924: E.G. Ravenstein and Gaelic (1) 924: E.G. Ravenstein agus A’ Ghàidhlig (1)
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The little letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
E.G. Ravenstein agus A’ Ghàidhlig (1)
Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu rannsachadh a rinn E.G. Ravenstein, Ernst Georg Ravenstein, anns an naoidheamh linn deug. ʼS e Gearmailteach a bha ann, ach chuir e seachad a’ chuid a bu mhotha de a bheatha phroifeiseanta ann an Sasainn.
Bha Ravenstein na chairt-iùiliche. Bha e na bhall de chomhairlean-stiùiridh a’ Chomainn Rìoghail Statastaigeil agus a’ Chomainn Rìoghail Chruinn-eòlaich. Rinn e mapa ainmeil de mheadhan Afraga. Agus rinn e na dealbhan agus figearan airson Philip’s World Atlas fad ùine mhòr.
Rinn Ravenstein rannsachadh air na cànanan Ceilteach. Dh’fhoillsich e pàipear airson a’ Chomainn Rìoghail Statastaigeil ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a naoi (1879). Tha fiosrachadh prìseil ann mun Ghàidhlig.
Ciamar a chruinnich Ravenstein am fiosrachadh aige? Uill, chuir E litrichean a-mach gu daoine aig am biodh fios air staid a’ chànain anns an nàbachd aca. Daoine mar luchd-clàraidh breithe, pearsaichean-eaglais agus maighstirean-sgoile.
Bha duilgheadas aige fios fhaighinn air ais bho chuid de choimhearsnachdan. Anns na cùisean sin, chuir e fios gu prìomh òstair an àite. Dh’aidich Ravenstein gur dòcha nach d’ fhuair e an fhìrinn ghlan mu staid na Gàidhlig anns a h-uile àite. Ach, anns an fharsaingeachd, bha e a’ cumail a-mach gun robh a cho-dhùnaidhean faisg air an fhìrinn.
Thomhais Ravenstein àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba aig trì cheud ʼs a h-aon mìle (301,000). Bha dà cheud, seasgad ʼs a seachd mìle (267,000) a’ fuireach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus trithead ʼs a ceithir mìle (34,000) air a’ Ghalltachd. Thairis air an dàrna leth de dh’Alba air fad – a rèir meud na tìre – bha Gàidhlig aig a’ mhòr-chuid dhen t-sluagh. Ach bha sin a’ riochdachadh dìreach ochd às a’ cheud de mhuinntir na h-Alba.
Agus dè an t-siorrachd a bu Ghàidhealaiche a bh’ ann ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a naoi (1879)? Uill, seo agaibh na ceithir siorrachdan a bu Ghàidhealaiche agus an ceudad de dhaoine aig an robh Gàidhlig anns gach tè dhiubh. Ros is Crombaidh 76.9; Earra-Ghàidheal 81.8; Inbhir Nis 83.3 agus Cataibh 89.6. Seadh, b’ e Cataibh an t-siorrachd a bu Ghàidhealaiche an uair sin. Smaoinichibh!
E.G. Ravenstein and Gaelic (1)
I want to tell you about research that E.G. Ravenstein, Ernst Georg Ravenstein, conducted in the nineteenth century. He was a German, but he spent most of his professional life in England.
Ravenstein was a cartographer. He was a member of the governing councils of the Royal Statistical Society and the Royal Geographical Society. He made a famous map of central Africa. And he made the illustrations and figures for Philip’s World Atlas over a long period.
Ravenstein researched the Celtic languages. He published a paper for the Royal Statistical Society in 1879. It contains valuable information about Gaelic.
How did Ravenstein collect his information? Well, he sent letters to people who would know about the language’s condition in their area. People like birth registrars, church officials and schoolmasters.
He encountered difficulty in getting information back from some communities. In those cases, he enquired of the place’s major innkeeper. Ravenstein admitted that perhaps he didn’t get the full truth about Gaelic’s state in every place. But, in general, he was reckoning that his conclusions were close to the truth.
Ravenstein estimated the number of Gaelic-speakers in Scotland at 301,000. 267,000 [of them] were living in the Highlands [broadly measured] and 34,000 in the Lowlands. Over half of Scotland – in terms of land area – Gaelic was spoken by a majority of the population. But that was representing just eight percent of Scotland’s people.
And what was the most Gaelic county in 1879? Well, here are the four most Gaelic counties and the percentage of people who were able to speak Gaelic in each one. Ross and Cromarty 76.9; Argyll 81.8; Inverness 83.3 and Sutherland 89.6. Yup, Sutherland was the most Gaelic county at that time. That’s thought-provoking!
E.G. Ravenstein agus A’ Ghàidhlig (1)
Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu rannsachadh a rinn E.G. Ravenstein, Ernst Georg Ravenstein, anns an naoidheamh linn deug. ʼS e Gearmailteach a bha ann, ach chuir e seachad a’ chuid a bu mhotha de a bheatha phroifeiseanta ann an Sasainn.
Bha Ravenstein na chairt-iùiliche. Bha e na bhall de chomhairlean-stiùiridh a’ Chomainn Rìoghail Statastaigeil agus a’ Chomainn Rìoghail Chruinn-eòlaich. Rinn e mapa ainmeil de mheadhan Afraga. Agus rinn e na dealbhan agus figearan airson Philip’s World Atlas fad ùine mhòr.
Rinn Ravenstein rannsachadh air na cànanan Ceilteach. Dh’fhoillsich e pàipear airson a’ Chomainn Rìoghail Statastaigeil ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a naoi (1879). Tha fiosrachadh prìseil ann mun Ghàidhlig.
Ciamar a chruinnich Ravenstein am fiosrachadh aige? Uill, chuir E litrichean a-mach gu daoine aig am biodh fios air staid a’ chànain anns an nàbachd aca. Daoine mar luchd-clàraidh breithe, pearsaichean-eaglais agus maighstirean-sgoile.
Bha duilgheadas aige fios fhaighinn air ais bho chuid de choimhearsnachdan. Anns na cùisean sin, chuir e fios gu prìomh òstair an àite. Dh’aidich Ravenstein gur dòcha nach d’ fhuair e an fhìrinn ghlan mu staid na Gàidhlig anns a h-uile àite. Ach, anns an fharsaingeachd, bha e a’ cumail a-mach gun robh a cho-dhùnaidhean faisg air an fhìrinn.
Thomhais Ravenstein àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba aig trì cheud ʼs a h-aon mìle (301,000). Bha dà cheud, seasgad ʼs a seachd mìle (267,000) a’ fuireach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus trithead ʼs a ceithir mìle (34,000) air a’ Ghalltachd. Thairis air an dàrna leth de dh’Alba air fad – a rèir meud na tìre – bha Gàidhlig aig a’ mhòr-chuid dhen t-sluagh. Ach bha sin a’ riochdachadh dìreach ochd às a’ cheud de mhuinntir na h-Alba.
Agus dè an t-siorrachd a bu Ghàidhealaiche a bh’ ann ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a naoi (1879)? Uill, seo agaibh na ceithir siorrachdan a bu Ghàidhealaiche agus an ceudad de dhaoine aig an robh Gàidhlig anns gach tè dhiubh. Ros is Crombaidh 76.9; Earra-Ghàidheal 81.8; Inbhir Nis 83.3 agus Cataibh 89.6. Seadh, b’ e Cataibh an t-siorrachd a bu Ghàidhealaiche an uair sin. Smaoinichibh!
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1228
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn