大象传媒

Bidh sibh e貌lach air cuid de na samhlaidhean as cumanta ann an G脿idhlig. Rudan mar cho reamhar ri r貌n. Uill, seo fear agaibh: Cho cearbach ris a鈥� chuileig a chaidh ann am bainne Iain Mhic Fhearchair. Tha cearbach an seo a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃lumsy鈥�. Cho cearbach ris a鈥� chuileig a chaidh ann am bainne Iain Mhic Fhearchair.

Seo mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich an samhladh seo. B鈥� e Iain Mac Fhearchair b脿rd ainmeil Uibhisteach. 鈥橲 e John MacCodrum a thathar a鈥� gabhail air ann am Beurla. L脿 a bha seo bha e ann an taigh cuideigin eile. 鈥橲 e an cleachdadh a bh鈥� ann bainne a thoirt do neach-tadhail mar deoch. Agus fhuair Iain deoch bainne. Ach cha d鈥� fhuair e m貌ran. Cha d鈥� fhuair e uiread 鈥檚 a bha e an d霉il. Agus, mar a tha fhios agaibh, faodaidh teanga b脿ird a bhith gu math sgaiteach.

Laigh cuileag anns a鈥� bhainne. Agus thuirt Iain, 鈥淭ubaist ort, a chreutair leibidich, a鈥� dol gad bh脿thadh far am faodadh tu grunnachadh!鈥� Leughaidh mi sin a-rithist. 鈥淭ubaist ort, a chreutair leibidich, a鈥� dol gad bh脿thadh far am faodadh tu grunnachadh.鈥� Chan eil fhios agam d猫 thuirt bean an taighe ris!

Chan eil fhios agam nas m貌 cuin鈥� a sguir na G脿idheil bho bhith a鈥� tabhann bainne do shrainnsearan a nochdadh air an stairsnich. An-diugh 鈥檚 e t矛 no cofaidh, a bhiodh iad a鈥� tabhann. Ach o chionn leth-cheud bliadhna bha an seann chleachdadh na chleachdadh fhathast.

Bha mi aig tiodhlacadh an l脿 eile do sheann bhana-charaid dhomh. 鈥橲 e l脿 duilich a bh鈥� ann, ach bha br脿thair is peathraichean na t猫 a chaochail 鈥� aig aois mh貌ir 鈥� airson a bhith a鈥� cuimhneachadh air rudan matha na beatha, seach a bhith ro bhr貌nach. Th脿inig an c貌mhradh gu l脿ithean samhraidh air taobh an iar an G脿idhealtachd c貌rr is leth-cheud bliadhna air ais.

Th貌isich br脿thair na t猫 a chaochail air bruidhinn air turas a bh鈥� aige 鈥� e fh猫in is a bhean 鈥� don Eilean Sgitheanach. 鈥橲 e an samhradh a bh鈥� ann agus bha i tioram is grianach airson beagan l脿ithean. Bha iad a鈥� campachadh. Ach th脿inig an t-uisge. Agus aig deireadh l脿 garbh coiseachd sa mhonadh, agus iad bog fliuch, chaidh mo charaid is a bhean gu doras taigh-貌sta m貌r.

鈥淎m faod sinn fuireach an seo airson na h-oidhche?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich iad. Thug an t-貌stair s霉il gheur neo-chathrannach orra. Bha iad fliuch is salach, is cha robh co-fhulangas sam bith aige dhaibh. 鈥淐han fhaod,鈥� thuirt e. Ged a bha beul na h-oidhche a鈥� dl霉thachadh, b鈥� fheudar dhaibh falbh s矛os an rathad.

Bha iad air an rathad, faisg air Stafainn, nuair a chunnaic croitear iad. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l sibh a鈥� dol?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e. Nuair a chuala e an sgeul aca, thuirt e riutha, 鈥淔eumaidh sibh tighinn a dh鈥檉huireach anns an t-sabhal againn.鈥� Ach nuair a r脿inig iad an taigh bha bean a鈥� chroiteir air a n脿rachadh. Chaidh i a-mach sa bhad agus thuirt i ri mo charaid is a bhean, 鈥淐ha bhi sibh a鈥� cadal anns an t-sabhal. Thigibh a-steach agus gheibh sibh leabaidh cheart.鈥� Ghluais iad a鈥� chlann aca timcheall airson se貌mar a thoirt don dithis choigreach. B鈥� e sin aoigheachd na G脿idhealtachd.

Agus am bainne. Bha cuimhne mhath aig mo charaid fhathast air a鈥� bhainne a fhuair iad airson 貌l. Agus air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach mar a fhuair iad deoch bainne ann an d脿 thaigh eile anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Cha tuirt e c脿il mu chuileag chearbach, ge-t脿. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach robh t猫 ann. No 鈥檚 d貌cha gun deach a b脿thadh!

Faclan na seachdaine: samhlaidhean: similes; neach-tadhail: visitor; cuileag: fly; tiodhlacadh: funeral; Stafainn: Staffin; aoigheachd: hospitality; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the next day.

Abairtean na seachdaine: cho reamhar ri r貌n: as fat as a seal; 鈥檚 e X a thathar a鈥� gabhail air ann am Beurla: it is X he is called in English; cha d鈥� fhuair e uiread 鈥檚 a bha e an d霉il: he didn鈥檛 get as much as he [had] expected; faodaidh teanga b脿ird a bhith gu math sgaiteach: a bard鈥檚 tongue can be very caustic; tubaist ort, a chreutair leibidich: confound you, you bungling creature; a鈥� dol gad bh脿thadh far am faodadh tu grunnachadh: going to drown where you could wade; chan eil fhios agam nas m貌: neither do I know; do shrainnsearan a nochdadh air an stairsnich: to strangers who would appear on their doorstep; bha an seann chleachdadh na chleachdadh fhathast: the old custom was still a custom; br脿thair is peathraichean na t猫 a chaochail: the brother and sisters of the woman who [had] died; seach a bhith ro bhr貌nach: rather than being too sad; aig deireadh l脿 garbh coiseachd sa mhonadh: at the end of a rough day walking the hills; thug an t-貌stair s霉il gheur neo-chathrannach orra: the hotelier gave them an uncharitable examination; cha robh co-fhulangas sam bith aige dhaibh: he had no sympathy for them; feumaidh sibh tighinn a dh鈥檉huireach anns an t-sabhal againn: you must come and stay in our barn; bha bean a鈥� chroiteir air a n脿rachadh: the crofter鈥檚 wife was ashamed; gheibh sibh leabaidh cheart: you will get a proper bed; airson se貌mar a thoirt don dithis choigreach: to give the two strangers a room; 鈥檚 d貌cha gun deach a b脿thadh: perhaps it/she was [had been] drowned.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Chaidh mo charaid is a bhean gu doras taigh-貌sta m貌r: my friend and his wife went to the door of a big hotel. You will be aware that taigh-貌sta m貌r is in the genitive (possessive) singular case, but that it is indefinite, in that it has no article. Although the genitive of taigh is taighe, in the compound form there is no suffix on the first element. Thus the genitive singular of taigh-貌sta is taigh-貌sta not taighe-貌sta. But if I had said 鈥渢he door of the big hotel鈥�, there would be inflexion of the adjective ie doras an taigh-貌sta mh貌ir. Historically we would have said for 鈥渙f a big hotel鈥� taigh-貌sta mh貌ir but this is now old-fashioned and more commonly, where there is an indefinite singular noun with adjective, there is no inflexion of either in the genitive singular. Thus, although 鈥渢he wee boy鈥檚 coat鈥� is c貌ta a鈥� bhalaich bhig and 鈥渁 boy鈥檚 coat鈥� is c貌ta balaich, 鈥渁 wee boy鈥檚 coat鈥� would be c貌ta balach beag.

Samhladh na seachdaine: Cho cearbach ris a鈥� chuileig a chaidh ann am bainne Iain Mhic Fhearchair: as clumsy as the fly which went into John MacCodrum鈥檚 milk.