig Mhanainnich
eadar-dhealaichte bho shiostam nan Albannach ʼs nan Èireannach. Tha e nas
fhasa do Ghàidheal Albannach an cànan Manainneach a thuigsinn nuair a tha i
air a labhairt, seach nuair a tha i sgrìobhte. Mar eisimpleir, tha na
Manainnich a’ sgrìobhadh ‘is thu fhèin?’ mar AS OO HENE. Air an làimh eile,
ʼs dòcha gu bheil an siostam aca nas fhasa do luchd na Beurla.
ʼS e House of Keys a chanas iad ann am Beurla ris an taigh ìosal
sa phàrlamaid aca. Chaidh innse dhomh nach eil an t-ainm co-cheangailte ri
iuchraichean. Tha e a’ tighinn bho Yn Kiare as Feed – a’
ciallachadh ‘An Ceithir air Fhichead’ – oir ʼs e sin àireamh nam ball anns
an taigh.
Tha a’ Ghàidhlig Mhanainneach air a teagasg ann an cuid de sgoiltean anns
an eilean. Thàinig i faisg air a bàs, ach tha i beò fhathast. Guma fad’ a
mhaireas na trì cànanan Gàidhealach beò!
