大象传媒

Hal貌 a-rithist. Anns an litir seo tha mi airson a dhol an s脿s ann an dubh-fhaclan. Tr矛 dubh-fhaclan a tha car annasach, ach aig a bheil rudeigin anns a鈥� chumantas eatarra. Tha iad uile a-mach air b脿 bhreaca. B脿 bhreaca. D猫 a鈥� Bheurla a chuireadh sibh air sin? 鈥淢ottled cows鈥�, 鈥檚 d貌cha? B脿 bhreaca. Uill, nuair a chluinneas sibh na dubh-fhaclan, bidh sibh mothachail, tha mi an d霉il, nach e 鈥渂eathaichean cruidh鈥� a thathar a鈥� ciallachadh. 鈥橲 e an obair agaibhse, ma-th脿, faighinn a-mach d猫 d矛reach a tha na 鈥渂脿鈥� a鈥� riochdachadh anns na dubh-fhaclan.

Seo agaibh a鈥� chiad fhear: Tr矛 b脿 bhreaca an cois na leacainne, nach do bhleoghainneadh deur de am bainne riamh. A bheil sibh e貌lach air an fhacal leacann? 鈥橲 e facal boireann a th鈥� ann, is tha i a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he broad slope of a hill鈥�. Agus bleoghainn? Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh na bhios daoine a鈥� d猫anamh airson bainne a thoirt 脿 b貌. Mar sin, cha d鈥� fhuair duine bainne a-riamh bho na b脿 seo. Tr矛 b脿 bhreaca an cois na leacainne, nach do bhleoghainneadh deur de am bainne riamh.

Seo agaibh a-nise an d脿rna dubh-fhacal agus tha am facal leacann a鈥� nochdadh a-rithist. Feumaidh gu bheil na b脿 seo air n脿dar de leacann, ach an ann air cliathaich cnuic a tha iad? Tr矛 b脿 bhreaca a鈥� ruith le leacainn, cha chuir banachag buarach orra is cha chuir buachaille stad orra. A bheil am facal banachag agaibh? Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂oireannach a bhios a鈥� bleoghainn鈥�. Tha buarach a鈥� ciallachadh rud a chuireas banachag air casan na b脿 fhad 鈥檚 a tha i ris a鈥� bhleoghainn. Agus buachaille? Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇ear a bhios a鈥� trusadh cruidh鈥�. Seo an dubh-fhacal a-rithist: Tr矛 b脿 bhreaca a鈥� ruith le leacainn, cha chuir banachag buarach orra is cha chuir buachaille stad orra.

Tha sin gar toirt don treas dubh-fhacal. Seo e: Tr矛 b脿 bhreaca a鈥� leum le leacainn, cha nighear iad, 鈥檚 cha bhlighear iad; is 脿irde an geum na geum na buaile, tr矛 b脿 uallach aigeannach. Tuigidh sibh a鈥� chiad ph脿irt dheth 鈥� tr矛 b脿 bhreaca a鈥� leum le leacainn. Tha an d脿rna p脿irt 鈥� cha nighear iad, 鈥檚 cha bhlighear iad 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢hey will not be washed and will not be milked鈥�. Tha an treas p脿irt 鈥� is 脿irde an geum na geum na buaile 鈥� ag innse dhuinn gu bheil iad a鈥� d猫anamh fuaim m貌r, barrachd fuaim na dh猫anadh crodh ann am buaile. Agus mu dheireadh tr矛 b脿 uallach aigeannach. Tha uallach a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓ively鈥� agus tha aigeannach a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂oisterous鈥� no 鈥渟prightly鈥�, ach tha d脿rna ciall air, co-cheangailte ri aigeann, a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渄oimhneachd a鈥� chuain鈥�. Aha 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil b脿 aigeannach a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃ows of the deep ocean鈥� seach 鈥渟prightly cows鈥�. 脠istibh gu dl霉th ris an treas dubh-fhacal a-rithist: Tr矛 b脿 bhreaca a鈥� leum le leacainn, cha nighear iad, 鈥檚 cha bhlighear iad; is 脿irde an geum na geum na buaile, tr矛 b脿 uallach aigeannach.

Seadh 鈥� a bheil e agaibh a-nise? Tha na b脿 a鈥� riochdachadh tuinn na fairge 鈥� na tr矛 tuinn mh貌ra a thig aig 脿mannan aig muir nuair a tha stoirm ann. Tha iad a鈥� dol le leacainn 鈥� ach 鈥檚 e leacann mara a th鈥� ann, seach leacann talmhainn. Cha ghabh na b脿 bleoghainn no smachdachadh, n矛 iad fuaim m貌r agus, gun teagamh, tha iad aigeannach. Sl脿n leibh an-dr脿sta.

Faclan na seachdaine: dubh-fhacal: riddle, enigma; a鈥� bleoghainn: milking; banachag: milkmaid; buarach: fetter; buachaille: cowherd; aigeannach: sprightly; also, of the deep.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mi airson a dhol an s脿s ann an X: I want to get involved in X: aig a bheil rudeigin anns a鈥� chumantas eatarra: which have something in common; b脿 bhreaca: mottled cows; nach e 鈥渂eathaichean cruidh鈥� a thathar a鈥� ciallachadh: that it is not 鈥渃attle鈥� that is meant; d猫 d矛reach a tha na 鈥渂脿鈥� a鈥� riochdachadh: just exactly what the 鈥渃ows鈥� represent; an cois na leacainne: accompanying the slope; nach do bhleoghainneadh deur de am bainne: were not milked of a drop of their milk; an ann air cliathaich cnuic a tha iad?: are they on the side of a hill?; fhad 鈥檚 a tha i ris a鈥� bhleoghainn: while she is involved in milking; fear a bhios a鈥� trusadh cruidh: a man who gathers cattle; cha chuir X stad orra: X will not stop them; seo am fear as m貌 as toigh leam: this is the one I like best; cha nighear iad, 鈥檚 cha bhlighear iad: they won鈥檛 be washed, and they won鈥檛 be milked; is 脿irde an geum na geum na buaile: their bellow is louder than the bellow of the cattlefold; tuinn na fairge: the waves of the sea; a thig aig 脿mannan nuair a tha stoirm ann: which come sometimes during a storm; 鈥檚 e leacann mara a th鈥� ann, seach leacan talmhainn: it鈥檚 a sea slope, rather than a land slope; cha ghabh na b脿 bleoghainn no smachdachadh: the cows can鈥檛 be milked or controlled; sl脿n leibh an-dr脿sta: cheerio just now.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Firstly, I asked you to ponder a question last week: in the phrase de chunnaic i ach an t-aon bhoireannach a bu bhr猫agha a chunnaic i riamh (what did she see but the [one] most beautiful woman she had ever seen), why is there a t- in front of 鈥渁on鈥�? The reason is that boireannach is a masculine noun and is here in the nominative case. If it were feminine, there would be no t- (cf an t-eilean, masc.; an earrann, fem.) In this week鈥檚 Litir did you notice the lenition of the adjective in agreement with b脿 (nominative plural) ie b脿 bhreaca? The declension of b貌 is irregular, but it is usually only nouns whose plural nominative is slender which lenite an attributive adjective when in that case eg bodaich bheaga, boireannaich mh貌ra, caoraich bh脿na, coin fhiadhaich and, as in the Litir, tuinn mh貌ra. B貌/b脿 is an exception to the rule.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: a鈥� ruith le leacainn: running down a slope.