大象传媒

Halo a-rithist, a ch脿irdean. 始S d貌cha gun do mhothaich sibh do dh鈥櫭爄reamh na Litreach seo. Th貌isich Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh anns a鈥� Ch猫itean naoi ceud deug, naochad 始s a naoi (1999), c貌rr is naoi bliadhn鈥� deug air ais. Tha i air a bhith a鈥� ruith an 矛re mhath a h-uile seachdain bhon uair sin. Agus seo am m矛leamh t猫.听

Bu mhath leam taing a thoirt dhuibhse, an luchd-猫isteachd agam, airson a bhith taiceil dhomh thar nam bliadhnaichean, agus 霉idh a shealltainn ann an cuspairean nan Litrichean. Tha sibh ann am m貌ran d霉thchannan, a bharrachd air Alba fh猫in, agus mo bheannachd agaibh airson a bhith ag ionnsachadh ar c脿nain ghr脿dhaichte, a鈥� Gh脿idhlig. 始S iomadh post-dealain a fhuair mi bhuaibh thar nam bliadhnaichean agus tha mi gu math taingeil air an son. Co-dhi霉 ruigidh mi Litir d脿 mh矛le an ceann naoi bliadhn鈥� deug eile, chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh, ach tha mi an d貌chas gun lean sinn air ar turas c貌mhla airson 霉ine fhathast.

Tha am facal againn airson a dheich uiread de cheud inntinneach, nach eil? 惭矛濒别 鈥� coltach ris an fhacal ann an Cuimris, Fraingis, Laideann ... Tha d霉il gun t脿inig i bhon Laidinn an toiseach. Ma choimheadas sibh air an fhacal m矛le ann am faclair G脿idhlig, gheibh sibh d脿 chiall air 鈥� thousand agus mile. Chan e co-thuiteamas a tha sin.

Bha m矛le aig na saighdearan R貌manach 鈥� air a thomhas air a鈥� chas chl矛 a bhith a鈥� bualadh na talmhainn m矛le turas nuair a bhathar a鈥� caismeachd. Ann an Laideann, b鈥� e sin mille passus 鈥� m矛le ceum. Ge-t脿, cha bhiodh e co-ionnan fad na h-霉ine. Nam biodh na saighdearan sg矛th, cha bhiodh na ceumannan aca cho fada. Mar sin, anns a鈥� bhliadhna fichead 始s a naoi ro Chr矛osd, chruthaich an seanalair R貌manach Agrippa slat-tomhais choitcheann. Bha an troigh R貌manach st猫idhichte air fad a choise fh猫in. Agus bha c貌ig troighean ann an ceum no passus.听

Bha m矛le 鈥� mar thomhas astair 鈥� aig iomadh d霉thaich is cultar, st猫idhichte air m矛le nan R貌manach. Ach bha e diofraichte ann an diofar 脿iteachan. Bha m矛le Albannach na b鈥� fhaide na m矛le Shasannach. Dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� mh矛le Albannach nuair a th脿inig Alba is Sasainn c貌mhla anns an aonadh.听

Chan eil e soilleir c貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal thousand o th霉s. 始S d貌cha gun robh e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榞runn cheudan鈥�. Bha e anns an t-Seann Bheurla mar 镁煤蝉别苍诲 agus tha facal coltach eadhon an-diugh anns na c脿nanan Gearmanach. Ma th猫id sibh a Nirribhidh, cluinnidh sibh daoine ag r脿dh tusen takk. Tha sin co-ionann ri 鈥榤矛le taing鈥� ann an G脿idhlig.

Tha e inntinneach, ma tha, gur ann bhon Laidinn, seach bhon Lochlannais, a th脿inig ar facal fh猫in. Ach a bheil sin f矛or anns a h-uile h-脿ite? Tha cuimhne agam air turas a chaidh mi a ch猫ilidh air bodach ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh 鈥� fear nach eil be貌 an-diugh. Bha sinn a鈥� bruidhinn ann an G脿idhlig air caoraich agus chleachd esan am facal 蝉霉蝉迟补苍 airson m矛le. Cha do thuig mi an toiseach gun robh e a鈥� ciallachadh thousand. 始S iongantach mura t脿inig 蝉霉蝉迟补苍 bhon t-Seann Lochlannais. Bha e cl脿raichte cuideachd ann an G脿idhlig Ghallaibh.听

Co-dhi霉, tha an t-脿m agam falbh. 惭矛濒别 beannachd leibh.

Faclan na Litreach: co-thuiteamas: coincidence; m矛le ceum: a thousand paces; slat-tomhais choitcheann: a standard measure; Gearmanach: Germanic; 蝉霉蝉迟补苍: thousand [dialects of North Sutherland and Caithness].

Abairtean na Litreach:聽始S d貌cha gun do mhothaich sibh do: perhaps you noticed;聽an 矛re mhath a h-uile seachdain bhon uair sin: almost every week since then;聽airson a bhith taiceil dhomh thar nam bliadhnaichean, agus 霉idh a shealltainn ann an cuspairean nan Litrichean: for supporting me over the years and showing an interest in the subjects of the Litrichean;聽co-dhi霉 ruigidh mi X an ceann naoi bliadhn鈥� deug eile, chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh: whether I reach X in another 19 years, I can鈥檛 say;聽airson a dheich uiread de cheud: for ten hundreds;聽bha m矛le aig na saighdearan R貌manach: the Roman soldiers had a mile;聽air a thomhas air a鈥� chas chl矛 a bhith a鈥� bualadh na talmhainn m矛le turas nuair a bhathar a鈥� caismeachd: measured by the left foot hitting the ground a thousand times on a march;聽bha an troigh R貌manach st猫idhichte air fad a choise fh猫in: the Roman foot was based on the length of his own foot;聽bha m矛le Albannach na b鈥� fhaide na m矛le Shasannach: a Scottish mile was longer than an English mile;聽gur ann bhon Laidinn, seach bhon Lochlannais, a th脿inig ar facal fh猫in: that it was from Latin, rather than Norse, our own word came;聽a bheil sin f矛or anns a h-uile h-脿ite?: is that true in every place?;聽turas a chaidh mi a ch猫ilidh air bodach ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh: a time I went to visit an old man in the Mackay Country [North Sutherland];聽bha sinn a鈥� bruidhinn air caoraich: we were speaking about sheep;聽cha do thuig mi an toiseach gun robh e a鈥� ciallachadh: I didn鈥檛 understand to begin with that he was meaning;聽bha e cl脿raichte cuideachd ann an G脿idhlig Ghallaibh: it was also recorded in Caithness Gaelic;聽tha an t-脿m agam falbh: I must go.听

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: seo am m矛leamh t猫: this is the thousandth one. Litir is a feminine word so we use the feminine noun t猫 鈥�female one鈥� rather than the masculine fear 鈥榤ale one鈥�. However where preceded by an ordinal numeral (in this case 尘矛濒别补尘丑) we use a masculine-appearing article rather than 鈥榝eminising鈥� it to a鈥� mh矛leamh t猫.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: 始S iongantach mura t脿inig 蝉霉蝉迟补苍 bhon t-Seann Lochlannais: it鈥檚 likely that 蝉霉蝉迟补苍 came from Old Norse.