Bilingual transcription: Seanchas

ALFIE Dìreach steallag bhainne dhòmhsa, tapadh leibh.

Just a splash of milk for me, thank you.

SEONAG Chan eil air fhàgail ach steallag. ‘S math nach eil thusa a’ gabhail bainne, a Mhurchaidh.

There’s only a small splash left. It’s just as well you don’t take milk Murchadh.

MURCHADH Chan eil mi a’ gabhail bainne na boinne (Leòdhasach)!

I don’t take milk or milk.

ALFIE Agus nan robh Barrach an seo, cha bhiodh sibh a’ gabhail beinne! Beinne, bainne, boinne – ’s toil leam sin!

And if someone from Barra was here, you wouldn’t take milk! Milk, milk, milk – I like that!

MURCHADH ‘S e “‘S caomh leam sin” a chanas deagh Leòdhasach! Alfie, tha thu air a dhol na do Sgitheanach!

It’s I like that someone from Lewis would say! Alfie, you’ve turned into a Skyeman!

SEONAG Cò air a tha e a’ coimhead?

What’s he looking at?

ALFIE Tha e a’ ceimhead (Uibhisteach) ormsa!

He’s looking at me

MURCHADH Tha mise a’ cumhad (Leòdhasach) air an dithis agaibh!

I’m looking at both of you!

SEONAG Agus tha sinn uile a’ tuigsinn a chèile! Chan eil ann ach diofar fhuaimneachadh, agus beagan spòrs. Aithnichidh tu Leòdhasach an àite sam bith! Dhòmhsa tha am blas agaibh tòrr nas treasa.

And we all understand each other – it’s only a difference in pronunciation and a bit of fun. You’ll recognise a Lewis person anywhere! For me, their accent is much stronger than other dialects.

ALFIE Tha cainnt an Eilein Sgitheanaich is cainnt Uibhist a Tuath glè fhaisg air a chèile, dhan chluais agamsa co-dhiù.

The Skye and North Uist dialects are very close to each other, to my ear anyway.

MURCHADH Tha, ach tha diofar mòr eadar a’ chainnt ann an ceann a tuath is ceann a deas Uibhist.

Yes, but there’s a big difference between the dialect in north and south Uist.

ALFIE Is toil neo is caomh leamsa Gàidhlig Ìleach. Gura meith agad! (with glottal stop)

I like Islay Gaelic.

SEONAG Searbh is siùcar!

Bitter and sweet!

ALFIE Dè?

What?

SEONAG Foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig! Mìorbhail nam mìorbhailean air aona làimh, ach ge b’ oil leinn, bidh a h-uile duine beag sin a’ bruidhinn an aon seòrsa Gàidhlig, is tha eagal orm gun caill sinn na diofar bhlasan. Och, och, tha fios a’m – bidh Gàidhlig aca!

Gaelic Medium Education! A miracle on one hand but despite ourselves, every child will have the same Gaelic, and I’m afraid we’ll lose the different dialects. Okay, I know, I know – they’ll have Gaelic!

ALFIE Tha an saoghal ag atharrachadh, a ghranaidh, agus bidh a’ Ghàidhlig ag atharrachadh cuideachd.

The world is evolving granny, and Gaelic will evolve as well.

MURCHADH A’ bruidhinn air foghlam, Alfie, am faigh thu facal le Mairsili mu dheidhinn GOC. Bha i aig bùth-obrach mu riaghailtean gràmair is litreachaidh na Gàidhlig. Bha ceist no dhà aice, agus thuirt mi gun robh thusa na bu eòlaiche na mise!

Talking about education, Alfie, will you have a word with Mairsili about GOC. She was at a workshop where someone was talking about the rules of Gaelic spelling and grammar. She had a few questions about it, and I told her you were more of an expert than I was!

SEONAG GOC! Chan eil mise a’ tuigsinn carson a dh’fheumadh iad rudan atharrachadh. Carson a dh’fheumas sinn a bhith a’ bruidhinn mu chaogad agus trithead – nach robh leth-cheud agus deich thar fhichead cho math ’s a ghabhadh.

GOC! I don’t understand why they had to change things. Why do we have to talk about 50 and 30 in the new way – wasn’t the old way good enough.

MURCHADH Feumaidh na riaghailtean a bhith soilleir agus feumaidh litreachadh is eile a bhith cothromach.

The rules have to be clear and spelling and everything else has to be consistent.

SEONAG Cha robh GOC againne ach an gocan a bhiodh a’ leantainn na cuthaige. Chuirinn fhìn feum air gocan no dhà airson greis bheag eile. No cha bhi nèip, snèap no tuineap againn am bliadhna.

The only GOC we had was the one who followed the cuckoo. I could do with one or two for another while or we’ll not have turnips this year.