mae orgraff sefydledig a digyfnewid yn cuddio hanes iaith; tra y dylai'r dull o osod mewn ysgrifen leferydd pobl newid i ateb eu lleferydd, ac felly fod gofrestr o'r cyfnewidiadau sydd yn cymmeryd lle ynddi o oes i oes: dyna beth fyddai orgraff hanesiol. Ac am orgraff darddiadol, fel ei gelwir, nid hawdd sefydlu ei hegwyddorion. Pe dylid cadw ffurf yr iaith o'r hon y cymmerwyd gair, dylid ysgrifenu llawer o ciriau yn gwahaniaethu yn fawr oddi wrth eu gilydd yn yr un dull ag yn yr iaith oddi wrth yr hon y cymmerwyd hwynt; megys esgob, bishop, évéque, y rhai a ddylent fod yn unffurf â'r gair Lladin episcopus, os nid â'r gair Groeg. Y gwir yw, mae gwaith ieithwyr yw olrhain tarddiad a hanes geiriau, a gwaith ysgrifenwyr cyffredin yw dangos i'r llygad mor eglur ag sydd ddichonadwy beth yw'r iaith sydd ar dafadau y llefarwyr. Camsyniad mawr y dydd yw edrych ar sillafu mewn modd direswm, megys y gwneir yn arbenig yn Seisoneg, fel peth sanctaidd o'r sanctciddiolof.
FAILTE A ALBAINN.
A Ghaidheil Eirionnaich—Guidheam mile failte dhuit air do cheud thuras am measg do luchd-duthcha. Tha na Gaidheil Albannach agus na Gaidheil Eirionnach sean-eolach air a cheile; bha latha agus bha malairt agus co-chomunn nach bu bheag eadar iad. Cha 'n 'eil ach uine gle ghoirid bho 'n bha an aon chainnt aca, agus gus an la an diugh tuigidh agus leughaidh muinntir na dara duthcha cánain na duthcha eile. Ged is fior so uile, is doilgheasach leam a radh gu bheil iad gu mor air eolas a chall air a cheile, agus, ní is miosa na sin, tha tomhas mor de dhroch run air eirigh suas agus air bealach farsuing a chur eadar an da shluagh sin a bu choir a bhi, mar dha chraoibh, gu cairdeil ag eadar-fhigheadh an cuid meangan agus a' nochdadh an toraidhnean, taobh ri taobh, gu h-aillidh, grinn, do bhrigh gu bheil iad a cinntinn bho 'n aon fhreumh.
Ann am failte agus furan cridheil a chur ort, mar tha mi a nis a' deanamh, ceadaich domh an dochus altrum gu 'm bi thusa le do leabhran úr ad mheadhon gu drochaid a chur air a' bhealach a tha eadar sinne agus thusa, agus gu 'm bi sinn as a dheigh so ag urachadh ar scan eolais agus a nochdadh cairdeis mar bu nós.
Ma ghabhas tu gu togarrach ris an earlas so air mo dheagh dhurachd, cha 'n abair mi nach cluinn thu gun dail a ris bho
Do charaid dileas,
Iain Ban Og.
Gaidhealtachd Alba,
Oidhche Shamhna, 1882.
THE TEACHING OF IRISH.
Any person interested in the study of languages and their literature, who, emancipating himself from common prejudices, makes a serious effort to cultivate a knowledge of the primitive and beautiful Celtic family of tongues, will have his attention at once caught by the best preserved of these, viz., the modern Irish. He will, in the interests of science and literature, regret the rapid disappearance of this venerable language, as well as the unfortunate apathy of those who at present are able to use it in adopting means towards its preservation. He will consider them as unreflecting persons in possession of a precious treasure who cast it from them through ignorance its value; for when once the use of a language is lost by a people, they never thoroughly regain it. To such a man, especially if he be an Irishman, the necessity for fostering the Irish language before it be too late will often form a subject of reflection, and the mention of its revival will always cause the liveliest interest. Every such person, therefore, must feel attracted by the discussion of opinions on the best manner of attaining a knowledge of and teaching the Irish language.
In order to clear the way for such a discussion, it seems in the first place needful to pass in review the principal, real or apparent, obstacles to the learning of the ancient tongue of the most western isle of Europe. These obstacles—most of which,
