Na Coimhearsnaigh (teanga) ba dheise do Reachlainn

Is le fada a bhí gaol Ghaeilg Reachlann le canúintí Ghaeilge eile ina ábhar díospóireachta, cuid mhaith den díospóireacht chéanna, ní raibh mórán de bhunús eolais léi.

Is é an rud atá á phlé anseo agam ná cúrsaí tuisceana, gan aird a thabhairt ar lipéid ar nós ‘Éireannach’ nó ‘Albanach’, lipéid nach bhfuil aon chiall leo agus an t-ábhar teangeolaíochta seo á phlé dar liomsa[i].

Ach cheana, is é lom na fírinne ná nach bhfuil mórán amhras ann faoin ábhar seo. Is é an chanúint Ghaeilge a ba chosúla le G. Reachlann ná G. na nGlinntí Aontroma, “practically the same language” a bhí ann. 

(Bhí, ar ndóigh, cuid difríochtaí suntasacha ann agus pléifidh mé iad siúd amach anseo).

Seo tuiscint Nils Holmer (an saineolaí a ba mhó ar G. Reachlann agus ar G. na nGlinntí agus G. Earra-Ghàidheal chomh maith) ar an ábhar :

“According to Prof 0’Rahilly {Irish Dialects, p. 191), the dialect is essentially a Scottish dialect ... If it be admitted that this is a characteristic specimen of Gaelic of the Scottish type, it must not, however, be thought that the difference between the Rathlin dialect and, for instance, that of Kintyre or Arran is approximately the same as between the latter and that of Islay or Skye. Though the distance between Rathlin and the Mull of Kintyre is only about one tenth of the distance between the latter and Skye, the differences are far greater.”

“And, though historically the Rathlin dialect shows closer affinities with Scottish than with Irish Gaelic, the external similarities with the neighbouring Irish dialects are more prominent. This means that a person from Tirconnel would not have very great difficulty in understanding a Rathlin man, while a native speaker from the opposite part of Antrim speaks practically the same language.”

“The morphological similarities between Rathlin and southern Scotland are altogether remarkable. This fact, like so many others, is accounted for in part by Irishisms in southern Scottish Gaelic, in part by the strong Scottish influence on northern Irish.”

Is féidir le duine éisteacht le G. Reachrann anseo.

I dtaca leis an Alban de, glactar leis go coitianta go bhfuil G. Cheann Tíre níos cosúla le G. Reachlann mar tá sé níos deise do Reachlainn go fisiciúil agus / nó glactar go bhfuil G. Íle is cosúla le G. Reachlann mar gheall ar an ‘Éireannachas’ atá ar fáil ann.

Ní fíor é sin áfach. Is é an chanúint Albanach is cosúla le Reachlainn ná G. Árann. Lena chois sin, ba chosúla G. Cheann Tíre le G. Reachlainn ná G. Íle.

Is féidir liom féin a dhearbhú go bhfuil cosúlacht ar leith idir G. Reachlann agus G. Árann. Is féidir éisteacht le G. Árann ar shuíomh Thobar an Dualchais anseo.

(Go rabh míle maith agat Crìostòir-Pòl de Piondargás as a sin a rá liom!)

Is léir mar sin, nach ceist chomharsanacht thíreolaíochta amháin é seo ach go mbaineann sé chomh maith le himtharraingt chanúnach. Mar gheall ar sin, caithfear measúnú go raibh G. Gall-Ghaidhealaibh agus G. Inbhir-Àir an-‘Éireannach’ ar fad.

Is féidir éisteacht le G. Cheann Tíre anseo. Agus le G. Íle anseo.

An mbíodh G. Reachlann níos cosúla le G. Árann ná G. Dhoire mar shampla (is féidir éisteacht le G. Dhoire anseo)?.

Déarfainn go mbíodh cumarsáid le cainteoir Dhoire rud beag níos éasca ná le cainteoir Árann ach nach mbeadh mórán d’fhadhb ann le ceachtar acu do chainteoir Reachlann.

Is dóigh liom fosta, go mbeadh G. Reachlann chomh cosúil céanna le G. Thoraigh i dTír Chonaill agus a bheadh sí le G. Íle.

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[i] [Féach, Ó Baoill (Colm): The Gaelic continuum. In Éigse 32 (2000), pp. 121–134. ad B. Ó Cuív 1951, Irish dialects and Irish-speaking districts (BILL III: 1240). Reexamines the grammatical features that traditionally have justified the linguistic divide between Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is argued that the differences between the transitional dialects of NE Ireland and SW Scotland never prevented mutual intellegibility.]