大象传媒

Tha mi gu m貌r an comain Iain MhicIlleathain, ged nach b鈥� aithne dhomh e, is ged nach robh e c脿irdeach dhomh. Tha mi na chomain a chionn 鈥檚 gun do sgr矛obh e mu dheidhinn a鈥� bhaile agam fh矛n 鈥� Inbhir Nis. Uill 鈥檚 d貌cha nach eil sin buileach ceart, oir 鈥檚 e fear eile a sgr矛obh an leabhar aige, ach 鈥檚 e guth Iain fh猫in a tha a鈥� nochdadh air na duilleagan.

Tha e aithnichte do mhuinntir Inbhir Nis mar 鈥淣aochadair Chlach na C霉dainn鈥� oir 鈥檚 e ainm an leabhair aige Reminiscences of a Clachnacuddin Nonagenarian. Chaidh an leabhar a chur ri ch猫ile ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1842) nuair a bha MacIlleathain naochad 鈥檚 a sia bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, agus tha e a鈥� toirt dealbh dhuinn de dh鈥橧nbhir Nis nuair a bha e m貌ran na bu lugha, agus m貌ran na bu Ghaidhealaiche, na tha e an-diugh.

Dhuibhse nach eil e貌lach air Inbhir Nis, 鈥檚 e a th鈥� ann an Clach na C霉dainn ach clach a tha suidhichte ri taobh Talla a鈥� Bhaile. Fhuair i a h-ainm leis gum biodh boireannaich a鈥� cur an cuid ch霉dainnean air a鈥� chloich nuair a bha iad air an rathad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-aibhne airson aodach a nighe. Agus tha mi cinnteach gun stadadh iad aig a鈥� chloich air an rathad dhachaigh cuideachd.

鈥橲 ann aig Clach na C霉dainn a chluinneadh iad naidheachdan a鈥� bhaile. Is tha an 鈥淣aochadair鈥� ag innse dhuinn gum biodh gillean is nigheanan Inbhir Nis a鈥� suiridhe anns a鈥� che脿rnaidh sin cuideachd. Nuair a bha iad taobh a-muigh a鈥� bhaile aca, bhiodh muinntir Inbhir Nis a鈥� bruidhinn orra fh猫in mar mhuinntir Chlach na C霉dainn, no 鈥淐lachnacuddin Lads and Lasses鈥�.

Rugadh Iain MacIlleathain p矛os beag a-mach 脿 Inbhir Nis ann an Cnoc Mhoire air an t-seachdamh l脿 dhen Fhaoilleach, seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1746) 鈥� tr矛 m矛osan ro Bhl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Chaochail athair nuair a bha Iain 貌g, agus 鈥檚 e sheanair a thog an gille. Bha cuimhne mhath aig Iain agus, a bharrachd air sin, chuala e m貌ran naidheachdan aig a sheanair agus, mar sin, bha fiosrachadh aige mu dheidhinn rudan a thachair aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn deug.

Anns na litrichean romhainn, bu mhath leam naidheachd no dh脿 innse dhuibh a nochdas anns an leabhar aige. Ach an-dr脿sta, bheir mi s霉il aithghearr air tuairisgeul a rinn fear eile de MhacIlleathain fh猫in. B鈥� esan Iain Friseal agus anns an leabhar aige Reminiscences of Inverness, tha e a鈥� d猫anamh tuairisgeul de MhacIlleathain, agus e na bhodach de ch貌rr is naochad bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois.

Seo an t-aodach a bh鈥� air: bonaid ghorm, c貌ta ge脿rr, briogais ghorm, stocainnean dubha, agus br貌gan is bucaill. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do rinn e fh猫in cuid dhen aodach aige, oir bha e na th脿illear fad a bheatha. Thachair Iain Friseal ris nuair a bha e air rathad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-aibhne c貌mhla ri ogha. 鈥淐iamar a tha sibh an-diugh, a Mhaighstir MhicIlleathain?鈥� thuirt am Frisealach ris. 鈥淎ig m鈥� aois,鈥� fhreagair am bodach, 鈥渃han eil adhbhar agam a bhith a鈥� gearan.鈥�

Bhruidhinn iad airson greis mu chuimhne air a鈥� bhaile. 鈥淐han eil ach aon bh霉th a b鈥� aithne dhomh nuair a bha mi 貌g fhathast ann am bith,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥� .. bha am baile gu math eadar-dhealaichte an uair sin 鈥� Cha robh ceanglaichean ann leis a鈥� cheann a deas mar a th鈥� aca an-diugh len coidsichean is mar sin air adhart. 鈥橢il fhios agad, bha mi c貌rr is seasgad bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois mus do th貌isich a鈥� chiad choidse air ruith eadar seo agus Peairt.鈥� Saoil d猫 chanadh Iain MacIlleathain nam faiceadh e Inbhir Nis mar a tha e an-diugh?!

Faclan na seachdaine: duilleagan: pages; naochadair: nonagenarian; Clach na C霉dainn: lit. Stone of the Tub (Clachnacuddin); a鈥� suiridhe: courting, wooing, chatting up; Cnoc Mhoire: Kirkhill; am Faoilleach: January; Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: Battle of Culloden; Iain Friseal: John Fraser; cota ge脿rr: short coat; bucaill: buckles; am Frisealach: Fraser [informal].

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mi gu m貌r an comain X (genitive): I am very much indebted to X; ged nach b鈥� aithne dhomh e: although I didn鈥檛 know him; ged nach robh e c脿irdeach dhomh: though he was not related to me; leis gum biodh boireannaich a鈥� cur an cuid ch霉dainnean air a鈥� chloich: because women would put [rest] their tubs on the stone; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-aibhne: on the way to the river; airson aodach a nighe: to wash clothes; 鈥檚 e sheanair a thog an gille: it was his grandfather that raised the lad; bheir mi s霉il aithghearr air: I鈥檒l take a quick look at; agus e na bhodach de ch貌rr is naochad bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois: who was an old man of more than 90 years; bha e na th脿illear fad a bheatha: he was a tailor all his life; c貌mhla ri ogha: with his grandson; chan eil aon bh霉th ... fhathast ann am bith: there is not one shop ... still existing; len coidsichean is mar sin air adhart: with their coaches and what not; bha mi c貌rr is seasgad bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois: I was over sixty years of age; mus do th貌isich a鈥� chiad choidse: before the first coach started; saoil d猫 chanadh Iain MacIlleathain?: what would John Maclean say; nam faiceadh e Inbhir Nis mar a tha e an-diugh: if he saw Inverness as it is today.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Dhuibhse nach eil e貌lach air Inbhir Nis: [to/for] those of you who don鈥檛 know Inverness. Dhuibhse is the emphatic form of dhuibh which is a prepositional pronoun made from the preposition do and the second person plural sibh, meaning 鈥渢o/for you鈥� (plural). I have used it here because I want to address a number of listeners so I am speaking directly to them. It is a slightly formal manner of address more likely to be used in a speech than in informal conversation. I could similarly use the same prepositional pronoun but with other persons, eg dhomhsa agus mo leithid (to/for myself and others like me); dhutsa, tha rudan mar sin furasta (for you, things like that are easy); dhasan, aig an robh athair ainmeil (to/for him, who had a famous father); dhise, a tha air leth sgileil (to/for her, who is very skilful); dhuinne a rugadh ann an Alba (for/to those of us born in Scotland); dhaibhsan nach gabh deoch l脿idir (for/to those [of them] who don鈥檛 drink).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: chan eil adhbhar agam a bhith a鈥� gearan: I have no reason to complain. Phrases of this sort are commonplace at the start of a conversation between two people who know each other: eg 鈥淐iamar a tha thu?鈥� 鈥淥, chan eil adhbhar [agam] a bhith a鈥� gearan鈥�.