Monday, May 30, 2011

Gnéithe de Ghaeilge Chontae an Dúin

(Aspects of County Down Irish that we can be sure of)

Thig linn a bheith cinnte gurb chanúint ‘cha’ a bhí inti. Níl aon amhras ann faoi seo cé nach bhfuil fianaise díreach scríofa againn, tá leideanna ann. Ba ‘cha’ amháin a bhí le cloisteáil sna contaetha timpeall thart air Chontae an Dúin agus timpeall thart orthusan fiú. Ar ndóigh, cha amháin atá acu i Manainn, an chead canúint eile i gcontanam na Gaeilge.



Lena chois sin, is féidir a bheith measartha cinnte gur canúint ‘feil’ a bhí inti fosta agus go raibh feil ann in áit fuil. Is é sin le rá go dúradh ‘an bhfeil’ seachas ‘an bhfuil’ agus ‘chan fheil’ seachas ‘níl’ agus ‘chan fhuil’. Níl aon fianaise díreach ann ach feil a bhí le fáil i ndeisceart Ard Mhacha, in Ó Méith agus i nGlinntí Aontroma.



Fuaimeanna



‘ch’



Cosúil le Gaedhilg Oirthear Uladh ar fad (seachas Reachlainn), bhí ‘ch’ [x] (Broad) (fricative velar), agus ‘th’, 'broad' [h] (glottal approximate), an lag ar fad sa chanúint agus is cosúil nach raibh na fuaimeanna siúd ann ar chór ar bith de ghnáth.



Th is … omitted in pronouncing many words, such as athair, father, máthair, mother, &c. in most of the counties of Ulster, and in the east of Leinster, where the words are pronounced as if written àair, màair.[1]



Ch, at the end of words, or syllables, is very weakly expressed by the natives of Ulster: ach receives no more force, than if it were written ah; and ch, before t, is quite silent in all of the country along the sea coast, from Derry to Waterford; thus bhi duine bocht, there was a poor man, is there pronounced, bhi duine bót.[2]



Seo roinnt samplaí de chailliúint ‘ch’ roimh [t] leathan i measc logainmneachaí Dheisceart an Chontae. Ballybot (Baile Bocht), Ocht Mountain (Ucht) , Letalian (Leacht Aillín) Bottier[3] (Bocht-tír).



Seo neart samplaí ag deireadh focail chomh maith. Cabra (Cabrach), Spelga (Speilgeach), Lough Shannagh (Loch Seannach) foghraithe mar ‘Loch Seanna’ inniu. Ar ndóigh, d’fhoghrófaí na foclaí seo mar a gcéanna i nGaoth Dobhair inniu. Ar ndóigh, b’ionann seo agus mar a bhí an Ghaeilge i nGaeilge Oirialla[4]. Ós rud é gur luadh an fhocal seannach, ba chóir domh a mhíniú gur leagan de sionnach atá i gceist anseo, arís, faightear eolas i logainm agus ba é seannach an fhoirm a bhí le fáil in Oirialla chomh maith.



Maidir le laghdú ch i lár fhocail, tá sampla spéisiúil ar fáil ó cheantar an Bhoirinn, Lawniskey, Tá Rev. Fr. B Treanor den bharúil gur Lochán Uisce atá i gceist agus aontaím leis sin.

'th'


Maidir le laghdú nó cailliúint ‘th’, tá fianaise breise ar fáil sna logainmneacha lena chois. Mar shamplaí - Goward (Guthard) foghraithe mar /gu:rd / ag muintir na háite sin na linne seo, Leod (Leathfhód) foghraithe mar /le:d/ anois agus Attical (Áit Tí Chathail)

Tá fianaise fosta go raibh sé mar a gcéanna nuair a bhí an consan caol mar shampla i mbaile fearainn i gCluain Daimh, Lenish (Leith-Inis) foghraithe mar /le:nis'/ inniu.










[1] ?? - caithfidh mé seo a chinntiú.





[2] Neilson l 143





[3] Iveagh L. 284





[4] Feach McKenna, M.,






Saturday, May 28, 2011

A bit of 'Protestant Irish'

In Irish we are all taught at school that 'hello' is Dia Duit (god be with you), and that the reply is Dia is Muire duit (God and Mary be with you).

Some Protestants may not feel completely comfortable with that expression you may be thinking.

What did Protestants say when the language was spoken more widely (clearly many Protestants in the North spoke at least some Irish as a second language in times gone by, as well as a minority speaking Irish as a first language)?

Well, we know.

The intial greeting is the same (go mbeannaí) Dia dhuit but the reply is different -

Go mbeannaí an céanna dhuitse - may the same bless you.

Focal na Seachtaine - Goidé an cor seo ort?

In County Down Irish, the most common why of saying, how are was Goidé mar atá tú? Just like in the rest of Ulster.

However, there is another expression.

Goidé an cor seo ort?

"what is this you are about" /How are you?

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Nótaí ar Ghaeilge Chontae an Dúin 1 - Stair agus Foinsí

Is dócha go bhfuil níos mó eolas againn fán Ghaeilge mar a labhraítear is a labhróidh i ngach aon chontae in Ultaibh seachas i bhFear Manach, ná mar atá againn fá Ghaeilge Chontae an Dúin.

Sin ráite, tá neart eolas cinnte againn agus thig linn a bheith beagnach cinnte fá go leor rudaí eile.

Cailleadh na rianta deireanacha den teanga i gContae an Dúin sna Daichidí, i bparóiste Cluain Daimh agus i bparóiste Chill Chua i ndeisceart an Chontae .

Luaigh Eymrs Evans ina leabhar, ‘Mourne Country’ a scríobh sé i 1951, an Ghaeilge thart ar Hilltown i gCluain Daimh.

The Gaelic language could still be heard in Hilltown in the late nineteenth century, and the last native speakers, as distinct from those who have learnt Gaelic in the schools, have only recently died out.

Tá neart fianaise le fáil san alt a scríobh Ciarán Ó Duibhín, 'The Irish Language in County Down'. Bhí sé seo le rá aige mar thuairim deiridh ar an ábhar:

In Clonduff…it is clear that children born before 1840 were generally raised with Irish; Irish was still quite widely used in the 1880s: fluent speakers were not hard to find in the 1890s and at least one man knowing some words of native County Down Irish was living as late as 1945.

Chomh maith leis sin, tá an ráiteas seo déanta ag Ó Mainnín:

…one is left with the impression that, of all the parishes in this part of the county, the original Irish forms of place-names lingered longest in Clonduff.

Tá Cluain Daimh suite i lár dheisceart an Dúin, ceantar mór atá inti faoi bhun na Beanna Boirche. Ar ndóigh, is Galltacht í an áit, agus cha labhraíodh an teanga I gcuimhne duine ar bith beo cé gur mhair an teanga ar feadh tamaill níos faide ná áit ar bith eile sa chontae. De réir an fhianaise, ba Ghaeltacht í an áit roimh an Ghorta mór. Cé gur cosúil nach raibh mórán duine ann gan Béarla tar éis an Ghorta, de réir cosúlachtaí labhraíodh Gaeilge go forleathan roimh 1900. Tá an cuntas seo againn ó 1880.

“There a good many Irish speaking people in the neighbourhood of Hilltown though I think nearly all of them can speak English; when, however they frequent fairs in the upper parts of county Armagh, for instance they met with people who speak English very imperfectly: and with these people the Down men converse altogether in Irish.”
A correspondent of W.H Patterson.

Ní dhearnadh mórán staidéar air cé go raibh daoine den bharúil go raibh cainteoirí dúchais ann. Is dócha go raibh sé níos furasta cainteoirí a fháil in Ó Méith nó in Ard Mhacha.

Creidtear gur scríobh Aodh Ó Greacháin nótaí ar Ghaeilge Chontae an Dúin ach faraor ní féidir an saothar sin a fháil anois cé go bhfuil ráiteas againn uaidh ag cur in iúl dúinn go an cosúlacht idir Gaeilge an Dúin agus an teanga in Ard Macha agus Ó Méith.

Judging from the remnants of Co. Down Irish which I have collected, it differed little in idiom, vocabulary, or pronunciation from Omeath Irish ...

Is mór an truaigh nach bhfuil saothar Mhic Ghreacháin le fáil ach ní fios dúinn – b’fheadfaí go bhfaighfear é go fóill?

Tá foinse eile againn mar i saothar An Urramaigh William Neilson i ‘An Introduction to the Irish Language’ má ghlactar go bhfuil an saothar bunaithe ar Ghaeilg Chontae an Dúin. Is cinnte go raibh páirt mór ag Pádraig Ó Loingsigh, fear Chontae an Dúin agus chan fheil dabht ar bith agam féin go bhfuil an saothar bunaithe den chuid is mó, ar Ghaedhilg an Chontae sin. Pé scéal é, Is cinnte gur foinse an tábhachtach é don té a bhfuil suim aige i stair Ghaedhilge Uladh.

Is féidir an rud céanna a rá faoin leabhar ‘Bolg a’ tSolair’, foilsithe ag an Northern Star agus scríofa ag Pádraig Ó Loinsigh den chuid is mó. Arís, ní féidir a bheith cinnte gur Gaeilge Chontae an Dúin atá i gceist ann i gcónaí agus is cinnte go bhfuil sé bunaithe air an chanúint sin.

Seachas na foinsí siúd áfach, tá foinse ar leith againn i logainmneacha an Chontae idir bailte fearainn, mion-logainmneachaí agus ar ndóigh tá na saibhreas ar leith againn i logainmeachaí na Beanna Boirche, nó na Beannaí Boirfe mar a déarfá.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

What did Clonduff Irish sound like? (Part II - Omeath)

The recording with Brian Mac Cuarta was carried out in 1931, fortunately we have later recordings of Omeath Irish which are significantly clearer.

The following recording is Anna Uì Annluain of Omeath in conversation with Proinsias Ó Connluain of RTE.


Read Ann Bean Ui Annluain ag caint Gaeilge (1961)


BUA: Bhí[1] aimsear[2] mhaith acu, bhí siad a’ gabháil, gabháil thart bho[3] ‘n toigh[4] chuig toighe agus bhí siad a’ damhsadh agus ag cuideacht amuigh acu, bhí siad níos… bhí siad ceart go leor ins an aimsir sin, ‘air[5] a bhí mise óg…atá ionn, níl sin inniu nó ‘dhé[6]![7]

PÓC: Sea, tháinig athrú mór ar a’ tsaol ó shin.

BUA:Tháini’! tháinic! …tháinic go dearfa.
PÓC:sea, bhál, bhíodh damhsaí nó céilithe ins na tithe an t-am sin.

BUA:ó, bhí, agus bhí spóirse[9] amuigh agus bhí dul ceoil agus damhsadh agus bhí siad, bhí siad, daoine deas’ bhí iontu, bhí siad socair agus…
PÓC:hmm…agus bhí siad in ann a gcuid ceoil fhéin a dhéanamh?

BUA:Seadh, seadh, seadh…[thiocfadh leat ]
PÓC:bhí neart fidléirí ann?

BUA:seadh, Ó!, cha[10] rabh mórán…mórán sásann’[11] ionn ins an aimsear sin, mórán ceoltaí nó mórán damhsú nó an dadadh atá ‘thagairt[12] ‘nois[13]

PÓC:Bhíodh níos mó ann ná mar atá anois is dóigh? Bhí amhráin ag a lán daoine an t-am sin.

BUA:Bhí. …Amhrán amhrán le féin … a dhéanadh duine … thú fhéin
PÓC:Ó Sea, dhéanfá an ceol tú fhéin

BUA:Seadh, Seadh
PÓC:Well, anois, bhíodh nósanna airithe agaibh, cuirim i gcás oíche Shamhna anois cad é a dhéanadh sibh sa tsean am

BUA:Cha raibh muisinn cha raibh muid[14] mórán mórán cuideacht in oíche Shamhna, bhí sé iontach socair, má tá, bhí na daoine ‘gabháil thart bhí siad a’ goid, a’ goid cabáiste[15] agus bhí siad bri..briseadh …geataí agus, thug siad na geataí…an gheata seo agus dhéanadh siad míle nó dhá mhíle …….., thug siad [the] geata seo, d’fhág siad síos

PÓC:ag an tráigh

BUA:Seadh … sin a’ seort[16]

PÓC:rudaí mar sin

BUA: Seadh
[1] Mar gheall ar chaighdeán an taifeadáin, níl sé soiléir cé acu fuaim dhéliopach nó liopa-dhéadach í seo. Cé gur baineadh úsáid as an tsiombail liopa-dhéadach san athscríobh ar fad, tá an seans ann gur fuaim liopa-dhéadach a bhí á úsáid aici.
[2] An ghnáthfhoirm a bhí sa chanúint, an tuiseal tabharthach in áit an ainmnigh atá i gceist.
[3] Ba mhinic a baineadh úsáid as ‘bho’ in áit ‘ó’ nuair a bhí Gaeilge á labhairt in Oirthear Uladh, féach :Ó BAOILL, C., Contributions to a comparative study of Ulster Irish and Scottish Gaelic (Studies in Irish Language and Literature IV, Department of Celtic, Queen’s University, Belfast 1978). l. 243. agus STOCKMAN, G., Cruinneas Gramadaí agus Corrfhocal Eile (Lagan Press, Belfast 1996).l. 68-69.
[4] An gnáthfhocal a bhí sa chanúint agus ní raibh an fhocal ‘teach’ ar fáil i bhfoinse Oirialla ar bith dá bhfaca mé go dtí seo. Is ionann ‘toigh’ agus an tuiseal tabharthach a ghlac áit an ainmnigh. Féach fosta: Ó BAOILL (1978) l. 99 agus STOCKMAN (1996) l. 91. Baintear úsáid as ‘toigh’ in áit ‘teach’ i dtuaisceart Thír Chonaill go fóill.
[5] Bhí an focal seo coitianta in Oirthear Uladh, féach Ó BAOILL (1978) l. 226.
[6] Is giorrúchán é seo ar ‘indhé’ (inné).
[7] Ar ndóigh, níor labhair Bean Uí Annluain Gaeilge le fada an lá agus is dócha go bhfuil an struchtúr gramadaí seo lochtach. Is dócha go raibh a leithid coitianta agus an Ghaeilge ag saothrú a báis in Oirialla. Mar shampla, “tá sé sin breá léim trasna.” atá le fáil i scéal Uí Méith - WAGNER, H., Ó BAOILL C., Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects IV, (Royal Irish Academy Dublin 1969) l. 295.
[9] Féach McKENNA, M.,"A note on a feature of Omeath Irish", Celtica 15 (1983) 65-66.
[10] Is riachtanach a rá gur ceantar “cha” é seo agus is beag má bhí “ní” ar fáil ar chor ar bith ach san fhocal ‘níl’ amháin; fiú sa chás seo is cosúil gur giorrúchán é seo ar ‘chan fheil’ (i.e. ‘n’eil) seachas giorrúchán ar ‘ní fhuil’.
[11] Níl amhras ann gur gléasanna ceoil atá i gceist anseo. “device, instrument, apparatus” an ciall atá leis an fhocal ‘sás’ i bhfoclóir Néill Uí Dhónaill, Ó DÓNAILL, N. (Ed.), Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath 1977).
[12] Níl ciall na habairte seo soiléir dom. Is féidir gur “…dadadh a’ tagairt ‘nois” atá i gceist. Seans ann chomh maith go mb’fhéidir gur “…atá ‘agair ‘nois” i gceist.
[13] Tá an fuaimniú seo cosúil leis an fhocal ‘nish’ i nGaeilge Mhanainn.
[14] Tá sé suntasach nár dhúirt an chainteoir ‘muinn’, an gnáthfhocal a bhí in Oirialla. Is dócha go raibh sí ag iarraidh Gaeilge ‘cheart’ a labhairt nó b’fhéidir ag bhfuil sí ag déanamh aithris ar an cheistitheoir .
[15] Is féidir go bhfuil an cainteoir ag déanamh aithris ar an cheistitheoir óir /Ègob«St «/ an fhuaimniú atá sa LASID p.5 pointe 250.
[16]An ghnáthfhoirm a bhí sa chanúint don fhocal “sórt”.

What did Clonduff Irish sound like? (Part I)

I recently had a conversation regarding how the Irish of Clonduff was pronounced, my attempts at replicating the dialect condemned as "sounding like a Donegal accent."

Like in much of the North, it is believed by many that the phonology of the local Irish is preserved in the English dialect.

At best, this can only be partially true, given that English has far fewer sounds than Irish and that English has been the dominant venacular in Clonduff for circa 150 years (although remanants of the language were to be found in the 1940s).

Unfortunately, we do not have any recordings of Clonduff Irish or any Gaelic dialect in County Down.

We do however have recordings of other East Ulster Dialects, the closest being from Omeath in County Louth, approx eight miles as the crow flies.

The body of Omeath recording includes that of Brian Mac Cuarta, who interestly lived in Clonduff from the age of 7-20 (information from Ciarán O Duibhín's site - http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~oduibhin/cainnteoir/oirghialla.txt)

Brian lived in Hilltown at a time when possibly even a majority of people spoke Irish but when it had all but ceased to be transmitted to children, who knows, he may have been influenced by the dialect, a recording of Brian can be found here, the recording done in 1931, he was 84.