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A bheil fios agaibh d猫 tha ann an dochy? Faigh a-mach ann an litir na seachdain-sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Find out what a dochy is in this week's letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Sat 27 Apr 2013 10:55

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An Dochaidh

Bha mi a鈥 leughadh an latha eile mu 鈥榙ochy鈥 鈥 D-O-C-H-Y 鈥 n脿dar de mhaide a bhathar a鈥 cleachdadh air a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd mar bhall-airm. Bha mi dhen bheachd an toiseach gur ann bhon Gh脿idhlig a th脿inig am facal, 鈥檚 gun robh e co-cheangailte ri dochann. Oir 鈥檚 iomadh dochann a chaidh a dh猫anamh leis an dochaidh, a r猫ir choltais.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cha chreid mi nach robh mi ce脿rr, ge-t脿. 鈥橲 ann bhon Gh脿idhlig a th脿inig am facal, ceart gu le貌r, ach bho ainm-脿ite ann an Loch Abar 鈥 Dabhach an Fhasaidh, taobh Loch L貌chaidh. 鈥橲 e 鈥楧ochanassie Stick鈥 a chainte ris a鈥 mhaide ann am Beurla.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e bata goirid daraich a bh鈥 anns an dochaidh. Bha e trom is tiugh, le ceann m貌r air. Bhiodh daoine gan gi霉lan aig 脿m s矛the airson an d矛on, nuair a bha iad aig f猫illtean-reic agus tiodhlacaidhean, is gnothaichean dhen t-se貌rsa sin. Aig 脿m cogaidh, bha iad air an cur an d脿rna taobh agus bhiodh daoine a鈥 gi霉lan chlaidheamhan, biodagan is dagaichean. Dh猫anadh an dochaidh dochann ach, mar bu trice, chan adhbharaicheadh e b脿s.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bhiodh daoine a鈥 toirt dochaidhean leotha gu taighean-seinnse cuideachd. An uair sin, nam biodh sabaid ann, agus am mullach 矛osal, bhiodh iad a鈥 greimeachadh an dochaidh na mheadhan. Nam biodh an ceann dheth trom gu le貌r, bhiodh e fhathast ag obair gu math.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha e inntinneach gu bheilear a鈥 d猫anamh ceangal l脿idir eadar na G脿idheil agus deoch n脿iseanta na h-Alba. Chan eil mi a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥業rn Bru鈥 ach 鈥榰isge-beatha! 鈥橲 ann bho uisge-beatha a tha sinn a鈥 faighinn na Beurla whisky. Agus bha na G脿idheil riamh measail air uisge-beatha. Nach robh ar sinnsirean ga dh猫anamh gu tric?!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ann am beul-aithris, tha deoch l脿idir eile a鈥 nochdadh gu minig cuideachd 鈥 t猫 nach robh air a dh猫anamh ann an Alba 鈥 branndaidh. Seo cunntas beag de dh鈥櫭瞝 branndaidh 脿 d霉thaich nan Camshronach, faisg air Dabhach an Fhasaidh. Tha e a鈥 dol air ais gu deireadh Bliadhna The脿rlaich. Bha arm a鈥 Phrionnsa a鈥 teicheadh 脿n d猫idh Ch霉il Lodair. Ann an d貌igh air choreigin, bha iad air sia botail branndaidh a ghoid bho st貌ras an riaghaltais ann an Cille Chuimein.

听听听听听听听听听听听 R脿inig iad Abhainn L貌chaidh air an oidhche. Bha iad a鈥 d猫anamh air Ach na Cairidh, 脿ros Camshron Loch Iall. Bha na saighdearan dearga air a h-uile b脿ta aig na Camshronaich a chur na sm脿l. Ach chaill iad aon t猫 鈥 seann choit mhosgain a bh鈥 air a bhith air Loch Airceig. Bha i ag aoidion ach dh猫anadh i a鈥 ch霉is ann an 猫iginn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楢n gabh sibh dram branndaidh?鈥 thuirt fear de na Camshronaich ris a鈥 Phrionnsa. 鈥楪abhaidh,鈥 fhreagair Te脿rlach, agus ghabh a h-uile duine dram mus deach iad don t-soitheach. Dh鈥櫭瞝 iad tr矛 botail eatarra. Bha tr矛 air fh脿gail.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ghabhadh a鈥 choit d矛reach an treas cuid dhen t-sluagh. B鈥 fheudar dhi tr矛 tursan a ghabhail tarsainn na h-aibhne. Air an treas turas, thuit na tr矛 botail branndaidh agus bhris iad am broinn a鈥 bh脿ta. Mheasgaich am branndaidh le uisge salach 鈥 an taoim 鈥 ann am bonn a鈥 bhata.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha do chuir sin stad air na Camshronaich. Bha iad cho d猫idheil air deoch 鈥檚 gun do dh鈥櫭瞝 iad a h-uile boinne dhen taoim! S d貌cha gur e a bh鈥 ann ach d貌igh airson d矛ochuimhneachadh mar a dh鈥檉huiling adhbhar a鈥 Phrionnsa air bl脿r a鈥 bhatail agus mar a bhiodh droch l脿ithean romhpa.

Faclan na Litreach

dochaidh: dochy (Dochanassie stick); dochann: hurt, injury; 蹿猫颈濒濒迟别补苍-谤别颈肠: sales; tiodhlacaidhean: funerals; uisge-beatha: whisky; gu minig: often; Bliadhna The脿rlaich: 1745-6; Loch Airceig: Loch Arkaig; ag aoidion: leaking; d猫idheil air: keen on.

Abairtean na Litreach

n脿dar de mhaide a bhathar a鈥 cleachdadh mar bhall-airm: a type of stick that was used as a weapon; cha chreid mi nach robh mi ce脿rr: I reckon I was wrong; bata goirid daraich: a short oaken stick; gan gi霉lan aig 脿m s矛the airson an d矛on: carrying them at time of peace to protect themselves; claidheamhan, biodagan is dagaichean: swords, dirks and pistols; chan adhbharaicheadh e b脿s: it wouldn鈥檛 cause death; a鈥 greimeachadh an dochaidh na mheadhan: grasping the dochy around its middle; nach robh ar sinnsirean ga dh猫anamh gu tric?: weren鈥檛 our ancestors making it often?; cunntas beag de dh鈥櫭瞝 branndaidh 脿 d霉thaich nan Camshronach: a short account of drinking brandy from the country of the Camerons; a鈥 teicheadh 脿n d猫idh Ch霉il Lodair: fleeing after Culloden; ann an d貌igh air choreigin: in some way or other; bha iad air sia botail branndaidh a ghoid: they had stolen six bottles of brandy; st貌ras an riaghaltais ann an Cille Chuimein: the government store in Fort Augustus; Ach na Cairidh, 脿ros Camshron Loch Iall: Achnacarry, the big house of Cameron of Locheil; bha na saighdearan dearga air a h-uile b脿ta a chur na sm脿l: the redcoats had burned every boat; seann choit mhosgain: a rotten old boat; dh猫anadh i a鈥 ch霉is ann an 猫iginn: it would do the job in an emergency; d矛reach an treas cuid dhen t-sluagh: only a third of the people; mheasgaich am branndaidh le uisge salach 鈥 an taoim: the brandy mixed with dirty water 鈥 the bilge water; mar a dh鈥檉huiling adhbhar a鈥 Phrionnsa: how the Prince鈥檚 cause suffered.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Dabhach an Fhasaidh, taobh Loch L貌chaidh: Dochanassie, beside Loch Lochy. The old Pictish land division the davach is Gaelicized dabhach. But, through the centuries, the pronunciation in Gaelic changed from 鈥楧AV-och鈥 to 鈥楧A-och鈥 or 鈥楧OCH鈥. Some authorities would give Dochanassie as Dabhach an Fhasaidh and others as Doch an Fhasaidh. It means 鈥榯he davoch of the dwelling鈥 (fasadh). A similar change took place with the old Gaelic place-name Abhach 鈥榳ater place鈥 on the Black Isle; it is anglicised 鈥楢voch鈥 based on the original Gaelic pronunciation. Today it is pronounced 鈥楢-och鈥 in Ross-shire Gaelic and 鈥極ch鈥 in English. The 鈥榲鈥 has become silent in both languages and makes for puzzled looks among visitors when told how to pronounce the village鈥檚 name!

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach

gnothaichean dhen t-se貌rsa sin: matters of that nature.

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