大象传媒

Ciamar a chaidh dhuibh leis a鈥� cheist a chuir mi oirbh an t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh 鈥� b鈥� e sin G脿idhlig a chur air I am going to climb the mountain. Tha mi an d貌chas nach tuirt sibh, 鈥渢ha mi a鈥� dol a dh矛readh na beinne鈥�! Bha mi an d貌chas gu robh sibh a鈥� dol a chleachdadh facal eile airson climb 鈥� sreap neo streap. 鈥橲 e an duilgheadas a th鈥� ann gu bheil feadhainn a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail mar nach eil 鈥榯鈥� eadar an 鈥榮鈥� agus an 鈥榬鈥�, agus tha feadhainn eile ga chleachdadh mar gu bheil. Mar sin, cluinnidh sibh an d脿 chuid: Tha mi a鈥� dol a shreap na beinne agus tha mi a鈥� dol a streap na beinne.

Tha mi nam bhall de Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis, mar a tha m貌ran aig a bheil 霉idh ann an dualchas nan Gaidheal, cuid mhath aca nach eil a鈥� fuireach faisg idir air a鈥� bhaile. Gach darnacha bliadhna, bidh an Comunn a鈥� foillseachadh nam p脿ipearan a chaidh a l矛bhrigeadh aig coinneamhan. Anns na leabhraichean seo, ris an canar na 鈥淭ransactions鈥�, tha st貌ras air leth pr矛seil a tha a鈥� dol air ais c貌rr math is ceud bliadhna.

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh na h-iris as 霉ire o chionn ghoirid agus ch貌rd aon ph脿ipear rium gu s貌nraichte. B鈥� e sin fear air gn脿thsan-cainnte is abairtean 脿 Eilean Bhe脿rnaraigh. Chan eil mi cinnteach a-nise an e Be脿rnaraigh na Hearadh neo Be脿rnaraigh Uibhist a bu ch貌ir dhomh r脿dh ris an eilean. Chan eil mi airson n脿imhdean a dh猫anamh dhomh fh矛n ann!

Chaidh am p脿ipear a sgr矛obhadh le D貌mhnall MacIlp agus tha e l脿n abairtean is ghn脿thsan-cainnt inntinneach. Ch貌rd aon abairt rium gu s貌nraichte. Chan eil mi-fh矛n uabhasach measail air a鈥� chuid mh貌ir de che貌l na Beurla, gu h-脿raidh an se貌rsa de dh鈥櫭瞨ain Bheurla a chluinnear air R猫idio a h-Aon is a leithid, agus feumaidh gu bheil mi-fh矛n agus D貌mhnall a鈥� tarraing air an aon r脿mh. 鈥淏u cheart cho math leam a bhith a鈥� sgoltadh bhiorach,鈥� tha e ag r脿dh ri bhith ag 猫isteachd ri a leithid de che貌l! Bu cheart cho math leam a bhith a鈥� sgoltadh bhiorach.

Tha mi a鈥� mothachadh gu bheil m貌ran de na gn脿thsan-cainnt aig na Be脿rnaraich ceangailte ris a鈥� mhuir, agus chan eil sin na iongnadh air eilean beag. Agus, uill, feumaidh mi r脿dh gun do rinn mi g脿ire nuair a leugh mi an t-altachadh a bh鈥� aige. Bidh sibh e貌lach, tha mi 鈥檔 d霉il, air an iasg ris an canar l猫abag 鈥� flounder ann am Beurla. Nise, chan eil mi cinnteach co-dhiubh bha l猫abag air a鈥� bh貌rd a bha seo gus nach robh, ach seo mar a chaidh an t-altachadh.

鈥淭aing dhut-sa, a Dh猫 ghr脿smhoir bheannaichte, gun do dhealbh thu sinn air d鈥� iomhaigh fh猫in, 鈥檚 nach ann air iomhaigh na l猫abaig aig a bheil a d脿 sh霉il air an aona pheirceall.鈥� O, uill, chan eil c脿il a dh鈥檉ios agam d猫 chanadh c脿ch aig a鈥� bh貌rd nan cluinneadh iad altachadh mar sin! Cha chreid mi gum bithinn misneachail gu le貌r airson a ghabhail ann an 脿ite sam bith, fi霉 鈥檚 ann am Be脿rnaraigh fh猫in!

Uaireannan, tha duilgheadas aig luchd-ionnsachaidh ann a bhith a鈥� lorg facal airson 鈥渟queeze鈥�. Uill, seo e ann an abairt 脿 Be脿rnaraigh: F脿isg a鈥� phoit-teatha 鈥� squeeze the teapot. 鈥橲 e an gn矛omhair 鈥� f脿sgadh. Is, mura h-eil teatha air fh脿gail anns a鈥� phoit, bithear ag r脿dh, 鈥渁ir an tr脿ghadh a rugadh tu鈥�. Uill, chan ann air an tr脿ghadh a rugadh mise, agus ch貌rdadh cupa teatha s貌nraichte math rium an-dr脿sta. Ach bidh mi c貌mhla ribh a-rithist an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: iris: edition; Be脿rnaraigh: Berneray; D貌mhnall MacIlp: Donald Mackillop; measail: fond, keen; g脿ire: smile; altachadh: grace (before meal); f脿sgadh: squeezing.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ciamar a chaidh dhuibh?: how did you get on?; tha mi nam bhall de Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbir Nis: I am a member of the Gaelic Society of Inverness; mar a tha m貌ran aig a bheil 霉idh ann an dualchas nan Gaidheal: as are many who have an interest in the heritage of the Gaels; gach darnacha bliadhna: every second year; a chaidh a l矛bhrigeadh aig coinneamhan: that were presented (delivered) at meetings; c貌rr math is ceud bliadhna: a good bit more than a hundred years; chan eil mi airson n脿imhdean a dh猫anamh dhomh fh矛n ann: I don鈥檛 want to make myself enemies there; gu h-脿raidh an se貌rsa de dh鈥櫭瞨ain Bheurla a chluinnear air R猫idio a h-Aon is a leithid: particularly the type of English-language songs heard on Radio One; feumaidh gu bheil mi-fh矛n is D貌mhnall a鈥� tarraing air an aon r脿mh: Donald and I must be in agreement (lit. pulling on the same oar); chan eil sin na iongnadh: that is of no surprise; chan eil mi cinnteach co-dhiubh bha l猫abag air a鈥� bh貌rd seo gus nach robh: I am not sure if there was a flounder on the this table or not; gun do dhealbh thu sinn air d鈥� iomhaigh fh猫in: that you created (designed) us in your own image; nach ann air iomhaigh na l猫abaig: not after the image of the flounder; aig a bheil a d脿 sh霉il air an aona pheirceall: which has its (her) two eyes on the one (side of the) jaw; cha chreid mi gum bithinn misneachail gu le貌r: I don鈥檛 think I would be courageous enough; air an tr脿ghadh a rugadh tu: you were born on the ebb-tide; ch貌rdadh cupa teatha rium an-dr脿sta: I would enjoy a cup of tea just now.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Taing dhut-sa, a Dh猫 ghr脿smhoir bheannaichte: Thanks to you, gracious and blessed God. Have you noticed that, in Gaelic, God is addressed in the singular or informal 鈥渢u/thu鈥� form and not with the more formal or plural 鈥渟ibh鈥�? It is important to remember this if you are asked to give a grace in a Gaelic-speaking home. The Gaelic for God, Dia, is here in the vocative case 鈥� ie He is being addressed. In some places this is 鈥渁 Dh猫鈥� but in others it is 鈥渁 Dhia鈥�. You will sometimes hear people address the deity when they are upset as they do in English (鈥淥h God!鈥�) and they will say, 鈥渁 Dhia!鈥� or 鈥渁 Dh猫!鈥� This should not be confused with the answer to a question in which the word Dia appears unlenited eg 鈥淒ia, tha!鈥� which means 鈥渃ertainly!鈥� or 鈥渁bsolutely!鈥� I remember speaking to a Catholic Irishman who was intrigued by our use of the tu/sibh informal/formal in Scottish Gaelic because there is no similar use of the plural for singular objects in Irish. He was most particularly intrigued that a priest is referred to as 鈥渟ibh鈥� but that God is addressed as 鈥渢u鈥�. 鈥淚 think I know why that is,鈥� he said presently. 鈥淚t is because when the priest is there, he has God by his side, so there are the two of them. But God is God alone.鈥�

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Bu cheart cho math leam a bhith a鈥� sgoltadh bhiorach: I would be just as happy gutting dogfish. ie I don鈥檛 think much of this!