大象传媒

Nuair a chaidh an leabhar 鈥淩eminiscences of a Clachnacuddin Nonagenarian鈥� fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1842), bha drochaid cloiche ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha i a鈥� dol tarsainn Abhainn Nis ann am meadhan a鈥� bhaile agus bha seachd stuaghan innte. Seo na chanas Iain MacIlleathain, 鈥淣aochadair Chlach na C霉dainn鈥� mu a deidhinn.

鈥淢us deach an drochaid a th鈥� ann a-nise a thogail, bha t猫 ann a bh鈥� air a d猫anamh le fiodh-daraich is a bh鈥� air a cleachdadh gus an do thachair an tubaist a bha seo. Bha seann bhean a鈥� dol tarsainn na drochaid, oidhche geamhraidh a bha seo, agus an drochaid gun r猫ileachan, le eallach de fhraoch air a druim, nuair a th脿inig onfhadh gaoithe s矛os an gleann. Thug e am fraoch leis agus thilg e a鈥� bhana-chreutair bhochd don tuil, anns an do chaill i a beatha.鈥�

脌s d猫idh seo, chaidh an drochaid a leagail, agus chaidh t猫 霉r a thogail na h-脿ite. Bha sin ann an sia ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1685). Ph脿igh ceithir buidhnean air a son 鈥� am baile fh猫in, MacLe貌id Dh霉n Bheagain, Foirbeis Ch霉il Lodair agus Mac Shimidh. B鈥� e eisimpleir de rud ris an canar an-diugh 鈥渃om-p脿irteachas poblach-pr矛obhaideach鈥�!

Nise, dhuibhse a th鈥� air a bhith a鈥� leantainn eachdraidh c矛sean Drochaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich 鈥� bidh seo inntinneach, oir bha c矛sean air an drochaid seo, gus gum faigheadh 霉ghdarras a鈥� bhaile a chuid airgid air ais. Gach turas a rachadh cuideigin tarsainn na drochaid, bha aige ri bodle a ph脿igheadh. B鈥� e sin an siathamh p脿irt de sgillinn.

Ach bha cuid saor bhon ch矛s. B鈥� iad sin muinntir nam f矛neachan a chuir airgead a dh鈥檌onnsaigh togail na drochaid. Nam b鈥� urrainn dhut dearbhadh, mar eisimpleir, gum buineadh tu do Chloinn 鈥檌c Le貌id Dh霉n Bheagain, gheibheadh tu a-null is a-nall saor 鈥檚 an asgaidh. Chan eil Iain MacIlleathain ag innse dhuinn ciamar a dhearbh na Le貌daich gur e Le貌daich a bh鈥� annta!

Co-dhi霉, feumaidh nach robh c霉isean f脿bharach do Mhac Shimidh, agus reic esan a ch貌irichean ri 霉ghdarras a鈥� bhaile. Bho sin a-mach, cha robh an fheadhainn a bhuineadh do Mhac Shimidh saor bhon ch矛s tuilleadh. Ach bhiodh cuid dhiubh fhathast a鈥� seachnadh na c矛se. Seo mar a tha Iain MacIlleathain ga mh矛neachadh: 鈥� 鈥� tha e air a chl脿radh, goirid ron linn seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a c貌ig gu ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1745-6), gur e sealladh cumanta a bh鈥� ann a bhith a鈥� faicinn boireannach bochd a鈥� grunnachadh tarsainn na h-aibhne le fear de 鈥榯highearnan na cruitheachd鈥� air a druim, gus gun seachnadh e a鈥� ch矛s.鈥�

Agus bha pl貌igh aig cuid de mhuinntir Inbhir Nis fh猫in airson a鈥� ch矛s a sheachnadh. Bha an fheadhainn seo a鈥� fuireach gu siar air an abhainn agus madainn na S脿baid, an 脿ite a bhith a鈥� dol tarsainn na drochaid don eaglais, thigeadh iad cruinn air p矛os fearainn, a bh鈥� ann an sealladh na h-eaglaise, airson iomain a chluich. Nuair a thigeadh am ministear agus a choitheanal a-mach 脿s an eaglais 脿s d猫idh an t-searmoin, chitheadh iad na cluicheadairean a鈥� briseadh na S脿baid. Cha robh am ministear toilichte ach, nuair a dh鈥檉haighnich e dhiubh carson nach robh iad anns an eaglais, thuirt iad ris gur e c矛s na drochaid a chuir stad orra.

Dh鈥檃ontaich b脿illidhean a鈥� bhaile a鈥� ch矛s a thogail L脿 na S脿baid. Ach bha aig daoine fhathast ri a p脿igheadh air gach l脿 eile dhen t-seachdain. Agus chan eil an Naochadair ag innse dhuinn cuine a chaidh a ch矛s a thogail no cuine a ghrunnaich am boireannach bochd mu dheireadh tarsainn Abhainn Nis le fear sp矛ocach air a druim.

Faclan na seachdaine: naochadair: nonagenarian; r猫ileachan: railings; MacLe貌id Dh霉n Bheagain: Macleod of Macleod; Foirbeis Ch霉il Lodair: Forbes of Culloden;Mac Shimidh: Fraser of Lovat; com-p脿irteachas poblach-pr矛obhaideach: public-private partnership; Le貌daich: Macleods; a鈥� seachnadh: avoiding; a鈥� grunnachadh: wading; pl貌igh: ploy, strategy; iomain: shinty; b脿illidhean: baillies (civic leaders).

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha drochaid cloiche ann an Inbhir Nis: there was a stone bridge in Inverness; bha stuaghan innte: there were seven arches in it [fem.]; nuair a th脿inig onfhadh gaoithe: when a blast of wind came; thilg e a鈥� bhana-chreutair bhochd don tuil: it hurled the poor creature into the flood; b鈥� e eisimpleir de rud ris an canar: it was an example of something which is called; dhuibhse a th鈥� air a bhith a鈥� leantainn X: for those of you who have been following X; gus gum f脿igheadh 霉ghdarras a鈥� bhaile a chuid airgid air ais: so that the town authority could get its money back; gach turas a rachadh cuideigin tarsainn: every time that somebody would go across; gum buineadh tu do Chloinn 鈥檌c Le貌id: that you belonged to Clan Macleod; reic e a ch貌irichean ri 霉ghdarras a鈥� bhaile: he sold his rights to the town authority; gus gun seachnadh e a鈥� ch矛s: so that he would avoid the tax; thigeadh iad cruinn air p矛os fearainn feurach: they would come together on a piece of grassy land; a bh鈥� ann an sealladh na h-eaglaise: which was in sight of the church.

land; a bh鈥� ann an sealladh na h-eaglaise: which was in sight of the church.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Before reading beyond this sentence I would like you to scrutinise the text for nouns, or other words, which are governed by the feminine singular (third person) possessive article (a, followed by an unlenited word, ie 鈥渉er...鈥�)... How many did you find? Compare your list to mine: mu a deidhinn (about it [fem.]); a bh鈥� air a d猫anamh le fiodh-daraich (which was made of oak wood [drochaid is fem.]); a bh鈥� air a cleachdadh (which was used [ditto]); le eallach de fhraoch air a druim (with a load of heather on her back); anns an do chaill i a beatha (in which she lost her life); chaidh t猫 霉r a thogail na h-脿ite (a new one was built in her place 鈥� the possessive article is here hidden in na h- which is a combination of ann an and the feminine article); le fear de 鈥榯highearnan na cruitheachd鈥� air a druim (with one of the 鈥榣ords of creation鈥� on her back); bha aig daoine fhathast ri a p脿igheadh (people still had to pay it [c矛s is fem.]); le fear sp矛ocach air a druim (with a miserly man on her back).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gheibheadh tu a-null is a-nall saor 鈥檚 an asgaidh: you would get back and forth free of charge. A-null is a-nall: back and forth.