大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn an sgoileir ainmeil Albannaich, Iain Major, a bha be貌 o chionn c貌ig ceud bliadhna. Anns an leabhar mh貌r aige mu eachdraidh Bhreatainn, am measg m貌ran rudan eile, dh矛on e cli霉 nan Albannach, agus am biadh aca. Bha droch bheachd aig na Sasannaich agus na Frangaich air min-choirce, ach sgr矛obh Major gu robh a cho-chreutairean Albannach air batailean gu le貌r a bhuannachadh, as d猫idh dhaibh a h-ithe!

Thogadh Major ann an Lodainn agus 鈥檚 e a鈥� Bheurla a bh鈥� aige mar phr矛omh ch脿nan. Agus tha e inntinneach na tha e ag r脿dh mu dheidhinn suidheachadh an d脿 ch脿nain, agus an d脿 shluaigh, ann an Alba aig an 脿m. Bha G脿idhlig aig an darna cuid de mhuinntir na r矛oghachd ri linn, thuirt e, agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� aig daoine eile air an son 鈥� na h-Albannaich Fhiadhaich, the Wild Scots. B鈥� iad an fheadhainn eile, aig an robh Beurla, na h-Albannaich Thaigheil, the Householding Scots.

Ann an cuid de dh貌ighean, sgr矛obh Major, bha na h-Albannaich Thaigheil, na Goill, air thoiseach air an fheadhainn fhiadhaich, na Gaidheil. A thaobh aodach is beusachd, co-dhi霉, bha iad na b鈥� fhe脿rr. Ach bha na Gaidheil na b鈥� fh猫arr air sabaid. Agus thug Major adhbhar airson sin. Bha na h-Albannaich Fhiadhaich a鈥� fuireach nas fhaide gu tuath, agus air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu robh iad a鈥� tighinn 脿s na beanntan, agus a鈥� fuireach ann an coilltean, bha an n脿dar na bu chogaile. Ach, air an l脿imh eile, bha iad math air ce貌l. Agus 鈥檚 e an ionnstramaid a bh鈥� aca 鈥� a鈥� chl脿rsach.

Bha na h-Albannaich Thaigheil na b鈥� fhe脿rr, ge-t脿, ann a bhith a鈥� riaghladh na r矛oghachd, air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu robh iad na bu sh矛obhalta. Ach bha cuid de na Gaidheil Fhiadhaich a鈥� tuigsinn mar a dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bhith fo 霉ghdarras nan c霉irtean agus fo 霉ghdarras an R矛gh. B鈥� iad sin an fheadhainn aig an robh crodh is caoraich is eich. Ach an fheadhainn nach robh beartach, uill, thuirt Major gu robh iad coma mu ghnothaichean mar sin. Bha iad leisg, agus cha robh c脿il ann a b鈥� fhe脿rr leotha na bhith a鈥� sealg.

Agus, sgr矛obh Major, bha gr脿in aig na Gaidheil air na Goill agus air na Sasannaich agus, gu dearbh, air duine sam bith a bha s矛theil, s矛obhalta is reusanta 鈥� chan ann air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu robh iad s矛theil, s矛obhalta is reusanta, ach air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu robh c脿nan eadar-dhealaichte aca. Tha amharas agam gum biodh beachd Goill air na Gaidheil aig an 脿m, agus beachd Gaidheil air na Goill rudeigin coltach ri ch猫ile.

Sgr矛obh Major rudan inntinneach mu Eirinn cuideachd. Bha e dhen bheachd gu robh an t-eilean gu math torrach, le aibhnichean br猫agha l脿n iasg. Bha an ceann a deas fo smachd R矛gh

Shasainn, agus bha an ceann a tuath ann an l脿mhan nan ceann-cinnidh Gaidhealach. Uill, tha sin air atharrachadh.

Ach tha aon rud ann nach eil air atharrachadh. Cha robh nathraichean ann an Eirinn an uairsin, agus chan eil a-nise. Agus 鈥檚 e a bu choireach 鈥� agus cha chluinn thu b矛og air Naomh P脿draig an seo 鈥� 鈥檚 e a bu choireach gu robh an talamh, an 霉ir, a鈥� cur 脿s don a h-uile beathach puinnseanach. Ma bheir thu 霉ir Eireannach gu d霉thaich eile, thuirt e, gheibh nathair sam bith a th猫id faisg oirre, b脿s. Uill, tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil sin a鈥� sealltainn dhuinn aon rud mu dheidhinn Iain Mhajoir. A dh鈥檃indeoin cho math 鈥檚 a bha a chuid sgoilearachd anns an fharsaingeachd, cha ghabh a h-uile rud a sgr矛obh e creidsinn.

min-choirce: oatmeal; ri linn: in his day; fiadhaich: wild; taigheil:domestic, householding; beusachd: moral rectitude; ionnstramaid: musical instrument;cl脿rsach: harp; s矛obhalta: civil, peaceful,mild; beartach: wealthy; s矛theil: peaceful; reusanta:reasonable; torrach: fertile; Naomh P脿draig: Saint Patrick; 霉ir: soil; nathair,nathraichean:snake,snakes

dh矛on e cli霉 nan Albannach: he defended the reputation of theScots; gu robh a cho-chreutairean Albannach air batailean a bhuannachadh, as d猫idh dhaibha h-ithe: that his fellow Scots had won battles after eating it (fem.); bha X na b鈥� fhe脿rr airsabaid: X was better at fighting; bha an n脿dair na bu chogaile: their nature was morebellicose; bha X a鈥� tuigsinn mar a dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bhith fo 霉ghdarras nan c霉irtean agus fo霉ghdarras an R矛gh: X understood that they were required to be under the authority of thecourts and of the King; thuirt Major gu robh iad coma mu ghnothaichean mar sin: Majorsaid they were indifferent to (ie that they disregarded) things like that; cha robh c脿il ann a b鈥檉he脿rr leotha na bhith a鈥� sealg: there was nothing they would rather do than go hunting;aibhnichean br猫agha l脿n iasg: beautiful rivers full of fish; ann an l脿mhan nan ceann-cinnidhGaidhealach: in the hands of the Gaelic chieftains; a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 cho math a bha a chuidsgoilearachd: regardless of how good his scholarship was; cha ghabh a h-uile rud a sgr矛obh ecreidsinn: not everything he wrote can be believed.

Dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn an sgoileir ainmeilAlbannaich, Iain Major: I told you about the famous Scottish scholar, John Major (note thatsgoilear may also mean a pupil at school ie someone who goes to 鈥渟goil鈥� but it is usuallyobvious which meaning is intended). Are you clear as to why we say Albannaich, with theslenderised ending, and not Albannach? The reason is that the adjective Albannach(Scottish) is qualifying a noun, sgoileir, which is in the genitive case, following a compoundpreposition (mu dheidhinn). Sgoilear is slenderised in the genitive to become sgoileir, withan attendant change in pronunciation, both of the terminal vowel and of the 鈥渞鈥�. And theadjectives change with it. Ainmeil is already slender, the final vowel being an 鈥渋鈥� so itcannot be changed, but Albannach is changed to Albannaich. Note that the man鈥檚 name,however, being separated from sgoilear and its adjectives, is not in the genitive, but in thenominative case. In the second last sentence of the Litir you see it in its genitive form, IainMhajoir (Iain, already being slender and being incapable of being lenited, remainsunchanged).

bha gr脿in aig na Gaidheil air na Goill agus air na Sasannaich:the Gaels hated the Lowlanders and English. Tha gr脿in aig X air Y means that X hates Y. egtha gr脿in aige orm (he hates me), tha gr脿in agam orra (I hate them).