大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, rinn mi iomradh air seanfhacal 鈥� 鈥檚 iomadh n矛 a chailleas fear na h-imrich. Leugh mi o chionn ghoirid mar a chaidh an seanfhacal sin a chruthachadh. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 co-dhi霉 tha e f矛or gus nach eil, ach seo mar a nochd e ann an leabhar a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh anns an naoidheamh linn deug.

Bha tuathanach ann an Ile a bh鈥� air a chur roimhe gluasad gu taigh eile. Latha ro latha na h-imrich, thug e cuireadh do n脿baidhean tighinn a ch猫ilidh air airson soraidh sl脿n a leigeil leis. Bha an taigh aige beag (鈥檚 d貌cha gur e sin a bu choireach gu robh e a鈥� deanamh imrich), agus bha e loma-l脿n daoine. Mar sin, dh鈥檌arr an tuathanach air a鈥� ghille aige, a bha mu dheich bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, a chuid fhe貌la a thoirt leis gu oisean gus am biodh r霉m a bharrachd ann do ch脿ch.

Cha robh an gille ro thoilichte agus, nuair a bha e a鈥� d猫anamh a shlighe don oisean, leig e cuid de na bh鈥� air a thruinnsear air an l脿r. Thug athair trod dha, agus fhreagair am balach, "鈥檚 iomadh ni a chailleas fear na h-imrich.鈥� Nuair a chuala e na faclan sin, smaoinich athair mun t-suidheachadh aige fh猫in, agus chuir e roimhe gun imrich a dh猫anamh gu taigh 霉r idir.

Uill, chan eil fhios a鈥檓 mu dheidhinn na sge貌il, ach tha f矛rinn anns an t-seanfhacal gun teagamh. Agus chan e d矛reach rudan a bhuineas dhut a chailleas tu nuair a ghluaiseas tu gu 脿ite 霉r, ach na daoine a bha timcheall ort anns an t-seann dachaigh cuideachd 鈥� n脿baidhean, caraidean is mar sin air adhart. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun caill thu do ch脿nan, mar a thachair do dh鈥檌omadh duine a dh鈥檉h脿g a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd.

Ach air an l脿imh eile, 鈥檚 iomadh buannachd a thig an l霉ib na h-imrich cuideachd. N矛 thu caraidean 霉ra, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi obair nas fhe脿rr agad, agus taigh nas motha. Nuair a ghluais mise don Ghaidhealtachd bho 脿ite eile, fhuair mi greim air a鈥� ch脿nan nach robh agam anns an t-seann dachaigh. Agus an-diugh cha bhithinn as a h-aonais.

鈥橲 e 鈥渋mrich鈥� am facal a chleachdadh na seann daoine nuair a dh鈥檉h脿gadh iad am bailtean airson a dhol don 脿irigh gach samhradh. Nuair a thilleadh luchd na h-imrich, aig deireadh an Iuchair, bho na h-脿irighean, bhiodh oidhche mh貌r aca, a鈥� c猫ilidh air muinntir a鈥� bhaile is a鈥� gabhail seanachas leotha. 鈥橲 e 鈥淥idhche na h-Imrich鈥� a chanadh iad ris an oidhche sin.

Ach ann an 脿ite mar Gh脿idhealtachd na h-Alba, aig a bheil droch eachdraidh de dh鈥檉huadaichean is de dhaoine a鈥� falbh a-null thairis, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil e n脿darrach gur ann air droch bhuaidh na h-imrich a tha na seanfhaclan. Is tha mi air lorg聽fhaighinn air dh脿 eile. 鈥橲 e a鈥� chiad fhear 鈥� is buidhe le amadain imrich 鈥� fools are fond of flitting. Is buidhe le amadain imrich.

Agus tha am fear eile rudeigin coltach ris a鈥� chiad fhear a thug mi dhuibh. N矛 am imrich thric an 脿irneis lom. Frequent flitting bares the furnishing. N矛 an imrich thric an 脿irneis lom. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e teachdaireachd a tha sin a chluinneas sinn aig Tonaidh Blair is Gordan Brown aig an ath thaghadh, agus iad ag iarraidh oirnn fuireach far a bheil sinn gu poilitigeach. Tha fhios, ge-t脿, gun cleachdadh Uilleam Hague seanfhacal eile - 鈥渋s 霉rachadh atharrachadh鈥�. C貌 aige tha fios d猫 an seanfhacal a bhios nas cumhachdaiche ann an inntinn an t-sluaigh nuair a thig e gu latha a鈥� bh貌taidh鈥�

loma-l脿n: completely full; truinnsear: plate; 脿irigh: shieling; anIuchar: July; fuadaichean: clearances; teachdaireachd: message; taghadh: election; bh貌tadh:voting; cumhachdach: powerful.

rinn mi iomradh air: I mentioned; chan eil fhios a鈥檓 co-dhi霉 tha ef矛or gus nach eil: I don鈥檛 know whether it鈥檚 true or not; thug e cuireadh do n脿baidhean tighinna ch猫ilidh air airson soraidh sl脿n a leigeil leis: he invited his neighbours to visit him tofarewell him; a鈥� chuid fhe貌la a thoirt leis gu oisean: to take his portion of meat to a corner;gus am biodh r霉m a bharrachd ann do ch脿ch: so that there would be more room for theothers; nuair a bha e a鈥� d猫anamh a shlighe: when he was making his way; leig e cuid de nabh鈥� air a thruinnsear: he let fall some of what was on his plate (note the two different uses ofcuid in relation to what was on the boy鈥檚 plate); thug athair trod dha: his father scolded him;chuir e roimhe gun imrich a dh猫anamh: he made up his mind not to move house; a鈥� gabhailseanachas leotha: engaging in conversation; 鈥檚 iomadh buannachd a thig an l霉ib na h-imrich:many good things come with a flitting; cha bhithinn as a h-aonais: I wouldn鈥檛 be without it(fem).

Dh鈥檌arr an tuathanach air a鈥� ghille aige鈥�: the farmer askedhis son to鈥� Using iarraidh followed by air is the commonest way of saying that somebody isrequesting somebody else to do something. It also appears in the final paragraph of the Litir:ag iarraidh oirnn fuireach far a bheil sinn gu poilitigeach (asking us to remain where we are,politically). Here are some other examples: Dh鈥檌arr mi air Seumas f貌n a chur thugam (I askedJames to phone me); an do dh鈥檌arr thu orra sgr矛obhadh thugainn? (did you ask them to writeto us?); tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh uile fuireach far a bheil sibh (I want you all to remain whereyou are).

Here are the four proverbs in this week鈥檚 letter: 鈥檚 iomadh n矛 achailleas fear na h-imrich: the man that flits loses much; Is buidhe le amadain imrich: foolsare fond of flitting (this use of buidhe is a particular Gaelic idiom and it crops up elsewherein the language); N矛 an imrich thric an 脿irneis lom: frequent flitting bares the furnishing; is霉rachadh atharrachadh: change is refreshing (this might suffice as a Gaelic equivalent for theEnglish 鈥渁 change is as good as a holiday鈥�).