Ghluais an Talamh	The Earth Moved
Tha Trisia NicGairbheidh a Hull ag innse mar a thog i a’ chiad sgàil bhàrr tuigse na Gàidhlig ged a bha i fuireach ann an Sasainn. (eadar-theangachadh)	Tricia Garvey in Hull tells of how she reached that first breakthrough point in understanding Gaelic despite living in England. (original text)
Tha mi riamh air cumail a-mach “nach eil mi math air cànanan” agus seach nach bi mi siubhal a-null thairis tric chan eil uiread sin a dh’ ùidh air a bhith agam ann a bhith gan togail. Ach dh’atharraich sin gu tur nuair a thòisich mi air mo sinnsearachd a rannsachadh agus fhuair mi air ais gu 1715 le aon loidhne dhen teaghlach - Clann MhicAoidh is Clann MhicillEathain - a thàinig uile a Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain agus Ceann Tìre. Bha mi air leth fortanach fhaighinn a-mach gu robh eachdraiche ionadail fiù ’s air sgrìobhadh mu’n deidhinn.	I have always maintained that I am “no good at languages” and as I don ’t travel abroad much I’ve not been overly interested in pursuing them. However, all that changed when I started to trace my ancestors and managed to get back to 1715 with one strand of the family - MacKays and MacLeans - who all came from Campbeltown and Kintyre. I was very fortunate to find that a local historian had actually written about them.
Cha robh e fada mus do thuig mi gu robh Gàidhlig aig tòrr aca, mar sin chuir mi romham cànan mo shinnsirean ionnsachadh. Is math dh’fhaodte gur e sin an co-dhùnadh a b’fheàrr a rinn mi riamh ’na mo bheatha. Tha e air saoghal ùr fhosgladh romham. An toiseach bha mi fo iomagain is am beachd stèidhte agam “nach eil mi math air cànanan,” ach bha mi dìorrasach. Cha robh mi riamh math air gràmar, mar sin chuir mi romham ionnsachadh mar a dh’ionnsaich mi a’ Bheurla, le bhith a’ leughadh leabhraichean chloinne, ag èisteachd agus a’ bruidhinn. Fhuair mi mo chiad bhlasad air a’ Ghàidhlig air cùrsa seachdaineach ann am Baile Chaolais bòidheach le tidsear Gàidhlig Alasdair MacAonghais ann an 1998. Choinnich mi ri feadhainn a bu fìor ghasta agus tha mòran againn fhathast an comhluadar ri chèile. Nuair a thill mi dhachaigh bhon chùrsa sin chuir mi romham Gàidhlig ionnsachadh gu dùrachdach agus mo bhogadh leis a h-uile leabhar is teip Ghàidhlig a b’urrainn dhomh.	It soon became apparent that a lot of them had spoken Gaelic, so I decided to learn the language of my ancestors. It was probably the best decision I have ever made in my life. It has opened up a whole new world for me. At first I was apprehensive because of my in-built belief that “I’m no good at languages”, but I was determined. Grammar has never been a strong point with me, so I decided to learn as I learned English, by reading children’s books, listening and speaking. My first introduction to Gaelic was on a week-long course in beautiful Ballachulish with Gaelic teacher Alasdair MacInnes in 1998. I met some very lovely people there and many of us still keep in touch. When I returned home from that course I decided to study Gaelic seriously and completely immersed myself with every Gaelic book and tape I could get my hands on.
Bha an leabhar “Hataidh an Càr Beag Dearg” air fear aca, agus cheannaich mi an teip a tha dol ’na chois. Bha a’ chiad leughadh is èisteachd a’ cur amhainn orm. Cha b’urrainn dhomh cumail suas ri na bhathas ag ràdh, cha robh anns na facail ach meall de dhubh air geal. Ò, bha e do-dhèante. Bha e uile coimheach dhomh. Cha thog mi an cànan seo gu sìorraidh, ar leam.	One book was called “Hataidh an Càr Beag Dearg”, and I bought the tape to go with it. On first reading and hearing, it was all very frustrating. I couldn’t keep up with what was being said, the words were a mass of black on white. Oh, it was just impossible. It was all foreign to me. I’ll never pick this language up, I thought to myself.
Dh’fheuch mi leis an leabhar grunnan tursan agus an uair sin leig mi romham. Lean mi orm a’ leughadh Gàidhlig gach latha. Bha e ’nam bheachd nan èistinn ri co-dhiù beagan Gàidhlig a h-uile latha gur dòcha gun tuiginn beagan, ged nach robh mi faireachdainn gum bidhinn tuigseach dhi gu bràth…. Bha mi beò an dòchas. Chunnaic mi sanas ann an Cothrom air son cùrsa Gàidhlig air astar aig Colaiste Telford Dhùn Èideann, agus thòisich mi air anns a’ Ghearran am-bliadhna. Saoilidh mi gur e cùrsa a tha fìor mhath agus as fhiach an t-airgead a th’ann. Tha e cur cuideam air labhairt; tha mi cur nam freagairtean is còmhraidh agam air teip dan oide agam Ceitidh Mhoireach, agus tha ise a’ clàradh a taobh-ne dheth agus a’ tilleadh na teipe thugam. Tha mi faireachdainn gun do dh’ionnsaich mi tòrr, fiù ’s anns an ùine ghoirid seo.	I tried with the book a few times and then gave up. I continued to read Gaelic daily. I kept thinking that if I just listened to a bit of Gaelic each day I might gain an understanding, even though I felt that I would never gain an understanding.... I lived in hope.I saw an advertisement for a correspondence Gaelic course with Edinburgh’s Telford College in Cothrom, which I began in February this year. I think it is a really excellent and good value-for-money course. It concentrates on speech; I tape my answers and conversation onto a tape for my tutor Katie Murray, and she records her replies and returns the tape to me. I feel that I have learned a lot, even in this short space of time.
Aon oidhche, is mi dol a laighe, thurchair gum faca mi an teip is an leabhar “Hataidh an Càr Beag Dearg”. Shaoil mi gum feuchainn turas eile e a dh’fhaicinn an tuiginn dad nas fheàrr e. Chrùb mi sìos ’na mo leabaidh, leabhar ’nam làimh is fòn cluaise mu m’ cheann. Mar a dh’ èist mi is a leugh mi thàinig faireachdainn a bha iongantach thairis orm. Bha e mar gu robh lannan a’ tuiteam bhàrr mo shùilean; gu robh sgleò thairis air na duilleagan a’ sgaoileadh. Rud a bha roimhe ’na thul bhreisleach dhomh bha e nis a’ tòiseachadh ri ciall a dhèanamh. Bha mi air bhoil. Cha b’urrainn dhomh creidsinn gu robh mi dha-rìribh a’ tòiseachadh a thuigsinn na bha mi a’ cluinntinn is a’ leughadh. Thug e seagh gu tur ùr dhan fhacal “ghluais an talamh” oir, faodaidh mi innse dhuibh, ghluais an talamh an oidhch ud.	One night as I was going to bed, I happened to see the tape and the book “Hataidh an Càr Beag Dearg”. I thought I would have another go to see if I understood it any better. I snuggled down in my bed, book in hand and headphones on. As I listened and read the feeling which came over me was absolutely amazing. It was like scales falling from my eyes; misty veils lifting from the pages. What had once been total confusion for me was actually beginning to make sense. I was so excited. I couldn’t believe that I was actually beginning to understand what I heard and saw. It brought a whole new meaning to the saying “the earth moved” because, I’ll tell you, the earth moved for me that night.
Chanainn ri neach ionnsachaidh sam bith dhen Ghàidhlig - neo de chànan sam bith gu dearbh - a th’air an leamhachadh agus a’ smaoineachadh nach tuig iad am-feast i, cùm thusa dol. Cùm ort a’ leughadh is ag èisteachd is a’ bruidhinn. Tùm thu fhèin gu tur anns a’ chànan agus aon latha ’s dòcha gun gluais an talamh dhutsa cuideachd.	I would say to any learner of the Gaelic language - or any language come to that - who feels very frustrated and thinks they will never understand it, keep beavering away. Keep reading, listening and speaking. Totally immerse yourself in the language and one day the earth may move for you too.

You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.