大象传媒

Anns an d脿 Litir mu dheireadh, bha mi a鈥� toirt s霉il air eisimpleirean bhon leabhar The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe le Te脿rlach MacAoidh. Ach c貌 e an duine a sgr矛obh an leabhar? Agus an robh G脿idhlig aige? Uill, cha robh. Ach bha m貌ran ch脿nanan eile aige. Agus bha e Albannach.

Rugadh e ann am Peairt ann an ochd ceud deug is dh脿-dheug (1812) no 鈥檚 d貌cha ochd ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1814). Chaochail a mh脿thair nuair a bha Te脿rlach gl猫 貌g, agus 鈥檚 e athair a thog e. Bha esan na sti霉iriche c貌mhlan-ci霉il anns an r猫isimeid ris an canar an Royal Artillery. Bha e a鈥� fuireach thall thairis ach thill e a dh鈥橝lba nuair a ghabh e malaria. Bha e be貌 an uair sin air peinnsean nach robh uabhasach luachmhor.

Fhuair Te脿rlach a chuid foghlaim an toiseach ann an Lunnainn is an uair sin anns a鈥� Bhruiseal, far an deach athair a dh鈥檉huireach. Ann an sin, dh鈥檌onnsaich an gille Fraingis, Gearmailtis, Eadailtis is Sp脿inntis. 鈥橲 e br脿thair a sheanar, am M脿idsear-Seanalair Raibeart MacAoidh, a bha a鈥� p脿igheadh airson a chuid foghlaim. Agus bha esan a鈥� tuigsinn gum biodh Te脿rlach a鈥� dol do na h-Innseachan mar shaighdear. Ach cha deach am plana sin air adhart. Chaidh athair The脿rlaich agus uncail a-mach air a ch猫ile.

Fhuair Te脿rlach obair mar neach-naidheachd ann an Lunnainn 鈥� an toiseach leis an Sun agus an uair sin leis a鈥� Mhorning Chronicle 鈥� am p脿ipear a bu mhotha a bha a鈥� str矛 le T矛m Lunnainn airson pr矛omhachas. Am measg na bha ag obair don Chronicle aig an 脿m, bha Uilleam Thackeray agus Te脿rlach Dickens.

Fhuair MacAoidh obair mar Fo-dheasaiche. Ach a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 gu robh e trang, ag obair sia latha san t-seachdain, fhuair e 霉ine airson b脿rdachd is leabhraichean a sgr矛obhadh. Mus robh e trithead bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, bha e air na leabhraichean a leanas a sgr矛obhadh: A History of London, The Thames and its Tributaries, nobhail air an robh Longbeard, Lord of London, agus cruinneachadh de dh鈥檃istidhean air an robh Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions, and the Madness of Crowds.

Ann an ochd ceud deug ceathrad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1844), fhuair MacAoidh obair 霉r 鈥� air ais ann an Alba 鈥� mar Dheasaiche Argus Ghlaschu. Anns a鈥� bhaile sin, bha e an s脿s gu m貌r le daoine aig an robh beachdan libearalach. Chaidh ceum LLD a bhuileachadh air le Oilthigh Ghlaschu. Agus ph貌s e ann an Glaschu 鈥� t猫 Rose Henrietta Vale.

脌s d猫idh tr矛 bliadhna ann an Glaschu, thill e a Lunnainn far an d鈥� fhuair e obair anns an Illustrated London News. Nuair a bha e ag obair don ph脿ipear sin, dh鈥檉hoillsich e ann feadhainn de na h-貌rain a sgr矛obh e. Airson sin bha e ag obair c貌mhla ris a鈥� chruthadair-chi霉il ainmeil, Sir Eanraig Bishop.

鈥橲 e bliadhna dh貌rainneach a bh鈥� ann dha ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a naoi (1859). Dh鈥檉h脿g e an Illustrated London News airson p脿ipear-naidheachd 霉r a chur air chois 鈥� an London Review 鈥� nach do shoirbhich. Agus chaochail a鈥� bhean aige. D脿 bhliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin ph貌s e M脿iri Ealasaid Mills.

Nise, bidh sibh a鈥� mothachadh nach do dh鈥檃ithris mi dad mun Gh脿idhlig fhathast. 鈥橲 e as coireach ri sin nach eil dad ri aithris fhathast. Gu dearbh, feumaidh sinn feitheamh chun na h-ath-sheachdain airson sin. Cha do r脿inig sinn ach ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1862), nuair a chaidh MacAoidh a dh鈥橝meireagaidh airson aithrisean a dh猫anamh air a鈥� Chogadh Chatharra. Agus bhris e naidheachd mh貌r fhad 鈥檚 a bha e thall 鈥� air an toir sinn s霉il anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: eisimpleirean: examples; Te脿rlach MacAoidh: Charles Mackay; fo-dheasaiche: sub-editor; cogadh catharra: civil war.

Abairtean na Litreach: 鈥檚 e athair a thog e: it [was] his father who raised him; bha esan na sti霉iriche c貌mhlan-ci霉il anns an r猫isimeid ris an canar: he was a bandleader in the regiment known as; peinnsean nach robh uabhasach luachmhor: a pension which was not very valuable; anns a鈥� Bhruiseal, far an deach athair a dh鈥檉huireach: in Brussels, where his father went to live; gum biodh Te脿rlach a鈥� dol do na h-Innseachan mar shaighdear: that Charles would be going to India as a soldier; chaidh athair The脿rlaich agus uncail a-mach air a ch猫ile: Charles鈥檚 father and his [father鈥檚] uncle fell out with each other; am p脿ipear a bu mhotha a bha a鈥� str矛 le T矛m Lunnainn airson pr矛omhachas: the paper which was most strongly competing with the Times of London for the top spot; a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 gu robh e trang: despite the fact that he was busy; dh鈥檉hoillsich e ann feadhainn de na h-貌rain a sgr矛obh e: he published in it some of the songs he wrote; c貌mhla ris a鈥� chruthadair-chi霉il: with the composer; bliadhna dh貌rainneach: an anguished year; nach do shoirbhich: which did not succeed; nach eil dad ri aithris fhathast: there is nothing to report yet; bhris e naidheachd mh貌r: he broke big news.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Chaochail a mh脿thair/chaochail a鈥� bhean aige: his mother/wife died. There are several euphemisms in Gaelic for saying someone has died. In much of the G脿idhealtachd, particularly in northern parts of the mainland, it is considered ill-mannered to say bh脿saich in relation to a person (although this is standard speech in Lewis). So it would be said: bh脿saich a鈥� bh貌 (the cow died) but chaochail P脿draig (Peter died). Chaochail e literally means 鈥渉e changed鈥� and would refer to a 鈥渘atural鈥� death or, at least, not to one involving obvious outside intervention. If somebody is killed in an explosion, for example, we would be more likely to say chaidh X a mharbhadh ann an spreadhadh, although if somebody were injured in an explosion but died three days later in hospital, we would probably say chaochail X san ospadal tr矛 latha 脿s d猫idh dha a bhith air a le貌n ann an spreadhadh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh ceum a bhuileachadh air: a degree was bestowed upon him.