大象传媒

An robh samhnair aig an taigh agaibh am bliadhna? Ma tha sibh a鈥� fuireach ann an Alba, Eirinn neo Aimeireaga a Tuath (agus tha mi mothachail gu bheil feadhainn ag 猫isteachd ris a鈥� phr貌gram seo anns na d霉thchannan sin air an eadar-l矛on), tha deagh theans ann gu robh 鈥� o chionn beagan is ceala-deug. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu robh c貌mhlan de shamhnairean ann. Agus ciamar a bhiodh sibh ag aithneachadh samhnair? Uill, tha e furasta gu le貌r. Mar as trice, bidh aodann coimheach air, agus aodach ne貌nach, agus bidh e a鈥� tighinn don doras agaibh air aon oidhche sa bhliadhna 鈥� Oidhche Shamhna.

鈥橲 e Samhna am facal Samhain anns an tuiseal ghinideach, neo genitive case. Bidh sibh e貌lach air Samhain, an latha an-diugh, mar a鈥� Gh脿idhlig airson November. Ach o shean, b鈥� e an t-Samhain f猫ill mh貌r Cheilteach aig toiseach a鈥� gheamhraidh, agus b鈥� e an oidhche mu dheireadh ro thoiseach na Samhna - Oidhche Shamhna.

O shean, bha na Gaidheil a鈥� creidsinn gum biodh spioradan p脿ganach a-muigh air Oidhche Shamhna, agus bhiodh m貌ran daoine a鈥� togail teine faisg air na taighean aca airson na droch spioradan a chumail air falbh. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air teine dhen t-se貌rsa seo 鈥� samhnag.

Tha an t-samhnag an 矛re mhath air a dhol 脿 bith, ge-t脿. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil d脿 adhbhar ann airson sin. Chan eil daoine an latha an-diugh a鈥� creidsinn ann an b貌cain, is gnothaichean dhen t-se貌rsa, mar a b鈥� 脿bhaist. Agus, cuideachd, d矛reach beagan l脿ithean an d猫idh Oidhche Shamhna, bidh m貌ran a鈥� comharrachadh tachartas eile le teintean-aighir. 鈥橲 e sin Oidhche Ghuy Fawkes, an c貌igeamh latha dhen t-Samhain.

Ach, ged nach bi teintean ann, bidh samhnairean fhathast a鈥� dol bho dhoras gu doras air Oidhche Shamhna. Mar as trice, gabhaidh iad 貌ran neo canaidh iad rudeigin 猫ibhinn, agus gheibh iad rudeigin, a ghabhas ithe, bho fhear an taighe neo bho bhean an taighe 鈥� rudan mar chnothan, 鈥檚 d貌cha, ubhal, orainsear neo te貌claid. Agus bheir iad na rudan sin dhachaigh leotha.

Seo t貌imhseachan a chuala mi turas aig samhnair nuair a th脿inig e don taigh agam. 鈥淒猫 tha a鈥� f脿s nas duirche le aois?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e.

鈥淯ill, chan e mise a th鈥� ann!鈥� thuirt mi ris, agus mi a鈥� smaoineachadh air m鈥� fhiasaig a tha a鈥� s矛or fh脿s liath. 鈥淐han eil fhios a鈥檓. D猫 tha a鈥� f脿s nas duirche le aois?鈥�

鈥淭ha,鈥� ars鈥� an gille, 鈥渁m feasgar.鈥� Uill, 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a bh鈥� aige. Agus tha mi cinnteach gun d鈥� fhuair e cnothan is ubhal is te貌claid airson sin.

鈥橲 e seo an t-Samhain, ma th脿. Agus 鈥檚 e an ath mh矛os an D霉bhlachd 鈥� am m矛os a tha dubh dorch. Tha na h-ainmean G脿idhlig airson nam m矛osan gu math inntinneach, agus bheir sinn s霉il air feadhainn aca anns an ath litir. Ach bu mhath leam rann aithris

dhuibh an-dr脿sta, a tha ag ainmeachadh a h-uile m矛os anns a鈥� bhliadhna, agus an se貌rsa aimsir a bhios ann.

Leis an Fhaoilleach, thig an sneachda,

Anns a鈥� Ghearran, tuiltean m貌r鈥�.

Gheibh sinn stoirmean anns a鈥� Mh脿rt,

Ach t霉s nam bl脿th sa Ghiblean ch貌ir.

Anns a鈥� Ch猫itean, bidh uain a鈥� leumnaich,

Bheir an t-Ogmh矛os m貌ran f脿is,

Frasan-cinneachaidh san Iuchar

鈥橲 an L霉nasdal 鈥� sin m矛os a鈥� bh脿rr.

Measan agus sealg san t-Sultain,

Cnothan anns an D脿mhair dhuinn,

Gailleann 鈥檚 lomadh chraobh san t-Samhain,

鈥橲 an D霉bhlachd dhorch as annsa leinn.

Uill, chan eil fhios a鈥檓 am bi sibh ag aontachadh ris an loighne mu dheireadh! Co-dhi霉 chan fhada gus am bi an D霉bhlachd againn. Agus chan fhada gus am bi Litir eile againn 鈥� an ceann seachdain. Beannachd leibh.

samhnair: Hallowe鈥檈n guiser; c貌mhlan: group; ag aithneachadh: recognising; aodann coimheach: mask (as used on Hallowe鈥檈n); Samhain: November (and old Celtic Festival); spioradan p脿ganach: pagan spirits; samhnag: bonfire built on Hallowe鈥檈n; b貌cain: evil spirits; cnothan: nuts; t貌imhseachan: puzzle,riddle; an D霉bhlachd: December; a鈥� leumnaich: jumping;

tha deagh theans ann gu robh: there is a good chance there was; bidh m貌ran a鈥� comharrachadh tachartas eile le teintean-aighir: many commemorate another happening with bonfires; bheir iad na rudan sin dhachaigh leotha: they take those things home with them; d猫 tha a鈥� f脿s nas duirche le aois?: what gets darker with age?; leis an Fhaoilleach thig an sneachda: with January comes the snow; t霉s nam bl脿th sa Ghiblean ch貌ir: the start of blossoms in pleasant April; bheir an t-Og-mh矛os m貌ran f脿is: June brings on much growth; frasan-cinneachaidh san Iuchar: growth-inducing showers in July; m矛os a鈥� bh脿rr: the month of crops; measan agus sealg san t-Sultain: fruit and hunting in September; cnothan anns an D脿mhair dhuinn: nuts in brown October; gailleann 鈥檚 lomadh chraobh: storm and the baring of trees.

鈥橲 an D霉bhlachd dhorch as annsa leinn: and dark December which we like the best. (This is a highly questionable statement!) Annsa is an example of an irregular comparative form of an adjective, in this case ionmhainn, which means dear or beloved. This is by no means unique and you will already be familiar with other examples of adjectives whose comparatives look quite unrelated to the original. Math (good) changes to fe脿rr, so we say: tha X nas fhe脿rr na Y (X is better than Y). Note that the English language boasts similar examples, such as better, which is the comparative form of good. Another English example is bad and worse, which correspond to dona and miosa in Gaelic. We say: tha X nas miosa na Y. Here is an exercise for you: look up and write down the comparative forms of the following Gaelic adjectives: beag, teth, goirid, furasta, duilich. Incidentally, the word ionmhainn is a rather nice one. If you want to write a letter to somebody for whom you feel extreme respect and affection, you might start it 鈥淎 charaid ionmhainn鈥︹��

Chan fhada gus am bi an D霉bhlachd againn: it is not long until December. Chan fhada is a useful phrase, but can only be used for looking forward. If you are looking back to a past event, you must say cha b鈥� fhada eg cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh an Titanic air a dhol fodha (it was not long until the Titanic had sunk)