大象传媒

Th脿inig leabhar 霉r a-mach o chionn ghoirid. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a tha air 鈥淕苍脿迟丑补蝉补苍-颁补颈苍苍迟鈥�. Tha sin a鈥� ciall-achadh 鈥渋dioms鈥�. 鈥橲 e fear 脿 Le貌dhas, D貌mhnall Greumach, a chruinnich na gn脿thasan-cainnt. Fhuair e iad bho dhaoine 脿 Le貌dhas, Na Hearadh, Uibhist a Tuath agus Be脿rnaraigh. Tha cruinneachadh air leth math ann. Tha mi a鈥� dol a thoirt dhuibh eisimpleir no dh脿 bhon leabhar.

An toiseach seo a dh脿 a tha co-cheangailte ris a鈥� mhuir. Tha coileach air na tuinn. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh there鈥檚 foam breaking on top of the waves. Tha coileach air na tuinn. Canaidh sinn 鈥渨hite horses鈥� ann am Beurla. Ach 鈥渃oileach鈥� ann an G脿idhlig. Agus bha 蝉尘霉颈诲 na mara ga mo dhalladh. The sea spray kept me blinded. Bidh sibh e貌lach air an fhacal 蝉尘霉颈诲, tha mi cinnteach. Tha e cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh smoke. Bha 蝉尘霉颈诲 na mara ga mo dhalladh.

Tha ceithir rudan aig na daoine as fhe脿rr a bhruidhneas G脿idhlig. Tha deagh ghr脿mar aca. Tha deagh bhlas aca. Tha briathrachas m貌r aca. Agus tha gn脿thasan-cainnt gu le貌r aca. Tha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig aca gu math G脿idhealach. Tha beartas anns na gn脿thasan-cainnt.

Seo fear eile. Tha e siud a鈥� f脿gail sn脿ithlean fad鈥� an droch th脿illeir. Gu litreachail, he is leaving there the long thread of the tailor. Tha e siud a鈥� f脿gail sn脿ithlean fad鈥� an droch th脿illeir. Seo an t-eadar-theangachadh: he鈥檚 not a very neat tradesman!

Agus 鈥檚 iomadh carraig ris an do shuath am fear sin. It鈥檚 many a rock on which that man rubbed. 鈥橲 iomadh carraig ris an do shuath am fear sin. An t-eadar-theangachadh: that one鈥檚 had a few setbacks in his life.

Tha i cho faoin ri na h-uiseagan. She鈥檚 as silly as the larks. Tha i cho faoin ri na h-uiseagan. An t-eadar-theangachadh: she鈥檚 completely bonkers!

Agus tha gn脿thas-cainnt eile a鈥� d猫anamh ceangal eadar boireannaich is e貌in. Ach tha am fear seo a鈥� moladh a鈥� bhoireannaich. Th脿inig i 脿 nead ghlan. Gu litreachail, she came from a clean nest. Th脿inig i 脿 nead ghlan. An t-eadar-theangachadh: she came from a respected family! Tha mi an d貌chas gun t脿inig sibh uile 脿 nead ghlan!

A new book came out recently. It鈥檚 called 鈥淕苍脿迟丑补蝉补苍-颁补颈苍苍迟鈥�. That means 鈥渋dioms鈥�. It鈥檚 a guy from Lewis, Donald Graham, that collected the idioms. He got them from people that belonged to Lewis, Harris, North Uist and Berneray. There鈥檚 a really good collection [in it]. I鈥檓 going to give you an example or two from the book.

Firstly, here are two connected to the sea. Tha coileach air na tuinn. That means 鈥渢here鈥檚 foam breaking on top of the waves鈥�. Tha coileach air na tuinn. We say 鈥渨hite horses鈥� in English. But 鈥渃ockerel鈥� in Gaelic. And bha 蝉尘霉颈诲 na mara ga mo dhalladh. 鈥淭he sea spray kept me blinded. You鈥檒l know the word 蝉尘霉颈诲, I鈥檓 sure鈥�. It also means 鈥�smoke鈥�. Bha 蝉尘霉颈诲 na mara ga mo dhalladh.

The best Gaelic-speakers have four things [characteristics]. They have good grammar. They have a good 鈥渂las鈥� [accent, pronunciation, sounding of letters]. They have a large vocabulary. And they have plenty of idiom. Their Gaelic is very 鈥淕aelic鈥�. There is richness in the idioms.

Here鈥檚 another. Tha e siud a鈥� f脿gail sn脿ithlean fad鈥� an droch th脿illeir. Literally, 鈥渉e is leaving there the long thread of the tailor鈥�. Tha e siud a鈥� f脿gail sn脿ithlean fad鈥� an droch th脿illeir. Here鈥檚 the translation: 鈥渉e鈥檚 not a very neat tradesman鈥�!

And 鈥檚 iomadh carraig ris an do shuath am fear sin. 鈥淚t鈥檚 many a rock on which that man rubbed鈥�. 鈥橲 iomadh carraig ris an do shuath am fear sin. The translation: 鈥渢hat one鈥檚 had a few setbacks in his life鈥�.

Tha i cho faoin ri na h-uiseagan. She鈥檚 as silly as the larks. Tha i cho faoin ri na h-uiseagan. The translation: 鈥渟he鈥檚 completely bonkers鈥�!