Scottish Gaelic Column June 1997

The Scottish Gaelic Column

Tha an colbh Gàidhlig seo air a tharraing à "Cothrom", an ràitheachan dà-chànanach aig CLI. Thèid "Cothrom" fhaighinn an asgaidh le buill ChLI, an carthannas airson luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig.

Ma tha thu ag iarraidh lethbhreac an asgaidh de sheann iris, cuir an seòladh puist agad gu cli@sol.co.uk ag innse gur ann tro "Scottish Radiance" a fhuair thu fios air CLI.

This Gaelic column is drawn from "Cothrom", the bilingual quarterly magazine from CLI. "Cothrom" is distributed free to members of CLI, the charity for learners and supporters of Scots Gaelic

. If you would like a free backcopy of "Cothrom", send your postal address to cli@sol.co.uk, saying that you heard of CLI through "Scottish Radiance".

Mar a Fhuaras Leabhar is Ainm	How We Got Book and Name
Aig an Nollaig bha e sna pàipearan gun robh cruinneachadh de làmh-sgrìobhainnean a thàinig à leabharlann Abaid Chille Chuimein air a bhith laighe san Leabharlann Nàiseanta ann an Dun Eideann gun chlàradh bho chionn grunn bhliadhnaichean. Tha an Leabharlann a' gearan nach urrainn dhaibh an obair a dhèanamh fhathast air sgàth's gun deach an luchd-obrach aca a ghearradh.	At Christmas-time, the newspapers carried the story of a collection of manuscripts from the library of Fort Augustus Abbey that has been gathering dust uncatalogued in the National Library in Edinburgh for a number of years. The Library is complaining that it can't yet carry out the work because of cuts in the institution's staffing.
Thuirt na meadhanan gun robh sa chruinneachadh an sgrìobhadh Gàidhlig as sine ann an Alba, a' nochdadh mar notaichean air làmh-sgrìobhainn Laidinn bho 1080. Dhèanadh sin iad mu 70 bliadhna na bu shine na na notaichean ann an Leabhar Dheir, a thathas air a bhith a' meas mar na sreathan Gàidhlig as sine air mhaireann à Alba (chan ann "ann an Alba", oir tha Leabhar Dheir a nis glacte ann an Leabharlann Oilthigh Chambridge ann an Sasainn - ach 'se aiste is iomairt eile a tha sin!).	The media reported that the collection included the oldest Gaelic writing in Scotland, in the form of notes on a Latin manuscript from 1080. That would make them about 70 years older than the notes in the Book of Deer, which have been regarded as the oldest continuous Gaelic extant to come from Scotland (not "extant in Scotland", as the Book of Deer is now languishing in Cambridge University Library in England - but that's another article and campaign!).
Uill, cha leig sinn a leas leabhraichean eachdraidh na Gàidhlig ath-sgrìobhadh, oir 'se th'ann gur iad na notaichean seo - nàdar de leabhar-latha dhen obair a bha an sgrìobhadair a' dèanamh - a' Ghàidhlig as sine a tha nis a' fuireach ann an Alba... ach cha robh an làmh-sgrìobhainn seo riamh ann an Alba gu 1862, agus 'sann le Eireannach a chaidh a sgrìobhadh. Ach cha robh e riamh ann an Eirinn na bu mhò!	Well, we needn't rewrite the books of Gaelic history, for the reality is that these notes - a sort of diary of work being kept by the writer - represent the oldest Gaelic now held in Scotland... though the manuscript had never been to this country prior to 1862, and was written by the hand of an Irishman. Not that it was ever in Ireland either!
'Se Marianus Scotus an Laideann a th'air a' mhanach Ghàidhlig a rinn an làmh-sgrìobhainn, ach sgrìobh e "muireadach trog macc robartaig" na chànan fhèin. 'Se sin Muireach truagh MacRobartaigh a bha an còmhnaidh feumach air airgead! Chuir e air chois grunnan mhanachainnean Beinidicteach ann am Babhairia ann an Ceann a Deas na Gearmailt nuair a bha manaich Eireannach trang a' brosnachadh na h Eaglais san Roinn Eòrpa. Nam measg bha Manachainn Ratisbon aig Regensburg, far an robh Muireach ag obair air an làmh-sgrìobhainn seo.	The Latin name of the Gaelic monk who wrote out the manuscript was Marianus Scotus, but he wrote "muireadach trog macc robartaig" in his own language. In other words Muireach "truagh" MacRobartaigh, aye in need of money! He established several Benedictine monasteries in Bavaria in Southern Germany at a time when Irish monks were active promoting the Church in Europe. Among them was Ratisbon Monastery at Regensburg, where Muireach worked on this particular manuscript.
Ach carson "Scotus"? Tha Aba Chille Chuimein Marc Dilworth, a tha e fhèin air Gàidhlig ionnsachadh, a' sgrìobhadh ann an aithisg air na notaichean airson "Scottish Gaelic Studies X" an 1968: "'Se bu chiall do Scotus, tràth sna Linntean Meadhanach, ach Eireannach; neo le barrachd fìrinn, Gàidheal no duine le Gàidhlig. Mar sin dheth, b'e Scoti a bh'ann an Gàidheil Dhàl Riata cho math rin co-thìrich ann an Eirinn. B'e Scotus a bh'air duine às an sgìre Ghàidhlig ann an Eirinn agus Ceann a Tuath Bhreatainn, agus b'e Scotia a bh'air an sgìre fhèin."	But why "Scotus"? The Abbot of Fort Augustus Mark Dilworth, who has himself learnt Gaelic, writes in a report on the notes for "Scottish Gaelic Studies X" in 1968: "Scotus, in the early middle ages, signified an Irishman; its most accurate translation would be Gael or Gaelic-speaker. The Gaels of Dalriada would thus be Scoti like their fellow-countrymen in Ireland. Scotus signified a native of the Gaelic-speaking area of Ireland and North Britain, and Scotia designated the area itself."
Agus ri ùine 'se Hibernia a theirte ann an Laideann ri Eirinn, agus Scotia ri rìoghachd ùr Ghàidhealach na h Alba.	And in time Ireland came to be called Hibernia in Latin, and Scotia was applied to the new Gaelic-speaking kingdom of Alba.
Nis, dh'èirich connspaid eadar aba is manaich Ratisbon ann an 1514 a sgaoil a mach às a' mhanachainn fhèin. Gus sìth is òrdugh a sparradh orra, an athbhliadhna thug Pàpa Leo X an abachd do dh'Albannach agus 'se manaich Albannach a bh'anns a' mhanachainn bhon uair sin gus an deach a dùnadh ann an 1862.	Now, a dispute arose in 1514 between the abbot and monks of Ratisbon which spread outwith the confines of the monastery. In order to restore peace and order, Pope Leo X awarded the abbacy to a Scot and the monastery was occupied by Scottish monks from then on until it was closed in 1862.
'Se an argamaid a bh'aig Leo airson a' chodhunaidh neònaich seo, gur ann riamh leis na h Albannaich a bha Ratisbon. Feumaidh nach do thuig e a' chiall a bh'ann do "Scotus" anns an 11 linn - agus nan robh iad dad na b'eòlaiche, cha do chuir an caidreabh de mharsantan Albannach a bh'anns a' bhaile mun àm sin ceart e!!	The argument forwarded by Leo for this strange decision was that Ratisbon had always belonged to the Scots. He must have been ignorant of the 11th century meaning of "Scotus" - and if it was any the wiser, the community of Scots merchants that was in the town by then wasn't going to point it out to him!!
Ar taing dhan Fhìor Urramach Marc Dilworth agus do Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h Alba airson an cuideachadh leis an aiste seo.	Our thanks to the Right Reverend Mark Dilworth and the National Library of Scotland for their help with this article

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