New Grammatical Guidance for Gaelic
Published: 19 March 2019
New Grammatical Guidance for Gaelic/Stiùireadh Gramataigeach Ùr don Ghàidhlig
Stiùireadh Gramataigeach Ùr don Ghàidhlig
Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the University of Glasgow have today (19 March 2019) published new grammatical guidance to help aid Gaelic speakers, including teachers, broadcasters and other Gaelic professionals.
The 27-page document is the first attempt to draft collaborative grammatical guidance for today’s users with input from Gaelic language professionals, traditional speakers, and academic linguists.
The guidance will benefit all people who are working with Gaelic or learning Gaelic by providing a comprehensive, authoritative source of acceptable usage in modern Scottish Gaelic, and will provide the foundations for future work on a comprehensive grammar of the language.
Tha Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus Oilthigh Ghlaschu an-diugh (19 Màrt 2019) air stiùireadh gràmair ùr fhoillseachadh gus cuideachadh le taic a thoirt do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig, nam measg tidsearan, craoladairean agus proifeiseantaich Ghàidhlig eile.
Tha an sgrìobhainn seo de 27-duilleag mar a’ chiad oidhirp air stiùireadh gramataigeach co-obrachail a dhreachdadh do luchd-cleachdaidh an latha an-diugh le steach-chur bho phroifeiseantaich Ghàidhlig, luchd-labhairt traidiseanta agus cànanaichean acadaimigeach.
Bidh an stiùireadh na bhuannachd do gach neach a tha ag obair le Gàidhlig no ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig le bhith a’ solarachadh stòr ùghdarrasail ioma-chuimseach de chleachdadh iomchaidh air Gàidhlig Albannach nuadh-aimsireil, agus a’ cur air bhonn stèidhean airson obair san àm ri teachd air gràmar iomlan den chànan.
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The new resource, hosted by the University of Glasgow’s Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG), covers 11 of the most challenging topics in Gaelic grammar as identified by a survey of Gaelic language professionals and teachers.
It was drawn up in response to a wide-ranging consultation project in 2013 (Dlùth is Inneach) in which Gaelic users and learners identified access to reliable guidance on modern Gaelic grammar as one of their most important needs.
The project to research and compile the guidance was funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig and MGAlba, and carried out by an inter-university group of Gaelic linguistic researchers led by Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Professor of Gaelic at the University of Glasgow.
Professor Ó Maolalaigh, who is also Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts at Glasgow, said: “We are delighted that the fruits of this collaborative Soillse project have been published and made available to the Gaelic community.
“We hope that the clear authoritative guidance on some of the most challenging variation patterns in Gaelic grammar will strengthen the language and enhance the confidence of its speakers in navigating the inherent variation within the language.”
Dàibhidh Boag, Director of Language Planning and Community Developments at Bòrd na Gàidhlig said: “First of all, I would like to thank all the people and organisations that have contributed to this important project. The aim of the National Gaelic Language Plan is that Gaelic is used more often, by more people and in a wider range of situations. Increased confidence and increased use go hand-in-hand and this resource will assist people in using Gaelic more confidently and more often.
“In addition to the guidance itself, we are working with Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig to produce a range of key resources and training packages to support its roll-out over the coming months. We also aim to develop the resource further and cover more of the grammar points that users have identified as challenging”
The research collaboration included the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh and University of the Highlands and Islands / Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, under the auspices of the Soillse network for research into Gaelic language and culture.
The work was supported by regular meetings with Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Comataidh Comhairleachaidh Cànain, a group of traditional speakers from different parts of the Gàidhealtachd with wide experience in important domains of Gaelic language development, chaired by Jo MacDonald, who is also chair of MG ALBA’s Standards Committee (Comataidh Inbhean).
Jo MacDonald said: “Gaelic is a living and dynamic language and whilst I know that there is still work to be done to fulfil the needs of all users, I believe that we have developed a way of working that provides authoritative guidance where it is most needed and that is appropriate to the demands of the Gaelic community today and for the future.”
Evidence was gathered from traditional speakers in the Western Isles and from the usage of recent and contemporary writers of Gaelic as captured in DASG’s 30-million-word corpus of Scottish Gaelic.
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Tha an stòras ùr, le aoigheachd bho Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG) ann an Oilthigh Ghaslchu, a’ còmhdach 11 de na cuspairean as dùbhlanaiche ann an gràmar na Gàidhlig mar a chaidh a chomharrachadh le suirbhidh de phroifeiseantaich is thidsearan Gàidhlig.
Chaidh a tharraing ri chèile mar fhreagairt do phròiseact co-chomhairleachaidh farsaing ann an 2013 (Dlùth is Inneach) san do chomharraich luchd-cleachdaidh is luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig cothrom air stiùireadh earbsach air gràmar Gàidhlig nuadh-aimsireil mar aon de na feumalachdan bu chudromaiche a bh’ aca.
Chaidh am pròiseact co-cheangailte ri rannsachadh agus tional air an stiùireadh a mhaoineachadh le Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus MGAlba, agus a choileanadh le buidheann eadar-oilthigheil de rannsaichearan cànanach Gàidhlig fo stiùir an Àrd-Ollaimh Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Àrd-Ollamh na Gàidhlig ann an Oilthigh Ghlaschu.
Thuirt an t-Ard-Ollamh Ó Maolalaigh, a tha cuideachd na Iar-Phrionnsapal agus Ceannard Cholaiste nan Ealain ann an Oilthigh Ghlaschu: “Tha sinn air leth toilichte gu bheil toradh a’ phròiseict Soillse cho-obrachail seo air fhoillseachadh agus a-nis ri fhaotainn le coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig.
“Tha sinn an dòchas gun neartaich an stiùireadh soilleir ùghdarrasail air cuid de na pàtranan caochlaideach as dùbhlanaiche ann an gràmar na Gàidhlig, an cànan agus gun tog e misneachd an luchd-labhairt ann a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ris na caochlaidhean nàdarra sa chànan.”
Thuirt Dàibhidh Boag, Stiùiriche Planadh Cànain is Leasachaidhean Coimhearsnachd aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig: “Sa chiad dol-a-mach, bu mhath leam taing a thoirt dhan a h-uile duine is buidheann a tha air cuideachadh leis a’ phròiseact seo. ’S e prìomh amas a’ Phlana Cànain Nàiseanta Ghàidhlig gun tèid Gàidhlig a chleachdadh nas trice, le barrachd dhaoine agus ann am barrachd shuidheachaidhean. Ma bhios barrachd misneachd aig daoine an cànan a chleachdadh, cleachdaidh iad nas trice i, agus cuidichidh an goireas seo daoine gus Gàidhlig a chleachdadh le barrachd misneachd agus nas trice.
“A thuilleadh air an stiùireadh fhèin, tha sinn ag obair còmhla ri Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig gus taghadh de ghoireasan cudromach agus cothroman trèanaidh a chur air dòigh thairis air na mìosan a tha romhainn a chuidicheas daoine le bhith a’ dèanamh feum den stiùireadh. Tha e cuideachd san amharc againn leudachadh air a’ ghoireas seo gus togail air puingean gràmair eile a tha luchd-cleachdaidh a’ chànain air a chomharrachadh mar chùisean far a bheil soilleireachd a dhìth.”
Bha an co-obrachadh rannsachaidh a’ gabhail a-steach Oilthigh Ghlaschu, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann agus Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean / Sabhal Mòr Ostaig , fo sgèith lìonra Shoillse airson rannsachadh cànan is cultar na Gàidhlig.
Fhuair an obair taic bho choinneamhan cunbhalach le Comataidh Comhairleachaidh Cànain Bhòrd na Gàidhlig, buidheann de luchd-labhairt traidiseanta bho dhiofar cheàrnaidhean den Ghàidhealtachd le eòlas farsaing ann an àrainnean cudromach de leasachadh na Gàidhlig, fo stiùir a’ chathraiche Jo NicDhòmhnaill a tha cuideachd na cathraiche air Comataidh Inbhean aig MGALBA.
Thuirt Jo NicDhòmhnaill: “Tha Gàidhlig na cànan beò is brìoghmhor, agus ged a tha fios agam gu bheil obair ri dhèanamh fhathast ma tha sinn a’ dol a fhrithealadh air feumalachdan a h-uile neach a tha a’ cleachdadh a’ chànain, saoilidh mi gu bheil sinn air dòigh-obrach a stèidheachadh gus stiùireadh ùghdarrasail a thoirt seachad airson nam puingean as motha dha bheil stiùireadh a dhìth agus a bhios a’ freagairt air iarrtasan luchd na Gàidhlig san latha an-diugh agus san ùine air thoiseach.”
Chaidh fianais a thional bho luchd-labhairt traidiseanta sna h-Eileanan Siar agus bho chleachdadh sgrìobhadairean Gàidhlig ùr agus co-aimsireil mar a chaidh a ghlacadh ann an corpas 30 millean facal de Ghàidhlig na h-Alba aig DASG.
First published: 19 March 2019
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