大象传媒

Chaidh na Gaidheil gu iomadh che脿rnaidh ann an Aimeireaga a Tuath agus chaidh m貌ran aca am measg nan Innseanach Ruadha. Ph貌s cuid aca bean Innseanach agus tha na h-uibhir de dh鈥橧nnseanaich an latha an-diugh aig a bheil sinnsear a th脿inig 脿s a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd.

Ach d猫 an c脿nan a bhruidhneadh an d脿 shluagh ri ch猫ile? Tha fhios, uaireannan, gur e a鈥� Bheurla Shasannach a bh鈥� ann, neo se貌rsa de Bheurla. Tha mi cinnteach, uaireannan, gun togadh na Gaidheil an c脿nan Innseanach. Agus, uaireannan, bhiodh na h-Innseanaich ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig.

Chithear sin bhon sgeulachd a leanas. Ann an sg矛re iomallach anns na beanntan, a bh鈥� air a cuairteachadh le coille, bha treubh de dh鈥橧nnseanaich. B鈥� iad an aon fheadhainn gheala a bh鈥� air a dhol nam measg 鈥� sealgairean Gaidhealach agus, gu dearbh, cha robh fios aig na daoine ruadha gu robh c脿nan sam bith eile aig daoine geala ach a鈥� Gh脿idhlig.

Latha a bha seo, nochd Sasannach nam measg. Bha e gl猫 dh猫idheil air d貌ighean tradiseanta nan Innseanach. Cha robh m貌ran aig an 脿m a bha a鈥� toirt for air gnothaichean mar sin, ach bha 霉idh mh貌r aigesan. Th貌isich e air a dhol nam measg, leis an amas na faclan a bh鈥� aca airson diofar rudan a chl脿radh. Ach cha robh G脿idhlig sam bith aige.

As d猫idh greis, thachair e ri fear Innseanach anns a鈥� choille. Bha aodach tradiseanta air an Innseanach agus bha an Sasannach cianail fh猫in toilichte coinneachadh ris. Thug e peann is p脿ipear a-mach 脿s a mh脿ileid aige. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha e a鈥� d猫anamh sin, mhothaich e do na br貌gan br猫agha a bh鈥� air casan an Innseanaich. Bha iad air an d猫anamh de leathar. Cha robh e air br貌g dhen t-se貌rsa sin fhaicinn ann an Sasainn a-riamh.

鈥淲hat you call?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e, agus e a鈥� comharrachadh nam br貌g.

Choimhead an t-Innseanach air. Cha do thuig e facal de na thuirt an duine geal.

鈥淲hat you call?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an Sasannach a-rithist. 鈥淥n feet, what name?鈥�

Ghabh an t-Innseanach iongnadh nach robh e a鈥� tuigsinn facal de chainnt an duine ghil. Nam b鈥� e G脿idhlig a bh鈥� ann, b鈥� e G脿idhlig de she貌rsa annasach nach robh e air a chluinntinn a-riamh roimhe.

Chomharraich an duine geal casan an duine eile a-rithist le chorraig. Bha e deiseil le peann is p脿ipear. Thuig am fear ruadh d猫 bha a dh矛th air. 鈥淢o chasan,鈥� thuirt e. Th貌isich am fear eil鈥� air sgr矛obhadh.

鈥淎gain, please. Again, please. What you call?鈥� thuirt an Sasannach. Bha e a鈥� sgr矛obhadh air a鈥� ph脿ipear. Bha an t-Innseanach toilichte. Ged nach do thuig e fh猫in am fear eile, feumaidh gun do thuig am fear eile esan. 鈥淢o chasan,鈥� fhreagair e.

鈥淭hankyou. Thankyou.鈥� Bha an Sasannach cho toilichte 鈥檚 a ghabhadh a bhith. Choimhead e air a鈥� ph脿ipear. Sgr矛obhte air, bha am facal m-o-c-c-a-s-i-n. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin, a dh鈥檃indeoin na chanas na h-e貌laichean mu dheidhinn c脿nan nan Algonquianach, a chaidh ainm G脿idhlig a chur air na br貌gan leathair a tha na h-Innseanaich Ruadh鈥� a鈥� d猫anamh chun an latha an-diugh. Moccasin.

Airson cr矛ochnachadh an t-seachdain-sa, seo agaibh t貌imhseachan.

Is 脿irde e na taigh an R矛gh

Is m矛ne e nan s矛oda

Bheir mi am fuasgladh dhuibh an ath-sheachdain, agus chan innis mi breug sam bith an uairsin.

Aimeireaga a Tuath: North America; Innseanach Ruadh: North American (鈥渞ed鈥�) Indian; na h-uibhir: a lot; sinnsear: ancestor; treubh: tribe; thachair e (ri): he met; leathar: leather.

chaidh X gu iomadh che脿rnaidh: X went to many regions; d猫 an c脿nan a bhruidhneadh an d脿 shluagh ri ch猫ile?: what language would the two peoples speak to each other?; chithear sin bhon sgeulachd a leanas: that is seen from the story that follows; b鈥� iad an aon fheadhainn gheala a bh鈥� air a dhol nam measg: the only white people that had gone among them; bha 霉idh mh貌r aigesan: he had great interest; a-mach 脿s a鈥� mh脿ileid aige: out of his bag, knapsack; nach robh e a鈥� tuigsinn facal de chainnt an duine ghil: that he was not understanding a word of the white man鈥檚 speech; chomharraich X casan an duine eile le chorraig: X pointed at the other man鈥檚 feet with his finger; thuig X d猫 bha a dh矛th air: X understood what was needed (by the other); cho toilichte 鈥檚 a ghabhadh a bhith: as pleased as was possible to be; a dh鈥檃indeoin na chanas na h-e貌laichean mu dheidhinn c脿nan nan Algonquianach: despite what the experts say about the Algonquian (Indian) language; is 脿irde e na taigh an R矛gh: it is higher than the king鈥檚 house (palace); is m矛ne e nan s矛oda: it is finer (smoother) than silk.

Ann an sg矛re iomallach鈥�a bh鈥檃ir a cuairteachadh le coille: in a remote area鈥�which was surrounded by forest. Can you explain why we say 鈥渁ir a cuairteachadh鈥� and not 鈥渁ir a chuairteachadh鈥�? For those of you who keep the Litrichean, you will benefit from referring to Litir 53 (26.05.00). Sg矛re is a feminine noun and what we are saying literally in Gaelic is 鈥渟he was after her surrounding鈥︹��. The 鈥渁鈥� is a possessive pronoun and, of course, the feminine possessive pronoun does not lenite the following noun. In the case of, say, a house which is masculine in Gaelic, we would say 鈥渂ha an taigh air a chuairteachadh鈥�, with the noun lenited. It is worth pointing out that the preposition 鈥渁ir鈥� here is not actually the same as the preposition 鈥渁ir鈥� which means 鈥渙n鈥� (eg air a鈥� bh貌rd). It is a derivation of a different adjective, 鈥渋ar鈥�, meaning 鈥渁fter鈥� or 鈥渂ehind鈥�, which remained in its original form until the 19th Century and which is still the Gaelic for 鈥渨est鈥�, the compass point behind an observer who orientated himself towards the east at the equinoctial sunrise. For a fuller explanation of this last point, see the text of Litir 31 (17.12.99)

cha robh m貌ran aig an 脿m a bha a鈥� toirt for air gnothaichean mar sin: there were not many at the time who paid heed to such matters. A鈥� toirt for air: paying attention, heed to. Cha tug mi for air: I didn鈥檛 think about it.