大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh th貌isich mi air an t-seann sgeulachd 鈥溍坕rig Fhinn鈥�. Thuirt mi seo mun fhear bheag 矛osal lapanach: 鈥淭hug e leum nan tr矛 eang agus bha e air t矛r.鈥� Tha mi airson rudeigin a r脿dh mun fhacal seo eang. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh foot no footstep. Ma chanas mi 鈥渃ha ghluais mi eang鈥�, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh nach urrainn dhomh cas no g脿irdean a ghluasad. 鈥橲 e leum nan tr矛 eang leum cho 脿rd no cho fada 鈥檚 a ghabhas d猫anamh.

Sgr矛obh am fear a chruinnich an sgeulachd, an t-Urr. Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul, rud car annasach mu dheidhinn eang. Sgr矛obh e gur d貌cha gu bheil e c脿irdeach don fhacal cangar霉 鈥� a bhuineas do th霉sanaich Astr脿ilia. Carson? Uill, a r猫ir Mhgr Chaimbeul, tha ciall an fhacail 鈥� cangar霉 鈥� agus fuaim an fhacail uabhasach coltach ri eang a鈥� ruith ann an G脿idhlig. Eang a鈥� ruith. Cangar霉? Mmm. Cha chreid mi gu bheil e uabhasach coltach.

Co-dhi霉, leanaidh sinn leis an sgeulachd. Ach mus t貌isich mi 鈥� facal eile: measan. Tha measan a鈥� ciallachadh c霉 beag b矛odach no lap dog.

Choisich an ceathrar c貌mhla 鈥� Fionn Mac Cumhail, a thri霉ir cho-dhaltan agus am fear beag 矛osal lapanach. Thachair iad ri boireannach m貌r aig an robh measan aig a s脿il. A h-uile turas a choimhead am measan air Fionn bha fiaclan Fhinn air ais na bheul mar a bha iad riamh. Ach nuair a choimhead am measan air falbh, thuit na fiaclan a-mach.

Bha na co-dhaltan dhen bheachd gu robh 猫irig Fhinn aca. Thug iad am boireannach m貌r agus an c霉 air ais don luing. Dh鈥檉h脿g iad am fear beag 矛osal lapanach anns an eilean. R脿inig esan taigh anns an robh solas. Chaidh e a-steach. Bha teine m貌r ann ach cha robh duine a-staigh.

An uair sin, th脿inig fear 脿rd a-steach. 鈥淒猫 do naidheachd?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e dhen fhear bheag. Fhreagair am fear beag nach robh naidheachd aige ach nan cluinneadh e naidheachd an fhir mh貌ir an toiseach.

鈥淐han eil mo naidheachd ach bochd,鈥� ars鈥� am fear m貌r. 鈥淐haidh mo phiuthar 脿lainn a thoirt air falbh. Bhiodh i gam nighe anns a鈥� bhallan-ionnlaid gach l脿 agus mi air a bhith a鈥� sabaid. Bhithinn deiseil an uair sin airson sabaid a-rithist an l脿rna-mh脿ireach.鈥�

Th脿inig br脿thair eile dhachaigh. 鈥淒猫 do naidheachd, fhir bhig 矛osail lapanaich?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e. 鈥淐han eil naidheachd agamsa,鈥� thuirt am fear beag, 鈥渕ura faigh mi naidheachd bhuat fh猫in an toiseach.鈥�

鈥淐han eil mo naidheachd ach trom,鈥� thuirt am fear eile. 鈥淐haidh mo phiuthar ghr脿dhach a thoirt air falbh. 鈥橲 i a bhiodh gam nighe nuair a thiginn dhachaigh bho bhith a鈥� sabaid, gam dh猫anamh d猫iseil airson sabaid a-rithist air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach.

Th脿inig treas br脿thair dhachaigh agus bha an aon ch貌mhradh aca. Agus d猫 rinn am fear beag? Nigh e na br脿ithrean anns a鈥� bhallan-ionnlaid gus am biodh iad deiseil airson sabaid air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. An uair sin thuirt e, 鈥淭ha mise airson sabaid nur n-脿ite.鈥�

鈥淎 dhuine thruaigh,鈥� arsa fear de na br脿ithrean. 鈥淒猫 tha thusa a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh leat fh猫in?鈥� Dh鈥檌nnis iad dha gu robh r猫iseamaid shaighdearan ann. Ged a chuireadh na br脿ithrean an ceann far a h-uile duine aca, bha cailleach mh貌r ann. Bha st貌pan aice. Chuireadh i meur anns an st貌pan is an uair sin ann am beul duine a chaill a cheann. Bhiodh e ag 猫irigh be貌.

D猫 bha am fear beag 矛osal lapanach a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh mu dheidhinn sin? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: 脠irig Fhinn: Fionn鈥檚 Reparation; an t-Urr. Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul: Rev John Gregorson Campbell; t霉sanaich: Aborigines; gr脿dhach: loving; r猫iseamaid: regiment; st貌pan: small wooden vessel used for carrying milk or water.

Abairtean na seachdaine: leum nan tr矛 eang: leap of the three bounds (a great leap); nach urrainn dhomh cas no g脿irdean a ghluasad: that I can鈥檛 move leg or arm; gur d貌cha gu bheil e c脿irdeach don fhacal cangar霉: that it is perhaps related to the word kangaroo; cha chreid mi gu bheil e uabhasach coltach: I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 terribly likely; thachair iad ri boireannach m貌r aig an robh measan aig a s脿il: they met a big woman who had a lap dog at her heel; bha fiaclan Fhinn air ais na bheul: Fionn鈥檚 teeth were back in his mouth; thug iad am boireannach air ais don luing: they took the woman back to the ship; r脿inig esan taigh anns an robh solas: he reached a house in which there was a light; nach robh naidheachd aige ach nan cluinneadh e naidheachd an fhir mh貌ir an toiseach: that he had no news except that he should hear the big man鈥檚 news to begin with; chaidh mo phiuthar 脿lainn a thoirt air falbh: my beautiful sister was taken away; bhiodh i gam nighe anns a鈥� bhallan-ionnlaid gach l脿 agus mi air a bhith a鈥� sabaid: she would wash me in the bath every day after I had been fighting; airson sabaid a-rithist an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: to fight again the next day; mura faigh mi naidheachd bhuat fh猫in an toiseach: if I don鈥檛 get news from you first; nuair a thiginn dhachaigh: when I came [would come] home; bha an aon ch貌mhradh aca: they had the same conversation; nigh e na br脿ithrean: he washed the brothers; tha mise airson sabaid nur n-脿ite: I want to fight in your place; d猫 tha thusa a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh leat fh猫in?: what are you going to do by yourself?; ged a chuireadh na br脿ithrean an ceann far a h-uile duine aca: though the brothers should decapitate every one of them; bhiodh e ag 猫irigh be貌: he would come back to life (arise alive).

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: d猫 do naidheachd, fhir bhig 矛osail lapanaich?: what鈥檚 your news, wee low feeble man? Here is a good example of a complex vocative. You will remember that masculine nouns lenite and slenderise in the singular vocative (eg 鈥渁 bhalaich!鈥�) The adjective follows the inflection of the noun so 鈥渨ee man!鈥� is 鈥渇hir bhig!鈥� Here, however, we have three adjectives. What do we do? Follow the rules! Neither 矛osal or lapanach lenites (in the written form) but both can be slenderised and that is exactly what happens. Fear beag 矛osal lapanach becomes 鈥渇hir bhig 矛osail lapanaich!鈥� Similarly, in the Litir duine truagh (a poor man) becomes a dhuine thruaigh in the vocative.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha ghluais mi eang: I can鈥檛 move a muscle.