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Litir na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. Tha Ruaraidh ag innse mu thuras dhan a' Chumraigh. The week's letter for learners from Roddy MacLean.

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Sun 9 Mar 2014 14:55

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Litir 764: Fear nan Cluasan Eich - P脿irt 1

Bha mi ann an ceann a tuath na Cuimrigh aig deireadh na bliadhn鈥 an-uiridh. Feumaidh mi r脿dh gu bheil an d霉thaich sin a鈥 c貌rdadh rium gu m貌r. Mar a tha a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd againne, tha i gun teagamh Ceilteach. Ach, eucoltach ris a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd, tha an c脿nan aca gu math l脿idir.

Am measg nan sg矛rean as br猫agha anns a鈥 Chuimrigh, tha Rubha Ll欧n. Chaidh mi gu ceann a-mach an rubha far a bheil Nant Gwrtheyrn, 脿ite far am bi m貌ran a鈥 dol airson Cuimris ionnsachadh. Tha an sg矛re sin l脿n sgeulachdan mar a tha a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd. Bha mi air mo dh貌igh ann.

Tha baile air Rubha Ll欧n air a bheil Abersoch. Tha taigh m貌r an sin air a bheil Castell March. Nise, tha an t-ainm sin furasta gu le貌r a thuigsinn ma tha G脿idhlig agad. Castell 鈥 caisteal. March 鈥 marc, seann fhacal airson each. Tha sinn fhathast a鈥 bruidhinn air marcachd agus marc-shluagh. Castell March 鈥 Caisteal Eich.

Chan e gun robh each a鈥 fuireach ann. 鈥橲 ann airson duine a chaidh ainmeachadh 鈥 March Amheirchion. Bha March a鈥 fuireach anns a鈥 chaisteal far a bheil an taigh m貌r an-diugh. 鈥橲 e fear de ridirean R矛gh Artair a bh鈥 ann. Fhuair e ainm oir bha a chluasan uabhasach coltach ri cluasan eich.

Bha gr脿in aig March air na cluasan aige. Bha e gan cumail am falach le fhalt a bha fada, ruadh. Corra uair bha aige ri cliop fhaighinn. B鈥 e sin an obair aig a鈥 ghille a b鈥 貌ige anns a鈥 chaisteal. Ach cho luath 鈥檚 a bhiodh falt Mharch air a ghearradh, bhiodh an gille a ghe脿rr e a鈥 dol 脿 fianais. Cha robh sgeul air a鈥 ghille tuilleadh. Cha robh fios le cinnt d猫 thachair do na gillean, ach bha fathannan a鈥 dol.

Latha a bha seo, dh鈥 iarr an t-脿rd-ch貌caire, Derfel, air a鈥 ghille a b鈥 貌ige a thighinn thuige ann an cidsin a鈥 chaisteil. 鈥業slwyn, a bhalaich, trobhad an seo,鈥 thuirt e.

鈥楧猫 n矛 mi dhuibh, a Dherfel?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an gille 貌g.

鈥樷橲 e do thuras fh猫in an t-ath thuras,鈥 thuirt Derfel ris.

鈥楧猫 tha sibh a鈥 ciallachadh?鈥 arsa Islwyn.

鈥業s tu an gille as 貌ige anns a鈥 chaisteal a-nise. 鈥橲 e do thuras fh猫in a th鈥 ann falt Mharch a ghearradh.

鈥楢ch chan aithne dhomh gearradh-fuilt, cha do rinn mi sin riamh,鈥 thuirt Islwyn.

鈥楥han eil e gu diofar,鈥 fhreagair Derfel. 鈥楥ha chuir droch chliop dragh air March. Agus 鈥檚 ann ainneamh a gheibh e cliop co-dhi霉.鈥

鈥楥h矛 mi sin,鈥 arsa Islwyn. 鈥楾ha fhalt thairis air a ghuailnean.鈥

鈥楽eo mo chomhairle,鈥 thuirt an t-脿rd-ch貌caire. 鈥楾halla 脿s a seo agus faigh obair ann an 脿ite eile.鈥

鈥楢ch chan eil mi ag iarraidh falbh gu 脿ite eile,鈥 thuirt an gille. 鈥楾ha mi cho sona ris an r矛gh an seo. 鈥橲 d貌cha latha br猫agha air choreigin gum faigh mi 脿rd dhreuchd mar a th鈥 agaibh fh猫in.鈥

鈥楥han eil d貌chas sam bith ann gun tachair sin,鈥 fhreagair Derfel. 鈥楪ach gille 貌g a ghe脿rr falt Mharch, chaidh iad 脿 fianais 脿s d猫idh l脿imhe. Chan eil fios d猫 thachair dhaibh. Cha robh sgeul orra bhon uair sin. Agus tachraidh an aon rud riutsa. Feumaidh tu teicheadh.鈥

Bha Derfel d矛reach air na faclan sin a r脿dh nuair a chuala e ceum coise. C貌 choisich a-steach don chidsin ach March. Agus leanaidh an sgeulachd anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach

Ceilteach: Celtic; 脿谤诲-肠丑貌肠补颈谤别: chief cook.

Abairtean na Litreach

ann an ceann a tuath na Cuimrigh aig deireadh na bliadhn鈥 an-uiridh: in North Wales at the end of last year; feumaidh mi r脿dh: I must say; gu bheil an d霉thaich sin a鈥 c貌rdadh rium gu m貌r: that that land really appeals to me; eucoltach ris a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd: unlike the Highlands; chaidh mi gu ceann a-mach an rubha: I went to the far end of the peninsula; airson Cuimris ionnsachadh: to learn the Welsh language; bha mi air mo dh貌igh ann: I was very happy there; chan e gun robh each a鈥 fuireach ann: [it鈥檚] not that a horse was living there; fear de ridirean R矛gh Artair: one of King Arthur鈥檚 knights; bha gr脿in aig X air na cluasan aige: X hated his ears; gan cumail am falach le fhalt: keeping them hidden with his hair; corra uair bha aige ri cliop fhaighinn: occasionally he had to have a haircut; an obair aig a鈥 ghille a b鈥 貌ige: the work of the youngest lad; bhiodh an gille a ghe脿rr e a鈥 dol 脿 fianais: the lad that cut it would disappear; 鈥檚 e do thuras fh猫in an t-ath thuras: it鈥檚 your turn next time; chan aithne dhomh gearradh-fuilt: I don鈥檛 know how to cut hair; 鈥檚 ann ainneamh a gheibh e cliop: it鈥檚 [only] rarely he has a haircut; thalla 脿s a seo agus faigh obair ann an 脿ite eile: get out of here and find work somewhere else [in another place]; 鈥檚 d貌cha latha br猫agha air choreigin gum faigh mi 脿rd dhreuchd: perhaps some day I鈥檒l get a senior position; chaidh iad 脿 fianais 脿s d猫idh l脿imhe: they disappeared afterwards; tachraidh an aon rud riutsa: the same thing will happen to you; feumaidh tu teicheadh: you must flee; bha X d矛reach air na faclan sin a r脿dh: X had only just said those words; nuair a chuala e ceum coise: when he heard a footstep.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Marc is an old Gaelic word for 鈥榟orse, charger, steed鈥 which has cognates in other Celtic languages (eg Welsh march) and may be related to the English mare. It鈥檚 in the odd place name but would be considered archaic today, having been replaced by each (or, to a lesser degree, capall). Nevertheless, derived forms are still in common usage. Examples are marcachd 鈥榬iding, equestrianism鈥, marcaich / a鈥 marcachadh (or a鈥 marcachd) 鈥榬ide鈥, marcaiche 鈥榬ider, horseman鈥, marcaireachd 鈥榟辞谤蝉别尘补苍蝉丑颈辫鈥, marc-shluagh 鈥榗补惫补濒谤测鈥.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach

bha fathannan a鈥 dol: the rumour mill was working [lit. rumours were going].

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

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