大象传媒

Air a鈥� mh矛os 鈥檚 a chaidh, bha mi ann an Ile. Suarach cho math 鈥檚 a bha an t-s矛de ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin sin, ch貌rd an t-eilean rium gl猫 mhath. Bha na daoine uabhasach fh猫in laghach, agus choinnich mi ri buidheann de luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig a bhios ag 猫isteachd ris a鈥� phr貌gram seo. Mo dh霉rachd dhaibh, ma tha iad ag 猫isteachd an-dr脿sta.

Cluinnear tric mu 鈥淚le ghorm an fhe貌ir鈥�. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi sibh e貌lach air an 貌ran 鈥� 鈥溾�橲 ann an Ile Bh貌idhich鈥�. Tha e a鈥� t貌iseachadh mar seo leis an t-seist:

鈥橲 ann an Ile, 鈥檔 Ile, 鈥檔 Ile

鈥橲 ann an Ile rugadh mi,

鈥橲 ann an Ile, 鈥檔 Ile, 鈥檔 Ile

鈥橲 ann an Ile bh貌idhich

鈥橲 e gu le貌r a tha sin bhuamsa, ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gun gabh sibh fh猫in an c貌rr nuair a tha an Litir seachad! Co-dhi霉, tha a鈥� chiad rann a鈥� t貌iseachadh mar seo:

鈥橲 ann an Ile ghuirm an fhe貌ir, a rugadh mi 鈥檚 a thogadh mi鈥� An Ile ghuirm an fhe貌ir. Carson a tha am facal ag atharrachadh bho ghorm gu ghuirm? Uill, air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu bheil Ile boireann agus gu bheil am facal anns an tuiseal tabhartach neo dative case. Agus bidh faclan boireann singilte anns an tuiseal sin air an caolachadh.

Chan urrainn dhuinn Ile a chaolachadh ach 鈥檚 urrainn dhuinn am buadhair a chaolachadh, agus 鈥檚 e sin a tha a鈥� tachairt. Tha 鈥淚le ghorm鈥� ag atharrachadh gu 鈥渁n Ile ghuirm鈥�. Agus tha am facal 鈥渇eur鈥�, neo 鈥渇eur鈥� mar a chanas na h-Ilich, anns an tuiseal ghineadach 鈥� an fhe貌ir.

Co-dhi霉, gu le貌r de ghr脿mair. D猫 mu dheidhinn an fhacail 鈥� gorm? Tha luchd-ionnsachaidh tric ag ionnsachadh gu bheil e co-ionann ri blue ann am Beurla. Agus an uairsin cluinnidh iad rudan mar Ile ghorm an fhe貌ir, agus bidh f矛or dhroch bheachd aca air coltas Ile! Uill, chan eil am feur ann an Ile blue, ach tha e gorm. 鈥橲 e is coireach airson sin gu bheil gorm cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh dath an fhe貌ir. Chan e dath an fhe貌ir ann an leithid Astr脿ilia as t-samhradh, far a bheil e a鈥� f脿s donn le tart is teas, ach dath an fhe貌ir ann an d霉thchannan mar Alba is Eirinn.

Tha na dathan G脿idhlig uaireannan a鈥� cur dragh air luchd-ionnsachaidh, ach tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil e cudthromach a bhith a鈥� cuimhneachadh, ged a ch矛 a h-uile sluagh an aon speictream, gu bheil iad a鈥� briseadh a鈥� speictream an 脿irde ann an diofar dh貌ighean. Agus tha gorm nas fharsainge na blue. Tha e a鈥� gabhail a-steach uaine dhorch. Agus barrachd na sin.

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh b脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig an oidhche roimhe agus th脿inig mi tarsainn air d脿n a sgr矛obh a bhana-bh脿rd ainmeil, S矛leas Nighean Mhic Raghnaill, neo S矛leas na Ceapaich, a bha be貌 anns an t-seachdamh agus an ochdamh linn deug. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an d脿n C貌mhradh ris a鈥� Bh脿s. Agus seo na chanas am boireannach 貌g ris a鈥� Bh脿s:

鈥淕u d猫 ghruaim a chuir mi ort,

Nuair a th脿inig thu cho coimheach garg

鈥橲 nach do ghormaich sn脿ithn鈥� dhe m鈥檉halt?鈥�

Chleachd S矛leas an gniomhair 鈥済ormachadh鈥� airson 鈥済oing grey鈥�. Mar sin, tha gorm cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh grey agus canaidh daoine each gorm airson each a tha dubh-ghlas. Ach, anns an fhreagairt aige, tha am B脿s a鈥� cleachdadh facal eile airson grey mar a tha e ann am falt. Ma tha sibh 貌g 鈥檚 d貌cha nach bi fios agaibh d猫 th鈥� ann fhathast 鈥� ach tha l脿n fhios agam fh猫in bho bhith a鈥� coimhead anns an sg脿than gach latha! Innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 th鈥� ann an ath sheachdain.

choinnich mi ri: I met; b貌idheach: beautiful; tuiseal tabhartach:dative case; gineadach: genitive; feur,fe貌ir: grass,of grass; dath: colour; uaine dhorch: darkgreen; dubh-ghlas: dark grey; sg脿than: mirror.

a dh鈥檃indeoin sin, ch貌rd an t-eilean rium gl猫 mhath: despite thatI greatly enjoyed (being on) the island; uabhasach fh猫in laghach: extremely nice; modh霉rachd dhaibh: my best wishes to them; bidh X air an caolachadh: X will be slenderised(see below); bidh f矛or dhroch bheachd aca: they will have a really bad opinion; far a bheil ea鈥� f脿s donn le tart is teas: where it becomes brown with drought and heat; ged a ch矛 a h-uilesluagh an aon speictream: although every people (ie linguistic group) sees the samespectrum; gu bheil iad a鈥� briseadh a鈥� speictream an 脿irde ann an diofar dh貌ighean: that theybreak the spectrum up in different ways (a鈥� briseadh an 脿irde is an English idiom but is nowso common that it has become part of the modern language); gu d猫 ghruaim a chuir mi ort?:what sorrow have I caused you?; nuair th脿inig thu cho coimheach garg, 鈥檚 nach doghormaich sn脿ithn鈥� dhe m鈥檉halt: that you came so fierce and cruel, though not a hair of myhead has turned grey.

鈥橲 ann an Ile ghuirm an fhe貌ir a rugadh mi 鈥檚 a thogadhmi: it was in green Islay of the grass that I was born and raised. Gorm becomes ghuirmbecause of two changes 鈥� s猫imheachadh or lenition of the adjective following a femininenoun (Ile) and caolachadh or slenderisation of the final vowel (in this case the only one) inthe adjective following a feminine noun in the dative singular. The noun would also beslenderised if it were not already slender. Another example would be anns an eaglais ghil,not anns an eaglais gheal but note that these 鈥渞ules鈥� are not universally adhered to inmodern Gaelic. You will be familiar with rugadh and thogadh, but it is worth noting that thisformation, known as the past tense of the indicative mood of the passive voice, can beapplied to many other verbs (although it was once more common than it is today). Forexample, instead of chaidh sin a dh猫anamh (that was made), you can say rinneadh sin. It isneater and will earn you good marks from your Gaelic teacher! If you are interested indelving more deeply into such grammatical matters, Colin Mark鈥檚 鈥淕aelic Verbs鈥� (Roinnnan C脿nanan Ceilteach, Oilthigh Ghlaschu 1986) takes a systematic approach and is auseful addition to the learner鈥檚 library.

Suarach cho math 鈥檚 a bha an t-s矛de: the weather was prettypoor. Suarach means 鈥渢rifling鈥� or 鈥渃ontemptible鈥�. 鈥橲 e gnothach suarach a bh鈥� ann (it wasa shabby affair). Suarach cho math 鈥� means that something was poor. Suarach cho math 鈥檚a bha mi air ball-coise nam 貌ige (I was a pretty useless footballer in my youth).