大象传媒

Thug mi seachad 貌raid o chionn ghoirid air seanfhaclan G脿idhlig co-cheangailte ri beathaichean. Nuair a bha mi gan rannsachadh, lorg mi feadhainn a bha gu math annasach. Seo fear dhuibh: D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt. D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt. D猫 fon ghr猫in a tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh? Dh鈥檉haodadh mun cuairt d脿 chiall a bhith air 鈥� cum an cat anns an n脿baidheachd, faisg ort. No cum an cat a鈥� tionndadh.

A r猫ir aithris, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh anns an t-seanfhacal seo 鈥� cum an cat a鈥� tionndadh. D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt. Bidh daoine a鈥� cleachdadh an t-seanfhacail seo nuair a tha iad ag iarraidh air cuideigin cumail air leis an obair aige. Ge bith d猫 tha a鈥� tachairt timcheall air, bu ch貌ir dha leantainn air leis an obair. Ach ciamar a dh鈥櫭╥rich an seanfhacal?

A r猫ir beul-aithris, tha e ceangailte ri seann chleachdadh p脿ganach air a bheil taghairm. Ch矛 sibh m矛neachadh air seo ann am faclair Dwelly. 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann d貌igh airson an Donas a thoirt am follais. Bhiodh an Donas a鈥� freagairt ceist no a鈥� s脿sachadh droch iarrtasan m矛-laghail.

Nise, mus can mi dad eile mun taghairm, tha mi airson rabhadh a thoirt dhuibh. Ma tha sibh cianail measail air cait, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach bi sibh airson 猫isteachd ris a鈥� ch貌rr. 鈥橲 e droch chleachdadh a bh鈥� ann. Bhiodh sreath de chait air an r貌stadh be貌, fear 脿s d猫idh a ch猫ile thairis air beagan l脿ithean, air bior-r貌staidh os cionn teine. Mu dheireadh thigeadh buidheann de chait dhubha timcheall, agus iad uile a鈥� sgreuchail. Bhiodh an Donas nam measg ann an cruth cat dubh.

Nan nochdadh an Donas gu follaiseach na chruth fh猫in, bhiodh e an uair sin a鈥� faighneachd de na daoine d猫 bha iad ag iarraidh. Bhiodh e a鈥� s脿sachadh an iarrtais. Ach mus tachradh sin, bhiodh cait eile a鈥� feuchainn ri stad a chur air a鈥� ghnothach le bhith a鈥� bruidhinn ris na daoine a bha a鈥� d猫anamh an r貌staidh. A r猫ir beul-aithris, bhiodh fear de na daoine ag 猫igheachd air an fhear a bha a鈥� tionndadh a鈥� bhior-rostaidh, 鈥淒猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt.鈥�

Tha Dwelly ag innse dhuinn rudeigin eile mun taghairm. Nuair a bha daoine ag iarraidh faighinn a-mach d猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt san 霉ine romhpa, bhiodh iad a鈥� marbhadh damh no b貌. Bhiodh iad a鈥� feannadh a鈥� bheathaich, agus bhiodh iad a鈥� cur a鈥� bhian timcheall air duine.

Bhiodh iad a鈥� cur an duine air a dhruim d矛reach ri taobh eas ann an 脿ite iomallach. Chuireadh na daoine a鈥� cheist air agus bhiodh iad ga fh脿gail airson beagan uairean a th矛de leis fh猫in. Nuair a thilleadh iad air a shon, bhiodh freagairt aige.

Am measg na tha a鈥� d猫anamh aithris air a鈥� ghnothach seo, tha M脿rtainn Mac Ille Mh脿rtainn anns an leabhar aige A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. Tha e ag aithris mu fhear ann an Le貌dhas, John Erach, a chuir seachad oidhche mar sin ann am bian. Bha e air a chur troimh-ch猫ile gu dubh leis. Is beag an t-iongnadh 鈥� ged a bha e fhathast be貌 脿s d猫idh l脿imh, eucoltach ris na cait a chaill am beatha air a鈥� bhior-r貌staidh.

Faclan na seachdaine: annasach: unusual; a鈥� tionndadh: turning; an Donas: the Devil; bior-r貌staidh: roasting-spit; a鈥� sgreuchail: screeching; damh: ox;

Abairtean na seachdaine: nuair a bha mi gan rannsachadh: when I was researching them; dh鈥檉haodadh mun cuairt d脿 chiall a bhith air: mun cuairt could mean two things; cum an cat anns an n脿baidheachd, faisg ort: keep the cat in the vicinity, close to you; bu ch貌ir dha leantainn air leis an obair: he should keep going with the work; tha e ceangailte ri seann chleachdadh p脿ganach air a bheil taghairm: it is linked to an old pagan custom called taghairm (a calling of the spirits); a鈥� s脿sachadh droch iarrtasan m矛-laghail: satisfying bad and unlawful requests; 鈥檚 d貌cha nach bi sibh airson 猫isteachd ris a鈥� ch貌rr: perhaps you won鈥檛 want to listen to the rest; bhiodh sreath de chait air an r貌stadh be貌: a series of cats would be roasted alive; ann an cruth cat dubh: in the shape of a black cat; bhiodh cait eile a鈥� feuchainn ri stad a chur air: other cats would be trying to stop; d猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt san 霉ine romhpa: what was going to happen in the future [lit. in the time ahead of them]; air a dhruim d矛reach ri taobh eas ann an 脿ite iomallach: flat on his back beside a waterfall in a remote place; leis fh猫in: by himself; nuair a thilleadh iad air a shon: when they would return for him; a chuir seachad oidhche mar sin ann am bian: who spent a night like that in an animal hide/skin; bha e air a chur troimh-ch猫ile gu dubh leis: he was deeply traumatised by it; is beag an t-iongnadh: it鈥檚 hardly surprising; eucoltach ris na cait: unlike the cats.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Ch矛 sibh m矛neachadh air seo ann am faclair Dwelly: you will see an explanation of this in Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary. I want to make a point about possessive names as I sometimes hear Gaelic learners saying 鈥渁nns an fhaclair Dwelly鈥�. Where a person鈥檚 name is in the genitive or possessive case following the preposition ann an (in), the indefinite form of the preposition is used ie ann an, rather than anns an. Thus we would say tha e ann an se貌mar Chaluim (not tha e anns an t-se貌mar Chaluim) for 鈥渋t is in Calum鈥檚 room鈥�. Similarly for 鈥渋t is in Helen鈥檚 car鈥� we would say tha e ann an c脿r Eilidh, not tha e anns a鈥� ch脿r Eilidh. But, of course, we can put names in the dative, following aig, rather than in the genitive, by saying tha e anns an t-se貌mar aig Calum or tha e anns a鈥� ch脿r aig Eilidh. This is an important point 鈥� I suggest you try making up a few similar sentences to make sure you have a good feel for it.

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt: whatever you see or hear, keep the cat turning [ie don鈥檛 get distracted from your task by anything].