大象传媒

Aig toiseach an t-samhraidh, chuir mi seachad d脿 l脿 cuide ri clann 脿s aonadan G脿idhlig ann am bun-sgoiltean ann an Siorrachd Rois. Bha sinn a鈥� comharrachadh Te脿rmann N脿dair N脿iseanta Beinn Eighe, a tha leth-cheud bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, agus chaidh sinn don choille is don mhonadh, a鈥� coimhead air lusan n脿darrach.

Th脿inig aon rud a-steach orm thairis air a h-uile n矛 eile air na l脿ithean sin. Thug sinn s霉il air an dearc-choille, lus a bhios a鈥� f脿s ann an coilltean-giuthais is monaidhean na Gaidhealtachd. Bidh sibh e貌lach air ann am Beurla mar blaeberry. Aig an 脿m seo dhen bhliadhna, d猫 tha nas tlachdmhoire na bhith a鈥� falbh a-mach don choille neo don mhonadh, is a鈥� tional is ag ithe dearcan-coille?

Uill, air an d脿 l脿 sin, fhuair mi a-mach nach robh ach 鈥檚 d貌cha tri霉ir, a-mach 脿 c貌rr is seachdad duine cloinne, air dearc-choille a chur nam be貌il a-riamh. Bha iad e貌lach air an re貌iteig as 霉ire, a th鈥� air a d猫anamh ann am factaraidh aig deas, is air gach pacaid phlastaig l脿n rudan fuadain a thathar a鈥� sanasachd air an telebhisean. Ach air rudan a bhuineadh don d霉thaich aca fh猫in, a gheibheadh iad saor an asgaidh air s脿illeabh toradh n脿dair, bha iad aineolach. Chan iad fh猫in as coireach ach am p脿rantan is a鈥� choimhearsnachd a tha a鈥� leigeil le clann an l脿 an-diugh a bhith air an togail len cuid s霉ilean d霉inte do bh貌idhchead n脿dair agus do bh貌idhchead dualchas na Gaidhealtachd.

Anns an t-seann aimsir, bhiodh ar sinnsearan a鈥� crochadh gu m貌r air toradh n脿dair, agus chuireadh iad m貌ran de na lusan n脿darrach gu feum. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh an l脿 eile p矛os dhen leabhar a sgr矛obh T貌mas Pennant 鈥� a Tour in Scotland 鈥� a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1771).

Nuair a bha e anns an taigh mh貌r ann an D霉n D貌mhnaill ann an Ros an Iar, sgr矛obh e gun do ghabh e, aig aon diathad, dearcan oighreig airson a mh矛lsein. Bha na dearcan air an cruinneachadh anns na beanntan timcheall an 脿ite, agus chanainn gur e obair mh貌r a bh鈥� ann. Chan eil an oighreag idir cho l矛onmhor ris an dearc-choille agus chan eil uiread dhearcan a鈥� f脿s oirre. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an lus ann am Beurla 鈥� cloudberry 鈥� agus tha e c脿irdeach don smeur agus don t-subh-craoibhe.

D矛reach as d猫idh dha D霉n D貌mhnall fh脿gail, th脿inig Pennant seachad air an dearbh 脿ite far an robh mise a鈥� tr猫orachadh na cloinne c貌rr is d脿 cheud bliadhna as a dh猫idh. Ach cha b鈥� ann a鈥� coiseachd a bha e. Thug e b脿ta 脿 ceann an ear Loch Maruibhe, airson a dhol don cheann an iar. Lean e fh猫in is an fheadhainn a bha ag iomradh a鈥� bh脿ta cladach an taobh tuath, agus chunnaic iad fear air a鈥� chladach ag 猫igheachd orra ann an G脿idhlig, c脿nan nach do thuig Pennant.

鈥淒猫 tha e ag iarraidh?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Pennant.

鈥淎ir b貌rd,鈥� mh矛nich fear dhen chriubha.

鈥淚nnis dha gu bheil am b脿ta l脿n is nach eil r霉m ann dha,鈥� thuirt Pennant.

Rinneadh sin, ach lean an duine an cladach garbh airson d脿 mh矛le eile, is e ag 猫igheachd is a鈥� guidheachdainn air muinntir a鈥� bh脿ta.

As d猫idh greis, dh鈥檃idich fear dhen chriubha rudeigin a thug air Pennant an 貌rdachadh gu t矛r sa bhad. B鈥� e sin gur e am fear air a鈥� chladach an duine leis an robh am b脿ta! Duine 貌g l脿n G脿idhlig, agus mion-e貌lach air a dh霉thaich-san. Aineolach mu choimpiutaran is telebhisean ceart gu le貌r, ach chan eil teagamh nach robh e fh猫in air a bhith gu math e貌lach air blas na dearc-coille na bheul air l脿 samhraidh.

Faclan na seachdaine: T猫armann N脿dair N脿iseanta Beinn Eighe: Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve; dearc-choille: blaeberry; coilltean-giuthais: pinewoods; re貌iteag: ice-cream, ice lolly; aineolach: ignorant; D霉n D貌mhnaill: Dundonald; oighreag: cloudberry; l矛onmhor: plentiful; smeur: bramble; subh-craoibhe: raspberry; a鈥� tre貌rachadh: leading, guiding; ag iomramh: rowing; Loch Maruibhe: Loch Maree; a鈥� guidheachdainn: swearing.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chuir mi seachad d脿 l脿 cuide ri clann 脿s aonadan G脿idhlig ann an Siorrachd Rois: I spent two days with children from Gaelic units in Ross-shire; th脿inig aon rud a-steach orm thairis air a h-uile n矛 eile: one thing in particular came to my notice; a鈥� tional is ag ithe dearcan-coille: collecting and eating blaeberries; tri霉ir a-mach 脿 c貌rr is seachdad duine cloinne: three out of more than 70 children; ann am factaraidh aig deas: in a factory in the south; gach pacaid phlastaig l脿n rudan fuadain a thathar a鈥� sanasachd air an telebhisean: full of artificial things which are advertised on the television; rudan a bhuineadh don d霉thaich aca fh猫in: things which belonged to their own country; a gheibheadh iad saor an asgaidh air s脿illeabh toradh n脿dair: which they would get free thanks to the bounty of nature; chan iad fh猫in as coireach: they themselves are not to blame; len cuid s霉ilean d霉inte do bh貌idhchead n脿dair: with their eyes shut to the beauty of nature; chan eil uiread dhearcan a鈥� f脿s air: it does not carry the same quantity of berries; a thug air X an 貌rdachadh gu t矛r sa bhad: that forced X to order them to shore at once; mion-e貌lach air a dh霉thaich-san: intimately familiar with his country; chan eil teagamh nach robh e fh猫in air a bhith gu math e貌lach air blas an dearc-choille: there is no doubt that he would have known the taste of the blaeberry.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: B鈥� e sin gur e am fear air a鈥� chladach an duine leis an robh am b脿ta: that was that the man on the shore was the owner of the boat. Are you comfortable with the use of 鈥渓e鈥� to express ownership? It is different from 鈥渁ig鈥� which expresses current possession but not necessarily ownership. For example, we might say, with reference to the Litir above: bha am b脿ta aig Pennant is a chompanaich, ach cha b鈥� ann leothasan a bha i; 鈥檚 ann leis an fhear a bha a鈥� ruith air a鈥� chladach a bha i (Pennant and his companions had the boat, but they did not own it; it was owned by the man who was running on the shore). If you want to ask if something belongs to somebody, you might simply say, 鈥渁n ann leatsa a tha sin?鈥� eg Duine 1: Seall air an leine a th鈥� ort (look at the shirt you鈥檝e got on) Duine 2: D猫 mu a deidhinn? (what about it?) Duine 1: An ann leatsa a tha i? (is it yours?) Duine 2: Chan ann, 鈥檚 ann le mo bhr脿thair a tha i, ach fhuair mi air iasad i (no, it鈥檚 my brother鈥檚, but I got it on loan).

bhiodh ar sinnsearan a鈥� crochadh gu m貌r air toradh n脿dair:our ancestors would depend greatly on the bounty of nature. A鈥� crochadh air: depending on.