大象传媒

Tha dealbh agam, aig an taigh, dhen ghille agam air beulaibh taigh-貌sda ann am baile beag anns an Fhraing. 鈥橲 e an rud a thog m鈥� aire mun taigh-貌sda seo an t-ainm a bh鈥� air 鈥� Hotel Amadan.

鈥橲 d貌cha gur e 鈥渁madan鈥� a chanadh na Frangaich; chan eil fhios a鈥檓. Ach dhomhsa mar Ghaidheal, 鈥檚 e 鈥渁madan鈥� a bh鈥� ann agus, mar a thuigeas tu, bha an gille agam a鈥� d猫anamh g脿ire nuair a thog mi dealbh dheth leis a鈥� chamara. Bha mi ag r脿dh ris gum b鈥� esan an duine a b鈥� fhe脿rr anns an teaghlach a rachadh anns an dealbh, leis na bha sgr矛obhte air an t-sanas, ach chan eil mi cinnteach an robh e fh猫in ag aontachadh!

Nochdaidh am facal amadan tric is minig ann an sean-fhaclan. Mar eisimpleir, canaidh daoine mu amadan 鈥� 鈥渂hiodh meas duine ghlic air nam biodh e na thosd.鈥� Tha fhios gu bheil m貌ran f矛rinne ann a sin. Ach, air an l脿imh eile, tha sean-fhacal eile ann a tha a鈥� toirt sealladh eadar-dhealaichte air a鈥� ch霉is 鈥� 鈥渋s minig a th脿inig comhairle ghlic 脿 ceann amadain.鈥�

Bha mi shuas air na beanntan o chionn ghoirid, agus chunnaic mi grunn amadan. Nise, mura h-eil sibh measail air coiseachd nam beann, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh gum faca mi luchd-coiseachd eile! Uill, feumaidh mi r脿dh nach fhaca! Leis an fh矛rinn innse, far an robh mi, chan fhaca mi duine eile, ach a-mh脿in mo chompanach, airson d脿 latha.

Ach bha na h-amadain ann! Bidh sibh a鈥� tuigsinn nach e daoine a bha anns na h-amadain sin, ach beathaichean 鈥� e貌in. Tha mi a鈥� bruidhinn air an amadan-m貌intich 鈥� eun beag br猫agha a tha ri fhaicinn air mullaichean 脿rda beanntan na h-Alba as t-samhradh agus as t-fhoghar gach bliadhna. Ann am Beurla, 鈥檚 e dotterel a chanas daoine ris.

Cha chreid mi gu bheil fios le cinnt aig duine an-diugh carson is e amadan-m貌intich a chur ar sinnsearan air an eun seo mar ainm. Chuala mi diofar bheachdan, ge-t脿. Thuirt aon duine rium gur e an d貌igh sa bheil an t-eun seo a鈥� gluasad is coireach, agus e a鈥� coimhead rudeigin ne貌nach. Agus leugh mi ann an leabhar gur e is coireach gu bheil an t-eun s矛mplidh is neo-amharasach, is gu bheil e furasta ghlacadh.

Tha sin f矛or gu 矛re, agus chaidh cron m貌r a dh猫anamh air an amadan-m貌intich anns an 霉ine a dh鈥檉halbh le daoine a bha ag iarraidh an itean airson cuileagan-iasgaich a dh猫anamh. Chan eil iad idir cho pailt 鈥檚 a b鈥� 脿bhaist ach, gu fortanach, tha gu le貌r fhathast a鈥� neadachadh air beanntan na Gaidhealtachd, co-dhi霉 air t矛r-m貌r na Gaidhealtachd.

Bidh iad a鈥� cladhach lag beag far am f脿g a鈥� chearc a cuid uighean. Agus tha i an uairsin gan tr猫igsinn. 鈥橲 e sin an obair aice d猫ante agus cha ghabh i tuilleadh ghnothaich ris na h-uighean. 鈥橲 e an coileach a tha a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ch貌rr, le bhith na shuidhe air na h-uighean gus an tig iad gu 矛re. 鈥橲 e e fh猫in a tha gan 鈥済ur鈥�, mar a chanas sin. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e an coileach an t-amadan, co aige tha fios!

A bheil cuimhn鈥� agaibh air Litir seachd ar fhichead (27) air an naoidheamh latha deug dhen t-Samhain an-uiridh? Dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh an uairsin mun ainm Beurla air eun a th脿inig bhon Chuimris 鈥� am penguin. Uill, tha d脿 eun ann le ainmean ann am Beurla a th脿inig bhon Gh脿idhlig, agus tha iad le ch猫ile a鈥� fuireach faisg air 脿iteachan far a bheil amadain-mh貌intich a鈥� neadachadh. A bheil fios agaibh d猫 th鈥� annta? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

taigh-貌sda: hotel; amadan: a fool; g脿ire: smile; ag aontachadh: agreeing;amadan-m貌intich: dotterel; itean: feathers; cuileagan-iasgaich: fishing flies; a neadachadh:nesting; a tr猫igsinn: forsaking.

tha dealbh agam dhen ghille agam: I have a picture of my son; s ean rud a thog m aire: the thing that captured my attention was; gum b esan an duine a bfhe脿rr a rachadh anns an dealbh: that he was the best person to (who would) go in the photograph;聽tric is minig: very frequently; bhiodh meas duine ghlic air nam biodh e na thosd: he聽would be considered a wise man if he kept quiet; air an l脿imh eile: on the other hand; ach amh聽脿in mo chompanach: except for my companion; gur e is coireach gu bheil an t-eun s矛mplidh聽is neo-amharasach: that the bird is simple and unsuspicious; chaidh cron m貌r a dheanamh air聽X: X was badly damaged (ie the population fell dramatically); chan eil iad idir cho pailt s a b聽脿bhaist: they are not nearly as numerous as they used to be; bidh iad a cladhach lag beag: they聽dig a small depression; far am f脿g a chearc a cuid uighean: where the hen (female bird) leaves聽her eggs; cha ghabh i tuilleadh ghnothaich ri X: she will have nothing more to do with X; s e聽e fh猫in a tha gan gur: it is he who incubates them; air an naoidheamh latha deug dhen t-Samhain; on the 19th of November.

tha fhios gu bheil m貌ran f矛rinne ann a sin: it is certain thatthere is much truth in that. If you use m貌ran to qualify a following noun, that noun is in thegenitive case. This is because we are saying much of the truth, even though the of is notexplicit in English. The same applies to beagan (little). Note also that in the case of the genitiveplural, the noun is lenited. Here are some examples: tha m貌ran obrach aige ri dh猫anamh(he has much work to do); tha m貌ran fe貌la aice (she has much meat); tha m貌ran thogalaicheanaca (they have many buildings); tha beagan ci霉il annta fhathast (they have a little music inthem still); tha beagan gliocais aige (he has a little wisdom); tha beagan Ghaidheal air fh脿gailan seo (there are a few Gaels left here). Do you have a copy of the small white dictionarycalled Abair by R W Renton and J A MacDonald (Mingulay Publications)? It is very handyfor learners as it tells you whether a word like m貌ran is followed by a special grammaticalcase, such as the genitive. It is a very useful addition to any Gaelic library.

is minig a th脿inig comhairle ghlic 脿 ceann amadain: it is often thatwise counsel came from a fools head. A useful riposte if anybody ever calls you an amadan!