Funding in place for new cornerstone of the Gaelic language
Published: 24 April 2018
The Scottish Government has announced a £2.5 million investment in the next phase of the first comprehensive dictionary of Gaelic.
Clach-oisinn ùr na Gàidhlig air a mhaoineachadh
The Scottish Government has announced a £2.5 million investment in the next phase of the first comprehensive dictionary of Gaelic.
Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air fhoillseachadh an-diugh gun tèid £2.5 millean a chur an sealbh san ath ìre den chiad fhaclair ioma-chuimseach den Ghàidhlig.
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The dictionary, Faclair na Gàidhlig, aims to document the history, development and usage of every single word in the language.
It is an essential resource for the Gaelic language and once complete, the dictionary will give Gaelic its equivalent of the multi-volume resources already available for Scots and English.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, said: “As Minister with responsibility for Gaelic, I have been impressed by the work which has gone into this project to date, and look forward to seeing it continue into its next phase.
“Faclair na Gàidhlig is an excellent example of partnership working between academic institutions and other organisations. This kind of collaboration will support our commitment to the Gaelic language, and ensure it has a sustainable future in Scotland.”
Although other dictionaries have been produced since, students and speakers of Scottish Gaelic still rely heavily on Edward Dwelly’s Illustrated Gaelic English Dictionary which was first published between 1901 and 1911.
The production of the new dictionary is being made possible through a pioneering collaboration between the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Professor Boyd Robertson, Principal of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Convenor of Faclair na Gàidhlig’s Steering Committee, said: “The production of Faclair na Gàidhlig is an immensely significant national enterprise which has attracted considerable international interest and involvement.
“Based on first-hand evidence from an impressively large digital corpus, it will provide users with an authoritative, definitive and informative dictionary that will facilitate an in-depth understanding of the material and written heritage of the language, yield detailed insights into its linguistic, literary and cultural development and afford an appreciation of the foundational contribution of the Gael to Scottish history, society and life.
“By giving first-hand evidence from the language itself, a dictionary of this type and scale provides information on a level unsurpassed by any encyclopaedia.”
The project has also been consistently supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the national public body with responsibility for Gaelic. The new funding will be managed by the Scottish Funding Council.
John Kemp, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “The new dictionary will go beyond language and into Gaelic culture and heritage. It will fuel the growth and expansion of Gaelic education at all ages and stages. As well as its relevance to today’s speakers and students of Gaelic, Faclair na Gàidhlig will be an important resource for many generations to come.”
Preparatory work for the new dictionary has been extensive and includes assembling a database of 30 million Gaelic words from written sources and drawing on oral materials held in a variety of national collections. Dictionary structure has been investigated through the compilation of over 100 sample entries and detailed training materials have been created to instruct the first historical lexicographers in Scottish Gaelic.
The corpus of 30 million words is currently being finalised by the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG) project at the University of Glasgow, under the direction of Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Convenor of the international Advisory Group of Faclair na Gàidhlig.
Professor Ó Maolalaigh, a Gaelic scholar, who is Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow, said: “Languages are important to their speakers. A resource like Faclair na Gàidhlig underpins and future proofs the language for future generations.
“This is a project of national importance and again highlights the excellent collaborative work being done in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland. This new dictionary will ensure Scottish Gaelic will be accessible to all, speakers, learners and teachers, helping to capture the riches of the language and bequeath a priceless legacy to future generations.”
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Clach-oisinn ùr na Gàidhlig air a mhaoineachadh
Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air fhoillseachadh an-diugh gun tèid £2.5 millean a chur an sealbh san ath ìre den chiad fhaclair ioma-chuimseach den Ghàidhlig.
Tha Faclair na Gàidhlig ag amas gus eachdraidh, leasachadh agus cleachdadh a chlàradh airson a h-uile facal sa chànan.
’S e goireas riatanach a th’ ann airson Gàidhlig agus nuair a chuirear crìoch air, bidh e na ghoireas dhan Ghàidhlig a tha co-ionnan ris na goireasan ioma-leabhair a tha rim faighinn airson Albais agus Beurla.
A’ bruidhinn ro dheasbad mu dheidhinn Plana Cànain Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig a bhios air a chumail ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba feasgar an-diugh, thuirt Leas Phrìomh Mhinistear agus Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Foghlam agus Sgilean, John Swinney:
“Chòrd e rium an obair a chaidh a dhèanamh air a’ phròiseact seo gu ruige seo fhaicinn, agus tha mi a’ dèanamh fiughar ris an ath ìre. ’S e fìor dheagh eisimpleir a th’ ann am Faclair na Gàidhlig de cho-obrachadh eadar ionadan acadaimigeach agus buidhnean eile. Bheir an co-obrachadh seo taic dha ar dleastanas gus taic a thoirt dhan Ghàidhlig, airson gum bi i seasmhach an Alba san àm ri teachd.”
Ged a chaidh faclairean eile a chur ri cheile san eadar-àm, bidh oileanaich agus luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig tric a’ cur an earbsa ann am Faclair Gàidhlig-Beurla le Dealbhan a dh’fhoillsich Eideard Dwelly eadar 1901-1911.
Tha eòlaichean air feadh na dùthcha air tighinn còmhla gus am faclair ùr a leasachadh, tro cho-obrachadh air leth adhartach eadar oilthighean Obar Dheathain, Dùn Èideann, Glaschu, Srath Chluaidh agus Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Ionad Nàiseanta airson Cànan is Cultar na Gàidhlig.
Thuirt Boyd Robasdan, Prionnsabal Shabhal Mòr Ostaig agus Cathraiche Bhuidheann-stiùiridh Faclair na Gàidhlig: “ ’S e iomairt nàiseanta da-rìribh cudromach a th’ ann an deasachadh Faclair na Gàidhlig a tha air mòran ùidh agus com-pàirteachaidh eadar-nàiseanta a bhrosnachadh.
“Stèidhichte air fianais thùsail bho chorpas dhidseatach àibheiseach, bheir e do luchd-cleachdaidh faclair ùghdarrasail, deimhinnte agus fiosrachail a nì e comasach dhaibh tuigse dhomhainn fhaighinn air dualchas shusbainteach agus sgrìobhte a’ chànain, lèir-sheallaidhean fhaotainn air a leasachadh cànanach, litreachail agus cultarail agus làn-thuigse a thathann dhaibh air cho bunaiteach ’s a bha na chuir na Gàidheil ri eachdraidh, co-chomann agus beatha na h-Alba. Le bhith togail air fianais thùsail bhon chànan fhèin, tha faclair dhen t-seòrsa is dhen mheudachd seo a’ toirt seachad fiosrachaidh nach fhaighear eadhon ann an encyclopaedia.”
Tha Bòrd na Gàidhlig, am buidheann poblach le dleastanas airson na Gàidhlig, cuideachd air taic cunbhalach a thoirt dhan phròiseact. Thèid am maoineachadh a bhuileachadh tro Chomhairle Maoineachaidh na h-Alba.
Thuirt John Kemp, Ceannard Eadar-àmail aig Comhairle Maoineachaidh na h-Alba: “Thèid buaidh an fhaclair ùr seo gu math nas fhaide na an cànan a-mhàin, gu cultar agus dualchas na Gàidhlig. Brosnaichidh e fàs agus meudachadh ann am foghlam Gàidhlig airson gach aois agus aig gach ìre. A bharrachd air feum soilleir do luchd-labhairt agus oileanaich an latha an-diugh, seasaidh Faclair na Gàidhlig mar ghoireas chudromach do dh’iomadh ginealach ri thighinn.”
Tha obair ullachaidh an fhaclair ùir air a bhith gu math farsaing, a’ cruthachadh stòr-dàta de 30 millean facal Gàidhlig bho thùsan sgrìobhte agus a’ tarraing air clàran-fuaim a tha air an cumail ann an cruinneachaidhean nàiseanta eile. Chaidh structar an fhaclair a rannsachadh le bhith a’ cruinneachadh còrr is 100 eisimpleir de dh’innteartan, agus chaidh stuthan-trèanaidh a chruthachadh airson faclairichean eachdraidheil ann an Gàidhlig oideachadh airson a’ chiad uair.
An-dràsta, tha am pròiseact, Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG) aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu a’ deisealachadh corpas de 30 millean facal fo stiùir An Ollaimh Roibeird Ó Maolalaigh, Stiùiriche Buidheann Comhairleachaidh Eadar-nàiseanta Faclair na Gàidhlig.
Thuirt An t-Ollamh Ó Maolalaigh, a tha na sgoilear Gàidhlig agus na Iar-Phrionnsabal agus na Cheannard air Colaiste nan Ealan aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu: Tha cànanan cudromach don luchd-labhairt aca. Tha goireasan mar Fhaclair na Gàidhlig bunaiteach don chànan agus ga ghlèidheadh do ghinealaichean san àm ri teachd.
Tha a’ phròiseact seo cudromach aig ìre nàiseanta agus a’ toirt am follais sàr cho-obrachadh a tha dol air adhart taobh a-staigh nan Ealan agus nan Daonnachdan ann an Alba. Tha am Faclair seo a’ ciallachadh gum bi a' Ghàidhlig ruigsinneach dhan a h-uile, luchd-labhairt, luchd-ionnsachaidh agus luchd-teagaisg, a’ tasgadh beartas a’ chànain agus a’ fàgail dìleab phrìseil do ghinealaichean ri teachd.
First published: 24 April 2018
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