大象传媒

Bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh bhon t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh gu bheil am facal deiseil co-cheangailte ris a鈥� l脿imh dheis agus ri rudan matha. Ach, air an l脿imh eile, ma dh鈥檉haodas mi sin a r脿dh, chan eil rudan matha co-cheangailte ris an l脿imh chl矛. Agus tuigidh mi carson a tha daoine leis a鈥� che脿rrag neo a tha ciotach, mar a chanas iad ann an ceann a deas na G脿idhealtachd, a鈥� gabhail dragh mu dheidhinn sin.

Chan eil c脿il ce脿rr orra ach gu bheil an l脿mh che脿rr aca nas sgileile nan l脿mh dheas. Agus seallaibh mar a tha am facal ce脿rr a鈥� ciallachadh left agus wrong. Ach tha an aon rud f矛or ann an c脿nanan eile. 鈥橲 e 鈥渃iotach鈥� a bha am facal sinister a鈥� ciallachadh o th霉s ann an Laideann.

Bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh cuideachd gu robh an l脿mh dheas co-cheangailte ri slighe na gr猫ine tron adhar 鈥� slighe ris an can sinn deiseil. Agus bha m貌ran chleachdaidhean o shean aig ar sinnsirean anns am biodh iad a鈥� gluasad gu deiseil a dh鈥檃ona-ghnothach airson鈥檚 gum biodh deagh fhortan aca.

Nuair a gheibheadh daoine bochda airgead bho chuideigin, rachadh iad tr矛 tursan deiseil timcheall an duine mar bheannachd air. Nuair a rachadh iasgairean gu muir, bhiodh iad ag iomradh a鈥� bh脿ta gu deiseil an toiseach. Agus mura deanadh iad sin, bhiodh iad dhen bheachd gum biodh droch fhortan aca air an latha sin. Chanadh feadhainn an-diugh gur ann saobh-chr脿bhach a bha na seann daoine is gu robh na cleachdaidhean sin a鈥� buntainn ri linn nuair a bha na G脿idheil nam p脿ganach. Ach chan eil teagamh nach robh iad a鈥� creidsinn ann an rudan mar sin gu l脿idir.

Anns an linn sin, bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gu robh ifrinn anns a鈥� cheann a tuath agus, mar sin, gu robh ifrinn fuar re貌ite. Tha sin gu math eadar-dhealaichte bhon ifrinn theth anns a bheilear a鈥� creidsinn an-diugh.

Agus bha daoine a鈥� creidsinn gun d鈥檙achadh iad (neo gun d鈥檙achadh an n脿baidhean co-dhi霉!) s矛os a dh鈥橧frinn agus, leis a sin, bha iad a鈥� coimhead air an 脿ird a tuath mar 脿ite 矛osal. Agus chanadh iad 鈥渢ha mi a鈥� dol s矛os gu tuath鈥� neo 鈥渢ha mi a鈥� dol suas gu deas鈥� agus chan e 鈥渟uas gu tuath鈥� agus 鈥渟矛os gu deas鈥� mar a chanar, anns an fharsaingeachd, ann am Beurla. Agus cluinnidh tu fhathast daoine ann an taobh siar Le貌dhais ag r脿dh ann an G脿idhlig gu bheil iad a鈥� dol 鈥渟矛os a Nis鈥�, sg矛re ann am f矛or cheann a tuath an eilein.

Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh an aon rud f矛or uaireigin ann am Beurla, agus gur e luchd nam mapaichean a th鈥檃ir dealbh dhen t-saoghal a thoirt dhuinn anns a bheil an 脿ird a tuath aig a鈥� cheann shuas agus an 脿ird a deas aig a鈥� bhonn. Bidh daoine ann an Essex is Hertfordshire, mar eisimpleir, ag r脿dh gu bheil iad a鈥� dol up to London, ged a tha iad a鈥� fuireach gu tuath air Lunnainn. Tha mi a鈥� deanamh dheth gur e seann chleachdadh a tha sin, agus gu bheil e a鈥� dol 脿 bith ann an Sasainn, d矛reach mar a tha e ann an G脿idhealtachd na h-Alba.

Ach bu toil leam tilleadh don fhacal ciotach agus f脿gaibh mi sibh an t-seachdain-sa le ceist. Bha laoch Gaidhealach ann anns an t-seachdamh linn deug a bha gu math ainmeil. Agus bha e ciotach. Agus tha frith-ainm air ann am Beurla, a bharrachd air G脿idhlig, a tha a鈥� comharrachadh sin. Agus bha an gille aige na b鈥檃inmeile fi霉鈥檚 na esan airson gaisge. C貌 iad? Innsibh mi sin dhuibh anns an ath litir, a鈥� chiad t猫 anns a鈥� bhliadhn鈥� 霉ir. Roimhe sin 鈥� ge-t脿 鈥� Nollaig Chr矛dheil agus Bliadhna Mhath 脵r dhuibh uile.

co-cheangailte ri: connected to; cl矛: left; ciotach: left-handed;cleachdaidhean: practices; ag iomradh: rowing; saobh-chr脿bhach: superstitious; ifrinn: hell;fuar re貌ite: cold and frozen; taobh siar Le貌dhais: the west side of Lewis; laoch: hero,champion;frith-ainm: nickname; gaisge: heroism.

ma dh'fhaodas mi sin a r脿dh: if I may (be permitted) to say that;leis a' che脿rrag: left-handed (the more common term in the northern G脿idhealtachd; insouthern parts, notably the islands of Argyll, ciotach is more common); chan eil c脿il ce脿rrorra: there is nothing wrong with them (on them); airsons gum biodh deagh fhortan aca: sothat they would have good luck; a buntainn ri linn nuair a bha na G脿idheil nam p脿ganach:belonging to a time when the Gaels were pagans; chan eil teagamh nach robh iad a creidsinnann an X gu l脿idir: there is no doubt that they strongly believed in X; bhon ifrinn theth annsa bheilear a creidsinn an-diugh: from the hot hell which is believed in today; luchd nammapaichean: the mapmakers; gu tuath air Lunnainn: north of London; gu bheil e a dol 脿bith: it is disappearing (going out of existence); an gille aige: his son; a chiad t猫 anns abhliadhn 霉ir: the first one (litir is fem.) in the new year; roimhe sin: before that; NollaigChr矛dheil agus Bliadhna Mhath 脵r dhuibh uile: a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year toyou all.

rachadh iad tr矛 tursan timcheall an duine mar bheannachdair: they would go three times sunwise around the man as a blessing for (on) him. Do youremember rachamaid (lets go) in Litir 27 (Nov 19)? Rachadh is built on the same root rach (go) and is in the subjunctive mood as is suggested by the -adh ending. Rachadh iadmeans they would go. Rachamaid, as you have probably worked out, is also the firstperson plural in the subjunctive mood, meaning we would go (but the context will tell youwhich is meant). Rachamaid don Fhraing nan robh airgead gu le貌r againn (we would go toFrance if we had enough money). The first person singular is rachainn (I would go). Rachainndhachaigh nan robh c脿r agam (I would go home if I had a car). You may be thinking how onearth do we get a dol (going), chaidh (went) and th猫id (will go) from a root like rach? Theanswer is that it is one of Gaelic's ten irregular verbs (which are better viewed as a challengethan a threat!)

a dh'aona-ghnothach: deliberately. This phrase allows youto avoid an unsatisfactory translation of the English I didn't mean it, ie cha robh mi gachiallachadh, which learners often use. This phrase, however, does not really relate to anaction other than communication eg Tha mi duilich gun tuirt mi sin. Cha robh mi gachiallachadh (I'm sorry I said that. I didnt mean it) and even then it is modern phraseologywhich would sound foreign to many older native speakers (see Dwelly p 192). But in thecase, say, of a child breaking a window with a stone it should not be used at all. Theoffender might say something like: Tha mi duilich mu dheidhinn na h-uinneig. Cha do bhrismi a dh'aona-ghnothach i (Im sorry about the window. I didn't break it deliberately).