DROITSEACH

1. An déidh dhuibh tadhal an seo tacan uair no dithist, theaga gu bheil sibh gabhail iongantais air na th' againn an dùil an seo aig DROITSEACH agus carson a thóisich sinn air an iomairt seo?
   
   Having visited us a few times here now at DROITSEACH, perhaps you're wondering what it is we have in mind for the future and why it is we began the venture at all?
   
   Ma-tà, 's e sin gum bith cuideigin -no cuid mhath de dhaoine- ann an gach ceàrn far a' bheil, no far an robh agus gu dearbh far am bith -ma théid seo leinn- dualchainnt shònraichte. Tha sinn airson 's gun toir ead aire ris agus cinntinn air a' chainnt agus gum bith ead a' toirt seachad fiosrachamh gu toileach do dhuine sam bith aig a' bheil ùidh ìnnde a thaobh a h-ionnsachamh no a rannsachamh.
   
   Our purpose is to support or if necessary, to train someone -or maybe a group of people- for every area where there is or where there once was and if all goes well, where there will be again, a particular dialect of Ancient Scottish. We would like for them to protect and grow their dialect as well as being willing to assist anyone with an interest in learning or researching it.
   
   Feumar a ràdh ge-tà, nach ann airson sgoilearachd a chaidh seo a stéidheachamh, ach airson duine sam bith anns an dùthaich seo agus thall thairist aig a' bheil gaol don chànan agus meas don dòigh a bh' air an fheadhainn a bhitheas agus a b' àbhaist a bhith ga bruidhinn. Gun teaga, chaidh sùil gheur air an t-saoghal a chur às anns a' cheart àm a thàinig crìoch air làithean na cuid a bu mhotha de dhualchainntean na Gàidhlig. Tha uiread meas againn air sin 's a th' againn air a' Ghàidhlig fhéi'.
   
   It must be said however, that it is not for the sake of academia that this venture was established, but for anyone in Scotland or further afield who has a love for the language and respect for the ways of those who do and also those who once spoke it in their daily lives. Without doubt, a special perspective on the world was snuffed out at the same time as the end came on the days of the greater portion of our Scottish dialects. We have just as much respect for this perspective here at DROITSEACH as we do for the language itself.
   
   As aonais an t-seòrsa miann a bheir air daoine rannsachamh don ghnothach, chan eil Albannaich ar linn, no a' chuid as motha de Ghàidheil gu dearbh -mas e luchd-labhairt tùsach a th' annda no sgoilearan na cànain- a' faicinn ach na tha air a thoirt seachad dhaibh agus thig a' chuid as motha de sin às na meadhanan. 'S e an fhìrinn a gheobh ead à sin, nach eil gas a-nis air fhàgail ach luchd-ionnsachaimh agus muinntir nan Eilein Siar 's Sgitheanach.
   
   Without the kind of interest that makes people want to do their own research, the Scots of our era including the greater portion of Scottish Gaelic speakers -whether it is their first language or they are students of the tongue- are of course seeing only what information is available to them and most of that comes by way of the media. The truth which emerges from this is that there is nothing left of the speakership of our language but learners and the denizens of the Western Isles and Skye.
   
   Ach 's e an fhìrinn gu bheil cuid bheag dhinn ann a-nis a bhruidhneas dualchainntean na h-Albainn gu fileanta 's gu math agus tha a h-uile coltas ann gu bheil an uiread seo a' fàs nas motha. 'S e an trioblaid gu bheil sinn uile ag obair gu dicheallach gun fhios air a' chéile agus gun taic bhon a' chéile. Ma tha daoine eile ann aig a' bheil an aon sùil ri rudaigin coltach ri na tha sinne a' feuchainn a thoirt os làimh, chan eil fios no forfhais acasan gu dé air thalamh a bu chòir dhaibh dèanamh airson tóiseachamh air a' ghnothach.
   
   But the truth is that there are a small amount of us now who speak Scottish dialects fluently and well and there is every evidence to show that this number is growing rapidly. The trouble lies in that we are all working diligently without knowledge of each another and without the support we could easily offer to one other. If there are other people out there who are looking to attempt the same thing as we are doing, they are unlikely to have the slightest clue about how or where to get started on it.
   
   Shin agaibh mar a stéidhich sinn DROITSEACH, bhon a bha sinn a' creidsinn gum bu chòir dhuinn a bhith an cuideachd a' chéile air rathad cho cumhang, cruaidh. Ma tha sibh nur eòlaiche gu ìre sam bith air dualchainnt na Gàidhlig sam bith ann an ceàrn sam bith den dùthaich no den t-saoghal, nach cuir sibh fios gar n-ionnsaigh? Bhitheamh ar cridhean air an togail gu mór le bhith a' cluinndinn mun cuairt oirbh agus mar a tha e a' dol agaibh. Mur a' bheil fios agaibh air dé mar a dh' ionnsaicheas sibh dualchainnt, ach tha ùidh mhór agaibh anns an leithid, theaga gun reachamh againn ur cuideachamh?
   
   So that's why we started the DROITSEACH (good number). We believed very much that we should be walking together on this hard, narrow road. If you are familiar at all with a Gaelic dialect (including living ones!) from a particular area of Scotland, wherever you're from, we would love to hear from you. Our hearts would be lifted greatly from hearing about you all and how things are going with your dialect. If you don't know how you would go about learning a dialect, but you have a big interest in this sort of thing, perhaps we might be able to help?
   
   Tha sinn an dùil slighe a dhealbhamh don fheadhainn eile a bheireas an aon rathad orra. Cha téid ach aig greannan an aobhar a dhiùltamh nach ann ach aig a' chainnt chumanta a tha na h-uile goireas airson a' chànan ionnsachamh. Nam bitheamh cothrom ann dhuinn Gàidhlig ùisneachamh taobh mach a' chroit, tha sinn am feum air uiread fhaclan agus innealan ùra gun teaga. Mar a thachair ge-tà, tha sinn air bruidhinn ri cuid mhath de thuathanaich, croitearan agus Gàidheil eile aig a' bheil beatha den ghné a b' àbhaist a bhith aig a' chuid a bu mhotha againn anns a' Ghàidhealtachd aig nach eil dol-a-staigh idir a-nis don Ghàidhlig a chìtheamh sibh ann an leabhar sam bith gun tighinn air an inneal leis an do sgrìobh mi na tha gu h-àird!
   
   We would like to illuminate the way for others who will decide on taking a similar road. It would only be a handful of people who could honestly reject the reasons why 'Mid-Minch Gaelic' has received the backing it has in allowing people to learn it. If there is to be any chance of using Scottish language outside of the croft environment, we are without doubt in need of so many new words and tools. As it happens however, we have met many farmers, crofters and other Gaels whose lifestyles are of a type common to most of those who lived in the Scottish-speaking regions of our land who have now not the slightest insight into the kind of language you might see in any given book nevermind what you might see in this very computer with which I have written the above!
   
   'S e ar beachd -mar a thuirt mi- gun e call annamhor a tha air a bhith ann air cheann seo agus as aonais obair airson a sheachnamh tuillidh, gun téid anam na Gàidhlig a chall air fad ma chumas sinn oirnn mar a tha. 'S e cànan bhàn den t-saoghal dhuideatach a bhitheas ìnnde mur an urrainn do dhuine againn gas a ràdh a bheireas turaisgeul seachad mun cuairt air an dùthaich fhei'. Mar a chualaig mi à mo bheul-sa uair no dithist gu ruig seo: "Có às a thig na bàird (mas e ach glé bheag de bhriathrachas nàdarrach a th' aca airson òran a dhèanamh)?"
   
   It is our opinion that there has been an immense loss suffered due to this and without considerable work to avoid further loss, that the soul of the elder Scottish tongue will be lost altogether if we are to keep on going as we are. Tis a drab language of the digital world she will be if not one of us can say anything that gives genuine description of our homeland. As I have heard from my own mouth once or twice before now: "Where will the poets come from (if they have but a tiny lexicon from the natural world from which to make a song)?"
   
   Ged is ionraic an aobhar, nach iaranta gu bheil mi air tighinn air ais thun na Beurla airson an cuireamh a tha sinn a' toirt seachad a cho-lìonamh? Chan eil mi eòlach air a' ghnàthas-cainnt seo ann an Gàidhlig!
   
   Rather ironically, but most honestly, I revert to English idiom having translated in the opposite direction from the start -as I have yet to learn the Scottish (whither it's Lallan or Heilan leid!) equivalent to date- to complete our invitation to the 'good number'.
   
   Is cinnteach gu bheil sinn uile taingeil gu dearbh gu bheil uisge ga tharraing gu teth às na gocan againn, gu bheil ar taighean air an teasachamh gu furasda, gu bheil solast dealanach, an caochlamh bìdh, tuillidh na h-aon paidhir bhrògan anns am faod sinn a bhith beò agus innealan a bheireas cuideachamh dhuinn air iomairtean mar seo.... ach leis nach eil a' chuid as motha dhinn an eisimeil Geamhramhan reòite, glé bheag de theachd-an-tìr agus beatha nach robh stéidhichte ann an gas ach saothair gun dùil ri crìoch....
   
   We're content and pleased to have hot running water, central heating, electric lighting, varied diet, more than one pair of shoes in which to live and computers with which to aid our quest.... as we're sure you are too.... but now that exposure to the bitter winters, pitiful return from back-breakingly sowed crops and hopeless thirldom to a life of endless graft is at an end for most....
   
   ....will you help us prevent the baby going out with the bathwater and keep the richness of the language alive which maintained the character of our ancestors through it all?
   
   -
   Àdhamh
   Fear den DROITSEACH