大象传媒

D猫 tha am facal 鈥渋omairt鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh dhuibh? 鈥橲 e facal a th鈥� ann a nochdas gu math tric an-diugh anns na meadhanan, co-cheangailte ri poileataics gu h-脿raidh. 鈥橲 ann tric a bha sinn a鈥� cluinntinn mu dheidhinn 鈥渋omairt an taghaidh鈥� anns na seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh. Tha agam fosgailte ri mo thaobh leabhar 霉r cudthromach 鈥� Faclair na P脿rlamaid 鈥� anns a bheil briathrachas G脿idhlig airson iomadach rud co-cheangailte ri poileataics, agus tha am facal 鈥渋omairt鈥� a鈥� nochdadh ann uair is uair.

Seo eisimpleirean dheth: iomairt: enterprise, initiative, campaign, undertaking, venture; 貌raid iomairt: a campaigning speech; Iomairt le Maoineachadh Pr矛obhaideach: Private Funding Initiative, neo PFI; Iomairt na Gaidhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean: Highlands and Islands Enterprise鈥� Is mar sin air adhart.

鈥橲 e a th鈥� ann an 鈥渋omairt鈥� eisimpleir de sheann fhacal G脿idhlig a th鈥� air a chur gu feum ann an d貌ighean 霉ra an-diugh. Tha an aon rud a鈥� tachairt anns a h-uile c脿nan a tha be貌, agus tha e na chomharra gu bheil a鈥� Gh脿idhlig be貌 is be貌thail gu bheil a leithid a鈥� tachairt anns a鈥� ch脿nan againn fh矛n cuideachd.

Ach, o shean, mus robh guth air Iomairt na Gaidhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean neo c脿il dhen t-se貌rsa, bha ciall neo dh脿 eile air an fhacal 鈥渋omairt鈥�. Ann an Eirinn, bidh daoine ga chleachdadh airson 鈥渃luich鈥� mar a chanas sinne ann an Alba. Canaidh iad 鈥渢谩 s茅 ag imirt鈥� airson 鈥渢ha e a鈥� cluich鈥�. Tha a鈥� chiall sin cuideachd air an fhacal ann an Alba, agus chithear e co-cheangailte ri seann gheamannan mar 鈥淚omairt nam Faochag鈥� 鈥� the game of the whelks - neo 鈥淚omairt nan Clach鈥� 鈥� the game of the stones. 鈥橲 e an aon se貌rsa gh猫am a th鈥� ann. Tha an t-ainm air eadar-dhealaichte a r猫ir co-dhiubh thathar a鈥� cluich le faochagan, neo sligean-faochaig, neo le clachan beaga.

B鈥� iad caileagan, seach balaich, a bu mhotha a chluicheadh na geamannan agus bha Iomairt nan Clach a鈥� dol rudeigin mar seo. Bhiodh e a鈥� t貌iseachadh le t猫 de na caileagan ag r脿dh, 鈥渁on, dh脿, tr矛, ceithir鈥�. Thogadh i c貌ig clachan, bhiodh i gan tilgeil suas agus gan glacadh air c霉l a d霉irn. Bhiodh i gan tilgeil suas a-rithist 脿s a sin agus gan glacadh an turas seo na bois. Dh猫anadh i sin ceithir tursan.

B鈥� e an ath ph脿irt dhen gheam 鈥漵gapadh a h-aon鈥�, anns am biodh an nighean a鈥� tilgeil aon chlach suas, agus mus tigeadh i a-nuas a-rithist, thogadh i t猫 dhen cheithir eile, deiseil airson a鈥� chiad t猫 a ghlacadh. As d猫idh 鈥渟gapadh a h-aon鈥�, bhiodh 鈥渟gapadh a dh脿鈥� ann, anns am biodh a鈥� chaileag a鈥� togail d脿 chloich fhad 鈥檚 a bha an t猫 eile anns an adhar. An uairsin bhiodh 鈥渟gapadh a tr矛鈥� agus 鈥渟gapadh a ceithir鈥� ann.

Leanadh an geam mar sin, le diofar dh貌ighean eile airson clachan a thilgeil is a ghlacadh. Bhiodh p脿irt ann air an robh 鈥渂leoghainn鈥� mar ainm. Eadar a bhith a鈥� tilgeil clach agus ga glacadh le a l脿imh deis, bhiodh a鈥� chaileag a鈥� toirt creidsinn gu robh i a鈥� bleoghainn le bhith a鈥� tarraing 貌rdag a l脿imhe cl矛 le corragan a l脿imhe deise, mar gu robh i a鈥� tarraing air sine b脿.

Tha cuimhn鈥� agam air geamannan mar sin a鈥� dol fhathast nuair a bha mi 貌g, ach 鈥檚 ann gl猫 gl猫 ainneamh a chithear a leithid an-diugh. Tha sin duilich, oir bidh iad a鈥� brosnachadh sgilean co-貌rdanachaidh eadar s霉il is l脿mh, agus chanainn gum faigheadh clann fhathast deagh sp貌rs asta, ann am buidhnean Sradagain neo ann am bun-sgoiltean G脿idhlig, nan robh iad air an teagasg dhaibh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bu ch貌ir dhuinn iomairt a dh猫anamh airson na seann iomairtean a chumail be貌.

iFaclan na seachdaine: iomairt an taghaidh: the election campaign; Faclair na P脿rlamaid: the brand new Gaelic parliamentary glossary, which is available free from the Scottish Executive (for your own copy, e-mail to william.fox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk); briathrachas: vocabulary; sgapadh: scatter; buidhnean Sradagain: Gaelic youth groups.

Abairtean na seachdaine: anns na seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh: in the last few weeks; tha e na chomharra gu bheil a鈥� Gh脿idhlig be貌 is be貌thail: it is a sign that Gaelic is alive and lively; mus robh guth air X: before the existence of X (lit. before there was a report on it); chithear e co-cheangailte ri gheamannan mar X: it is seen applied to games like X; a r猫ir co-dhiubh thathar a鈥� cluich le sligean-faochaig neo le clachan beaga: according to whether whelk shells or small stones are being played with; b鈥� iad caileagan a bu mhotha a chluicheadh na geamannan: it is mostly girls that would play the games; gan glacadh air c霉l a d霉irn: catching them on the back of her hand; gan glacadh na bois: catching them in her palm (bois is dative of bas); leanadh an geam mar sin: the game would continue like that; eadar a bhith a鈥� tilgeil clach agus ga glacadh le a l脿imh deis: between throwing a stone and catching it with her right hand; bhiodh a鈥� chaileag a鈥� toirt creidsinn gu robh i a鈥� bleoghainn: the girl would pretend she was milking; mar gu robh i a鈥� tarraing air sine b脿: as if she were pulling on a cow鈥檚 teat; bidh iad a鈥� brosnachadh sgilean co-貌rdanachaidh eadar s霉il is l脿mh: they encourage better hand-eye co-ordination: bu ch貌ir dhuinn iomairt a dh猫anamh airson na seann iomairtean a chumail be貌: we should campaign to keep the old games alive.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: I would like this week to emphasize the use of 鈥檚 ann with two words 鈥� tric and ainneamh (see also Litir 3, 04.06.99). Although you will see them used in other constructions, they are very common in this type of phrase eg 鈥溾�橲 ann tric a chluinneas mi a鈥� chuthag anns an leas agam鈥� (it is often I hear the cuckoo in my garden) or 鈥溾�橲 ann ainneamh a ch矛 sinn mucan-mara an-diugh鈥� (it is seldom that we see whales today). The 鈥檚 ann construction is one which Gaelic learners tend to avoid using for as long as possible, probably because it sounds a little foreign to those used only to standard English syntax, but it is one worth working on because your Gaelic will sound much better if you can vary its construction (but don鈥檛 overdo the 鈥檚 ann 鈥� use it sparingly and intelligently!) Here it is in a negative form: chan ann tric a chunnaic mi a leithid (I never often saw the like/I have not often seen the like). It can also be used in the interrogative form: An ann tric a thig thu seo (do you come here often?). The answer to this might be 鈥� 鈥溾�檚 ann鈥� (yes), 鈥渃han ann鈥� (no) or, if you are getting the brush-off to a chat-up line 鈥� 鈥渃han e do ghnothach-san a th鈥� ann!鈥� (it鈥檚 none of your business!)

uair is uair: Time and again, repeatedly.