Prionnsabail Thar-sgrìobhaidh Tobar an Dualchais airson Pròiseactan Sgoile 2018-19

1.    Am bitheantas chaidh faclan a thar-sgrìobhadh ann an litreachadh àbhaisteach na Gàidhlig, air bith ciamar a bhathar gam fuaimneachadh. Chan eil sinn a’ sùileachadh gun seall na tar-sgrìobhaidhean an dòigh san robh faclan gan cantail, no dòigh-labhairt ionadail etc.; ’s ann a tha iad nan clàr-iùil dhan chainnt a chaidh a chleachdadh. An cumantas lean sinn litreachadh àbhaisteach na Gàidhlig. Mar eisimpleir, ma tha neach-labhairt a’ fuaimneachadh an deiridh-fhacail –adh mar –u no –ag, thathar ga sgrìobhadh san dòigh shuidhichte –adh. Ach ma tha dòigh-bruidhne ann an dual-chainnt ionadail na fhacal tur eadar-dhealaichte bhon fhacal choitcheann, faodar iad sin a thar-sgrìobhadh mar a tha iad aig an labhraiche, m.e. leanail an àite an fhacail choitchinn leantainn; foimheir an àite an fhacail choitchinn fomhair. Ach far am faodadh seo cùisean a chur troimh-a-chèile, tha an litreachadh coitcheann no àbhaisteach ga chleachdadh, ach le facal fo-sgrìobhaidh ag innse gun do chleachd an neach a bha a’ bruidhinn a dhreach fhèin air an fhacal, m.e. thuirt e/i dorast ach chaidh sin a sgrìobhadh doras. Far a bheil grunn roghainnean ann airson facal a litreachadh, chleachd sinn an roghainn a dh’aithnicheadh a’ mhòr-chuid agus a b’ fhaisge air an fhuaimneachadh. Cha do chuir sinn diù ann an eadar-dhealachaidhean beaga ann am fuaimneachadh, m.e. d fhiaclach ann an dè ann an Leòdhas, agus an-niugh airson an-diugh ann an Leòdhas agus san Eilean Sgitheanach. Cha do chuir sinn nas mò an -s- anns na buidhnean rt agus rd – chaidh an litreachadh dìreach le rt agus rd. Agus far a bheil feadhainn a’ fuaimneachadh eu mar è no ia, chaidh a sgrìobhadh eu.

2.    Chaidh seanchas Beurla a sgrìobhadh ann an litreachadh àbhaisteach na Beurla.

3.    Nuair a tha stadachd no teagamh ann an seanchas an labhraiche, far a bheil e/i a’ tòiseachadh ann an aon dòigh agus a’ leantainn air ann an dòigh eile, tha sin ga chomharrachadh le trì puingean [ … ], a’ dèanamh sgaradh eadar an dà rud a chaidh a ràdh.

4.    Far a bheil faclan nach eil soilleir, no sreath fhaclan far a bheil amharas aig an tar-sgrìobhaiche gu bheil e/i a’ tuigsinn dè bha fa-near dhan labhraiche, tha sin ga shealltainn le comharra ceiste ann an camagan ceàrnach às dèidh an fhacail, m.e. balach[?], nach bitheadh[?]. (Bu chòir dhan tar-sgrìobhaiche an-còmhnaidh sealltainn gu bheil mì-chinnt ann, seach a bhith ag amas air thuaiream air faclan nach dèan e/i a-mach.  

5.    Far a bheil facal no sreath fhaclan nach gabh cluinntinn no tuigsinn, tha sin air a chomharrachadh le [???].

6.    Chaidh facal-fiosrachaidh bhon tar-sgrìobhaiche no an neach-deasachaidh a chur ann an litrichean claon mar a leanas: [this is a separate recording made on 2 September 1975]

7.    Tha facal air a ghiorrachadh no a ghearradh dheth ga sgrìobhadh mar seo:  ciam-  (airson ciamar).

8.    Gus na dearbh fhacail a thuirt cuideigin a shealltainn, thathar a’ cleachdadh cromagan dùbailte, m.e. Thuirt Anna, “Carson nach tig thu dhachaigh?”

9.    Cha do rinneadh oidhirp sam bith gus gràmar a cheartachadh. Far a bheil e soilleir nach do rinn an labhraiche ach tòiseachadh air bruidhinn ann an aon dòigh, agus gluasad an uair sin gus cruth eile a chur air an seantans, thathar a’ cleachdadh nan trì puingean mar a chaidh a mhìneachadh gu h-àrd (faic 5).

10. Dh’fheuchadh ris a h-uile facal a chur sìos, ach chaidh feadhainn no fuaimean nach eil ach nam blaith-fhacail fhàgail às, (m.e. à, à-à, thà, mmmm, ùnn, etc.) Far a bheil an labhraiche ag ràdh, m.e., ùnn, mmm, grunn thursan, thathar a’ dèiligeadh leis mar tha stadachd gu h-àrd (faic 5).

11. Cha deach fuaimean nach eil nam faclan a chur sìos idir, m.e. brùchd, gàire, sreothart, glag, gleoc, bragadaichean teine etc.

12. Chaidh faclan a’ cheasnaiche a sgrìobhadh, ach cha deach feadhainn nach robh ach nam fuaimean misneachaidh.

13. Far an gabhadh e dèanamh, rinneadh rannsachadh sìmplidh gus a bhith cinnteach à ainmean àitichean, thachartasan, dhaoine, etc. agus cuideachd leabhraichean, bàrdachd no òrain a chaidh ainmeachadh, ach cha ghabhadh sin dèanamh anns a h-uile suidheachadh. Far a bheil e freagarrach, math dh’fhaodte gun deach dòighean air rannsachadh nas fharsainge a dhèanamh a mholadh.

Ma tha faclan Beurla a’ nochdadh am measg seanchas sa Ghàidhlig chaidh an cur eadar cromagan singilte, m.e. ‘water’.

Tobar an Dualchais Transcription Principles for Schools Projects 2018-19

1.    Words were generally transcribed into standard Gaelic spelling regardless of pronunciation. The transcriptions are not meant to convey the manner in which words are spoken, or accent, etc. but are intended to act a guide to the language used. In general, we have erred on the side of standard Gaelic spelling. For instance, if a speaker pronounces the ending –adh as –u or –ag, etc. this has been represented by standard –adh. However, dialectal forms that amount to a different word, i.e. words that can be represented in standard spelling, may be transcribed as said, e.g. leanail rather than common leantainn (‘following’); foimheir, rather than standard fomhair (‘giant’). However, where this could cause confusion, the standard or more familiar spelling has been used, with a note indicating that the speaker has actually used a variant form, e.g. dorast has been rendered as doras (door). Where there are several options for the spelling of a word we have used a recognised or recognisable form closest to the pronunciation. Minor differences in pronunciation have been ignored, e.g. broad d in dè (Lewis), an-niugh for an-diugh (Skye, Lewis, etc.  The s in rt and rd groups has been ignored and spelt as rt and rd respectively. Varying pronunciations of eu (as è and ia) have been spelt as eu.

2.    English discourse has been transcribed into standard English spelling.

3.    Hesitations and instances where the speaker starts a sentence in one way and continues in another are marked by three dots … in order to separate the speech.

4.    Unclear words or stretches of words where the transcriber can make a reasonable guess have been indicated by a question mark in square brackets after the word, e.g. balach[?], nach bitheadh[?]. (The transcriber should always indicate where there is uncertainty rather than trying to guess words that they cannot make out.)

5.    Inaudible or unintelligible words or stretches of words have been indicated as [???].

6.    A transcriber’s or editor’s note has been added in italics as follows: [this is a separate recording made on 2 September 1975]

7.    A truncated or cut-off word has been transcribed as ciam- (for ciamar).

8.    Quoted speech has been included using double inverted commas, e.g. Thuirt Anna, “Carson nach tig thu dhachaigh?”

9.    No attempt has been made to correct grammar. Where it is clear that the speaker has simply started the sentence in one way and moved to a different sentence construction, the three dots convention described above (see 5) has been used.

10. An effort has been made to include all words, but semi-lexical words (e.g. aha, ah, hmm, um, er, etc.) have been omitted. Where a speaker says, for example, um, um, um a number of times, it has been dealt with as a hesitation as above (see 5).

11. Non-lexical items (e.g. burp, laugh, sneeze, doorbell, clock, fire crackling, etc.) have not been noted.

12. Interjections by the interviewer have been noted, although those that amount to encouraging noises have been omitted.

13. Where possible, simple searches have been carried out to check names of places, events, individuals etc. as well as references to books, poems and songs, but it was not possible to supply these in every case. Where appropriate, some recommendations may have been made for further research.

14. English words in the middle of Gaelic speech have been given in between single inverted commas, e.g. ‘water’.