Gaelic researchers at the University of Glasgow have won a major contract to provide linguistic and technical support for a pioneering, official Gaelic language initiative.

Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Professor of Gaelic, Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts, will lead an inter-university team, bringing together academics at Glasgow with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands).

The team will operate under the banner of Soillse, the National Research Network for the Maintenance and Revitalisation of Gaelic Language and Culture. Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh

The project, LEACAG (Leasachadh Corpais na Gàidhlig 'Gaelic Corpus Development') will run initially for 22 months, from April 2016 to January 2018, and has two main goals: to create an online system to coordinate, evaluate and disseminate new Gaelic terminology for use in Gaelic-medium education and broadcasting; and to draft the foundations for a comprehensive reference grammar of modern Gaelic, in consultation with both Gaelic language professionals and the community of traditional Gaelic speakers. 

A significant factor in the awarding of the contract to Glasgow is the University is home to the online Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG), launched in October 2014.

The DASG project is directed by Professor Ó Maolalaigh and contains the 15 million word Corpas na Gàidhlig, the largest digitised full-text corpus of Scottish Gaelic, designed to be the textual foundation for the Faclair na Gàidhlig project, which is creating a historical dictionary of the language; and the DASG fieldwork archive: a fully digitised collection of 500 thematic questionnaires and wordlists collected around Gaelic-speaking Scotland and Canada from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig and MGAlba, the team will provide scientific linguistic and policy support to guide the work of the new Buidheann Stiùiridh Corpais (Corpus Steering Group).

This group was recently set up by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the statutory Gaelic development agency, with the aim of standardising, codifying and enriching the grammar and vocabulary of the traditional language for the 21st century.

Professor Conchú Ó Giollagáin, Director of Soillse said: "This is a major opportunity to significantly advance the corpus planning agenda. Soillse is delighted to be involved in this collaborative process, and it is an exemplar of how universities should co-operate to develop resources for Gaelic".

Dr Will Lamb from the University of Edinburgh said: “"This important project will resolve some key questions in Gaelic grammar: What are the main grammatical problems? What usage is appropriate nowadays, so as not to be too old-fashioned? And how does usage vary across generations and dialects?”

Professor Ó Maolalaigh said:  “We look forward to working in collaboration with our Soillse colleagues in Edinburgh and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig as well as the broader Gaelic community. The project will set the foundational flagstones (the literal meaning of LEACAG) for a comprehensive grammar of Scottish Gaelic, which has long been a desideratum in Celtic Studies, and will provide crystal clear guidance on usage for Gaelic-medium educators, broadcasters and all day to day users of the Gaelic language.”

Pròiseact Gàidhlig Ùr ga Bhuileachadh

Tha rannsaichean Gàidhlig aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu air cùmhnant ùr a chosnadh airson taic chànanach agus theicnigeach a chur ri iomairt shuaicheanta ùr ann an cànan na Gàidhlig.

Bidh Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Àrd-ollamh na Gàidhlig, Iar-Phrionnsabal agus Ceannard Cholaiste nan Ealain, a’ stiùireadh sgioba eadar-oilthighe, a’ toirt sgoilearan bho Ghlaschu còmhla le co-obraichean bho Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann agus Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (pàirt de dh’Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean). Bidh an sgioba ag obair fo bhratach Shoillse, Lìonra Nàiseanta an Rannsachaidh airson Glèidheadh agus Ath-bheòthachadh Cànan agus Cultar na Gàidhlig.

Bidh am pròiseact, LEACAG (Leasachadh Corpais na Gàidhlig) a’ ruith sa chiad dol a-mach airson 22 mìosan, bhon Ghiblein 2016 chun an Fhaoillich 2018, agus tha dà phrìomh amas aige: siostam air-loidhne a chruthachadh airson co-òrdanachadh, measadh agus sgaoileadh briathrachais Gàidhlig ùr airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig agus craobh-sgaoileadh; agus bùn-stèidh a dhealbhachadh airson gràmar nua-Ghàidhlig ioma-chuimseach ùr, ann an co-chomhairleachadh le proifeiseantaich cànain na Gàidhlig agus coimhearsnachd luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig.

’S e cùis a chur gu mòr ri buileachadh a’ chùmhnant do Ghlaschu gu bheil Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG), a chaidh a chur air bhog ann an 2014, stèidhichte san Oilthigh. Tha am pròiseact ga stiùireadh leis an Àrd-ollamh Ó Maolalaigh agus tha Corpas na Gàidhlig mar phàirt dheth, an corpas didseatach làn-theacsa Gàidhlig as motha a th’ ann, dealbhaichte mar bhun-stèidh theacsail airson Faclair na Gàidhlig, a tha a’ cruthachadh faclair eachdraidheil dhan chànan; agus tasglann obair-raoin DASG: cruinneachadh didseatach de 500 ceisteachain air cuspairean agus liostaichean-fhacal a chaidh a thional bho luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba agus Canada eadar na 1960an agus na 1980an.

Maoinichte le Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus MG Alba, bidh an sgioba a’ solar taic a thaobh rannsachaidh, cànain agus poileasaidh dhan bhuidheann ùr, Buidheann Stiùiridh Corpais. Chaidh am buidheann seo a chur air bhonn le Bòrd na Gàidhlig, buidheann reachdail leasachaidh na Gàidhlig, bho chionn ghoirid, le amas a bhith a’ bun-tomhasachadh, còdachadh agus beartachadh gràmar agus briathrachas a’ chànain san 21mh linn.

Thuirt an t-Àrd-ollamh Conchú Ó Giollagain, Stiùiriche Shoillse: “’S e cothrom air leth a th’ ann an seo an deasbad mu dhealbhachadh a’ chorpais a thoirt air adhart gu mòr. Tha Soillse air leth toilichte a bhith an sàs anns a’ phròiseact cho-chomhairleachaidh seo, agus ’s e eisimpleir a th’ ann air mar a bu chòir oilthighean a bhith ag obair còmhla gus goireasan a leasachadh airson na Gàidhlig”.

Thuirt an t-Ollamh Will Lamb bho Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann: “‘Bidh am pròiseact cudromach seo a' fuasgladh cheistean doirbh an lùib gràmar na Gàidhlig: dè na duilgheadasan gràmair as motha a th’ ann?; dè tha freagarrach san latha an-diugh - gun a bhith ro sheann-fhasanta?; agus ciamar a tha na ginealachaichen agus na dualchainntean gan sgaradh o chèile?”

Thuirt an t-Àrd-ollamh Ó Maolalaigh: “Tha sinn a’ dèanamh fiughair ri bhith ag obair còmhla ri ar co-obraichean ann an Soillse, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann agus Shabhal Mòr Ostaig, cho math ri coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig san fharsaingeachd. Leasaichidh am pròiseact a’ bhun-stèidh airson gràmar ioma-chuimseach Gàidhlig, a th’ air a bhith na iarrtas airson ùine mhòr ann an rannsachadh na Ceiltis agus ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig . Cuiridh am pròiseact cuideachd air dòigh iùl soilleir airson luchd-teagaisg, chraoladairean agus luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig air fad”.

 

First published: 13 April 2016

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