Introducing Angus MacLeod, our Gaelic blogger

Fàilt' oirbh uile do 'n bhlog ùr seo! Tha mi 'n dòchas gun còrd e ruibh 's gun éirich cothroman còmhraidh ás na cuspairean mu dheidhinn a sgrìobhas mi. A' bharrachd air a' sin, ma bhios cuspairean aig daoin' eile, no ceistean agaibh, gum bi fios ri fhaotainn an seo mu 'n deidhinn cuideachd.

'S e prìomh-chuspair a' bhluig seo Gàidhlig na h-Albainn – mar a bhios i 'ga bruidhinn ann an Alba Nuadh an diugh, a h-eachdraidh air taobh seo a' Chuain Shiar, agus iomadh rud eile a bhios ceangailte rithe. Uiread de dhaoin' a bha 'ga bruidhinn bho shean 's mar a shiol 'ad 'nan àireamh gu latha an diugh agus mar a bhios i 'ga togail aig daoine an diugh agus 'ga teagasg do 'n chloinn ann an cuid de thaighean mar chànan an teaghlaich – rud nach do thachair bhos a' seo o chionn chuid mhór bhliadhnaichean.

Bidh a' chànan cuideachd ceangailte ann an iomadh dòigh ri ceòl nan inneal, ri dannsa, agus ri fonn nan òran 'gan gabhail. Bidh fonn nan òran fo eisimeil ruitheam na cànan uaireannan agus uaireannan eile, bheir a' chànan géill do bhualadh a' chiùil. Ge b' e dòigh a bhios ann, 's e dualchas beairteach a th' againn ann an ceòl!

Cha d' thuirt mi guth air na sgeulachdan, ach canaidh mi rud beag mu 'n deidhinn an ath-thurus agus mu chiallachadh an fhacail, "ceilidh". 'S dòcha nach eil ann na smaoineachas sibh!

- Aonghas mac Dhòmhnaill Ailein, sìol Leòid

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Welcome all to this new blog! I hope you enjoy it and that some opportunities for discussions arise from the subjects I write about. Beyond that, if others have ideas or questions they want to discuss, that they can find some information about them here also.

The primary theme of this blog is Scottish Gaelic – as it is spoken in Nova Scotia today, it's history on this side of the Atlantic, and many other things that are connected to it. The number of people who spoke it long ago and how they declined in number until today, and how people are learning it these days and teaching it to their children in some houses as the language of the family – something that hasn't happened here for a long time.

The language is also connected in many ways to instrumental music, dance, and vocal singing. At times the melody of the song depends on the rhythm of the language and sometimes the language yields to the beat of the music. Whichever way it is, we have a rich heritage of music!

I haven't said anything about the stories, but I'll mention them next time, and talk about the meaning of the word " ceilidh". Perhaps it isn't what you think it is!

- Angus MacLeod

Thig crìoch air an t-saoghal, ach mairidh ceòl 'is gaol. (seanfhacal Ghàidhlig)

The world will end, but love and music will endure. (Gaelic proverb)