大象传媒

O chionn d脿 bhliadhna gu leth, ann an Litrichean c貌ig ceud, trithead 鈥檚 a h-ochd (538) agus c貌ig ceud, trithead 鈥檚 a naoi (539), thug mi s霉il air seanfhaclan co-cheangailte ri gobhair 鈥� no goibhrean, no goibhrichean mas e sin as fhe脿rr leibh. Uill, lorg mi fear eile o chionn ghoirid, agus seo e: Mas dubh, mas odhar, mas donn, is toigh leis a鈥� ghobhair a meann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha gobhair gu math s貌isealta. Tha iad a鈥� cumail gu dl霉th ri ch猫ile. Chan eil e gu diofar d猫 an coltas a th鈥� air meann no 脿l a鈥� mhinn, bidh an t-seann fheadhainn measail orra. Chan eil e gu diofar d猫 an dath a th鈥� air meann, bidh a mh脿thair ga thomhas mar br猫agha. Nach eil sin f矛or mu dhaoine cuideachd? Mas dubh, mas odhar, mas donn, is toigh leis a鈥� ghobhair a meann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns an leabhar aige In The Shadow of Cairngorm, tha an t-Oll. Urr. Uilleam Fearsithe ag r脿dh gum biodh teaghlaichean de ghobhair gan rangachadh fh猫in anns a鈥� bhuaile airson cadal air an oidhche. Gu h-脿rd, bhiodh a鈥� mh脿thair, an uair sin an Nighean, an uair sin an t-Ogha. 脌s d猫idh sin, bhiodh am Fionn-ogha, 鈥渢he great-grandchild鈥�, agus an Dubh-ogha, 鈥渢he great grandson鈥檚 grandson鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nise, chan eil mi buileach cinnteach am biodh a h-uile duine ag aontachadh gur e fionn-ogha 鈥済reat grandchild鈥� no gur e dubh-ogha 鈥済reat great great-grandchild鈥�. Tha d脿 ghinealach eadar na dh脿 a tha sin, agus cha chreid mi nach cuala mi daoine ag r脿dh gur e dubh-ogha 鈥済reat great-grandchild鈥�, sin 鈥渢he grandchild of a grandchild鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi beachd agaibh fh猫in air seo, agus bhithinn toilichte cluinntinn bhuaibh. Ach seo mar a tha Dwelly ga aithris anns an fhaclair aige. Seo na ginealaich sreath ch猫ile: athair, mac, ogha, iar-ogha, fionn-ogha agus dubh-ogha.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nam biomaid a鈥� d猫anamh eadar-theangachadh gu Beurla, chanamaid mar a leanas: ogha, grandson; iar-ogha, great-grandson, fionn-ogha, great-great-grandson; agus dubh-ogha, great-great-great-grandson. Agus, nam biodh sibh ag iarraidh a dhol na b鈥� fhaide na sin, chanadh sibh: iar-dubh-ogha is iar-iar-dubh-ogha agus 鈥檚 d貌cha an uair sin direach fear no t猫 de shliochd an duine!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mas ann air nigheanan a bhiodh sibh a鈥� bruidhinn, bhiodh e ag obair mar seo: ban-ogha, granddaughter; iar-bhan-ogha, great-granddaughter. Cha chuala mi fionn no dubh air an cleachdadh le ban-ogha. Ach ma tha sibh fh猫in gan cleachdadh, bu mhath leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ma tha sinn ag obair an rathad eile 鈥� suas na ginealaich 鈥� tha e a鈥� dol mar seo: athair, father; seanair, grandfather; sinn-seanair, great-grandfather; sinn-sinn-seanair, great-great-grandfather is mar sin air adhart. 鈥橲 d貌cha, an d猫idh sinn-sinn-seanair gun canadh sibh d矛reach 鈥渟颈苍苍蝉别补谤鈥�!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Le boireannaich, tha e ag obair ann an d貌igh choltach: m脿thair, mother; seanmhair, grandmother, sinn-seanmhair, great-grandmother, sinn-sinn-seanmhair, great-great-grandmother.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nise, seo t貌imhseachan dhuibh: Is mise iar-ogha mo shinn-seanar. C貌 mi? Is mise iar-ogha mo shinn-seanar. C貌 mi? Uill, 鈥檚 e am fuasgladh 鈥� mise! Ach bhiodh sibh ceart cuideachd le bhith ag r脿dh 鈥渕o bhr脿thair鈥� no 鈥渕o phiuthar鈥� no 鈥渕o cho-ogha鈥�. Uill, tha mi air a dhol fada bho na gobhair, ach sin mar a tha. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun till mi thuca anns an ath Litir.

蝉貌颈蝉别补濒迟补: sociable; an t-Oll. Urr. Uilleam Fearsithe: Rev. Dr. William Forsyth; 迟貌颈尘丑蝉别补肠丑补苍: puzzle; piuthar: sister; co-ogha: [first] cousin.

O chionn d脿 bhliadhna gu leth: two and a half years ago; thug mi s霉il air seanfhaclan co-cheangailte ri gobhair: I took a look at proverbs connected to goats; tha iad a鈥� cumail gu dl霉th ri ch猫ile: they keep close to each other; do you understand it?; chan eil e gu diofar d猫 an coltas a th鈥� air meann no 脿l a鈥� mhinn: the appearance of a kid goat, or the kid鈥檚 offspring, doesn鈥檛 matter; bidh an t-seann fheadhainn measail orra: the old ones will like them; bidh a mh脿thair ga thomhas mar br猫agha: its mother will reckon it鈥檚 beautiful; nach eil sin f矛or mu dhaoine cuideachd?: isn鈥檛 that also true of people?; gan rangachadh fh猫in anns a鈥� bhuaile: ranking themselves in the fold; airson cadal air an oidhche: for sleeping at night; cha chreid mi nach cuala mi daoine ag r脿dh: I think I鈥檝e heard people say; bhithinn toilichte cluinntinn bhuaibh: I would be pleased to hear from you; nam biomaid a鈥� d猫anamh eadar-theangachadh gu Beurla: if we were translating into English; nam biodh sibh ag iarraidh a dhol na b鈥� fhaide: if you were wanting to go further; fear no t猫 de shliochd an duine: one of the man鈥檚 offspring; suas na ginealaich: up the generations; is mise iar-ogha mo shinn-seanar: I am the great-grandson of my great-grandfather; c貌 mi?: who am I?; 鈥檚 e am fuasgladh 鈥� mise: the solution is 鈥� me; tha mi air a dhol fada bho na gobhair: I鈥檝e gone a long way from the goats; sin mar a tha: that鈥檚 how it is; 鈥檚 d貌cha gun till mi thuca: perhaps I鈥檒l return to them.

Here, for the record, are the Gaelic equivalents of the various generational relationships given in the Litir above, using masculine examples (sometimes females are represented by feminine forms, but not always) 鈥� and note that sinn can be replaced dialectally by the developed form 蝉矛谤: sinn-sinn-seanair (great-great-grandfather), sinn-seanair (great-grandfather), seanair (grandfather), athair (father), mac (son), ogha (grandson), iar-ogha (great-grandson), fionn-ogha (great-great-grandson), dubh-ogha (great-great-great-grandson). If your own usage differs from that, I鈥檇 be really pleased to hear from you on roddy.maclean@bbc.co.uk.

Mas dubh, mas odhar, mas donn, is toigh leis a鈥� ghobhair a meann: whether it be black, dun or brown, the goat likes her kid. A mother always loves her child, whatever its appearance.

听

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