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

5 minutes

Last on

Sun 4 Mar 2012 14:55

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Litir 659: Am Brisgean P脿irt 1

Tha sinn a鈥 tighinn a-steach gu r脿ith an acrais. Uill, chan eil sin f矛or don chuid mh貌ir againn an-diugh. Faodaidh sinne a dhol don bh霉th agus biadh sam bith a cheannach. Ma tha airgead gu le貌r againn. Ach bha e f矛or uaireigin. An t-Earrach 鈥 r脿ith a bha a鈥 gealltainn gu le貌r. Ach 脿m nuair a bhiodh an st貌ras de bhiadh a鈥 f脿s beag, agus greis fhathast ri feitheamh mus tigeadh 脿m na buana.

听听听听听听听听听听听 D猫 am biadh a chumadh daoine a dol as t-Earrach anns na seann l脿ithean, ma-th脿? Uill, nam biodh iad faisg air na cladaichean, am maorach. Tha seanfhacal ann 鈥As t-Earrach, nuair a bhios a鈥 chaora caol, bidh am maorach reamhar鈥. Canaidh mi a-rithist e 鈥 As t-Earrach, nuair a bhios a鈥 chaora caol, bidh am maorach reamhar. Ma tha an t-acras oirbh, faodaidh sibh falbh a bhuain maorach. D猫 b鈥 fhe脿rr leibh? Feusgain? B脿irnich? Coilleagan 鈥檚 d貌cha? No muirsgianan?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ge bith d猫 an se貌rsa as fhe脿rr leibh, cha 诲猫补苍 sibh an gnothach ma bhios an l脿n ann. Feumaidh tr脿igh a bhith ann. Mar a tha seanfhacal eile ag innse dhuinn, buain maorach nuair a tha an tr脿igh ann. Chan eil sin a鈥 buntainn a-mh脿in ri gnothaichean a鈥 chladaich, ge-t脿. Tha e co-ionann ris a鈥 Bheurla, make hay while the sun shines. Buain maorach nuair a tha an tr脿igh ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, gu le貌r dhen mhaorach. Tha mi airson s霉il a thoirt air lus, seach maorach, an t-seachdain seo. D猫 an lus a bhiodh daoine ag ithe an t-seann aimsir an 脿m seo dhen bhliadhna nuair a bha biadh gann? Tha mi a鈥 ciallachadh lus a tha d霉thchasach do dh鈥橝lba. Agus tha mi a鈥 smaoineachadh gu s貌nraichte air coimhearsnachdan a bha a鈥 fuireach faisg air a鈥 chladach, gu s貌nraichte air an taobh an iar.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha an lus beag is rudeigin 矛osal, agus tha duilleagan airgid air, le fl霉raichean br猫agha buidhe as t-samhradh. Tha e gu math pailt air a鈥 mhachair agus 脿iteachan eile far a bheil gainmheach gu le貌r ann. A bheil e agaibh fhathast?!

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e an t-ainm saidheansail a th鈥 air Potentilla anserina. Ann am Beurla 鈥 silverweed. Agus ann an G脿idhlig brisgean. Tha an t-ainm a鈥 tighinn bhon phairt dhen lus a bu chudromaiche a bh鈥 ann do na seann Gh脿idheil 鈥 am freumh. Tha am freumh brisg.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus carson a bha na freumhan feumail? Bha, a chionn 鈥檚 gum b鈥 urrainnear an ithe. Bha mi a鈥 leughadh p矛os bho agallamh, ann am Beurla, leis a鈥 bhana-Gh脿idheal, M貌r NicLe貌id, M貌r Bhr霉, nach maireann, 脿 Le貌dhas. Agus seo na thuirt ise: 鈥淏hiodh iad a鈥 cleachdadh an fhreumh鈥 a bha seo a bha, can, sia 貌irlich a dh鈥檉haid, agus bhiodh iad ga bhuain le r脿can no spaid, ga ghlanadh agus ga r貌stadh air teine fosgailte. Bhiomaid ga dh猫anamh nuair a bha sinn nar cloinn. Chan e gun robh an t-acras oirnn ach bhiomaid ga dh猫anamh agus ch貌rdadh e rinn. Tha blas math cn貌thach air. Cha chreid mi gun robh sinn a鈥 cleachdadh an duillich airson dad, ach biathadh a鈥 chruidh. Bhiomaid ga thiormachadh airson feur a鈥 gheamhraidh agus bhiodh [an crodh] a鈥 dol seachad air fe貌ir eile airson faighinn dhan bhrisgean.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Sin am brisgean. Innsidh mi tuilleadh mu dheidhinn an-ath-sheachdain. Anns an eadar-脿m, ma tha an t-acras oirbh, mholainn maorach no, ma tha an l脿n ann 鈥 te貌claid!

Faclan na Litreach

An t-Earrach: Spring (season); a鈥 gealltainn: promising; feusgain: mussels; 产脿颈谤苍颈肠丑: limpets: coilleagan: cockles; muirsgianan: razor shells, spoutfish; gann: scarce; 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉补肠丑: native; brisgean: silverweed; nach maireann: deceased; 迟别貌肠濒补颈诲: chocolate.

Abairtean na Litreach

r脿ith an acrais: the season of hunger; faodaidh sinne dhol don bh霉th: we can go to the shop; bha e f矛or uaireigin: it was true at one time; an st貌ras de bhiadh: the store of food; greis ri feitheamh mus tigeadh 脿m na buana: some time to wait before the harvest; cha 诲猫补苍 thu an gnothach ma bhios an l脿n ann: you won鈥檛 manage it if the tide is in; gu s貌nraichte: particularly; tha duilleagan airgid air, le fl霉raichean br猫agha buidhe as t-samhradh: it has silver leaves, and beautiful yellow flowers in summer; tha am freumh brisg: the root is brittle; a chionn 鈥檚 gum b鈥 urrainnear an ithe: because they could be eaten; p矛os bho agallamh: part of an interview; sia 貌irlich a dh鈥檉haid: six inches long; bhiodh iad ga bhuain le r脿can no spaid: they would harvest it with a rake or spade; ga r貌stadh air teine fosgailte: roasting it on an open fire; blas cn貌thach: a nutty taste; cha chreid mi gun robh sinn a鈥 cleachdadh an duillich airson dad: I don鈥檛 think we used the foliage for anything; ach biathadh a鈥 chruidh: except for feeding the cattle; ga thiormachadh airson feur a鈥 gheamhraidh: drying it for winter hay; seachad air fe貌ir eile airson faighinn dhan bhrisgean: past other hay to get to the silverweed.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Maorach means shellfish in general and like iasg can be used as a collective, while being grammatically singular. Tha maorach air an tr脿igh 鈥 there are shellfish on the beach. There is a bay called Camas a鈥 Mhaoraich at the mouth of Loch Broom, seen by passengers plying the Minch on the Isle of Lewis, that demonstrates the singular usage; it was presumably a place where fishermen gathered bait and the populace gathered shellfish for food. There are also places on the west coast called Tr脿igh a鈥 Mhaoraich or Port a鈥 Mhaoraich. The plural form maoraich can be used but is likely to refer to more than one species of shellfish.

Seanfhaclan na Litreach

As t-Earrach, nuair a bhios a鈥 chaora caol, bidh am maorach reamhar: in Spring, when the sheep is thin, the shellfish are fat. buain maorach nuair a tha an tr脿igh ann: harvest shellfish when the tide is out (an equivalent to 鈥榤ake hay while the sun shines鈥). You will also hear the verb 诲猫补苍 used eg rinn e maorach (he gathered shellfish).

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

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