“Latha dhuinn air Machair Alba …”
– Donnchadh Bàn Mac an Saoir, ante. 1768[1]
On a tha dlùth air an dàrna leth dhe na Gàidheil a’ fuireach air a’ Ghalltachd a-nis, a bheil na seann ainmean cinneach seo — Galltachd agus Gàidhealtachd — a’ freagairt air saoghal na Gàidhlig anns an latha an-diugh?
Thàinig a’ cheist seo am bàrr fhad ’s a bha mi ag obair air an ath leabhar agam, Às na Freumhan, leabhar eachdraidh a sgrìobh mi mu iomairt na bun-sgoileadh Gàidhlig ann an Dùn Èideann.
A thaobh cuspair na h-eachdraidh agus nan daoine a bha an sàs innte, mheas mi gum biodh an t-ainm Galltachd gu sònraichte trioblaideach, agus an seann chlaonadh fillte san ainm gu bheil Gàidheil ghaisgeanta Dhùn Èideann uile a’ fuireach taobh a-muigh saoghal ‘ceart’ na Gàidhlig ann an dòigh air choreigin.
Shaoilte, le cho stèidhichte ’s a tha na seann ainmean cinneach seo, gu bheil iad glè àrsaidh, ach ann an da-rìribh, cha do dh’fhàs iad bitheanta ann an Alba ro fhìor dheireadh nam meadhan aoisean.
Mun aon àm, chleachdte ainm eile air an ranntair a thuigear an-diugh mar The Highlands: Na Garbhchriochan. Chaidh ciall an ainm seo a chuingealachadh rè nam bliadhnaichean, agus a-nis, mar as àbhaist, thèid Na Garbhchriochan a chleachdadh an iomradh air an tìr eadar Loch Shuaineart agus Loch Shubhairne, ach o thùs, bha Na Garbhchriochan a’ gabhail a-steach na Gàidhealtachd air fad, agus aig amannan, nan Eileanan Siar cuideachd.[2]
Agus anns an latha an-diugh, mothachail air an trioblaid shònraichte a thig an cois an ainm, Galltachd, molar cuid an seann ainm, Machair na h-Alba, mar ainm Gàidhlig eile air The Lowlands.[3] ’S e sin an t-ainm a chleachdar air uairibh an cois foghlaim chloinne a-nis, mar eisimpleir.[4]
Bha machair a’ ciallachadh The Lowlands of Scotland o chionn fhada; ’s e sin an treasamh mìneachadh aig Edward Dwelly fhèin air an fhacal: “Name given by the Scottish Gael to the southern or low-lying parts of Scotland,”[5] ach anns an latha an-diugh, mar as tric nuair thèid machair a chleachdadh leis fhèin, thathas a’ dèanamh iomradh air a’ mhachair anns na h-Eileanan Siar, agus mar sin, bhiodh an t-ainm na b’ fhaide, Machair na h-Alba, na b’ fheàrr, shaoilinn, nuair a bhite a’ dèanamh iomradh air The Lowlands of Scotland.
Anns an dòigh cheudna, leis gum bi an t-ainm Na Garbhchriochan gu bitheanta a-nis na iomradh air taobh an iar sgìre Loch Abar, seach The Scottish Highlands air fad, airson soilleireachd, dh’fhaoidte Garbhchriochan na h-Alba a chleachdadh nuair a bhite a-mach air na Garbhchriochan anns an t-seagh thùsach.
Aig a’ cheann thall, cho-dhùin mi gun cleachdainn “ceann a deas na dùthcha” an àite Ghalltachd. An lùib eachdraidh fada, toinnte, tha e na bhuannachd gu bheil an abairt seo soilleir agus neodrach, ach mar ainm, tha i caran lom. Chan eil cus ceòl innte.
Saoil, dè ur beachd fhèin?
[1] MacLeòid, Aonghas. 1978. Òrain Dhonnchaidh Bhàin; The Songs of Duncan Ban Macintyre. Dùn Èideann: Comunn Litreachas Gàidhlig na h-Alba, 2.
[2] McLeod, Wilson. “Galldachd, Gàidhealtachd, Garbhchriochan.” Scottish Gaelic Studies 19 (1999): 1‒20.
[3] Morgan, Ailig Peadar. 2013. Ethnonyms in the place-names of Scotland and the Border counties of England. PhD Oilthigh Chill Rìbhinn, Eàrr-ràdh, 208.
[4] M.e. faic an goireas-ionnsachaidh bhon BhBC, Cruth na Tìre, https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba/foghlam/cruthnatire/ (faicte 13/8/19)
[5] Dwelly, Edward. 1994 (1911). The Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary. Glaschu: Gairm Publications, 620.
Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach 
Glè inntinneach. Chanainnsa fhèin gu bheil “Machair na h-Alba” nas soilleire agus nas pongaile na “ceann a deas na dùthcha”. Tha fhios nach eil an soighne “A’ Ghàidhealtachd” air an A9 a’ dèanamh ciall sam bith san là an-diùgh. B’fheàrr leam gu mòr “Na Garbhchrìochan”, mar a thuirt thu fhèin. Chìthear gur e ainmean tìr-eòlach a th’ann an Machair agus Garbhchrìochan, fhads is ann a-mach air cànanan a tha Galltachd agus Gàidhealtachd.
Cnuasachadh inntinneach mar as àbhaist, Tim.
Tha fhios gur e “a’ Ghàidhealtachd” ainm a tha a’ comharrachadh dualchas an àite ’s chan e a-mhàin an cànan is cultar a tha aig a’ mhòr-chuid an-diugh.
Cha b’ e ainm co-cheangailte ri clàr is cruth na tìre a bh’ innte riamh, ach gun robh na crìochan cànain, gu tubaisteach, an ìre mhath a’ leantainn crìochan monaidhean taobh tuath na h-Alba bhon 18mh linn gu mu thoiseach an Dàrna Cogaidh.
A bharrachd air sin, chan e aon mhachair a-mhàin a th’ anns a’ Ghalltachd co-dhiù. Gheibhear na Machraichean Meadhanach agus na h-Aonachan Deasach, far a bheil na slèibhtean feurach thar am mullaichean agus machraichean farsaing torrach ann cuideachd. Aig aon àm, bhite ag toirt “Gàidhealtachd” air na slèibhtean ann an Gall-Ghàidhealaibh, suas chun 16mh linn, as dòcha.
Mar sin, ’s iad ainmean dualchais a th’ anns a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus a’ Ghalltachd, agus tha iad gu math feumail airson bruidhinn air cùisean cultarach a bhuineas do dhualchas gach ceàrnaidh.
San leabhar ‘Gaelic and Scotland / Alba agus a’ Ghàidhlig’ (Deas. le William Gillies, Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1989), sgrìobh Iain MacAonghais, na aiste ‘The Gaelic perception of the Lowlands’:
“Some years ago I heard Gaelic speakers in Arran describe the entire stretch of coastland from Galloway to Ayrshire as part of the Gàidhealtachd. They knew some of the place-names of that region in their Gaelic form; it was traditional knowledge among them that the Gaelic language had been spoken there in the past; and they assumed that, just as in Arran, it had survived to the present day.” (p90)
San leabhar ‘Gaelic and Scotland / Alba agus a’ Ghàidhlig’ (Deas. le William Gillies, Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1989), sgrìobh Iain MacAonghais, na aiste ‘The Gaelic perception of the Lowlands’:
Agus tha na h-earrannan a leanas le MacAonghais san aon aiste gu math ùidheil mar an ceudna:
“A Lowlander (male) is a *Gall*; a Lowlander (female) a *Ban-Ghall*. The adjective is *Gallda*; and *Galldachd* is formed from it. The sharpness of the distinction that Gaelic tradition draws between Lowlander and Englishman is not always appreciated to the full by non-Gaels. Their puzzlement may not be altogether surprising. For one thing, as Lowlanders sometimes complain, Gaelic makes no distinction between English and Lowland Scots linguistically. They both speak *Beurla*. But *beurla* meant originally not ‘English’ but ‘speech’: the extended designation *Beurla Shasannach* ‘English (speech)’ is still heard. I must admit that I have never heard this employed to make a contrast with *Beurla Ghallda*, but when I myself use the latter for Scots (in preference to the dreadful neologism *Albais*), all Gaelic speakers understand immediately what is intended. In any event, Lowlanders themselves originally referred to their language as ‘Inglis’.” (pp 92,93)
Haven’t you heard of Beurla Reagaird? A Gaelic traveller cant.
https://www.ambaile.org.uk/asset/1193/1/
Iain MacAonghais fhathast:
“To sum up, the Gaelic perception of the Lowlands is in essential agreement with that of the medieval Scots writers who regard the Gaels of their time as ‘contemporary ancestors’, people who preserve the language and culture which were once shared by all. But from the Gaelic point of view, we the Gaels are the disinherited, the dispossessed.” (p99)