“Tharla go raibh stróinséarach ina shuí ar an suíochán céanna in aice liom. Is orm a bhí an ionadh nuair a labhair sé Gaeilg liom gur shamhlaíos difir inti seachas an Ghaeilg a bhí agam féin. Is cuimhin liom aon ní amháin gur ‘cabhall’ a thugadh sé ar chapall agus gur ‘sligeach’ a thugadh sé ar choirce. Ach chainteoimís le chéile díreach mar ba mhaith linn é. D’fhiafraíos de cad é agus dúirt sé liom gurbh ó Oileán Mhanann é, agus gurbh iascaire é i gceann de na bád sin amuigh sa chuan.[1]”
Sin agat cuntas chainteoir dúchais Ghaolainn na Mumhan, Conchúr Ó Síocháin as Oileán Chléire, Co. Chorcaí ar chomhluadar a bhí aige le cainteoir (dúcháis?) Ghaeilge Oileán Mhanann.
Caithfear glacadh gur tuairim ar 1900 a tharla an comhrá céanna.
Is léir ón sliocht seo, 1. go raibh siad ábalta labhairt le chéile gan mórán stró, 2. gur aithin Ó Síocháin mar Ghaeilge Gaeilge Mhanann gan choinníoll agus 3. gur mhothaigh sé difear idir an dá Ghaeilge ach ní difear ollmhór is dothuigthe.
Tá aithne agam ar dhaoine (cainteoirí ó dhúchas) a d’éirigh leo comhrá a bheith acu le daoine as Albain (arís cainteoirí ó dhúchas) gan stró, ach tá aithne agam ar dhaoine eile nach dtuigeann focal di, d’ainneoin iad a bheith léannta sa Ghaeilge. Ní ceist shimplí í chomh-intuigtheacht.
Ach cé chomh difriúil is atá Gaeilge Mhanann ó Ghaeilge na hÉireann? Leis an cheist sin a fhreagairt caithfidh muid ceist a chur orainn féin, cad is Gaeilge na hÉireann?
Más é an caighdeán oifigiúil atá i gceist ach chan ionann an cás sin agus an Ghaeilge mar a bhíodh sí a labhairt in Oirthear Uladh agus i dtuaisceart Laighean (nó Cúige na Mí mar a thugaim air).
Ní dóigh liom go raibh mórán d’fhadhb ag cainteoirí ó dhúchas as Contae an Dúin nó as Ó Méith Gaeilgeoirí Mhanann a thuigbheáil agus is féidir linn a bheith measartha cinnte go raibh gaol láidir idir Ghaeilge Chontae an Dúin Thoir agus Gaeilge an oileáin (mar bhí idir Aontroim agus Alban agus idir Dheisceart Thír Chonaill is Tuaisceart Mhaigh Eo.
Tá giota beag fianaise ann gur thuig cainteoirí Oileán Mhanann Gaeil “Loch Cairlinne” níos fear ná mar a thuig siad éinne eile:
Intelligibility of other Gaelic languages – “I remember an old fisherman telling me that he and his crew had found by experience that it did not do for them to talk secrets in the hearing of the natives of the Scotch Islands, as they understood them. On the other hand a Manxman who speaks and reads his own Gaelic well has told me, how he was once in the habit of visiting the shores of Carlingford Lough, and that he understood the Gaelic of that district best, much better in fact than any Gaelic he had ever heard in Scotland.”[2]
Féadaim a rá chomh maith go bhfuil an-chosúlachtaí idir Ghaeilge Reachlann agus Gaeilge Mhanann chomh maith.
Tá cosúlachtaí ann le Gaeilge na Mumhan freisin ach tá mé ag ceapadh go mbeadh deacrachtaí ag cainteoirí Thír Chonaill agus Connacht í a thuiscint.
Is dóigh liom gur féidir le gníomhaire Gaeilge as Béal Feirste agus gníomhaire as Oileán Mhanann a thuigbheáil a chéile chomh maith sa lá atá inniu ann, ach ní gan stró.
Tá barúil agam fosta go raibh an Ghaeilge mar a bhíodh sí a labhairt tráth i mBaile Átha Cliath an-chosúil le Gaeilge Mhanann chomh maith, ach beidh orm an teoiric sin a mhíniú lá éigin eile.
Ceacht 1
Fastyr mie eu, Vainshter Quilliam
Feastar[3] maith aiu, [a] Mhainistir ‘C Uilliam
God afternoon, Mr Quilliam
Fastyr mie, Yuan Bhoy, nagh vel oo goll dy scoill
Feastar maith, Jhuan Boy, nach bheil thú gol da scoil
Good afternoon, John Boy, aren’t you going to school?
Cha nel, ta laa feilley ain
Chan eil, tá lá féile aghainn
No, we have a holiday.
S’mie shen, as ta laa braew ayn
Is maith sein, is tá lá breagha ann
That’s good, and there’s a fine day in it
Ta, laa braew grianagh
Tá, lá breagha grianach
Yes, a fine sunny day
Cre shen t’ou gra? Cha nel mee clashtyn feer vie.
Cré sin tá thú ag rá? Chan fheil mi claistin fíor mhaith.
What is this you are saying? I cannot hear very well.
Ta mee gra dy vel laa braew grianagh ayn
Tá mi ‘g rá da bheil lá breagha grianach aghainn
I am saying that we have a fine sunny day
Ta dy jarroo, agh te feayr
Tá da dearbh, ach tá é fuar[4]
Yes indeed, but it is cold
C’raad ta’n jishag ayd Yuan?
Cá rathad tá an deaiseag[5] aghad [a] Jhuan?
Where is your dad Juan?
T’eh ersooyl ayns Liverpool
T’é air s(i)úil anns Liverpool
He is away in Liverpool
C’red t’eh jannoo ayns shen?
Créad t’é deanamh anns sein?
What is he doing there?
T’eh kionnaghey cabbyl
T’é cionneachadh caball
He is buying a horse
Agh nagh vel daa[6] chabbyl echey?
Ach nach bheil dá chaball aice?
But does he not have two horses?
Ta, agh ta’n cabbyl dhoo g’aase shenn
Tá, ach tá’n caball dubh ag fhás séan.
Yes, but the black horse is growing old
Ta mee clashtyn dy vel cabbyl noa ec y Valleyskeag neestht
Tá mi claistin da bheil caball noa aic a’ Bhaile Scéag[7] ‘nís[8]
I hear that there’s a new horse at the Ballaskeg too
Va mee clashtyn jea dy row cabbyl mooar glass echey
Bha mi claistin dé[9] da robh caball mór glas aige
I was hearing yesterday that he had a big grey horse
Jeeagh! Quoi shen er y clieau?
Déach, caé sein ar a’ c-sliabh?[10]
Look! Who’s that on the mountain?
She Thom Pheric t’ou fakin, t’eh cur shilley er ny kirree echey
Is é Tom Phéaraic tá thú faicinn, t’é cur siolladh[11] ar na caoraigh aige
It’s Tom Pheric you’re seeing, he’s putting a sight on his sheep.
Vel monney kirree echey mleeaney?
Bheil mona[12] caoirigh aige i mbliana?
Has he many sheep this year?
cha nel monney, va ram[13] caillt ayns y sniaghtey
chan eil mona, bha ram caillt anns a’ sneachta
Not many, a lot were lost in the snow
[1] Ó Síocháin, Conchúr, Seanchas Chléire, (Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath, 1977 [1940])
[2] Rogers, P. E. (2015), “Transcription of Vocabulary from: The Outlines of the Phonology of Manx Gaelic – J Rhys 1894”
[3]“There is no word for’ afternoon’ in Manx. ‘feastar’ is used for any time after mid-day until nightfall” (Nótaí Juan Y Geill). B’ionann an cás i nGaeilge Oirthear Uladh le ‘coinfheascar’, is suimiúil gurbh ‘coinfheastar’ an fuaimniú a bhí ag muintir Dhoire.
[4]Tá fuaimniú an fhocail ‘fuar’ /fiːər/ iontach cosúil leis an dóigh a deirtear an focal céanna i nGaoth Dobhair, fˠiaɾˠ. Ach dar le Broderick bhí an fuaimiú /fuːᵊr/ ar fáil chomh maith (Broderick (George): A handbook of late spoken Manx. BZCP, 3–5. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1984–1986. Vol. 1: Grammar and texts. 1984. xxxii + 479 pp. Vol. 2: Dictionary. 1984. v + 523 pp.
Vol. 3: Phonology. 1986. xxxvi + 207 pp.; “’fuar’, pronounced ‘foor’, or ‘fuar’ as in Erse and Scots Gaelic, though in West and North of the Island it sounds like’ fíor’”(Nótaí Juan Y Geill).
[5] jishag (deaiseag), arbh fhéidir gurb as an tSeanGhaeilge dait ‘athair /athair altrama’ é an chéad chuid de, agus an díspeagadh -ag (éag) bainte leis?
[6] “Two, in counting is ‘jees,’ but ‘daa’ is the adjective and is followed by the singular noun, not plural as in English. It also causes aspiration (Nótaí Juan Y Geill).
[7] “Note the article before’ Ballaskeg’ (The Ballaskeg). This could mean of course, the Hawthorn Farm, but colloquially would refer to the man who owned or farmed Ballaskeg” (Nótaí Juan Y Geill).
[8] Neesht, ‘also, too’, deirtear ‘n’yiss’ (Nótaí Juan Y Geill). “<an éis de?” (Caoimhín Ó Donnaile, https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=old-irish-l;2irrXA;20030318011734%2B0000). <ina ndís de, Williams, NJA, Stair na Gaeilge, ibid, l. 724. Tá an ‘t’ sa litriú Manannach ar an ábhar go raibh sé de nós -t a chur tar éis /x/ nó siosaigh, tá an rud céanna againn in Éirinn le arís/aríst.
[10] Ní léiríonn ‘tsliabh’ an foghraíocht Mhanainnise go cruinn, admhaím. Is féidir gur litriú níos fearr ‘c-sliabh’ nó ‘cliabh’ go díreach.
[11] shilley < siolladh < sealladh (Gaeilge na hAlban “1. scene(ry), sight, view, vista 2. show, spectacle 3 perspective, point of view, standpoint 4 appearance, aspect 5 outlook”, ó ‘Am Faclair Beag’. Eoin P. Ó Murchú a luaigh sé seo liom).
[12] “monney ‘anything, much (used negatively). OIr mana ‘sign. ScG. manadh. (Broderick, ibid).
[13]Focal Béarla é seo. “Much, many.=mooarane or ymmodee, but in the negative or interrogative, ‘monney’ is used … This is a word commonly used, though not given in a dictionary” (Nótaí Juan Y Geill).
Tuairisceoir an Dúin 