#eadar-theangachadh

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Anna Ruadh: Anne of Green Gables in Gaelic

Help us create the first-ever Scottish Gaelic translation of Anne of Green Gables, the beloved Canadian classic by L.M. Montgomery

Bradan Press, a publisher in the Canadian Maritimes, is raising money to commission, edit, and publish the first-ever translation of Anne of Green Gables into Scottish Gaelic.

Canadian author L.M. Montgomery’s fictional story of the red-haired orphan Anne Shirley is beloved by generations of children and adults worldwide. First published in 1908, the story is set in the Maritime provinces of Canada. From an orphanage in Nova Scotia, Anne is sent by mistake to ageing brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, in rural Prince Edward Island, who wanted to adopt a boy to help on their farm.

The novel has never before been translated into Gaelic, even though Gaelic is the language with the closest cultural and historical connections to L.M. Montgomery and Prince Edward Island after English. We feel this is a major oversight, connected to the way that Gaels and Gaelic have been deliberately erased from Maritime and Canadian culture and history.

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Is fheàrr Gàidhlig bhriste na Gàidhlig sa chiste.

[Broken Gaelic is better than dead Gaelic.]

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It is definitely better to use Gaelic, even if it isn't fluent, or perfect grammatically. Better this than the language dying. For learners, it is good to bear in mind that any effort is worthwhile. Of course, the ideal would be to get people using Gaelic as much as possible, which ought to lead to fluency.*

But, I would hate to see Gaelic reduced to just a few common phrases smattered through English, or just a word, here and there. That would be sad. Gaelic has lost too many dialects already. The good news is the number of speakers has stabilised, and it would appear another dialect has developed, being Glaswegian Gaelic.

Suis leis a' Ghàidhlig!

*If you are a learner, it is always good practice to make this clear, so learners will not collect your own errors. Try to find a mentor, and listen when fluent speakers correct you, and make the amendments as suggested, so as not to mislead other learners.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsK8wYwgH3H/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yit1co2sm1pv

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Some ideas for the United Nations’ Year of Indigenous Languages borrowed from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Perhaps you can think of more?

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CHAN FHAIC GRÀDH LOCHD.

[Love sees no fault.]

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AN DORAS AIR AN TIG AMHARAS A-STEACH, THÈID GRÀDH A-MACH.

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[The door through which suspicion enters, love will leave.]

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NITHEAR CÀRN MÒR DE CHLACHAN BEAGA

Fuaim le Learn Gaelic: http://bit.ly/2SDuUhR

[A large cairn is made from little stones.]

I’m not sure exactly how to interpret this. I can see a few, if similar meanings.

1. A long journey starts with a one, small step seems a comparable comparison. For instance, if you are learning a language, taking one small step, and then another, and another gets you to where you can speak, and understand. Worrying about what you can’t say, or understand, and how much you have to learn when starting out does you no good. Start at the very beginning, with a single word, a single sentence, and build from there. Pretty soon all those small stones add up to one, immense cairn; individual steps can add up to a very long journey indeed.

2. If a task seems overwhelming, break it down into small chunks. Again, I relate this to language learning. If a lesson feels overwhelming (e.g. learning all the irregular verbs), focus on one at a time, in one tense. Memorise it, use it, then move on to the next tense, and repeat. Pretty soon, you’ll know all the irregular verbs, and, as a whole, they won’t seem so difficult.

3. No matter how immense something seems, it is made up of very small things. Think: the universe v. protons, neutrons, electrons, etc. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by any, single thing.

If you have another interpretation, please comment below. Taing!

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Suis leis a’ Ghaidlig!

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Is fhearr a bhi leisg gu ceannach na ruighinn gu pàigheadh.

Hesitation in buying is better than delay in paying.

I learned this lesson the hard way, and a decade of my life was lost. The never-never does come to collect, and it is unforgiving in its revenge.

Bear this in mind when venturing into the January sales.

Suis leis a' Ghàidhlig! 🗣

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Nuair a dh’fhairicheas sibh gun iarr sibh stad, cuimhnichibh carson a thòisich sibh.

[When you feel that you want to stop, remember why you started.]