大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu thuathanaich is croitearan, agus caoraich gu dearbh, a dh鈥檉hulaing nuair a th脿inig sneachd m貌r air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd o chionn bhliadhnaichean. Bha e dona gu le貌r, 鈥檚 d貌cha, ann an seachdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1978) is leth-cheud 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1955), agus anns na bliadhnaichean ceathrad 鈥檚 a seachd (1947) is seasgad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1963). Ach ma th猫id sinn air ais barrachd na d脿 cheud bliadhna, tha e coltach gu robh geamhraidhean fada na bu mhiosa ann.

Thathar ag aithris gu robh an t-uamhas sneachda ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1772) agus gun d鈥� fhuair seachd c矛obairean deug b脿s anns an fhuachd. Tr矛 bliadhna fichead 脿s d猫idh sin, bha aithrisean ann de chathaidhean ann an coireachan air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd a r脿inig doimhneachd de cheud troigh 鈥� c貌rr is trithead meatairean.

Nuair a bha geamhraidhean fuara sneachdach mar sin ann, bhiodh Albannaich a鈥� cluich gu tric air deigh, agus 鈥檚 e an sp貌rs a bu mh貌 a bh鈥� aca ann am m貌ran sg矛rean 鈥� t猫 ris an canar curling ann am Beurla. Nise, sgr矛obh mi air a鈥� chuspair seo ann an Litir o chionn d脿 bhliadhna, agus cha robh fios agam aig an 脿m gu d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a bh鈥� air curling oir cha robh e air a chluich gu m貌r air taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd no anns na h-eileanan, far a bheil an c脿nan as l脿idire an-diugh.

Bhon uair sin, chaidh mo chur ceart. Bhiodh na Gaidheil ann am meadhan is taobh an ear na Gaidhealtachd, far a bheil na geamhraidhean nas fhuaire na tha iad air an taobh an iar, a鈥� gabhail 鈥渃r貌ladh鈥� air. Agus chuala mi am facal a-rithist an l脿 eile nuair a bha mi ann an c貌mhradh le fear 脿 Sr脿th Sp猫. Bha e a-mach air mar a bhiodh na daoine anns gach baile anns an sg矛re ri cr貌ladh anns a鈥� gheamhradh air lochan beaga re貌ta. Gu m矛-fhortanach, chan eil na geamhraidhean fuar gu le貌r an l脿 an-diugh airson sin, agus feumaidh muinntir an 脿ite siubhal gu ruige Inbhir Nis no Eilginn airson cluich fo chabair air raon-deighe.

Tha fhios gum bi feadhainn ann an Canada ag 猫isteachd ris na Litrichean agam air an eadar-l矛on, agus bu mhath leam cluinntinn bho dhuine sam bith aca a dh鈥檌nnseas dhomh na chanas iad fh猫in ri cr貌ladh ann an G脿idhlig. Agus ch貌rdadh e rium cluinntinn bho neach-猫isteachd nam b鈥� urrainn dha no dhi innse dhomh rud sam bith mun bhriathrachas Gh脿idhlig a tha co-cheangailte ris a鈥� gheam.

Carson a tha 霉idh agam? Uill, chan eil fhios agam am bu ch貌ir dhomh seo aideachadh, ach dh鈥檉heuch mi cr貌ladh airson a鈥� chiad turas a-riamh o chionn ghoirid. Chan urrainn dhomh r脿dh carson a thug e cho fada dhomh, gu h-脿raidh leis gu robh clachan cr貌laidh taobh a-muigh doras mo nabannan nuair a bha mi 貌g. Bha iadsan uabhasach measail air a鈥� gheam. Bhiodh iad a鈥� cluich ann am p脿irc far an cluichinn-sa ball-coise as t-samhradh. Bhiodh a鈥� chomhairle ionadail ga lionadh le uisge nuair a thigeadh an geamhradh, agus bhiodh na ficheadan, no na ceudan, de luchd-cr貌laidh a鈥� tighinn cruinn oirre airson gheamannan.

Feumaidh mi r脿dh gun do ch貌rd an geam rium an l脿 eile. Bidh cuid ag r脿dh gu bheil cr貌ladh car coltach ri bowls air deigh, agus 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil. Ach dhomhsa bha e na bu tlachdmhoire na bowls, leis mar a bhios tu a鈥� sleamhnadh air an deigh. Agus tha am fuaim a chluinnear nuair a bhuaileas d脿 chloich na ch猫ile rudeigin 脿rsaidh pr矛omhadail. Car coltach rium fh矛n, a r猫ir na cloinne agam!

Faclan na seachdaine: c矛obairean: shepherds; fuachd: cold; cr貌ladh: curling; Eilginn: Elgin; measail: fond; a鈥� sleamhnadh: sliding.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mu thuathanaich is croitearan, agus caoraich gu dearbh: about farmers and crofters, and sheep indeed; gu robh an t-uamhas sneachda ann: that there was an incredible amount of snow; tr矛 bliadhna fichead 脿s d猫idh sin: 23 years after that; de chathaidhean anns na coireachan: of snowdrifts in the corries; a r脿inig doimhneachd de cheud troigh: which reached a depth of 100 feet; bhon uair sin, chaidh mo chur ceart: since then I have been put right; nuair a bha mi ann an c貌mhradh le fear 脿 Srath Sp猫: when I was in conversation with a man from Strathspey; air lochan beaga re貌ta: on small frozen lochs; feumaidh X siubhal gu ruige Y: X must travel to Y; airson cluich fo chabair air raon-deighe: to play indoors on an ice rink; bu mhath leam cluinntinn: I would like to hear; a dh鈥檌nnseas dhomh na chanas iad fh猫in ri cr貌ladh: who will tell me what they themselves call curling; rud sam bith mun bhriathrachas Gh脿idhlig: anything about the Gaelic vocabulary; gu robh clachan cr貌laidh taobh a-muigh doras mo nabannan: that there were curling stones outside my neighbours鈥� door; dhomhsa bha e na bu tlachdmhoire: to me it was more pleasurable; tha am fuaim a chluinnear nuair a bhuaileas d脿 chloich na ch猫ile: the noise which is heard when two stones collide;rudeigin 脿rsaidh pr矛omhadail: somewhat ancient and primitive; coltach rium fh矛n, a r猫ir mo chuid cloinne: like me, according to my children .

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bhiodh iad a鈥� cluich ann am p脿irc far an cluichinn-sa ball-coise: they would play in a park where I would play football. Do you notice that far takes the dependent form of the verb? We don鈥檛 say far a chluichinn. Similarly we would say sin far a bheil i (that is where she is) not sin far a tha i. I also want to make a point about the verbal tense used in this part of the litir: Bhiodh a鈥� chomhairle ga lionadh ... nuair a thigeadh an geamhradh... agus bhiodh na ficheadan ...a鈥� tighinn cruinn. Can you identify it and explain why it is used? It is the past habitual, which is equivalent to the conditional, and I used it because these past events were habitual events 鈥� ie every year the council would fill the park with water when the winter came (would come) and the people would come to play curling.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chan eil fhios agam am bu ch貌ir dhomh seo aideachadh: I don鈥檛 know if I should admit this.