Sna seachdainnean mu dheireadh aig a’ phròiseact Mediating Multilingualism aig Institiùd Rannsachaidh Cànain Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd ‘s nan Eilean thàinig na com-pàirtichean eadar-nàiseanta sna h-oilthighean ann an Alba, Diaimeuga, agus sna h-Innseachan còmhla airson cuspairean san robh ùidh aca uile a dheasbad cuide ri luchd-labhairt às an Rìoghachd Aonaichte aig a bheil cànanan coimhearsnachd. Chleachd iad pìosan a-mach à Saoghal Thormoid airson na deasbadan (a chaidh a chumail sa Bheurla) a thòiseachadh. Chaidh na còmhraidhean seo a chlàradh, agus tha iad a-nis ri fhaighinn air sianal YouTube Guthan nan Eilean.
Bheir an clàr shìos ceanglaichean ris na deasbadan gu lèir, cuide ris na bhidiothan le Tormod MacGill-Eain a’ bruidhinn.
Faodar criomagan às na h-earrannan ann an Saoghal Thormoid fhaicinn an seo, airson blasad fhaighinn dhe na beachdan aig Tormod fhèin.
1. Gaelic Trajectory?
2. English Ascendancy?
3a. Bilingual Balance?
3b. Homecoming Postscript
Agus ma tha ceistean agad, no ma tha thu airson puingean a thogail air-loidhne sna deasbadan seo, faodaidh tu pàirt a ghabhail sna còmhraidhean a bhios a’ dol ann am MOOT Guthan nan Eilean! Rud nach bi a’ tachairt a h-uile latha… Siuthad! Carpe diem!
Well, the idea of an Island Voices “Multilingual Open Online Teach-in” is now no longer, um, moot – for want of a better word. “Chan ann a h-uile latha a bhios mòd aig Mac an Tòisich”, mar a chanas iad, (“It’s not every day Mackintosh throws a party” – loosely) but its time has come.
“Talking Points” with Tormod
We’ve recently placed a whole series of “Talking Points with Norman Maclean” recordings on our YouTube channel, built on a merging of materials and ideas from the Soillse/UHI Language Sciences Institute projects Mediating Multilingualism and Saoghal Thormoid. In the last few weeks of the funded period for Mediating Multilingualism, linguists in universities in Scotland, India, and Jamaica discussed topics of common interest with UK-based community language speakers, stimulated by brief extracts from the final session of Saoghal Thormoid. And these discussions are now available to view.
It’s an experimental format, mixing subtitled Gaelic recordings with live English debate. The topics are sociolinguistic, covering Language Endangerment (Gaelic Trajectory?), Language Hierarchies (English Ascendancy?), and Language Contact (Bilingual Balance?). And they may raise just as many questions as answers, if not more. Just the thing then for the enquiring mind, and quite in the spirit of the “Teach-in” philosophy described in our 2019 post! In the end, we didn’t set up a separate online forum then, and we won’t now. There are perfectly good comment and reply functions on YouTube and here on WordPress for any questions readers or listeners may have.
YouTube Playlist
But to help provide a degree of focus or sense of direction – without closing down the options for diverging lines of thought and enquiry – we’ve put together a special “box set” International Island Voices MOOT playlist on YouTube that brings together the Talking Points material with some other key videos from our overall body of work which underpin and exemplify our multilingual approach.
Previews
By the way, we knitted some 2-minute Norman Maclean “highlights” into the recorded discussions, as an aide memoire for the longer extracts that were being discussed. If you want a quick taste of a topic, we’ve extracted them here, and you can take a quick look at any of them now, before choosing which full discussion to dive into for the wider treatment.
1. Gaelic Trajectory?
2. English Ascendancy?
3a. Bilingual Balance?
3b. Homecoming Postscript
Taking Part
There’s no start or stop date on this. The “Talking Points” participants are separated by up to ten and a half hours difference in time zones between India and Jamaica, so a simultaneous “launch” has not been feasible. And our geographical catchment is worldwide, so the approach is deliberately asynchronous – completely independent of any timetable. View the videos, ask questions, and make comments (which will be moderated) as and when you can and wish. Please be polite, and be prepared to be patient if waiting for responses.
Choosing where to comment is up to you. Specific queries about particular videos may be best posted under the relevant YouTube clip. But if your point or question is more general, then a comment here under this WordPress post may be the best place.
Binge-watching the whole playlist in one go is probably doable, if challenging, but perhaps not the best way of giving yourself time to think through issues that arise and about which you may have questions. A better approach might actually be to split up the longer discussion videos into smaller chunks – for which the “chapters” function in YouTube may well come in handy. If you take a look at the video description for any of these long clips you’ll find timed listings for each of the speakers, which you can click on to go straight to that particular point in the film.
And any time you catch yourself wondering which one’s Treebeard, it’s probably time for a break…
We’re pleased to have a receptive and supportive audience and readership, of course, but comments, questions and other feedback are always very welcome. Wikipedia tells us “Teach-ins are meant to be practical, participatory, and oriented toward action. While they include experts lecturing on their area of expertise, discussion and questions from the audience are welcome…”
Dear readers, whether you have questions or suggestions, the MOOT is open. We invite you to “unmute”!
Mr Lachlan Campbell (c.1690×1707): Gaelic glossaries, lost material and the Republic of Letters
Tha sinn a’ cur fàilte air Dr Danielle Fatzinger, Oilthigh Ghlaschu, air a’ mhìos seo. Bidh i a’ bruidhinn air a cheann a chithear gu h-àrd, Mgr Lachlann Caimbeul. Tha sinn an dòchas gun urrainn dhuibh a bhith còmhla ruinn agus òraid air leth inntinneach againn air fàire.
We are looking forward to our first talk of the New Year. This month our guest-speaker is Dr Danielle Fatzinger, University of Glasgow, talking, on the heading above, Thursday 20th January at 7.30pm. We hope you can join us for what will be a fascinating and informative talk.
“Winta jos a ton ina spring ina di Outer Hebrides, we de pan Scotland wes kuos. Di priti plies dem mek yu memba se dem ailan ya suun fulop a piipl we lef dem yaad an kom pan alidie ina di at mont dem we suun riich, bot rait ya nou wan gruup a luokal piipl a go pan a chrip pan di Naatwes kuos a Ireland. Bak ina di diez, dem wuda chavl bai waata an wuda go fram ailan tu ailan ina dis lang schring a komyuuniti we piipl ongl chat Gaelic. Bot nou-a-diez Benbecula ierpuot gi piipl wan iiziya an muo komfatebl wie fi go bout dem bizniz…” (Jamiekan)
“Mu dheireadh thall tha sinn a’ cur ar cul ris a’ Gheamhradh anns na h-Eileanan Siar, sa chuan pìos a-mach à taobh an iar na h-Alba. Tha na seallaidhean àlainn gar cuimhneachadh gum bi luchd-turais gu leòr a’ tighinn ann am mìosan blàth an t-samhraidh. Ach an-diugh fhèin tha sgioba de dh’Eileanaich a’ dèanamh an slìghe gu taobh an iar-thuath na h-Èirinn. Aig aon àm, b’ e bàta a bhiodh aca, a’ leum bho eilean gu eilean ann an sreath slàn de choimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig, ach tha port-adhair Bheinn na Faoghla a’ dèanamh gnothaichean nas fhasa dhaibh an-diugh…” (Gàidhlig)
“Tá an tEarrach ag teacht sna hOileáin Siar amach ó chósta thiar na hAlban. Cuireann na radharcanna áille i gcuimhne dúinn go mbeidh neart turasóirí ag triall ar na hoileáin seo sna míonna teo atá le teacht. Ach san am i láthair tá buíon oileánach ag imeacht ar thuras go cósta Iarthuaiscirt na hÉireann. Blianta ó shin is turas farraige a bheadh ann, ag imeacht ó oileán go hoileán i slabhra de phobail Ghaeltachta. Ach anois cuireann Aerfort Bheinn A Faoghla modh níos áisiúla taistil ar fail…” (Gaeilge)
“Winter is just turning to spring in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. Picturesque scenes are a reminder that these islands will host a steady stream of holidaymakers in the warmer months to come, but right now a team of islanders is heading off on a trip to the Northwest coast of Ireland. In earlier times the journey would have been by sea, hopping from island to island in an unbroken string of Gaelic-speaking communities. But now, Benbecula airport offers a more convenient means of travel…” (English)
Following his work on the Tobar an Dualchais Dijitaizieshan Senta, Hugh Campbell of the University of the West Indies Jamaican Language Unit has kindly voiced another Island Voices film – the “Gaelic Jorni” documenting the seminal linkage with Irish language speakers in Donegal.
As with his first film, this is part of the transnational “Mediating Multilingualism” project linking Scottish, Indian, and Jamaican universities. Congratulations also to the UHI IT team for adding Jamaican to the growing list of languages in which the university’s webpages are now available!
Bho chionn fhada, thug mi sùil air na lìonraidhean rèile anns na Stàitean Aonaichte (tìr-mòr, Alaska, Hawaiʻi agus Puerto Rico), Canada agus Sealadh Nuadh sa bhloga seo ann an sreath air an robh Rathaidean-iarainnsan t-saoghal ùr.
Choimhead mi air bhidio bho chionn ghoirid mun reifreann ann an 1967 gus a’ bhòt a thoirt do Thùsanaich ann an Astràlia agus tha mi air grunn leabhraichean a leughadh mu shuidheachadh nan Tùsanach agus cuideachd mu Eileanan Caolas Thorres cuideachd bhon uair sin.
Thug sinn orm cuimhneachadh nach tug mi sùil air rathaidean-iarainn Astràlia fhathast agus gun robh làn àm ann sin a chur ceart!
Seo mapa de na loidhichean uile do luchd-siubhail san dùthaich:
Tha na rathaidean-iarainn ann an Astràlia car coltach ris an fheadhainn ann an Ameireagaidh is Canada – tha tòrr siostaman rèile ionadail is trama ann taobh a-staigh nan cathair-bhailtean ach chan eil an uiread de sheirbheisean ann do luchd-siubhail eadar na cathair-bhailtean leis cho fada air falbh bho chèile ’s a tha iad. Gu ìre mhòr, ’s ann do bhathair seach luchd-siubhail a tha na rathaidean-iarainn fada eadar-chathrach.
’S e dùthaich mhòr mhòr a th’ ann an Astràlia le cathair-bhailtean air a’ chosta ach gun mòran dhaoine a’ fuireach eadarra! Tha Astràlia na dùthaich gu math bailteil cuideachd le 71% den t-sluagh a’ fuireach sna cathair-bhailtean. Tha Sydney agus Melbourne nam mega-chathair-bhailtean le 5 mìllean luchd-còmhnaidh an urra le còrr is 2 mhìllean an urra ann am Brisbane agus Peairt agus 1.6 millean ann an Adelaide. Tha Canberra, prìomh bhaile na dùthcha mun aon mheud ri Dùn Èideann agus tha 145,000 a’ fuireach ann an Darwin, prìomh bhaile na Roinne a Tuath.
Seo clàr den astar eadar na diofar bhailtean – ’s ann bho mhapa rathaid a tha seo ach tha e a’ toirt dhuinn dealbh air cho fada ’s a tha na tursan rèile cuideachd.
Chì sinn gu bheil Melbourne agus Adelaide mun aon astar air falbh bho cheile ri Glaschu is Lunnainn mar eisimpleir, agus tha Adelaide gu Sydney mun aon astar ri Inbhir Theòrsa gu Penzance. Agus mur a robh sin fada gu leòr, tha Brisbane gu Peairt mun aon astar ri Glaschu gu Ankara san Tuirc. Mar sin, tha sinn a’ bruidhinn air astaran mòra.
Chan eil trèanaichean eadar-chathrach uabhasach pailt. Thug mi sùil air Australia by Rail le Colin Taylor agus the Man in Seat 61 agus chan eil ach 2 thrèana san latha eadar Sydney is Melbourne, 2 san latha eadar Sydney agus Brisbane agus trì san latha eadar Sydney is Canberra mar eisimpleir. Agus chan eil ach dà thrèana san t-seachdain eadar Melbourne agus Adelaide – rud a tha doirbh a chreidsinn nuair a smaoineachas tu gu bheil Glaschu is Lunnainn 400 mìle bho chèile agus gu bheil còrr is 40 trèanaichean dìreach eadarra gach latha!
A bharrachd air an astar eadar na prìomh bhailtean – trioblaid a th’ aig na Stàitean Aonaichte agus Canada cuideachd, tha trioblaidean eile aig na seirbheisean rèile ann an Astràlia nach eil aig na dùthchannan sin.
Sa chiad dol a-mach, tha diofar ghèidseachan ann. Cha deach Astràlia aonachadh mar dhùthaich gu 1901 agus roimhe sin, bha diofar cholonaidhean san dùthaich agus bha iad a’ cleachdadh diofar ghèidseachan. Bha cuid de na loidhnichean a’ cleachdadh gèidse choitcheann (standard gauge – 4’8½”) agus cuid a’ cleachdadh gèidse na h-Èireann (5’3”) agus tòrr eile a’ cleachdadh caol-ghèidse (mar as trice 3’6” ann an Astràlia – ‘gèidse nan colonaidhean’). Tha seo fhathast na dhùbhlan an-diugh, ged a tha gèide choitcheann air a bhith a’ fàs mean air mhean.
A bharrachd air seo, tha na stàitean fhathast uabhasach cudromach ann a bhith a’ ruith seirbheisean rèile agus tha dìth co-òrdanachaidh nàiseanta ann – chan eil companaidh nàiseanta ann coltach ri Amtrak (an companaidh nàiseanta do luchd-siubhail sna Stàitean Aonaichte) gus seirbheisean rèile fìor fhada a ruith.
Tha na seirbheisean air na loidhnichean fada tar-Astràlianach leithid an Indian Pacific agus an Ghan air an ruith le companaidhean prìobhaideach mar trèanaichean luxury do luchd-turais agus chan eil seirbheis àbhaisteach ann dhan phoball. Chan ann mar seo a tha cùisean sna Stàitean Aonaichte far a bheil e meadhananch saor a dhol bho New York gu LA le Amtrak, mar eisimpleir ach nan robh thu ag iarraidh a dhol bho Adelaide gu Perth no bho Adelaide gu Darwin, chosgadh e airgead gun chiall. Tha na prìsean air a’ Ghan bho Adelaide gu Darwin a’ tòiseachadh aig c£2,000 mar eisimpleir agus cosgaidh an Indian Pacific eadar Sydney is Peairt c£1,300 no c£900 eadar Adelaide is Peairt.. Mar sin, chan eil na trèanaichean astar fìor fhada farpaiseach le plèanaichean a thaobh prìs idir.
Ach, ged nach eil seirbheisean eadar-chathrach math gu leòr aig an ìre seo, tha rathaidean-iarainn glèidhte uabhasach pailt san dùthaich. Agus eu-choltach ris na loidhnichean san RA far a bheil a’ mhòr chuid gu math goirid (eadar 1 is 10 mìle mar as trice), tha tòrr aca gu math fada – tha cuid aca còrr is 20 mìle a dh’fhaid agus ann an sgìrean le fìor dheagh sheallaidhean, tursan a chòrdas ri luchd-turais san fharsaingeachd agus chan ann a-mhàin le trainspotters.
Seo clàr le fiosrachadh mu na rathaidean-iarainn anns gach stàit/roinn ann an Astràlia.
Chan eil fhios agam am bi tìde no airgead gu leòr agam a-chaoidh airson a dhol a dh’Astràlia – ach tha e air an liosta-bhucaid agam co-dhiù!
Alasdair
p.s – seo beagan ceòl Astràlianach dhuibh! Bho Friday 13th – Part V, Pseudo Echo le His Eyes.