大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu fhacal G脿idhlig a tha ag atharrachadh a ghn猫 bho thuiseal gu tuiseal 鈥� talamh. Bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh gu bheil e fireann anns a鈥� chuid as motha de shuidheachaidhean, ach boireann anns an tuiseal ghinideach. Agus ma leugh sibh a鈥� phuing-ghr脿mair anns a鈥� Ph脿ipear Bheag neo air an eadar-l矛on, bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh gu bheil sin f矛or mun fhacal cruinne cuideachd.

Tha e inntinneach gu bheil an d脿 fhacal sin co-cheangailte ri t矛r. Agus seallaibh air an fhacal t矛r fh猫in. Tha a鈥� chuid as motha de sheann fhaclairean ag innse dhuinn gu bheil e fireann. Agus, gu dearbh, canaidh sinn t矛r-m貌r airson mainland is chan e t矛r-mh貌r 鈥� anns a鈥� chuid as motha de dh鈥櫭爄teachan co-dhi霉. Ach ciamar a chanas sinn of the land? D猫 an coltas a th鈥� air an fhacal anns an tuiseal ghinideach?

A r猫ir cuid mh貌r de dh鈥檉haclairean an latha an-diugh, 鈥檚 e na t矛re. Canaidh sinn coltas na t矛re, mar eisimpleir. Anns an t-suidheachadh sin, tha t矛r ag obair mar fhacal boireann. Agus chan e d矛reach faclan co-cheangailte ris an talamh a tha ag atharrachadh an gn猫 mar sin. Air falbh on t矛r, tha am facal muir ag atharrachadh a ghn猫 cuideachd.

Dhomhsa, agus do mh貌ran eile, tha muir boireann. Airson the sea, canaidh sinn a鈥� mhuir. Tha a鈥� mhuir ci霉in an-diugh. Anns an tuiseal ghinideach, tha e ag obair ann an d貌igh an 矛re mhath 脿bhaisteach; canaidh sinn na mara. 鈥淭aigh na mara鈥� 鈥� sin soighne a ch矛 sibh air m貌ran thaighean air taobh siar na Gaidhealtachd. Agus 鈥檚 d貌cha gun cuala sibh an seanfhacal 鈥淎鈥� taomadh na mara le cliabh鈥� 鈥� bailing the sea with a creel. Bha e a鈥� taomadh na mara le cliabh. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh gu robh e a鈥� d猫anamh obair mh貌r, 鈥檚 d貌cha, ach obair gun fheum. Obair nach tigeadh gu cr矛ch a-chaoidh.

Ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan, leithid ann am p脿irtean de Le貌dhas, ge-t脿, tha muir fireann. Airson the sea, canaidh daoine am muir. Agus airson of the sea, canaidh iad a鈥� mhara. Agus tha 脿iteachan ann far a bheil muir ag obair mar a tha talamh. Canaidh daoine am muir mar gu bheil e fireann, ach canaidh iad cuideachd na mara mar gu bheil e boireann anns an tuiseal ghinideach.

Mus fh脿g sinn gn猫 fhaclan, bu mhath leam ur n-aire a thoirt do riaghailt eile a th鈥� air a briseadh an siud 鈥檚 an seo. Mar is trice, ma tha ainmhidh neo duine fireann, bidh am facal air a shon fireann cuideachd, mar eisimpleir, tarbh neo damh neo fear. Agus ma tha e boireann, bidh am facal boireann, leithid b貌 neo eilid neo bean.

Ach tha cuid de dh鈥檉haclan ann a bhriseas an riaghailt sin. Bidh sibh e貌lach air boireannach mar th脿. Tha am facal sin fireann. Agus ged a bhios capall uaireannan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆ach boireann鈥� agus ged a bhios mart uaireannan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂貌鈥�, tha na faclan sin an-c貌mhnaidh fireann.

Agus tha am facal sgalag an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇ear a bhios ag obair air tuathanas鈥�. Feumaidh an neach fh猫in a bhith fireann. Ach tha am facal boireann. Canaidh sinn 鈥渁n sgalag bheag鈥� is 鈥渓脿mh na sgalaige bige鈥�. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi cuid agaibh airson faighneachd 鈥渃arson?鈥�. Carson a tha an c脿nan mar sin? Uill, leis an fh矛rinn innse, chan eil fhios a鈥檓. Agus nan toisichinn air rannsachadh air a sin, tha amharas agam gum biodh e car coltach ri bhith a鈥� taomadh na mara le cliabh!

soighne: sign; fireann: masculine; boireann: feminine; tarbh: bull;聽damh: stag; eilid: hind.

mu fhacal G脿idhlig a tha ag atharrachadh a ghn猫 bho thuiseal gutuiseal: about a Gaelic word which changes its gender from case to case; boireann anns antuiseal ghineadach: feminine in the genitive case; a鈥� chuid as motha de sheann fhaclairean;most old dictionaries; anns an t-suidheachadh sin, tha t矛r ag obair mar fhacal boireann: inthat situation, t矛r works like a feminine word; obair nach tigeadh gu cr矛ch a-chaoidh: workwhich would never be completed (come to an end); bu mhath leam ur n-aire a thoirt doriaghailt eile: I would like to draw your attention to another rule; an siud 鈥檚 an seo: here andthere (lit. there and here); l脿mh na sgalaige bige: the hand of the small servant; nantoisichinn air rannsachadh air a鈥� chuspair sin: If I were to (would) start on researching thattopic; tha amharas agam gum biodh e car coltach ri X: I suspect it would be rather like X.

Following on from last week鈥檚 grammatical point, muirand tir (like talamh and cruinne) also show gender flexibility. Muir is most commonlyfeminine (a鈥� mhuir in the nominative and na mara in the genitive) but it can be masculine inwhich case it is am muir in the nominative, and a鈥� mhara in the genitive. But, like talamh, itcan also have a masculine form (am muir) in the nominative and still be feminine in thegenitive (na mara). T矛r also behaves as a masculine word in some situations (eg t矛r-m貌r formainland) but is commonly perceived as feminine (na t矛re) in the genitive. And whileanimals and persons which are male are generally given words which are of masculinegender, and vice-versa for females, this rule is not without its exceptions. Boireannach (awoman) is a masculine word in all situations. For big woman, we say boireannach m貌r, notboireannach mh貌r. The same applies to capall and mart which may refer to female horses orcattle. The converse is true of sgalag which means a male agricultural worker or servant.The word is feminine in all situations. [NB In the text I have used 鈥渇ireann鈥� for masculineand 鈥渂oireann鈥� for feminine. Some grammarians prefer 鈥渇ireanta鈥� and 鈥渂oireanta鈥�,retaining 鈥渇ireann鈥� for 鈥渕ale鈥� and 鈥渂oireann鈥� for female, as in people and animals. Bothterms are acceptable, although it would be good if Gaelic grammarians would agree on astandard terminology!]

A鈥� taomadh na mara le cliabh: bailing the sea with a creel. Notethat the genitive case of muir is used here because it follows a verbal noun and carries the(definite) article.