“From the beginning of its career as a written language English influence played havoc with its syntax, and it could be said without much exaggeration that some of the Manx that has been printed is merely English disguised in a Manx vocabulary. Manx hardly deserved to live. When a language surrenders itself to foreign idiom, and when all its speakers become bilingual, the penalty is death.”[1]
Tomás Ó Rathile (1932)
Tá an ráiteas thuas ar cheann de na ráitis is clúití agus is míchlúití i Staidéar Ceiltise. Maireann Gaeilge Mhanann faoi smál an leabhail sin go dtí an lá atá inniu ann.
Bíodh do thuairim féin agat ar chruinneas an ráiteas, cé chomh hábhartha is atá sé do Ghaeilge Mhanann an lae inniu, nó fiú Gaeilge na hÉireann an lae inniu.
Cibé ar bith, maím go bhfuil an ráiteas sin freagrach as go leor den laghad suime a chuireann Gaeilgeoirí i gcanúintí ár gcomharsana.
Va mee ayns Doolish jea. Row shiuish ayns shen?
Bha mi anns Dubhghlais dé. Robh siu-is anns sein?
I was in Douglas yesterday, were you there?
Cha row, cha jagh mee foddey voish y thie.
Cha robh, cha deach mi fada bhois a’ taigh.
No, I didn’t go far from home. (from the house).
Hie mee choud[2] as Purl Chiarn.
Chaidh mi chomh fada is Purt Tiarn’.
I went as far as Port Erin.
Naik shiu Paaie ‘sy phurt?
An fhaic siu Paaie sa phurt?
Did you see Peggy in the Port?
Honnick, agh cha row mee loayrt r’ee
Chonnaic, ach cha robh mi labhairt rithe
Yes, but I wasn’t speaking to her
Cheayll mee dy vel ee sooree
Chual’ mi da bheil í suirí
I heard that she is courting
S firrinagh dy liooar shen
‘S fírinneach da leór sein
That’s true enough
Ta dooinney eck fy-yerrey hoal!
Tá duine aic fa-dheireadh thall!
She has a man at long last!
Quoi eshyn? Nee Manninagh eh?
Caé eisean? An í Manannach e?
Who is he? Is he a Manxman?
She, Manninagh dooie veih Skylley Vride
Is e, Manannach dúchaí bhé Skylley Vride
Yes, a native Manxman from Bride Parish
Cha nel mee er n’akin Paaie rish ymmodee bleeantyn
Chan eil mi air n’fhaicin Paaie ris an iomadaí bliantan
I haven’t seen Peggy for many years
Insh dou, vel ee jeeaghyn dy mie?
Inis domh, bheil í déachainn da maith?
Tell me, does she look well?
Cho aeg as bwaagh as v’ee rieau
Cho éag[3] as baech[4] as bh’í riamh
As young and pretty as ever she was
As y dooinney eck, c’red t’eh jannoo?
As a’ duine aic, C’réad t’e déanamh?
And her man, what does he do?
Cha ‘sayms, s’likly t’eh gobbragh er y thalloo
Cha fhios aghams, s’ lidhce[5] t’e ag obrach air a’ talamh
I don’t know, but it’s likely he works on the land
S’mie shen. Shoh slaynt as aigh vie orroo
‘S maith sein. Seo sláint[6] as áidh mhaith orru
That’s fine, here’s health and good luck to them
Eaisht! Vel oo clashtyn red erbee?
Éist! Bheil thú claistin réad air bith?
Listen! Do you hear anything?
Nagh row crank er y dorrys?
Nach robh cranc air a’ doras?
Wasn’t there a knock on the door?
Immee as jeeagh quoi t’ayn
Imigh a’s déach caé t’ann
Go and look who it is
Cha nel peiagh erbee ayns shoh
Chan eil péachach air bith anns seo
There’s no one at all here
[1] O’Rahilly (T. F.), Ó Cuív (Brian) (revn. ed.): Irish dialects past and present, with chapters on Scottish and Manx.
Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1972. xi + 300 pp.
[2] “’choud as.’ or ‘choud’s,’ an abbreviation of . cho foddey as,’ usually translated ‘whilst.’ but also means, ‘as far as’ or ‘as long as’ (Notaí Juan Y Geill), i.e. ‘cho(mh) fada is’.
[3] <óg
[4] cf. G. na hAlban bòidheach (Dennis King). Cuireann an fuaimiú /bʷaex/ Gaeilge Ó Méith i gcuimhne dom áfach.
[5]< Béarla ‘Like’
[6]< sláinte
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