大象传媒

Tha caraid dhomh ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig. Agus tha e fh猫in is a bhean a鈥� d猫anamh oidhirp mh貌r. 鈥橲 ann ann an G脿idhlig a bhios iad a鈥� bruidhinn ri ch猫ile mar as trice, agus tha iad a鈥� togail an cuid cloinne le G脿idhlig mar phr矛omh ch脿nan 鈥� is tha G脿idhlig mhath dha-r矛reabh acasan. B鈥� fhe脿rr leam gu robh barrachd de a leithid ann an Alba!

Th脿inig mo charaid thugam an l脿 eile agus dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh gun tuirt fear, a tha a鈥� fuireach anns an aon bhaile ris, agus a bhuineas don Eilean Sgitheanach, rudeigin ris ann an G脿idhlig nach do thuig e. Thuirt am fear eile, 鈥溾�橲 ann dhutsa a rug an cat an cuilean.鈥� 鈥橲 ann dhutsa a rug an cat an cuilean. 鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt mo charaid rium, 鈥渄猫 tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh?!鈥� Cha robh e cinnteach idir co-dhi霉 bha am fear eile ga ch脿ineadh no ga mholadh!

Agus, tha an gn脿ths-cainnt seo rudeigin ne貌nach, nach eil? D猫 a鈥� Bheurla a chuireadh sibh air? Uill, tha e agam an seo ann an cruinneachadh de ghn脿thsan-cainnt 脿 Le貌dhas, a chaidh a chur ri ch猫ile le Donnchadh D貌mhnallach a bha na Mhaighstir-sgoile ann an Sgoil Shanndabhaig ann an naoi deug, trithead 鈥檚 a dha (1932). 鈥橲 e an t-eadar-theangachadh a thug esan 鈥� you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Bha thu gu math fortanach. Rinn an cat rudeigin dhut nach tachradh ach gl猫 gl猫 ainneamh!

Tha fhios againn uile gur e piseagan a bhios cat a鈥� breith, seach cuileanan. Ach cha bhi am facal cuilean an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥� ciallachadh c霉 貌g. Uaireannan bidh e a鈥� ciallachadh beathach 貌g de she貌rsa eile, co-dhi霉 de mhamail eile. Mar eisimpleir, canaidh sinn cuilean-r貌in airson r貌n 貌g, cuilean-le貌mhainn airson le貌mhann 貌g agus cuilean-maighich airson maigheach 貌g.

Is bidh sinn uaireannan a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail ann an co-cheangal ri daoine. Seo mar a nochdas e ann an seann leabhar, ris an canar 鈥淟eabhar nan Cnoc鈥�, a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh leis an Ollamh Urramach Tormod MacLe貌id ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug. Anns an earrainn seo, tha M脿iri a鈥� Ghlinne a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air a h-athair: 鈥業s minig a chanadh e rium, 鈥檚 na de貌ir a鈥� tuiteam gu frasach: 鈥淎 Mh脿iri, a chuilean mo r霉in, chan eil thusa mar bu mhiann le d鈥� athair.鈥濃��

Tha fhios nach d猫anadh sibh eadar-theangachadh air 鈥渃uilean鈥� anns an t-seadh sin mar 鈥減uppy鈥�. 鈥橲 e a th鈥� ann an 鈥渃uilean mo r霉in鈥� ach, mar a chanas faclair Dwelly, a 鈥渢erm of familiar endearment.鈥�

Nise, tha e inntinneach gu bheilear a鈥� cleachdadh ann an cuid de sg矛rean facal eile an 脿ite cuilean airson beathaichean 貌ga ainmeachadh 鈥� isean. Mar as trice tha isean a鈥� ciallachadh eun 貌g ach faodaidh e cuideachd a bhith air a chleachdadh airson mamailean 貌ga. Mar eisimpleir, canaidh cuid 鈥渋sean r貌in鈥� airson r貌n 貌g agus 鈥渋sean cait鈥� airson piseag. Agus ann am p脿irtean de Le貌dhas canaidh daoine isean ri eun sam bith, sean no 貌g.

Agus ann am m貌ran sg矛rean bithear a鈥� cantainn 鈥渋sean鈥� ri daoine cuideachd 鈥� gu h-脿raidh ri clann 貌g. Uaireannan tha e a鈥� sealltainn gu bheil gr脿dh aig an neach-labhairt air an leanabh. Ach, uaireannan eile, bidh daoine ag r脿dh 鈥渄roch isean鈥� ri p脿iste nach eil idir math no modhail. Nan robh athair M脿iri a鈥� Ghlinne air a bhith na bu chrosta le nighinn dh鈥檉haodadh e seo a r脿dh rithe: 鈥楢 Mh脿iri, chan eil thusa mar bu mhiann le d鈥� athair. 鈥橲 e f矛or dhroch isean a th鈥� annad.鈥� Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gur ann bho sh霉ilean M脿iri a bhiodh na de貌ir a鈥� tuiteam gu frasach an uairsin!

Faclan na seachdaine: Sgoil Shanndabhaig: Sandwick School; an-c貌mhnaidh: always; mamail: mammal; r貌n: seal; le貌mhann: lion; maigheach: hare; gr脿dh: love; neach-labhairt: speaker; M脿iri a鈥� Ghlinne: Mary of the Glen.

Abairtean na seachdaine: B鈥� fhe脿rr leam gu robh barrachd de a leithid ann an Alba: I wish there were more of the same in Scotland; 鈥檚 ann dhutsa a rug an cat an cuilean: lit. it is for you the cat gave birth to the puppy (see text of Litir for interpretation); co-dhi霉 bha am fear eile ga ch脿ineadh no ga mholadh: whether the other man was criticising or praising him; tha e agam an seo ann an cruinneachadh de ghn脿thsan-cainnt 脿 Le貌dhas: I have it here in a collection of Gaelic idiom(s) from Lewis; rinn an cat rudeigin dhut nach tachradh ach gl猫 gl猫 ainneamh: the cat did something for you that would only happen very rarely; gur e piseagan a bhios cat a鈥� breith: that it is kittens to which cats give birth; ann an co-cheangal ri daoine: in connection with people; is minig a chanadh e rium, 鈥檚 na de貌ir a鈥� tuiteam gu frasach: often he would say to me, and the tears falling in showers; canaidh daoine isean ri eun sam bith, sean no 貌g: people call any bird, old or young, an 鈥渋sean鈥�; 鈥檚 e f矛or dhroch isean a th鈥� annad: you are a real bad egg (the Gaelic takes the biological imagery to the next developmental stage!); gur ann bho sh霉ilean M脿iri a bhiodh na de貌ir a鈥� tuiteam: that it is from Mary鈥檚 eyes that the tears would fall.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Tha caraid dhomh ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig: a friend of mine is learning Gaelic. You may have been taught by textbooks that the way to express 鈥減ossession鈥� of a friend in such a manner is either by the use of the possessive adjective, mo ie mo charaid, or with the preposition aig ie caraid agam. I could have said above tha caraid agam ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig and it would have meant the same thing. But you will often meet the preposition 鈥渄o鈥� being used in the same way. Here are two other examples: 鈥檚 e caraid dha a th鈥� innte (she is a friend of his); 鈥檚 e piuthar dhi a th鈥� ann an Ealasaid (Elizabeth is her sister). In some dialects of Gaelic you will similarly meet do being used instead of aig in such expressions as chan eil fhios dhomh (or domh) instead of chan eil fhios agam.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: A Mh脿iri, chan eil thusa mar bu mhiann le d鈥� athair: Mary, you are not as your father would wish.