Islay Gaelic on Twitter

Rathlin Gaelic was quite similar to the Gaelic of Islay which survives to the present day.

Indeed, if I was to set about reviving Rathlin Irish, I would learn the Irish of Tory and the Gaelic of Islay in order to strengthen what can be learned from books and tapes.

You can learn a bit of Islay Gaelic daily by following Ionad Chaluim Chille on Twitter!

https://twitter.com/GaelicIslay

'Irish in County Antrim'

Young, Rose M. (I); MacErlean, J.C. (II): "Irish in Rathlin I-II and notes", Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge 6: () 139–41 


Laoide, Seosamh: "Irish in Rathlin III", Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge 6:* () 139–41 (notes on Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge 6 106–10, comparison of Antrim Glens with Oirghialla)

'Irish in the Glens of Antrim'

Eoin Mac Néill, "Irish in the Glens of Antrim", Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge 6 (1895), pp. 106–110

Teach yourself Rathlin Irish?

Teach yourself Rathlin Irish? How?

 The first thing to remember that it would be extremely difficult thing to do, despite the fact that the dialect is quite well recorded, it is extinct, therefore you could not learn from a native speaker naturally.

Ideally, It would require a gifted linguist to learn the dialect fluently himself or herself and then teach it to others.

But, there is a (slightly) easier way.

One could simply learn either Scottish Gaelic or Irish and specialise in the dialect of Islay in Scotland and or Tory Island in Ireland.

Once fluent in one of these, or even both, you would simply adapt your dialect to the Rathlin one, you would sound quite authentic.

The Gaelic of Arran would have been an ideal one to learn but that opportunity has passed unfortunately. If one was lucky enough to meet a native speaker from Kintyre, again this would be ideal.

The Irish of Ros Goill / Fanad would be closer to Rathlin Gaelic than the Irish of Tory, but the language is not strong in either district.

Gaelic is still the community language in Tory. There are plenty of native speakers in Islay, but the language is in terminal decline with virtually no younger people speaking the language.

Good luck! 

And with that, I will sign off. I will not be posting onto this blog for the foresable future. I have achieved what I set out to and this blog has been visited 10,000 times!

Thank you all for popping in. It has been a pleasure. I hope that the blog has created interest in Gaelic, the dialect of Rathlin and of course the island itself.

For those of you who have never been to Rathlin .... what is wrong with you?

Roinnt Samplaí de Ghaeilge Reachraidh, An Ceann a' Tíos

Seo a leanas cáil samplan de Ghaelg Reachraidh, An Ceann a' Tíos. Is é Bob Mac Cormaic an cainteoir. Bhá é ag labhairt le Prionsias Ó Conluain ó RTÉ.



- Gaelg Reachraidh (Clic le cloisteáil)
- Gaeilge Chaighdeánta

Ag amharc thíos ar Cheann a' Tíos, Reachraidh.

26. as m’athair is mo mháthair
as m’athair is mo mháthair


27. Chan fheil aon sean-scéaltán a'm 
Níl aon sean-scéalta agam


28. Timpeall thart ar na hoileán
Timpeall thart ar an oileán


29. 'bhfeil é ar cheart anois?
An bhfuil sé ag obair anois?


30. abair sin aríst
abair sin arís


31. bhá sí
bhí sí


32. ar fud na hoileán
ar fud na hoileán

Bunfrasaí Ghaeilge Reachlann

Gaelc / Gaelg
/gɛːlk/
Gaeilge

Fáilte
/fɑːltʃə/
Fáilte

Maidin Mhath duit
/mɑdʒin mɑ dɑtʃ/
Maidin mhaith

Dia duit ar maidin
/dʒiɑ dʎtʃ əɾ mɑdʒin/
Dia duit ar maidin

Lá math
/lɑə mɑ/
Lá maith

Coinfheascar math duit
/kɔnʲəskəɾ mɑ (dʎtʃ)
Tráthnóna maith duit

Goidé mar atá tú / thú
/gə dʒeː məɾ ə tɑː tʎ (ʎ)/
Cad é mar atá tú (Conas tá tú)

Goidé mar atá thú dol ar t'aghaidh?
/gə dʒeː məɾ ə tɑː ʎ dol əɾ teˑi/
Cad é mar atá ag éirí leat?

Tá mé go math
/tɑː mɛ gə mɑ/
Tá mé go maith

Tá sinne go math
/tɑː ʃinʲə gə mɑ/
Tá muid go maith

Tá mé meanach
/tɑː mɛ mɛːənɑx (mɛːənəx)/
Tá mé go measartha


Tá mi go dona
/tɑː mi gə dɔnə/
Tá mé go dona

Caidé an t-ainm a t(h)á ort?
/gə dʒeː ən tɑɾʲm a hɔɾt/
Cad é an t-ainm a tá ort?


Oíche mhath (leat)
/ɪːçə vɑ/
oíche mhaith

Go rabh mile math a’d
/gə ro miːlə mɑ ɑt/
Go raibh míle maith agat

Go rabh math a’d fhé’
/gə ɾəˈmɑ agət he:/
Go ndéanaí mhaith duit


Mar sin leat
/məɾ ʃin lʲɑt/
Gurb amhlaidh duit

Beannacht leat
/bjɑnɑxt lʲɑt/
Slán leat

(ón leabhar 'Dhá Scéal Reachlann agus Eile, 2008)

http://www.coisceim.ie/dhasceal.html

Samplan de Ghaelg Reachraidh - le fuaimeanan

Samplaí de Ghaeilge Reachlann ó chomhrá idir Bella John Ruadh Mhic Mhuireachtaigh le Liam Mac Carráin, Béal Feirste.

Tá an Ghaeilge Reachlann le feiceáil ar dtús agus an Ghaeilge chaighdeánach ina diaidh.

Seo Gaeilge ón 'Taobh Uachtarach' de Reachlainn, rinneadh an taifeadán (físeán a bhí ann) go mall san seachtóidí.

Gaeilge Reachlann 'mhall' atá i gceist, cé gur taifeadadh go leor ábhar ó leath-chainteoir dúchais ina dhiaidh seo. 

Fuair an cainteoir bás sna hochtóidí, bhí cónaí uirthi i mBéal Feirste den chuid is mó dá saol.

Tá sé suntasach áfach, go gceartaíonn sí féin in amanna, as a bheith ag baint úsáid as fhoghraíocht 'Chonallach'.

Tuigtear dom gur fhreastail sí ar ranganna Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste, ag foghlaim cuid Gaeilge as na Rosaibh, canúint a bhí thar a bheith faiseanta i measc Ghaeilgeoirí Chois Cuain ag an am sin.

Is féidir go gceapfadh daoine inniu go bhfuil sé sin aisteach. Ach cuimhnigh gur chuir Conradh na Gaeilge cainteoir dúchais as na Rosaibh chun Gaeilge a mhúineadh dóibh - fiú nuair a bhí neart cainteoirí dúchais fós ann. 

Is fíor chomh maith go raibh sé de nós ag cainteoirí dúchais i nGlinntí Aontroma Gaeilge Thír Chonaill a mheascadh lena gcuid Gaeilge féin ina dhiaidh dóibh sin a fhoghlaim i ranganna de chuid Chonradh na Gaeilge.

Tá cur síos iomlán ar na nótaí seo, seachas trascríobh foghraíochta le fáil ....  

Dunbar, Ciarán, "Guthanna Reachrainn, guthanna Uladh", An tUltach 82:2 (2/2005) 14-16

agus sa Bhéarla (agus leasaithe rud beag)  ...

Dunbar, Ciarán, "Some Phrases of Rathlin Irish", The Glynns 35 (2007) 65 - 74.

(Nóta - níl aon fhuaim-rian ar fáil d'uimhir 1. nó 25)

1. [tá] brón orm anois

[tá] brón orm anois

2. An bhfeil a fhios aghad[1] caidé tá mé a’ rá?

An bhfuil a fhios agat cad é tá mé ag rá?

3. An rabh a fhios aghadsa? [2]

An rabh a fhios agatsa?

4. Bhá bachaill[3] eileag[4] anseo

Bhí buachaill eile anseo

5. Bhá ceann ruadh[5], ceann ruadh … dearg ar m’athair

Bhí ceann rua, ceann rua …. dearg ar m’athair

6. Bhá[6] mé ar mire

Bhí mé ar mire

7. Bhá sean-saighdiúir ansin
      Bhí sean-saighdiúir ansin

8. ‘Bhfeil[7] mé deas?[8][9]

      An bhfuil mé críochnaithe?

9. ‘Bhfeil fhios aghad air Danny Diffin?

      An bhfuil fhios agat air Danny Diffin?

10. ‘rabh go leor Gaelg agham?

      An raibh go leor Gaeilge agam?

11. ‘Chan fheil’ sin an fhocal a bhá ag na daoine ar Reachraidh

      ‘chan fheil’ sin an fhocal a bhí ag na daoine in Reachlainn

12. chan fheil fhios agham rud air bith timpeall air [10] sin

      Níl fhios agam rud ar bith fán ait sin

13. Chan fheil fhios agham air an airm [11] atá ar loch

      Níl a fhios agam fán ainm atá ar loch

14. Chan fheil cuimhin … chan fheil mórán Gaedhilg, Gaedhilg, Gaedhlilg agham anois.

      Níl cuimhin …Níl mórán Gaeilge, Gaeilge, Gaeilge agam     anois.

15. Chan fheil cuimhin agham … chan fheil cuimhin agham

    Ní cuimhin liom … nl cuimhin liom

16. Claigeann [12]

      Cloigeann

17. Chan fheil 'fhios agam 'nois

     Níl a fhios agam anois

18. Cnoc an Tairbh

     Cnoc an Tairbh

19. Rugadh mé ansin ins an taigh, bhá … an airm a bhá air Lartach[14] Aoibhinn ‘Joyful plain’

      Rugadh mé ansin ins an teach, bhí … an t-ainm a bhí air     Lartach Aoibhinn

20. I mo chónaí ansin

      I mo chónaí ansin

21. Sin an ait a bhá mise

     Sin an ait a bhí mise

22. Rachadh[15] mé ansiúd is anseo

     Rachadh mé ansiúd is anseo

23. Teacht aríst

     Teacht arís

24. Tá a fhios aigesean cá huair a gheobhaidh mé bás

     Tá a fhios aigesean cá huair a gheobhaidh mé bás

25. na páistean [16]

na páistí

na macan

na mic

na rudan

na rudaí

cosan

cosa

míosan

míosa

25. ‘bhfeil blas na Béarla air

An bhfuil blas na mBéarla air

26. The Mary recited in Rathlin Irish.

---

[1] This ‘g’ is always aspirated in Rathlin. i.e agham (pron. a’m) aghad (pron. a’d)

[2] See footnote 1.

[3] This word appears to be a confusion of the Scottish Gaelic word word ‘bachlach’and the Standard Irish ‘buachaill’. Holmer records Bachlach as the Rathlin form (HOLMER, N.M., The Irish language in Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim, (Royal Irish Academy [Hodges Figgis], Dublin 1942) whilst Wagner records ‘bachaill’. (WAGNER, H., Ó BAOILL C., Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects IV, (Royal Irish Academy Dublin 1969) p16)

[4] This form was also recorded by Holmer ibid p190.

[5] ‘dh’ at the end of a word normally pronounced like a ‘g’ in Late Rathlin Irish.

[6] ‘bhá’ is always the word used in Rathlin where standard Irish has ‘bhí’. ‘bhá’ also occurred in Irish of the Glens along side ‘bhí’. ‘bhá’ is considered Scottish Gaelic.

[7] Where standard Irish has ‘bhfuil’, East Ulster (including Rathlin), Scottish Gaelic and Manx have ‘Bhfeil’.

[8] Literal meaning is ‘am I nice?’

[9] A distinguishing feature of East Ulster Irish (including Rathlin), North Donegal Dialects Scottish Gaelic and Manx is the pronunciation of ‘ea’ as ‘e’ (i.e. d´es) whereas in most of Ireland it is pronounced as an ‘a’ sound (i.e. d´as)

[10] ‘timpeall air’ (about that) is a Rathlin Idiom which can also be found in Islay Gaelic – see footnote 26.

[11] This pronunciation of the word ‘ainm’ as ‘arm/airm’ was also to be found in Farney Irish. Ó SEARCAIGH, S., Foghraidheacht Ghaedhilg an Tuaiscirt (Brún agus Ó Nualláin, Baile Átha Claith 1925) pp.182-183

[12] Rathlin place-name.

[13] See Place-Names of Northern Ireland, Co Antrim II, (The Institute of Irish Studies, QUB) p299.

[14] This is an example of metathesis, the standard Irish word being Latrach normally meaning a piece of rough scrubby ground. See footnote 5.

[15] pronounced as ‘rachag’ in late Rathlin Irish.

[16] the plural constructed in Rathlin Irish by simply adding ‘an’ or ‘ean’. For example, taigh (house) taigheán (houses)