大象传媒

Nuair a bha mi a鈥� d猫anamh rannsachadh airson leabhar beag a dh鈥檉hoillsich mi air ainmean-脿ite is dualchas G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis, th脿inig mi tarsainn air na sgr矛obhaidhean aig T貌mas Garnett. Bha Garnett air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd d脿 bhliadhna ro dheireadh an ochdamh linn deug, agus sgr矛obh e leabhar mu dheidhinn a thurais air an robh Observations on a Tour Through the Highlands and Part of the Western Isles of Scotland.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha mi airson faighinn a-mach na chuala e fh猫in de Gh脿idhlig ann an Inbhir Nis. Sgr矛obh e: English and Gaelic are spoken here promiscuously, though the language of the country people is Gaelic; the English is spoken with great purity, both with respect to pronunciation and grammar. Bha e ag r脿dh gur e a bu choireach gun robh an cuid Beurla cho math 鈥� nach robh i na c脿nan m脿thaireil dhaibh, gun robh saighdearan Chrombail air buaidh a thoirt air cainnt an 脿ite, agus gun robh gl猫 bheag de chonaltradh ann eadar Inbhir Nis agus na sg矛rean far an robh a鈥� Bheurla Ghallta ga bruidhinn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 d貌cha gun cuireadh cuid teagamh air na co-dh霉naidhean aige, ach chuir an cunntas aige ris an argamaid a bha mi a鈥� d猫anamh gun robh G脿idhlig ga bruidhinn gu m貌r ann an Inbhir Nis, eadhon aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug. Bha feadhainn a鈥� cumail a-mach nach robh G脿idhlig riamh air a bruidhinn ann an Inbhir Nis!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach carson a bha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh air T貌mas Garnett? Uill, a chionn 鈥檚 gun do dh鈥檉hoillsich e cunntasan dhen dearbh rud air an robh mi a鈥� bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh 鈥� seiches. Bha aon chunntas air a dh猫anamh anns an t-Sultain, seachd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1784) mun Cheannmhor aig ceann an ear Loch Tatha. 鈥橲 e am ministear anns a鈥� Cheannmhor a rinn an cunntas. Bha an gluasad-uisge cho m貌r 鈥檚 gun do dh鈥檉h脿g e am b脿gh anns a鈥� Cheannmhor tioram suas ri ceud slat a-mach bhon chladach mus do thill an t-uisge a-rithist le neart.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Leis gu bheil mi a-mach air T貌mas Garnett, bu mhath leam s霉il a thoirt air an duine agus air na sgr矛obh e mun Gh脿idhealtachd. Rugadh e ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a sia (1766) ann am Westmoreland ann an Sasainn. Fhuair e cothrom ionnsachadh bhon lighiche agus fear-matamataig ainmeil, John Dawson. Bha e gu math d矛cheallach agus tha e coltach nach robh beatha sh貌isealta aige idir.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cheumnaich e mar dhotair ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1788). Cha do dh鈥檕braich e a-mh脿in mar lighiche, ge-t脿. Bha e cuideachd a鈥� d猫anamh rannsachadh saidheansail air uisge m猫inneir agus e貌las aimsire.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ph貌s e ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1795). Bha e air a chur roimhe eilthireachd a dh猫anamh a dh鈥橝meireagaidh. Nuair a bha e ann an Liverpool, feuch na planaichean sin adhartachadh, fhuair e cuireadh 貌raidean a dh猫anamh air feallsanachd n脿darrach. Dh鈥檃tharraich sin a bheatha. Cha deach e a-null thairis.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An 脿ite sin, fhuair e obair mar 脿rd-ollamh ann an Ionad MhicAnndrais ann an Glaschu. 鈥橲 ann nuair a bha e ann an Glaschu a roghnaich e fh猫in is a charaid, an neach-ealain W H Watts, cuairt a ghabhail air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air a鈥� chuairt sin an-ath-sheachdain.

尘脿迟丑补颈谤别颈濒: mother (adjective); conaltradh: communication; 诲矛肠丑别补濒濒补肠丑: conscientious; cheumnaich: graduated; roghnaich: chose; neach-ealain: artist.

a dh鈥檉hoillsich mi: that I published; th脿inig mi tarsainn air na sgr矛obhaidhean aig: I came across the writings of; ro dheireadh an ochdamh linn deug: before the end of the eighteenth century; na chuala e fh猫in de: what he himself heard of; gur e a bu choireach gun robh an cuid Beurla cho math: that what was responsible for their English being so good; gun robh saighdearan Chrombail air buaidh a thoirt air cainnt an 脿ite: that Cromwell鈥檚 soldiers had affected the speech of the place; far an robh a鈥� Bheurla Ghallta ga bruidhinn: where Scots/the Lowland speech was spoken; gun cuireadh cuid teagamh air: that some would doubt; cunntasan dhen dearbh rud air an robh mi a鈥� bruidhinn: accounts of the very thing I was talking about; mun Cheannmhor aig ceann an ear Loch Tatha: about Kenmore at the eastern end of Loch Tay; mus do thill an t-uisge a-rithist le neart: before the water returned again with force; cothrom ionnsachadh bhon lighiche agus fear-matamataig ainmeil: an opportunity to learn from the famous physician and mathematician; rannsachadh saidheansail air uisge m猫inneir agus e貌las aimsire: scientific research on mineral water and meteorology; air a chur roimhe eilthireachd a dh猫anamh: had decided to emigrate; feuch na planaichean sin adhartachadh: in an attempt to advance the plans; fhuair e cuireadh 貌raidean a dh猫anamh: he received an invitation to give lectures; mar 脿rd-ollamh ann an Ionad MhicAnndrais: as a professor in Anderson鈥檚 Institution.

suas ri ceud slat a-mach bhon chladach: up to a hundred yards out from the shore. Suas ri is a good translation of the English 鈥渦p to鈥� meaning 鈥渦p to a number or measure鈥�. Here are some other examples: bha suas ri dusan neach a鈥� feitheamh ris (there were up to a dozen people waiting for him); chaill mi suas ri ochd ceud not le bhith a鈥� cur geall (I lost up to eight hundred pounds by gambling). But note the use of suas gu in the following examples, where there is an actual increase of the number under consideration: chaidh an 脿ireamh chluicheadairean ann an sgioba suas gu dusan (the number of players in a team went up to twelve); tha na th鈥� ann de mhairbh air a dhol suas gu fichead (the number of dead has gone up to twenty).听

Cha deach e a-null thairis: he didn鈥檛 go overseas (expression used with motion).

听

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