| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| TA MEE er jeet bunnys gys yn jerrey jeh ny skeeallyn mychione yn shenn sleih hooar mee voish Juan y Geill. | I have almost come to the end of the stories about the old people I got from John Gell. | |
| Son y shiaghtin shoh er hoh diu cooinaghtyn Yuan jeh shenn charrey ain ooilley, Juan Kinvig, far-enmyssit “Yn Contractor” ’sy Vaarle liorish cummaltee Skeerey Chreest Rosien. | For this week, here for you is John’s memory of an old friend of us all, Juan Kinvig, nicknamed “The Contractor” in English by the people of Rushen Parish. | |
| Va enney mie aym pene ersyn agh enney eer ny share aym er e ven Sage Jane. | I knew him well but I knew his wife Sage Jane better. | |
| Hie mee marish Illiam y Radlagh un laa lesh shilley er Juan Dan as ec y traa shen cha row yn Ghaelg ayms cha mie as t’ee nish. | I went with Bill Radcliffe one day to see Juan Dan and at that time my Manx wasn’t as good as it is now. | |
| Hug ad nyn yees[1] ard-yindys orrym er y fa row Juan Kinvig freggyrt ooilley ny va Illiam gra rish lesh ny breearryn kiart, “Hooar, Cha Dooar - Hug, Nagh Dug,” as y lhied! | They both amazed me because Juan Kinvig answered all that Bill was saying to him with the correct verbs, “Hooar, Cha dooar, Hug, Nagh Dug,”(Got, Didn’t get, Gave, Didn’t give) and such! | |
|
[1] nyn yees] spelling of
[nyn neesht] (the common spelling in the late 20thC).
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| By yindyssagh eh dy chlashtyn ad! | It was wonderful to hear them! | |
| Screeu Archibald Cregeen dy kiart tra dooyrt eh, “I cannot but admire the construction, texture and beauty of the Manks Language . . . framed by the hand of a most skillful workman.” | Archibald Cregeen wrote correctly when he said, “I cannot but admire the construction, texture and beauty of the Manks Language . . . framed by the hand of a most skillful workman.” | |
| Yn laa shen va mee geaishtagh rish Illiam as Juan Dan, hoig mee son y chied cheayrt yn bun jeh ny focklyn shen screeuit ec Cregeen. | That day I was listening to Illiam and Juan Dan, I understood for the first time the meaning of those words written by Cregeen. | |
| MAINSTER JUAN KINVIG Ronague (John Dan.) (1860-1953) | MR. JOHN KINVIG (JOHN DAN.) | |
| (1860-1953) | ||
| Juan Kinvig — Gaelgeyr erskyn insh. | John Kinvig — An incredible Manx Speaker. | |
| Ta “Breagagh” er nimraa Mnr. as Benr. Kinvig ayns y colloo shoh roish nish, er-lheh Benr. Kinvig, “Sage” myr va’n ennym eck, agh b’laik lhiam screeu fockle mychione y dooinney hene, Juan Dan Kinvig. | “Breagagh” has mentioned Mr. and Mrs. Kinvig in this column before now, particularly Mrs. Kinvig, “Sage” as her name was, but I would like to write a word about the man himself, John Dan Kinvig. | |
| Car ny bleeantyn caggee va mee cheet noal gys yn Ellan mysh queig keayrt ’sy vlein ceau laghyn-seyr veih ny schoillyn ayns Sostyn. | During the war years, I was coming over to the Island about five times a year, spending holidays from the schools in England. | |
| Un laa, ’sy tourey, hie mee er “Bock Yuan Fannee” veih Colby gys Ronnag dy chur shilley er y shenn chubbyl va beaghey ec cummal beg enmyssit “Gehelen” (Garey Hollin?) lesh bayr coon leeideil gys y thie veih’n raad mooar. | One day, in the Summer, I went on “Shanks’ pony” (walking) from Colby to Ronague to seee the old couple who were living at a small dwelling called ‘Gehelen’ (Holly Garden?) with a lane leading to the house from the highway. | |
| Va mee bunnys er roshtyn y thie tra haink Juan hene ass y thie-ollee, v’eh ny ghooinney coar, lhean as lajer ayns callin, as neeal oor as faasaag dhoo echey, ga dy row eh erskyn kiare feed vlein dy eash ec y traa shen. | I had almost reached the house when John himself came out of the cattle-shed, he was a pleasant man, broad and strong in body, with a fresh complexion and a black beard, although he was above eighty years of age at that time. | |
| Nish, va mee my yoarree da as gyn-dooyrt v’eh smooinaghtyn dy re Sostnagh mish rouail er bayryn ny cheerey, agh tra dooyrt mee ’sy Ghailck, “Cren aght ta shiu, Vainster Kinvig?” haink gearey harrish e eddin as dreggyr eh, | Now, I was a stranger to him and no doubt he was thinking that I was an Englishman wandering on country roads, but when I said in Manx “How are you Mr. Kinvig?” a smile came over his face and he answered, | |
| “Ta mee ayns slaynt vie, booise da Jee, as ta mee geddyn bit dy bee voish laa gys laa, as choud as ta mee geddyn shen cha bee aggle dou, yiowym trooid anshaght” (‘some way’). | “I’m in good health, thank God, and I’m getting a bit of food from day to day, and whilst I’m getting that I won’t be afraid, I’ll get through some way”. | |
| Va’n loayrtys shoh rouyr dooys son cha row monney Gailck aym ec y traa shen, as dooyrt mee, “Abbyr shen reesht my sailliu,” as dooyrt eh ny focklyn reesht daa cheayrt er my hon, eisht hooar mee ad as cha nel mee rieau er yarrood ad. | This talk was too much for me because I didn’t know much Manx at that time, and I said, “Say that again, please,” and he said the words again twice for me, then I got them and I have never forgotten them. | |
| Shymmey keayrt ta mee er smooinaght er ny fockleyn shen! | Many a time I have thought about those words! | |
| T’ad jeeaghyn dooin cren sorch dy ghooinney va Mnr. Kinvig. | They show me what sort of man Mr. Kinvig was. | |
| Gollrish ymmodee shen Vanninee jeh’n cheeloghe echey, cha row monney cooid-seihlltagh echey agh v’eh booiagh as booisal er y hon, treishteil ayns ard-chiarailys Yee, myr dooyrt eh-hene, “voish laa gys laa.” | Like many old Manx people of his generation, he didn’t have a lot of worldly goods, but he was pleased and grateful for them, trusting in the great plan of God, as he said himself, “from day to day”. | |
| Ny sanmee, tra va enney ny share aym er, hug mee arrym as keainid da, v’eh dooinney lurg my chree-hene, ynrick, sheelt, kenjal as feoiltagh, as ny smoo na shen v’eh fer-keirdey gollrhym-pene, as laueyn mie echey. | Later, when I knew him better, I respected and was fond of him, he was a man after my own heart, honest, sober, kind and generous, and more than that, he was a tradesman like myself, and had good hands. | |
| Eer ayns e henn eash, hrog eh thie-ollee ass[2] claghyn cruinn ec y voayl-hene, obbyr feer ghoillee as doccaragh. | Even in his old age, he built a cattle-shed from round stones at his own place, a very difficult and hard job. | |
|
[2] ass] ‘out of’, ‘from’. The expected word here would be
[jeh] ‘of’, ‘from’.
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| Ren eh myrgeddin creelyn-suggane as reddyn elley da’n Thie Tashtee Manninagh ayns Doolish. | He also made straw-rope creels and other things for the Manx Museum in Douglas. | |
| Tra daag eh schoill hie eh myr prindeis-vasoonagh gobbraghey er troggal y chabbal Haasilagh ec Ronnag. | When he left school he went as an apprentice mason working on the building of the Methodist chapel at Ronague. | |
| V’eh poost rish Sage Cleree veih Delby, as tra haink ny paitchyn, yn derrey yeh lurg y jeh elley,[3] begin da Juan troggal shamyryn elley gys y thie oc, as ren eh ooilley yn obbyr lesh e laueyn hene, obbyr-fuygh neesht! | He was married to Sage Clarke from Dalby, and when the children came, one after another, Juan had to build other rooms to their house, and he did all the work with his own hands, woodwork too! | |
|
[3] yn derrey yeh lurg y jeh elley] ‘the one after the other’, evidently, this referes to more than two children, for which
[fer lurg fer] ‘one after another’ would be expected.
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| Va cloan mooar oc,[4] daa ghuilley as hoght ’neenyn, as ta mee credjal dy vel hoght jeu bio foast. | They had a large number of children, two boys and eight girls, and I believe that eight of them are still alive. | |
|
[4] Va cloan mooar oc] ‘They had a large amount of children’ — evidently this is the intended meaning.
[Va cooid vooar dy chloan oc] or
[Va ymmodee cloan oc] would be expected here.
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| Choud’s v’eh foast ny ghooinney aeg, ghow eh toshiaght dy obbragh er e choontey hene, as ta mee sheiltyn dy re shen yn oyr va’n ennym y “Contractor” currit er. | Whilst he was still a young man, he started to work on his own account, and I imagine that that is the reason the name the “Contractor” was given to him. | |
| Hrog eh Halley MacLaig ayns Ballabeg. | He built Halley MacLaig (Clague Hall) in Ballabeg. | |
| V’eh currit gys ny cummaltee aegey jeh’n naboonys myr thie-haglee as fastee 'sy gheurey, ayns cooinaghtyn jeh y fer-lhee Juan MacLaig.[5] | It was given to the young residents of the neighbourhood as a meeting-house and shelter in the winter, in memory of Doctor John Clague. | |
|
[5] MacLaig] ‘Clague’ — The use of the Irish or Scottish Gaelic equivalent spellings of names, particularly surnames, was in vogue throught the 20thC.
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| Ayns y vlein 1914 v'eh gobbragh troggal y toor ec y cheeill ec Skylley Cairbre. | In the year 1914 he was working building the tower at Arbory Parish Church | |
| Gollrish ooilley ny Manninee as croit veg oc, va Juan ny eirinagh neesht, freayll kuse dy veiyn, kirree as y lheid, cha row eh rieau ny haaue! | Like all the Manx who had a small croft, John was a farmer too, keeping a few animals, sheep and such, he was never idle! | |
| Fy-yerrey hooar Juan obbyr da Boayrd ny Keylljyn, karraghey ny boallaghyn as cleighyn er ny sleityn, as goaill arrey er ny biljyn ayns ny garaghyn-billagh. | Finally, John got a job for the Forestry Voard, mending the walls and hedges over the mountains, and watching the trees in the plantations. | |
| Begin da shooyl ymmodee meeillaghyn ’sy laa, er yn oyr dy row ny slystyn echey sheeyney veih Cronk yn Arrey Laa as lhag ny Killey gys y Clieau Claghagh erskyn Forsdal. | He had to walk many miles per day, because his borders stretched from Cronk yn Arrey Laa and Lhag ny Killey to the Stoney Mountain above Foxdale. | |
| Ec un keayrt, va cabbyl beg as caart echey dy ymmyrkey ooilley e ghreieyn as stoo elley, agh v’eh goll er insh, dy row Juan ny s'menkey shooyl ry-lhiattee y garran na markiagh ayns y chaart. | At one time, he had a small horse and cart to carry all his tools and other stuff, but it was said, that John was more often walking beside the pony than riding in the cart. | |
| Va lheid y chree ghooie echey nagh jinnagh eh rieau bwoailley cretoor balloo erbee. | He had such a kind heart that he wouldn’t ever strike any dumb creature. | |
| Ta mee er chlashtyn dy beagh cabbyl “tram” veih Doolish ec “Gehelen” dagh geurey as tra haink y laa dy paartail rish y cabbyl, ec toshiaght y touree, v’eh gollrish coayl shenn charrey! | I have heard that there would be a tram horse from Douglas at “Gehelen” every winter and when the day came to part with the horse, at the start of the summer, it was like losing an old friend! | |
| Laa souree dy row, va “Juan Dan” ayns Doolish er y chooylaghan as honnick cabbyl-‘tram’ eh. | One Summer day, ‘Juan Dan’ was in Douglas, on the promenade, and he saw a tram horse. | |
| Hass y cabbyl ’sy raad jeeaghyn er Juan as shutternee as cha jinnagh eh gleashagh derrey hie Juan tessyn y raad huggey dy chur bassag-eddrym as glout-shugyr ass e phoggaid da’n charrey echey! | The horse stopped in the road and looked at Juan and neighed and he wouldn’t move until John went across the road to him to give a light pat and a sugarlump out of his pocket to his friend! | |
| Ta mee goaill moyrn dy voddins coontey Juan Kinvig as e ven Sage mastey my chaarjyn firrinagh, v’ad dy jarroo cubbyl yindyssagh, as va mee smooinaghtyn er Juan Dan er-lheh tra screeu mee y "Dedication" ayns my lioaran “Gaelg Choloayrtyssagh” ’sy vlein 1954. | I am proud that I can count John Kinvig and his wife Sage amongst my true friends, they were indeed a wonderful couple, and I was thinking about Juan Dan in particular when I wrote the Dedication in my booklet “Conversational Manx’ in the year 1953. | |
| Hooar Juan Baase ayns 1953. | John died in 1953. | |
| By vie eh dy akin whilleen dy leih ec Chaglym Bleeaney ny Sheshaght Gailckagh shiaghtin Jemayrt shoh chaie. | It was good to see so many people at the Annual Meeting of Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh on Tuesday of last week. | |
| Va Audrey feer chenjal dooys lesh e focklyn moyllee. | Audrey was very kind to me with her words of praise. | |
| Son shickyrys cha jeanym scuirr veih “Noon as Noal” as ta me feer wooiagh dy akin ram sleih giarrey yn colloo magh ass y phabyr as festal eh ayns lioaranyn. | For sure, I won’t stop “Noon as Noal” and I am very pleased to see a lot of people cutting the column out of the paper and sticking it in booklets. | |
| B’olk lhiam clashtyn rish mooarane boghtnid ec y chaglym mychione y jough as thieyn oast. | I hated hearing a lot of rubbish at the meeting about drink and pubs. | |
| Smooinee mee dy row Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh currit er bun dy hauail chengey ny mayrey, cha nee dy resooney magh vel eh kiart dy chummal chaglymyn ayns buill raad ta’n mac-mollaght “Jough” ry-chreck! | I thought that Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh was established to save the mother tongue, not to debate if it is right to hold meetings in places where the devil ‘Drink’ is on sale! | |
| Cha naik mish rieau peiagh erbee eer lieh-scooyrit ec Oieghyn Gaelgagh ny chaglym erbee elley ny Sheshaght. | I’ve never seen anyone even half-drunk at Manx nights or any other meeting of the Society. | |
| As ta mee er n’akin ymmodee slane-obbaltee nyn soie marin as joughinyn vioyral ny soolagh oranje ayns nyn laueyn as adsyn goaill soylley mooar jeh’n oie-Saasilee mie as Gaelgeyryn mie neesht. | And I have seen many complete abstainers sitting with us and fizzy drinks or orange juice in their hands whilst they were greatly enjoying the good Methodist night and were good Manx speakers too. | |
| Fy-yerrey hoal, she oie haitnyssagh v’ayn as ren eh foays da my chree dy akin ny Gaelgeyryn noa geddyn ny fainaghyn oc. | Finally, it was an enjoyable night and it lifted my spirits to see the new Manx speakers getting their fainaghyn (ring badges). | |
| Cha jinnagh Juan Dan hene credjal dy beagh nyn lhied ayn kiare bleeaney as feed erreish da’n baase echeysyn. | Juan Dan himself wouldn’t believe there would be the likes of us twenty-four years after his death. | |
| Va mee geaishtagh rish ny recortyssyn ta Shorus Mac Rurie son cur magh marish y lioaran echey, tra va Shorus er yn Ellan er y gerrid. | I was listening to the recordings that George Broderick is for publishing together with his booklet, when George was on the Island recently. | |
| T’ad feer vie agh er lhiam dy vel ram recortyssyn ny share ayn jeant ec Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh ny s’anmey na ad shen ta Shorus er n’yannoo ymmyd jeu. | They are very good but I think but I that there are many better recordings made by Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh later than those that George has used. | |
| Ren Shorus ymmyd jeh recortyssyn jeant liorish ny Yernee ren De Bhalera cur gys yn Ellan as ec y tra shen va paart dy Ghaelgeyryn ayn as nagh row ymmyd jeant oc jeh’n Ghaelg rish daeed vlein as va’n Ghaelg oc feer olk ny keayrtyn er y fa dy row ee bunnys jarroodit oc. | George used recordings made by the Irish that De Valera sent to the Island and at that time there were some Manx Speakers that hadn’t used their Manx for forty years and their Manx was very bad sometimes because they had almost forgotten it. | |
| Tra va shinyn jannoo ny recortyssyn ain va’n Ghaelg ocsyn ny s’flaaoil as ny s’glenney as ny keayrtyn foddey ny share. | When we were making our recordings their Manx was more fluent and purer and, at times, far better. | |
| Agh son shen as ooilley, moylley as soylley da Shorus. | But, for that and all, congratulations to George. | |
| T’eh jannoo ram obbyr lhisagh Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh v’er n’yannoo, agh quoi ta mish dy ghra shen? | He is doing a lot of work that ought to have been done by Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh, but who am I to say that? | |
| Cha noddym gra agh “Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. — | I can only say “Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. — | |
| BREAGAGH | BREAGAGH | |