大象传媒

Lorg mi abairt an latha eile ann an leabhar sheanfhaclan. Tha i a鈥� buntainn air daoine air a bheil cus cabhaig. Tha uiread de chabhaig orra rudeigin a dh猫anamh 鈥檚 nach eil iad ga dh猫anamh cho math 鈥檚 a bu ch貌ir. 鈥橲 ann 脿 Siorrachd Pheairt a tha i: Pruidh, deirist, a bh貌 riabhach! 鈥橲 fhe脿irrd thu buarach! Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淐ome, stand still, brindled cow! You would be the better of a fetter! Pruidh, deirist, a bh貌 riabhach! 鈥橲 fhe脿irrd thu buarach!

Air an dearbh latha a leugh mi sin, th脿inig mi tarsainn air sreath ghairmean a bhios daoine a鈥� cleachdadh nuair a tha iad ag 猫igheachd air beathaichean, agus ag iarraidh orra dhol gan ionnsaigh. Bha iad 脿 B脿ideanach. Ri b貌, chanadh muinntir Bh脿ideanach 鈥淧ruidh-dh猫鈥�. Pruidh-dh猫.

Chaidh mi gu faclair Dwelly agus bha e ann a sin ceart gu le貌r. Pruidh 鈥� call to cattle, cow or calf. Bha Pruidh-dh猫 ann cuideachd, agus pruidh-茅 agus pruidh-dh猫 bheag a bharrachd air pruidh seo agus pruigean.

Tha e coltach gun deach na h-abairtean sin bho Gh脿idhlig gu Albais no bho Albais gu G脿idhlig, oir tha am faclair Albais agam a鈥� toirt seo: Prow, Pru, Prui, Prutchee, Ptru, Ptrui, Ptruch, Ptruchie agus Ptrumai mar dh貌ighean airson a bhith a鈥� gairm air crodh 鈥� agus uaireannan air each no air eich.

鈥橲 e an sgoilear G脿idhlig, Alasdair MacBheathain, a sgr矛obh am p脿ipear mu abairtean 脿 B脿ideanach 鈥� oir 鈥檚 ann 脿 B脿ideanach a bha e fh猫in. Agus thuirt e rudeigin inntinneach mun fhacal a chleachdadh iad airson a bhith a鈥� gairm air each. Chanadh iad 鈥減rogaidh鈥�. Progaidh. Thuirt MacBheathain gur ann bhon Albais a th脿inig sin don Gh脿idhlig, ach gur ann bhon Fhraingis a bha e bho th霉s 鈥� bho approchez.

Cha chreid mi nach eil barrachd sa chumantas eadar a鈥� Gh脿idhlig agus Albais na tha sinn ag aideachadh aig amannan. Bidh sibh e貌lach, 鈥檚 d貌cha, air an fhacal a chleachdas daoine airson bruidhinn ri caora no uan 鈥� ciridh. 鈥橲 ann tric a chuala mi muinntir na Comraich ag 猫igheachd 鈥淐iridh, ciridh, ciridh!鈥� ri caoraich nuair a bha mi 貌g. Uill, chaidh mi don fhaclair Albais agus bha am facal K-e-e-r-i-e ann 鈥� Keerie 鈥撯�� a call to a lamb or sheep.

Tha cuid de na gairmean eadar-n脿iseanta. Mar eisimpleir, puisidh airson bruidhinn ri cat, agus diug no diugaidh airson labhairt ri cearc. Ach bha abairt inntinneach eile aig MacBheathain airson bruidhinn ri cat no piseag 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin stididh 鈥� no uaireannan tididh no stidean no st矛dean. Bha e fh猫in dhen bheachd gun t脿inig iad sin bho Albais gu G脿idhlig oir tha cheet no cheetie ann an Albais a鈥� ciallachadh cat no piseag. Anns an t-seann Bheurla bha chit a鈥� ciallachadh beathach 貌g no piseag agus cluinnear kit fhathast airson cuilean sionnaich ann am Beurla.

Ach d猫 chanas sinn ri c霉? Uill, tha facal agam a bhios mi ag 猫igheachd ris a鈥� ch霉 agam agus bidh e an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥� tighinn thugam. Nise, feumaidh mi r脿dh nach eil Beurla aig a鈥� ch霉 agam ann. 鈥橲 e c霉 G脿idhealach a th鈥� ann agus 鈥檚 e abairtean G脿idhlig an aon fheadhainn air a bheil e e貌lach. Mholainn sin do dhuine sam bith agaibh a tha a鈥� beachdachadh air cuilean fhaighinn. C霉m G脿idhlig ris. Cha leig thu leas ach beagan abairtean ionnsachadh, agus tha e uabhasach math airson a bhith a鈥� toirt air clann, aig nach eil ach Beurla, beagan G脿idhlig fheuchainn.

Agus an c霉 agamsa? D猫 dh鈥櫭╥gheas mi ris a bheir e air ais thugam nuair a tha e a鈥� ruith sa ph脿irc? D猫 th鈥� ann ach 鈥淏riosgaid!鈥�

Faclan na Litreach: Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; B脿ideanach: Badenoch; pruidh-dh猫: call to a cow; Albais: Scots (language); Alasdair MacBheathain: Alexander Macbain; progaidh: call to a horse; ciridh: call to a sheep or lamb; puisidh, stididh: call to a cat; diug, diugaidh: call to a hen; piseag: kitten; briosgaid: biscuit.

Abairtean na Litreach: ann an leabhar sheanfhaclan: in a book of proverbs; a鈥� buntainn air daoine air a bheil cus cabhaig: it concerns people who are in too much of a rush; tha uiread de chabhaig orra: they are in so much of a hurry; th脿inig mi tarsainn air sreath ghairmean: I came across a series of calls; dhol gan ionnsaigh: to go towards them; airson a bhith a鈥� gairm air crodh: for calling cattle; bho th霉s: originally; cha chreid mi nach eil barrachd sa chumantas eadar X agus Y: I reckon that X and Y have more in common; muinntir na Comraich: the people of Appleclross; cuilean sionnaich: fox cub; bidh e an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥� tighinn thugam: he always comes to me; an aon fheadhainn air a bheil e e貌lach: the only ones he knows; mholainn sin do dhuine sam bith agaibh a tha a鈥� beachdachadh air cuilean fhaighinn: I鈥檇 recommend that to anyone among you who is thinking of getting a puppy; c霉m G脿idhlig ris: speak [keep] Gaelic to him; cha leig thu leas ach beagan abairtean ionnsachadh: you only need to learn a few phrases; airson a bhith a鈥� toirt air clann, aig nach eil ach Beurla, beagan G脿idhlig fheuchainn: to make children, who only speak English, try a little Gaelic; d猫 dh鈥櫭╥gheas mi ris a bheir e air ais thugam?: what do I shout to him that brings him back to me?; a鈥� ruith sa ph脿irc: running in the park.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: The point I make in the Litir about using only Gaelic with your dog, even if you鈥檙e a learner, is deadly serious. It is a wonderful way of raising awareness in the community, of teaching basic Gaelic to children in a situation that they really enjoy and, of course, of encouraging the use of the language in your household. Here are the basic commands I use (and which I supply 鈥� with attached phonetic guide 鈥� to the kennels when he goes for a 鈥渉oliday鈥�): Suidhe [SOO-ee] sit; Trobhad [TROE-ut] come to me; Fuirich [FOOR-ich] stay/don鈥檛 move; Thig [heek] come with me; Laigh [lie] lie down; C霉 math [Koo MAH] good dog; Biadh [BEE-ugh] food; Cuairt [KOO-urst] walkies; S矛os [SHEE-us] (get) down; Suas [SOO-uss] (jump) up; Sp貌g [spawk] (give me your) paw; and, of course, Briosgaid! [BRISK-utch] come to me 鈥� I have a treat for you!

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥橲 fhe脿irrd thu buarach!: you would be the better of a fetter. 鈥橲 fhe脿irrd thu beagan fois 鈥� you would be the better of a little rest.