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Litir na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's letter for learners from Roddy MacLean.

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Sat 7 Aug 2010 10:55

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Litir 577: Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan

Aig deireadh na Litreach mu dheireadh, chuir mi ceist oirbh. Dh鈥檉haighnich mi d猫 th鈥 ann an Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan. Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan. Uill, 鈥檚 e sin an oidhche as fhaide dhen bhliadhna, ann am meadhan a鈥 gheamhraidh. 鈥橲 d貌cha aig an 脿m mus robh solas an dealain ann gum biodh an oidhche sin fada dha-r矛ribh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha sinn a鈥 toirt s霉il air abairt eile co-cheangailte ri seachd. B鈥 e sin S矛de nan Seachd Sianthe weather of the seven elements 鈥 aimsir f矛or dhona. Uill, an latha eile, lorg mi seanfhacal mun aimsir anns a bheil iomradh air 鈥渟矛de nan seachd sian鈥. Seo e: An d猫idh t脿irneanaich a鈥 gheamhraidh, thig aon chuid s矛de mhath no s矛de nan seachd sian. Ma tha t脿irneanaich ann sa gheamhradh, thig deagh aimsir no f矛or dhroch aimsir 脿s a dh猫idh. An d猫idh t脿irneanaich a鈥 gheamhraidh, thig aon chuid s矛de mhath no s矛de nan seachd sian.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thig t脿irneanaich as t-samhradh cuideachd; gu dearbh, tha sinne air a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd nas buailtiche t脿irneanaich fhaighinn as t-samhradh na tha sinn sa gheamhradh. Agus chanainn gu bheil e nas buailtiche tighinn feasgar seach sa mhadainn. D猫 ur beachd fh猫in air sin?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉 bhiodh na seann daoine a鈥 mothachadh rudan mar sin. Agus tha d脿 sheanfhacal againn, a鈥 d猫anamh ceangal eadar an t-脿m dhen latha anns am biodh t脿irneanaich ann agus an aimsir a bhiodh a鈥 leantainn air, 鈥檚 d貌cha airson 霉ine mh貌r. Seo an d脿 sheanfhacal air an cur c貌mhla: T脿irneanaich an d猫idh n貌in, t脿irneanaich an toraidh mh貌ir; t脿irneanaich ro n貌in, t脿irneanaich gort agus fuachd. Thunder in the afternoon, thunder of fertility and plenty; thunder before noon, thunder of famine and cold. T脿irneanaich an d猫idh n貌in, t脿irneanaich an toraidh mh貌ir; t脿irneanaich ro n貌in, t脿irneanaich gort agus fuachd. Bidh sinn an d貌chas, ma bhios t脿irneanaich ann a dh鈥檃ithghearr, gur ann feasgar a bhitheas e!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉 bu mhath leam tilleadh airson mionaid no dh脿 don 脿ireamh seachd. Tha i a鈥 nochdadh ann am m貌ran beul-aithris na G脿idhlig. Seo rann ainmeil a tha a鈥 tighinn 脿 beul-aithris a tha l脿n dhen 脿ireimh sin:

Seachd sgadain, 蝉脿迟丑 bradain;

Seachd bradain, 蝉脿迟丑 r貌in;

Seachd r貌in, 蝉脿迟丑 muice-mara bhig;

Seachd mucan-mara beag, 蝉脿迟丑 muice-mara mh貌ir;

Seachd mucan-mara m貌r, 蝉脿迟丑 cionnain-cr貌;

Seachd cionnain-cr貌, 蝉脿迟丑 mial mh貌r a鈥 chuain.

Tha 蝉脿迟丑 a鈥 ciallachadh gu le貌r de bhiadh a sh脿saicheas creutair. Seachd sgadain, 蝉脿迟丑 bradain 鈥 tha sin a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渟even herrings, a full meal for a salmon鈥. Seachd bradain, 蝉脿迟丑 r貌in 鈥 鈥渟even salmon, a full meal for a seal鈥. Seachd r貌in, 蝉脿迟丑 muice-mara bhig 鈥 鈥渟even seals, a full meal for a small whale鈥, agus mar sin air adhart. 脠istibh ris an rainn a-rithist. Saoil a bheil e a-mach air modail eage貌lach?!

Seachd sgadain, 蝉脿迟丑 bradain;

Seachd bradain, 蝉脿迟丑 r貌in;

Seachd r貌in, 蝉脿迟丑 muice-mara bhig;

Seachd mucan-mara beag, 蝉脿迟丑 muice-mara mh貌ir;

Seachd mucan-mara m貌r, 蝉脿迟丑 cionnain-cr貌;

Seachd cionnain-cr貌, 蝉脿迟丑 mial mh貌r a鈥 chuain.

D猫 th鈥 ann an 肠颈辞苍苍补苍-肠谤貌? Uill, 鈥檚 e sin rud ris an canar ann am Beurla 鈥渢he bull whale鈥 鈥 a鈥 mhuc-mhara a tha os cionn nam mucan-mara eile anns an sgaoth. Agus 鈥檚 e mial mh貌r a鈥 chuain 鈥 the leviathan of the ocean. Chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 th鈥 ann ach, gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e a dhitheas gu le貌r!

Faclan na Litreach

迟脿颈谤苍别补苍补颈肠丑: thunder; n貌in: noon; gort: famine, want of food, beul-aithris: oral tradition; sgadan: herring; bradan: 蝉补濒尘辞苍.听

Abairtean na Litreach

an oidhche as fhaide dhen bhliadhna, ann am meadhan a鈥 gheamhraidh: the longest night of the year, in the middle of winter; aig an 脿m mus robh solas an dealain ann: at the time before electric light existed; anns a bheil iomradh air: which contains a reference to; an d猫idh t脿irneanaich a鈥 gheamhraidh, thig aon chuid s矛de mhath no s矛de nan seachd sian: after winter thunder comes either good weather or terrible weather; nas buailtiche t脿irneanaich fhaighinn as t-samhradh: more likely to get thunder in summer; bhiodh na seann daoine a鈥 mothachadh rudan mar sin: the old people would notice things like that; an t-脿m dhen latha anns am biodh t脿irneanaich ann: the time of day when thunder occurred; an aimsir a bhiodh a鈥 leantainn air: the weather that would follow it; t脿irneanaich an d猫idh n貌in, t脿irneanaich an toraidh mh貌ir: thunder after noon, thunder of fertility and plenty; t脿irneanaich ro n貌in, t脿irneanaich gort agus fuachd: thunder before noon, thunder of famine and cold; ma bhios t脿irneanaich ann a dh鈥檃ithghearr, gur ann feasgar a bhitheas e: if we soon have thunder, that it will come in the afternoon; seachd mucan-mara beag, 蝉脿迟丑 muice-mara mh貌ir: seven small whales, a full meal for a big whale; seachd mucan-mara m貌r, 蝉脿迟丑 cionnain-cr貌: seven big whales, a full meal for a bull whale; a bheil e a-mach air modail eage貌lach?: is it expounding an ecological model?; mial mh貌r a鈥 chuain: the leviathan or great serpent of the ocean.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

厂脿迟丑, meaning 鈥減lenty, abundance, satiety, as of meat or drink鈥 is not a word you will often hear in everyday conversation but it鈥檚 well known in proverbs and sayings. Here are two other proverbs containing 蝉脿迟丑, both concerning dogs: chan ith a sh脿th ach an c霉 (none but a dog eats his fill); is m貌r 蝉脿迟丑 a鈥 choin ghortaichte (great is the gorging of a famished dog). One might say of ravenous teenagers: dh鈥檌th iad an 蝉脿迟丑 (they ate their fill). Don鈥檛, however, confuse this word with 蝉脿迟丑 (pronounced the same) meaning a stab or thrust with a knife or sword.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach

Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan: the longest night of the year [lit. the night of the seven suppers].

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥 air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA

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