大象传媒

Chan eil c霉 agam is cha robh a-riamh. Bha cat agam is 猫isg 貌ir, agus tha peataichean de she貌rsaichean eile aig a鈥� chloinn agam 鈥� luch agus muc-ghini. Ach cha do cheannaich sin c霉 a-riamh.

Tha mo nighean, a tha gu math measail air beathaichean, dhen bheachd gu bheil rudeigin agam an aghaidh coin. Chan eil sin f矛or. Gach trup a thig caraid don taigh againn le c霉, bidh mi tric a鈥� seachnadh nan daoine airson beagan mhionaidean airson cluich leis a鈥� ch霉. Gu h-脿raidh ma 鈥檚 e Labrador a th鈥� ann.

Ach tha deagh adhbhar aice a bhith a鈥� gearain, tha i ag r脿dh. Chan e na tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh is coireach, ach na tha mi ag r脿dh. Tha i a鈥� cumail a-mach gum bi mi tric, nam chainnt, a鈥� cur s矛os air coin. Cuine? Uill, nuair a chleachdas mi gn脿ths-cainnt neo samhladh G脿idhlig. Tha m貌ran ann de a leithid anns a bheil coin agus, mar as trice, 鈥檚 e droch shamhladh a th鈥� ann.

Mar eisimpleir, ma bhios mo nighean fhathast na leabaidh aig aon uair 鈥檚 deug sa mhadainn air an deireadh-sheachdain, bidh mi ag r脿dh rithe, 鈥淭ha thu cho leisg ri c霉.鈥� Bidh i feargach an uairsin, chan ann air sg脿th 鈥檚 gun do rinn mi c脿ineadh oirre fh猫in, ach o chionn 鈥檚 gun do 鈥渃huir mi s矛os鈥� air coin. 鈥淐arson,鈥� bidh i a鈥� faighneachd, 鈥渁 tha sibh ag r脿dh gu bheil coin leisg? Chan eil iad. Tha cuid de choin ann a tha leisg agus cuid nach eil.鈥�

鈥淒矛reach mar 貌igridh!鈥� bidh mi a鈥� freagairt!

Tha an dearbh she貌rsa de bheachd aice air samhladh eile a thig gu mo bhilean bho 脿m gu 脿m 鈥� gu bheil cuideigin 鈥渃ho crosta ri seann ch霉.鈥� Chan e d矛reach gu bheil mi a鈥� d猫anamh d矛-meas air coin a tha a鈥� cur dragh oirre, ach gu bheil mi a鈥� d猫anamh d矛-meas air an aois. 鈥淎gus cha bhi 貌igridh a鈥� d猫anamh d矛-meas air am p脿rantan uair sam bith air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu bheil iad nas sine?鈥� bidh mi a鈥� faighneachd! Agus c貌 aig m鈥� aois-san a bhios a鈥� cur s矛os air an aois? Tha urram ann an aois, thathar ag r脿dh agus, mar as sine a dh鈥檉h脿sas sinn, 鈥檚 ann as l脿idire a tha sinn dhen bheachd gu bheil sin f矛or!

Uaireannan, ma bhios mi claoidhte aig deireadh seachdain, canaidh mi gu bheil mi 鈥渃ho sg矛th ri c霉.鈥� Ma bhios mi tinn, bidh mi ag r脿dh, 鈥渢ha mi cho tinn ri c霉.鈥� Agus ma bhios a鈥� chlann rudeigin m矛-mhodhail (rud nach tachair tric, tha sibh a鈥� tuigs鈥�), canaidh mi riutha, 鈥渢ha sibh cho m矛-mhodhail ri c霉.鈥� Agus cuiridh sin fearg air mo nighinn. 鈥淐iamar as urrainn do choin a bhith m矛-mhodhail?鈥� bidh i a鈥� faighneachd. 鈥溾�橲 e d矛reach daoine a tha m矛-mhodhail!鈥�

Tha puing aice, chanainn. Chan ann tric a nochdas c霉 ann an samhladh nuair a thathar a鈥� bruidhinn mu rudan tlachdmhor, br猫agha, snog. Cuin鈥� a chuala sibh cuideigin ag r脿dh, 鈥渃ho laghach ri c霉鈥� neo 鈥渃ho b貌idheach ri c霉鈥�? Agus tha sinn a鈥� cur iongnadh orm, oir tha Gaidheil an latha an-diugh, gu h-脿raidh an fheadhainn a tha ri croitearachd neo c矛obaireachd, measail gu le貌r air coin.

Tha cuimhn鈥� agam air iomhaigh a chunnaic mi o chionn iomadach bliadhna ann an New Zealand. Bha i shuas faisg air na beanntan as 脿irde anns an d霉thaich ann an sg矛re a chaidh a leasachadh le c矛obairean Gaidhealach. Air an iomhaigh, bha na faclan G脿idhlig seo: 鈥淏eannachdan air a鈥� ch霉 chaorach.鈥� D猫 mu dheidhinn samhladh eile, ma tha 鈥� 鈥渃ho beannaichte ri c霉鈥�?! Mmm, chan eil mi cinnteach mu dheidhinn sin!

Faclan na seachdaine: 猫isg 貌ir: goldfish (pl.); peataichean: pets; muc-ghini: guinea pig; samhladh: simile (ie cho 鈥� ri 鈥�); crosta: bad tempered; m矛-mhodhail: impolite; iomhaigh: statue.

Abairtean na seachdaine: gu bheil rudeigin agam an aghaidh coin (in older Gaelic this would be an aghaidh chon ie the genitive plural): that I have something against dogs; gach trup a thig caraid don taigh: each time a friend comes to the house; bidh mi tric a鈥� seachnadh nan daoine airson cluich leis a鈥� ch霉: I often ignore the people to play with the dog; ach tha deagh adhbhar aice a bhith a鈥� gearain: but she has good reason to complain; gum bi mi tric a鈥� cur s矛os air coin: that I often do dogs down; tha thu cho leisg ri c霉: you鈥檙e as lazy as a dog; tha cuid de choin ann a tha leisg: some dogs are lazy; tha urram ann an aois: there is honour in age; nuair a thathar a鈥� bruidhinn air rudan tlachdmhor, br猫agha, snog: when pleasurable, beautiful and nice things are being discussed; beannachdan air a鈥� ch霉 chaorach: blessings on the sheep dog; cho beannaichte ri c霉: as blessed as a dog.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: What is the Gaelic for 鈥渨eekend鈥�? A good question and one which I will attempt to answer! In the Litir I said, 鈥渕a bhios mi claoidhte aig deireadh seachdain鈥︹�� which literally means, 鈥渋f I am exhausted at the end of a week...鈥� Unlike the French, who adopted the English word 鈥渨eekend鈥� as a loan-word, most Gaels would use Gaelic terminology, although you will also hear such as 鈥渄猫 bhios tu ris aig a鈥� weekend?鈥� (what will you be up to at the weekend?) Note that seachdain is a feminine noun and that in some dialects it is (na) seachdanach in the genitive case. Therefore, you will also hear: 鈥渁m bi thu air falbh aig deireadh na seachdanach?鈥� (will you be away at the weekend?). An alternative is ceann-seachdain or ceann-seachdanach. But there is another phrase which has come into the language as a Gaelic equivalent for 鈥渨eekend鈥�, as opposed to the 鈥渆nd of the week鈥�. It is deireadh-sheachdain (sometimes shortened to deir-sheachdain). The lenition of the second part of the compound noun may not be strictly grammatical, but it is a term which is widely used and recognised. It is employed in the following manner: 鈥淒猫 rinn thu air an deireadh-sheachdain?鈥� (what did you do at the weekend?); chunnaic mi air an deireadh-sheachdain thu (I saw you at the weekend). You will find this phrase in this week鈥檚 Litir as well.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gu h-脿raidh an fheadhainn a tha ri croitearachd neo c矛obaireachd: especially those who are involved in crofting or shepherding. Remember this useful phraseology: if you are 鈥渞i鈥� something, you are involved in it. Bha e ri b脿rdachd fad a bheatha (he wrote poetry all his life).