大象传媒

Bidh sibh e貌lach air an fhealla-dh脿 a tha a鈥� dol rudeigin mar seo, agus duine a鈥� bruidhinn ris a鈥� ghille aige: 鈥淒猫 an uair a tha e?鈥�

鈥淐han eil fhios a鈥檓.鈥�

鈥淯ill, d猫 tha d鈥� uaireadair ag r脿dh?鈥�

鈥淐han eil c脿il, ach tuig, tuig, tuig!鈥�

Agus tha sin gam thoirt gu rann mu dheidhinn uaireadair. An robh fios agaibh gu bheil uaireadairean air feadh an t-saoghail a鈥� labhairt ann an G脿idhlig? Agus tha an rann seo ga dhearbhadh. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥� 鈥淎n Gille Beag agus an t-uaireadair鈥�:

Tha uaireadair aig m鈥� athair-sa

鈥橲 chan fhacas riamh na th脿mh e.

Cha t猫id fois neo fosadh air

A sheachdain neo a Sh脿baid.

Nuair chuireas mi rim chluais e,

Feuch d猫 tha e ag r脿dh rium,

Canaidh e rium gu sgiobalta,

鈥淎n tuig, an tuig, an tuig thu mi?

An tuig, an tuig, an tuig thu mi,

An tuig, an tuig, an tuig thu mi,

An tuig thu nis mo ch脿nan?

鈥橧lle bhig, an tuig thu mi?

An tuig thu nise idir mi?

鈥橧lle bhig, an tuig thu mi?

鈥橲 mi labhairt anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig.鈥�

An sin gu clis, canaidh mise ris,

鈥淭ha fhios gu math gun tuig mi thu,

Gun tuig, gun tuig, gun tuig mi thu,

Tha fhios gu math gun tuig mi thu,

鈥橲 tu labhairt anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig.鈥�

Sin rann a dh鈥檉haodadh sibh cleachdadh le clann, a ch貌rdadh riutha, chanainn. Agus mus fh脿g sinn am facal tuig, tha deasbad ann am measg sgoilearan air co-dhiubh chaidh e a-steach don Bheurla gus nach deach. Ma chaidh, 鈥檚 ann ann an dreach gu math faisg air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a nochdas e ann am Beurla an-diugh, agus le ciall a tha fhathast gu math faisg air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig th霉sail. A bheil fios agaibh d猫 am facal a th鈥� ann? Have you twigged yet?

Seadh, sin e 鈥� twig, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥� tuigsinn. Tha feadhainn dhen bheachd gur ann 脿s G脿idhlig na h-Eireann a chaidh e a-null, ach tha am faclair Collins agam a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e as coltaiche gun deach e a-steach don Bheurla bho Gh脿idhlig na h-Alba 鈥� bhon fhacal tuig 鈥� anns an ochdamh linn deug.

Agus seo t貌imhseachan a tha co-cheangailte ris an rann gu h-脿rd ann an d貌igh. 鈥淐iamar a tha coltas n脿rach air uaireadair?鈥� Ciamar a tha coltas n脿rach air uaireadair? Uill, tha a dh脿 l脿imh an-c貌mhnaidh air aodann. D矛reach mar a tha cuideigin a tha n脿raichte.

Bha mi ag 猫isteachd ri fear air an r猫idio an l脿 eile. 鈥橲 ann 脿 Le貌dhas a bha e bho th霉s, ach tha e air a bhith a鈥� fuireach anns na h-Eileananan mu Dheas airson bliadhnaichean agus, nuair a chaidh ceist a chur air mu dheidhinn cho fada 鈥檚 a bheireadh e ann an c脿r eadar d脿 脿ite, thuirt e rudeigin mar 鈥渄脿 uair an uaireadair鈥�, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢wo hours duration鈥�. Shaoil mi rium fh矛n gu robh sin a鈥� sealltainn gu bheil e a鈥� bruidhinn uiread G脿idhlig anns a鈥� choimhearsnachd sa bheil e a鈥� fuireach, gu bheil e air cainnt nan Eilean mu Dheas a thogail gu 矛re mhath. Chan e droch rud a tha sin idir.

Ann an ceann a tuath na Gaidhealtachd, agus ann an ceann a tuath nan Eilean Siar, canaidh daoine, mar as trice, an 脿ite 鈥渦air an uaireadair鈥�, 鈥渦air a th矛de鈥�. Airson luchd-ionnsachaidh, chan eil e gu diofar d猫 chanas sibh 鈥� tha an d脿rna fear a cheart cho math ris an fhear eile. Agus seo ceist dhuibh 鈥� d猫 bhios a鈥� tachairt an ceann ceud, seasgad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (168) uairean a th矛de? Uill, bidh mise air ais an uairsin leis an ath Litir do Luchd Ionnsachaidh! Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: fealla-dh脿: fun,joking; fois neo fosadh: rest or cessation; gu clis: snappily; t霉sail: original; n脿raichte: ashamed; na h-Eileanan mu Dheas: the Southern Isles (Uist, Barra etc).

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha an rann seo ga dhearbhadh: this verse proves it; chan fhacas riamh na th脿mh e: it has never been seen at rest (ie it鈥檚 never stopped); a sheachdain neo a Sh脿baid: during the week or on the Sabbath; nuair (a) chuireas mi rim chluais e: when I put it to my ear; feuch d猫 tha e a鈥� r脿dh rium: to find out what it is saying to me; co-dhiubh chaidh e a-steach don Bheurla gus nach deach: whether it went into English or not; ann an dreach gu math faisg air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig: in a form very close to the Gaelic; ciamar a tha coltas n脿rach air uaireadair?: in what way does a watch look ashamed?; tha a dh脿 l脿imh an-c貌mhnaidh air aodann: its two hands are always up to (on) its face; d猫 cho fada 鈥檚 a bheireadh e ann an c脿r: how long it would take in a car; tha an d脿rna fear a cheart cho math ris an fhear eile: the one is just as good as the other.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥橲 mi (a鈥�) labhairt anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig: and me talking in Gaelic. Learners often ask which is correct for 鈥渋n Gaelic鈥� 鈥� anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig or ann an G脿idhlig. You will be pleased to know that both are acceptable. Anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig may be considered slightly old-fashioned by some, as is its English equivalent 鈥渋n the Gaelic鈥�, employing the definite article. The same goes for 鈥渋n English鈥� 鈥� it can be either ann am Beurla or anns a鈥� Bheurla. The main thing to note is that there is a different use of adjectives with each, conditioned by the presence or absence of the article. For 鈥渋n Scottish Gaelic鈥� we would normally say ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba or anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig Albannaich. Similarly, referring to the speech of England, we would say ann am Beurla Shasainn or anns a鈥� Bheurla Shasannaich.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: d脿 uair an uaireadair/d脿 uair a th矛de: two hours duration. It is not enough just to say 鈥渄脿 uair鈥� as that means 鈥渢wice鈥� and does not express a duration. If you want to say 鈥淚 was there for an hour鈥�, you must say 鈥渂ha mi ann airson uair an uaireadair/a th矛de鈥�. If you just say 鈥渂ha mi ann airson uair鈥�, it means you were there for one o鈥� clock. This is a mistake commonly made by learners but it is easily corrected. As to whether you choose an uaireadair or a th矛de, it is up to you. If people around you speak Gaelic, follow their example. If not, follow your teacher/helper or simply pick one of the options and stick with it.