Archibald and Finlay Cook
Archibald and Finlay Cook were
from the island of Arran. They
were ministers. They were good
preachers. Many Gaelic-speaking ministers in the 19th Century
were from Arran.
Archibald Cook was born in
1789. Finlay was eleven years
older. Finlay was a minister in
Lewis, Caithness and Inverness.
Archibald was a minister in
Caithness, Inverness and Daviot,
near Inverness.
Between 1823 and 1837,
Archibald was in Latheron in
Caithness. Gaelic was still alive
in that area, although it was in
decline. Cook was preaching in
Gaelic. At communion time, he
was also preaching in English.
Some people were travelling
from Wick to listen to him.
The Gaelic dialect in Arran
was different from other dialects.
For example, the people of Arran
were pronouncing the letter “a”
as a diphthong. It appears that
the people of Arran said “mweh”
for math [good]. It also appears
that they said “bwètuh” for bàta
[boat] and “bwè” for bà [cows].
When he was in Caithness
and in Inverness-shire, Cook
absorbed non-Arran words into
his speech. For example, in
Arran, madadh was the word
people had for dog. But Cook
was also using the word cù.
Cook was using the word
nàbaidh, rather than coimhearsnach, for neighbour. Perhaps he
picked that up among the Gaels
in Caithness. And he was using
the words tìm and meall which
were not, it appears, in Arran
Gaelic.
Some in Daviot said that
Cook’s Gaelic was a bit strange.
But people
him. He was a famous preacher.
Sometimes
people were coming to listen to
him. The church was too small
for them. He was then keeping
the service outside. I’ll tell you
more about that minister next
week.
Gilleasbaig is Fionnlagh Cook
Bha Gilleasbaig is Fionnladh Cook à
Eilean Arainn. ’S e ministearan a bha
annta. ’S e searmonaichean matha a bha
annta. Bha mòran mhinistearan Gàidhealach anns an naoidheamh linn deug à
Arainn.
Rugadh Gilleasbaig, no Archibald, Cook ann an seachd ceud deug,
ochdad ’s a naoi (1789). Bha Fionnladh
aon bhliadhn’ deug na bu shine. Bha
Fionnladh na mhinistear ann an
Leòdhas, Gallaibh agus Inbhir Nis. Bha
Gilleasbaig na mhinistear ann an
Gallaibh, Inbhir Nis agus Deimhidh,
faisg air Inbhir Nis.
Eadar ochd ceud deug, fichead ’s
a trì (1823) agus trithead ’s a seachd
(1837), bha Gilleasbaig ann an Latharan
ann an Gallaibh. Bha a’ Ghàidhlig
fhathast beò anns an sgìre sin, ged a bha
i a’ crìonadh. Bha Cook a’ searmonachadh ann an Gàidhlig. Aig àm a’
chomanachaidh bha e cuideachd a’
searmonachadh ann am Beurla. Bha
feadhainn a’ siubhal à Inbhir Ùige airson
èisteachd ris.
Bha dualchainnt na Gàidhlig ann
an Arainn eadar-dhealaichte bho dhual-chainntean eile. Mar eisimpleir, bha
muinntir Arainn a’ fuaimneachadh na
litreach “a” mar dhà-fhoghair, no
diphthong. Tha e coltach gun robh
muinntir Arainn ag ràdh “mweh” airson
math. Tha e coltach cuideachd gun robh
iad ag ràdh “bwètuh” airson bàta agus
“bwè” airson bà.
Nuair a bha e ann an Gallaibh
agus ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis
Cook faclan neo-Arainneach a-steach
don chainnt aige. Mar eisimpleir, ann an
Arainn, ’s e madadh am facal a bha aig
daoine airson dog. Ach bha Cook
cuideachd a’ cleachdadh an fhacail cù.
Bha Cook a’ cleachdadh an fhacail
nàbaidh, an àite coimhearsnach, airson
neighbour. ’S dòcha gun do thog e sin
am measg nan Gàidheal ann an Gallaibh.
Agus bha e a’ cleachdadh nam faclan tìm
is meall nach robh, a rèir choltais, ann an
Gàidhlig Arainn.
Thuirt feadhainn
Deimhidh gun robh a’ Ghàidhlig aig
Cook car annasach. Ach bha daoine ga
thuigsinn. ’S e searmonaiche ainmeil a
bha ann. Uaireannan bha na h-uibhir a’
tighinn a dh’èisteachd ris. Bha an eaglais
ro bheag dhaibh. Bha e an uair sin a’
cumail na seirbheis a-muigh. Innsidh mi
tuilleadh mun mhinistear sin an ath-
sheachdain.
