大象传媒

Ho ro, mo nighean donn bh貌idheach. Hi ri, mo nighean donn bh貌idheach鈥� Bidh sibh e貌lach air an 貌ran, tha mi cinnteach. Ach an do bhuail e oirbh a-riamh mar a tha an d脿 bhuadhair, an d脿 adjective, ag obair ann an d貌igh eadar-dhealaichte. Chan e mo nighean dhonn bh貌idheach a chanas sinn, ach mo nighean donn bh貌idheach.

Aig a鈥� chiad shealladh tha sin rudeigin annasach, leis gu bheil am facal nighean boireann, mar a shaoileadh tu, agus tha e a鈥� s猫imheachadh an fhacail b貌idheach, ach chan eil e a鈥� s猫imheachadh donn. 鈥橲 e is coireach airson sin am fuaim, agus an d貌igh sa bheil an teanga is am beul a鈥� gluasad. An d猫idh 鈥渘鈥� aig deireadh facail boirinn, mar is trice, cha bhithear a鈥� s猫imheachadh 鈥渄鈥� neo 鈥渢鈥� neo 鈥渟鈥� aig toiseach a鈥� bhuadhair.

Seo eisimpleirean far nach eil an 鈥渄鈥� air a sh猫imheachadh: canaidh sinn beinn mh貌r ach beinn dearg, sgian bheag ach sgian dubh, Clann Ghriogair ach Clann D貌mhnaill. Tha an aon se貌rsa rud a鈥� tachairt le 鈥渢鈥�, mar eisimpleir canaidh sinn nighean tana, is chan e nighean thana mar a bhiodh d霉il 鈥檚 d貌cha. Canaidh sinn bean tuigseach, seach bean thuigseach, agus gl霉n tachaiseach, seach gl霉n thachaiseach. Agus seo eisimpleirean le faclan a鈥� t貌iseachadh le 鈥渟鈥�: ealtainn gheur ach ealtainn salach; madainn mhath ach madainn s脿mhach, clann mh貌r ach clann seang.

Agus tha an dearbh rud a鈥� tachairt leis a鈥� bhuadhair 鈥渟eann鈥�. Bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh gu bheil grunn bhuadhairean ann a tha a鈥� dol air thoiseach air an ainmear, air thoiseach air a noun, seach as a dh猫idh. 鈥橲 iad 鈥渄eagh鈥�, 鈥渄roch鈥� agus 鈥減r矛omh鈥� eisimpleirean dhiubh. Agus bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh gu bheil na buadhairean sin a鈥� s猫imheachadh an ainmeir as an d猫idh.

Mar eisimpleir, canaidh sinn droch dhuine, is chan e droch duine; Pr矛omh Mhinistear, seach Pr矛omh Ministear; agus deagh sheachdain an 脿ite deagh seachdain. Uill, tha an aon rud a鈥� tachairt le 鈥渟eann鈥�, a tha cuideachd a鈥� dol ron ainmear. Ach tha seann a鈥� cr矛ochnachadh le 鈥渘鈥�. Agus, mar is trice, cha bhi e a鈥� s猫imheachadh fhaclan as a dh猫idh, a tha a鈥� t貌iseachadh le 鈥渄鈥�, 鈥渢鈥� neo 鈥渟鈥�.

D猫 chanas sinn airson old house, ma-th脿? Seann thaigh? Chan e, ach seann taigh. D猫 mu dheidhinn old people? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi fios agaibh mar-th脿 gur e seann daoine, seach seann dhaoine a th鈥� ann. Agus airson old saucer, canaidh sinn seann s脿sar, seach seann sh脿sar.

Tha a leithid ri fhaicinn ann an ainmean-脿ite cuideachd, gu h-脿raidh leis na dathan cumanta, dubh is dearg, an d猫idh n. Dh鈥檃inmich mi Beinn Dearg mar-th脿, is tha m貌ran dhiubh sin air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, ach seo d脿 eisimpleir eile 鈥� Bidean an E貌in Deirg, faisg air Ach nan Seileach ann an Siorrachd Rois, agus Cruach an Fhearainn Duibh ri taobh Loch nan Uamh ann an Lochabair.

Agus seo eisimpleir eile. D猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air big dogs? A bheil e agaibh? Coin mh貌ra. Bidh sibh a鈥� cuimhneachadh gu bheil ainmearan, a bhios air a chaolachadh nuair a tha iad iolra neo plural, a鈥� s猫imheachadh a鈥� bhuadhair a tha a鈥� dol c貌mhla riutha. Coin mh貌ra, ma-th脿. Ach d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air black dogs? A bheil sin agaibh? Coin dubha. Chan eil an s猫imheachadh ann as d猫idh an 鈥渘鈥�.

O shean, bha se貌rsa de choin ann air an robh 鈥渃oin dubha Ghriogarach鈥�. Chaidh an ainmeachadh mar sin air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu robh iad air an cleachdadh airson muinntir Clann Ghriogair a lorg nuair bha iad air an comharrachadh leis an riaghaltas mar eucoirich. Coin dubha, gu dearbh.

buadhair: adjective; s猫imheachadh: lenition; Clann Ghriogair: theMacGregors; Clann D貌mhnaill: the MacDonalds (Clan Donald); tuigseach: understanding;gl霉n: knee; tachaiseach: itchy; ealtainn: razor; seang: slender, lean;

tha an dearbh rud a鈥� tachairt le X: the same thing happens withX; tha a leithid ri fhaicinn ann an ainmean-脿ite cuideachd: the same type of thing is to beseen in place names as well; Bidean an E貌in Deirg: pinnacle of the red bird; Cruach anFhearainn Duibh: rounded hill of the black land; bidh sibh a鈥� cuimhneachadh gu bheilainmearan, a bhios air a chaolachadh nuair a tha iad iolra, a鈥� s猫imheachadh a鈥� bhuadhair atha a鈥� dol c貌mhla riutha: you will remember that nouns, which are slenderised when they areplural, lenite the adjective which goes with them; bha se貌rsa de choin ann air an robh 鈥渃oindubha Ghriogarach鈥�: there was a type of dog(s) known as the 鈥渂lack dogs of MacGregors鈥�;nuair a bha iad air an comharrachadh leis an riaghaltas mar eucoirich: when they wereclassified by the government as criminals; coin dubha, gu dearbh: evil dogs, indeed (dubhmay also mean 鈥渆vil鈥�).

The substance of this week鈥檚 Litir is the general tendencyfor words starting with 鈥渄鈥�, 鈥渢鈥� or 鈥渟鈥� (sometimes called the 鈥渄ental consonants鈥�) not tobe lenited after a terminal 鈥渘鈥� on the previous word, even where the 鈥渘ormal鈥漡rammatical rules would demand a lenition. This is the reason that the famous 鈥渂lackknife鈥� of the Gaidhealtachd is a sgian dubh (often horribly anglified to 鈥渟kean dhu鈥�, withthe 鈥渄h鈥� pronounced as a 鈥渄鈥�), and not a sgian dhubh as might be expected, given thatsgian is a feminine noun. The same occurrence explains why we have mountains calledBeinn Bh脿n, with the adjective lenited following the feminine noun, but several others calledBeinn Dearg, without the lenition. Similarly, while 鈥渢he head of the white dog鈥� would beceann a鈥� choin ghil, 鈥渢he head of the black dog鈥� would be ceann a鈥� choin duibh, with anunlenited 鈥渄鈥� following the 鈥渘鈥�. This also explains why we say seann dotair, seann tarbhand seann s脿bh, when the adjective seann would normally lenite the following consonant (egseann charbad, seann mhansa). How would you say in Gaelic 鈥渢he red pens鈥�?

An do bhuail e oirbh a-riamh?: did it ever occur to you?