大象传媒

Nochd leabhar 霉r o chionn ghoirid anns a bheil taghadh de rosg G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� air Ri Linn nan Linntean. Chaidh a dheasachadh le Richard Cox agus Colm 脫 Baoill. Chan eil mi a鈥� dol ga mholadh do luchd-ionnsachaidh a th鈥� aig 矛re bhunaiteach. Bhiodh e ro dhoirbh dhaibh, oir chan eil eadar-theangachadh ann. Ach don fheadhainn a tha fileanta gu le貌r, tha stuth ann a tha gu math eachdraidheil, fiosrachail is inntinneach. Bheir mi tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu dheidhinn mar a gheibheadh sibh gr猫im air an leabhar aig deireadh na Litreach.

Tha mi a鈥� dol a thaghadh p矛os de sheann Gh脿idhlig bhuaithe. Ach 鈥� dhuibhse a bhios a鈥� leughadh na Litreach 鈥� tha mi a鈥� dol a chur riaghailtean 霉ra litreachaidh an s脿s gus am bi e nas fhasa dhuibh a leughadh. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� air an earrainn seo de rosg 鈥淣a h-Eileanan Falcland鈥� agus chaidh fhoillseachadh an toiseach ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1842):

Am measg nan eileanan sin a bhuineas do Bhreatainn, agus gun duine cha mh貌r gan tuineachadh, tha na h-Eileanan Falcland. Tha mu thimcheall c貌ig fichead de na h-eileanan a tha fon ainm seo nan laighe dl霉th dha ch猫ile, ann an cuan m貌r na h-脿irde Deas, mu cheithir cheud agus ceithir fichead m矛le an taobh seo de dh鈥橝meireagaidh na h-脿irde Deas, agus mar astar tr矛 cheud m矛le o mhaol mh貌r deiseil Ameireagaidh 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin Cape Horn.

Tha an t-aon as m貌 de na h-eileanan seo mu thuaiream sia fichead m矛le air fad, agus leth-cheud m矛le air leud, air a chuairteachadh le b脿ghan agus calachan agus ionadan acarsaid cho math, fasgach, t猫arainte 鈥檚 a tha san t-saoghal uile. Chan eil air an 脿m duine be貌 a鈥� c貌mhnaidh air an eilean seo, an t-eilean as m貌 dhiubh, a tha uiread ri Muile, 脤le, 鈥檚 an t-Eilean Sgitheanach le ch猫ile, agus gu m貌r nas tarbhaiche. Chan eil crodh no caoraich no eich san eilean mh貌r seo, ach am feur a鈥� grodadh air an l脿r o bhliadhna gu bliadhna!

Tha an dara h-eilean as m貌 ceithir fichead m矛le air fad agus leth-cheud air leud. Tha caol eadar c貌ig is sia m矛ltean air leud eadar an d脿 eilean seo 鈥� caol trom faodadh cabhlach Shasainn se貌ladh cho gl脿n, r猫idh, t猫arainte 鈥檚 a b鈥� urrainn duine iarraidh, agus acarsaidean fasgach air gach taobh dheth. Tha se貌rsa de bhaile beag air an eilean seo, ris an can iad Port Le貌dhais. Tha ochd pearsa deug a鈥� c貌mhnaidh air an eilean seo, de mhuinntir Ameireagaidh mu Dheas; ach is le Breatainn iad, agus tha c貌ir Bhreatainn air a h-aideachadh a-nis le gach r矛oghachd.

Tha long-chogaidh a-nise do ghn脿th ann, chum c貌ir Bhreatainn air an eilean seo a dh矛on. Tha eileanan beaga eile mun cuairt don d脿 eilean mh貌r seo, mu mheudachd Cholla is Chanaigh is Eilean nam Muc, agus gun duine gan tuineachadh. Tha na h-eileanan seo anabarrach uile cosmhail ri h-Innse-Gall na h-Alba鈥�

Uill sin e 鈥� ach bu mhath leam rudeigin a r脿dh mu Phort Le貌dhais? Uill, 鈥檚 e Port Le貌dhais a ghabh an sgr矛obhadair G脿idhealach air Port Louis. Chaidh baile a chur air chois ann a sin leis na Frangaich ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1764). Ach ghabh na Sp脿inntich thairis e tr矛 bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin agus chuir iadsan ainm 霉r air 鈥� Puerto Soledad 鈥� 鈥渁m port uaigneach鈥�. Ach tha e coltach gun do lean na G脿idheil orra le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh an t-seann ainm, le dreach G脿idhealach air.

Ma tha 霉idh agaibh san leabhar Ri Linn nan Linntean, gheibhear fiosrachadh mu dheidhinn air an eadar-l矛on aig www.clanntuirc.co.uk.

Faclan na Litreach: rosg: prose; tiotal: title; c貌ig fichead: 100 (five twenties); a鈥� c貌mhnaidh: living; uaigneach: lonely.

Abairtean na Litreach: chaidh a dheasachadh le: it was edited by; bhiodh e ro dhoirbh dhaibh: it would be too difficult for them; mu dheidhinn mar a gheibheadh sibh gr猫im air an leabhar: about how you would get hold of the book; gun duine cha mh貌r gan tuineachadh: with hardly a person living on /colonising them; nan laighe dl霉th dha ch猫ile: lying close to each other; tr矛 cheud m矛le o mhaol mh貌r deiseil Ameireagaidh: 300 miles from the great southern cape of America; ionadan acarsaid cho math, fasgach, t猫arainte 鈥檚 a tha san t-saoghal uile: places of anchorage as good, sheltered and secure as any in the entire world; a tha uiread ri Muile, 脤le, 鈥檚 an t-Eilean Sgitheanach le ch猫ile: which is as large as Mull, Islay and Skye put together; a鈥� grodadh air an l脿r: rotting on the ground; caol trom faodadh cabhlach Shasainn se貌ladh: a channel through which England鈥檚 navy could sail; tha c貌ir Bhreatainn air a h-aideachadh le gach r矛oghachd: Britain鈥檚 right (to sovereignty) was accepted (admitted) by every country [he obviously wasn鈥檛 considering Argentina]; tha long-chogaidh a-nise do ghn脿th ann: a warship is commonly there; chum c貌ir Bhreatainn a dh矛on: in order to protect Britain鈥檚 right; mu mheudachd Cholla is Chanaigh is Eilean nam Muc: about the size of Coll and Canna and Muck; chaidh baile a chur air chois: a settlement was established; le dreach G脿idhealach air: in a Gaelic guise.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Tha an dara h-eilean as m貌 ceithir fichead m矛le air fad: the second largest island is eighty miles long. The h- before eilean has no 鈥渙fficial鈥� orthographic status. It could (and in an official document probably would) be left out. It is simply there to show how this would be said in speech and, of course, the Litir is, in effect, a radio script as much as a written document. There is another similar example which I left in from the original account written in 1842: Tha na h-eileanan seo anabarrach uile cosmhail ri h-Innse-Gall na h-Alba (these islands are very similar to the Outer Hebrides). Again the h- is there as an aid to someone reading the script out loud 鈥� it has no official orthographic status. Both of these examples should be compared with de na h-eileanan and na h-脿irde Deas in which the h- is 鈥渙fficially鈥� accepted as following the article 鈥渘a鈥� and preceding a noun which starts with a vowel.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Tha an t-aon as m貌 de na h-eileanan seo mu thuaiream sia fichead m矛le air fad: the biggest [one] of these islands is approximately 120 miles long. Mu thuaiream: approximately.