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Scots Independent

The Flag in the Wind
Features - Gaelic Column
January 2004

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Colbh Gàidhlig

Naidheachd gu leòr air cho àrd sa tha ar ìomhagh a charaidean. Tha mi ‘n dòchas gun do chuir sibh uile a-steach freagairt a Dhùn Eideann air Bile na Gàidhlig, ag ràdh gu bheil feum againn air lagh? Ach carson a tha mi faighneachd - is cinnteach gun do chuir! Fhad ‘s a bha sibh ga dheanamh, saoil an tug sibh sùil air na freagairtean eile? Mura tug, bu chòir dhuibh an tè a chunnaic mise fhaicinn. Chuir cuid eigin a-steach an aghaidh a’ Bhile le rud eigin ùr, no ùr dhomhsa co-dhiù. Tha mi cinnteach gum bi deagh fhios agaibh uile air an tuireadh a gheibh sinn uair is uair eile ag ràdh nach bu chòir dhuinn a bhith a’ putail Gàidhlig a chionn ‘s gu bheil Albais ann,  agus bha daonnan, agus cha do bhruidhinn duine Gàidhlig riamh gu deas, agus tha i Eireannach co-dhiù, chan i an aon chainnt,  - lìonaibh na bearnan sibh fhèin a charaidean. Cha bhi na daoine a bhios ag ràdh sin deònach air rud sam bith a dheanamh airson Albais nas mò, ach ‘s e leisgeul a th’ ann inbhe do Ghàidhlig a dhiùltadh. Uill dè mu dhèidhinn seo – cha bu chòir Gàidhlig a bhith ann a chionn ‘s nach bi sinn a’toirt taic do Chruithneachais! Aidh, freagraibh sin a charaidean! Ma gheibh sinn cuid seann chlach le dealbhan Cruithneachach orra, agus ma chuireas sinn iad air clo-sgrìobhadair còmhla ri Ogham bhitheamaid dìreach air ar dòigh, nach bitheadh? Dè a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ air ‘reality check’? Agus gu nàdurra – ach tha sibh air thoiseach orm – mura tèid againn air Cruithneachais a chleachdadh, cha bu chòir dhuinn Gàidhlig a chleachdadh. So there.

Ma dh’fhàgas sinn Gàidhlig don darna taobh dè eile air ar ìomhaigh? Bha sgeulachd inntinneach air na naidheachdean mu bhoireannach bhon Ruis a bha ag iarraidh a thighinn a Dhùn Eideann a dh’ionnsachadh Beurla (tòrr ‘a’ san rosgrann sin, nach eil?). B’ fheudar dhi cead fhaighinn bho Lunnainn mus rachadh aice tighinn, agus dhiùlt iad. Bha adhbhar no dhà ann, ach b’ e am fear a b’ fheàrr nach b’ urrainn dhaibh creidsinn gun tigeadh neach sam bith a dh’Alba a dh’ionnsachadh Beurla – gu h-àraid nuair a dh’fhaodadh i a dhol do Oxford no Cambridge. Gu dearbh. Mar a their iad anns a’ chainnt sin, ‘I rest my case.’ No mar a bhios daoine foghlamaichte ag ràdh, ‘I lay down my portmanteau.’ A bharrachd air sin, a rèir Lunnainn, tha blais ionadail gu math doirbh a thuigsinn. Uill bhitheadh fios aca. Is iadsan a thug dhuinn ‘Eastenders’. Chuala mi gun robh fichead Iraqi ag obair mun cuairt air a’ ghleoc le inneal Enigma, a’ feuchainn ri sin a thuigsinn. Tha am blas cho doirbh gu bheil iad ceart cinnteach gur e còd dè sheòrsa air chor-eigin a th’ann. Aig an ath chogadh chan fheum sinn Navaho Indian a chleachdadh idir. Ma chuireas sinn dithis à Lunnainn aig gach ceann den rèidio cha bhi e gu diofar cò chluinneas iad – cha tuig iad facal.

Nach eil e math smaointinn gu bheil linn ùr againn, ach tha na seann bheachdan fhathast cho làidir ‘s a bha iad riamh? ‘S dòcha gu bheil cuimhne agaibh air fear à Glaschu a fhuair obair mar dj air an rèidio mun cuairt air deich bliadhna air fhichead air ais. Tha mi cha mhòr cinnteach gum b’ e Stuart Hendry a bh’ air, agus gun tàinig e bho Radio Caroline no fear dè na stèiseanan sin. Co-dhiù, dh’fhalbh esan a Shasainn ach thug iad bhon adhar e a chionn’s gun robh a bhlas ro dhoirbh a thuigsinn. Seo bho dhaoine a thug dhuinn Jimmy Saville! Jimmy Saville – bha gràmar dìreach na uirsgeul dha. Dè tha mi ag ràdh – bha Beurla dìreach na uirsgeul dha! Cha chàininn Kenny Dalglish agus ‘Mebbe ‘s aye, mebbe ‘s naw’ an dèidh cuid de na djs sin.

Dè bhios agad an ath mhìos, tha sibh a’ faighneachd? Chan eil sian a dh’ fhios agam, tha mi freagairt. Ach creidibh mi, bidh e inntinneach. Tha a’ chiad uair ann airson a h-uile rud. Gus an uair sin ma tà.

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