大象传媒

O chionn tr矛 bliadhna neo mar sin, th脿inig duine a-steach gu clas G脿idhlig a bha mi a鈥� cumail ann an Inbhir Nis agus th貌isich sinn air bruidhinn ri ch猫ile. Bha e ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig ach cha robh e fileanta is, mar sin, chuir mi ceistean s矛mplidh air. 鈥淐貌 脿s a tha sibh?鈥� is 鈥渄猫 cho fada 鈥檚 a tha sibh air a bhith a鈥� fuireach ann an Inbhir Nis?鈥�. Ceistean mar sin.

An uairsin, dh鈥檉haighnich mi dheth 鈥渄猫 an obair a th鈥� agaibh?鈥� agus fhreagair e, 鈥渢ha mi nam phr脿mhaiche.鈥�

鈥淥, seadh,鈥� arsa mise, 鈥渢ha sin math. Um, uill, a bheil sibh nur pr脿mhaiche math?鈥�

鈥淭ha,鈥� fhreagair e, 鈥渃ha chreid mi nach eil. Neo tha mi 鈥檔 d貌chas gu bheil co-dhi霉!鈥�

鈥淭ha is mise,鈥� thuirt mi, 鈥渁ch feumaidh mi aideachadh nach eil mi a鈥� tuigsinn d猫 th鈥� ann ann am pr脿mhaiche.鈥�

鈥淥, tha mi duilich,鈥� ars鈥� esan, 鈥渁ch 鈥檚 e sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air anaesthetist.鈥�

鈥淯ill, 鈥檚 math fios a bhith agam air a sin!鈥� thuirt mi le g脿ire. Chan eil latha a鈥� dol seachad 鈥檚 nach eil mi ag ionnsachadh rudeigin!

Bha an duine seo ag obair ann an ospadal an Rathaig Mh貌ir ann an Inbhir Nis, agus nuair a th脿inig e don chlas air an t-seachdain as d猫idh sin, thug e dhomh leth-bhreac de dhuilleagan a-mach 脿 faclair beag a chaidh a chruthachadh le buidheann ris an canar Comann G脿idhlig Seirbheis na Sl脿inte. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an leabhar bheag Faclair G脿idhlig do Lighichean 鈥檚 do Bhanaltraman

Agus lorg mi na faclan air a鈥� chiad duilleig. Anaesthetic 鈥� pr脿mhan. Anaesthetist 鈥� pr脿mhaiche. Uill, tha na faclan sin a鈥� d猫anamh ciall, ged is iad na faclan Beurla as cumanta a chluinneas tu ann an c貌mhradh G脿idhlig. Tha pr脿mh a鈥� ciallachadh cadal, neo t脿mh neo fois. Ma tha thu fo phr脿mh, tha thu nad chadal. Ma tha thu a鈥� gabhail pr脿mh, tha thu a鈥� gabhail fois neo a鈥� faighinn cadal airson greis. Tha pr脿mh cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh br貌n neo mulad.

Nuair a chluinneas mi am facal pr脿mh, 鈥檚 ann tric a tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh air b脿rd a bha uaireigin ainmeil air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, Uilleam Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn, neo Uilleam Ruigh 鈥檔 Uidhe, a bha be貌 anns an ochdamh linn deug. Bha esan 脿s Obair Neithich, l脿imh ris na beanntan br猫agha ris an can sinn am Monadh Ruadh.

Bha Uilleam na shealgair agus chuir e seachad m貌ran 霉ine anns na beanntan sin. 鈥橲 e an t-脿ite a b鈥� fhe脿rr leis Allt an Lochain Uaine ann an Gleann an Doire agus sgr矛obh e d脿n mu dheidhinn a bha uaireigin ainmeil air feadh na G脿idhealtachd, ach gu h-脿raidh ann am B脿ideanach is Srath Sp猫. Seo a鈥� chiad rann dheth:

Aig Allt an Lochain Uaine,

Gun robh mi uair a鈥� t脿mh,

鈥橲 ged a bha an t-脿ite fuar,

Bha an fh脿rdach fuathasach bl脿th.

Ged thigeadh gaoth o thuath orm,

Is cathadh luath on 脿ird,

Bhiodh Allt an Lochain Uaine

Le fhuaim gam chur gu pr脿mh.

Ch矛 sibh gu robh am b脿rd gu math measail air n脿dar, agus tha e follaiseach gun do ghabh e tlachd mh貌r bho bhith a-muigh anns na beanntan, fi霉 鈥檚 nuair a bha cur is cathadh ann.

Agus d猫 an d貌igh a b鈥� fhe脿rr leibh fh猫in a bhith air ur cur fo phr脿mh? Le pr脿mhaiche proifeasanta ann an ospadal, a chleachdas gasaichean mi-n脿darrach? Neo le fuaim binn n脿darrach Allt an Lochain Uaine anns a鈥� Mhonadh Ruadh? Uill, chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 ur beachd fh猫in, ach feumaidh mi r脿dh gur ann a鈥� taobhadh le Uilleam Ruigh 鈥檔 Uidhe a tha mise. Beannachd leibh.

leth-bhreac: copy; cadal: sleep; t脿mh,fois: rest,inactivity(but t脿mh alsoappears in the b脿rdachd and here it means to dwell); bron: sorrow; mulad: grief; ObairNeithich: Abernethy; am Monadh Ruadh: The Cairngorms; Gleann an Doire: Glen Derry;B脿ideanach is Srath Sp猫: Badenoch and Strathspey.

o chionn tr矛 bliadhna neo mar sin: about three years ago; chuir miceistean s矛mplidh air: I asked him simple questions; tha mi nam phr脿mhaiche: I am an anaesthetist聽(but note that most Gaelic-speakers would use the English term); cha chreid mi nach聽eil: I think so; feumaidh mi aideachadh: I must admit; s math fios a bhith agam air a sin: itsgood (for me) to know that; Ospadal an Rathaig Mh貌ir: Raigmore Hospital; a chaidh achruthachadh le X: which was made (created) by X; Uilleam Mac a Ghobainn, neo UilleamRuigh n Uidhe: William Smith (or Gow), or William of Rynuie (this being his home locality,the name meaning the shieling of the way; bha an fh脿rdach fuathasach bl脿th: the dwelling(ie bothy) was very warm (fuathasach is an alternative to uabhasach); bhiodh Allt an LochainUaine le fhuaim gam chur gu pr脿mh: the burn of the green lochan, with its noise, would sendme to sleep; d猫 an d貌igh a b fhe脿rr leibh fh猫in?: which method would you prefer?; gur ann ataobhadh le X a tha mise: that I am siding with X.

fuaim binn n脿darrach Allt an Lochain Uaine: the melodiousnatural sound of the burn of the green lochan (or tarn). Here we have a series of three nounsinterspersed with adjectives. If we dispense with the adjectives, we are left with fuaim Allt anLochain. In English, this would be the noise of the burn of the lochan. Do you notice thatall three nouns carry the article in English and that the latter two are in the genitive case? InGaelic, however, the situation is different. There are two important rules to be observed here:in a series of nouns (1) only the last noun carries the article and (2) only the last noun is in thegenitive case (lochain instead of the nominative lochan). So we might have fuaim an uillt (thesound of the burn) but fuaim allt na beinne (the sound of the burn of the mountain). How wouldyou say in Gaelic the noise of the burn of the lochan of the mountain?

fi霉 s nuair a bha cur is cathadh ann: even when it was snowingand drifting. Cathadh means a snow-drift or snow driven by the wind. Cur (here a noun meaningsnow) can also be used as a verb. Tha i a cur sneachda (it is snowing). If the conditionsare wintry, you only need say a bheil i a cur fhathast? (is it still snowing?); the snow isunderstood.