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Anns an litir aig Ruaraidh, tha sinn a' coinneachadh ri Murchadh Sr貌nadh - s霉il co e? The week's letter for learners.

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Wed 13 May 2015 23:00

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Litir 825: An Teine M貌r

O chionn ghoirid, bha mi a鈥 leughadh seann ph脿ipear leis an Urramach Iain MacRuairidh. Chaidh a l矛bhrigeadh do Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1894). Tha e a鈥 d猫iligeadh ri beul-aithris mu rudeigin a thachras gu n脿darrach, no anns an robh daoine a鈥 creidsinn co-dhi霉. Mus inns mi dhuibh mun ph脿ipear aige, bu math leam rudeigin a thuirt Mgr MacRuairidh aig deireadh 貌raid aithris dhuibh. Tha e a鈥 buntainn ris an fheallsanachd a th鈥 air c霉l m貌ran dhen obair a bhios mi fh矛n a鈥 d猫anamh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥業s fhe脿irrde gach neach leis an 脿ill fiosrachadh fhaotainn,鈥 thuirt Mgr MacRuairidh, 鈥榝ios a bhith aige air na beachdan a bha cumanta am measg an t-sluaigh san 脿m a dh'fhalbh. Is e seo aon de na d貌ighean air am faighear a-mach seann eachdraidh nan G脿idheal. Am fear a tha aineolach air na seann naidheachdan, air na seann 貌rain, agus air na seanfhacail, tha e ann an tomhas m貌r aineolach air seann eachdraidh a dh霉thcha. An G脿idheal a tha aineolach air seann eachdraidh a dh霉thcha is gann gun urrainnear 鈥渇矛or Gh脿idheal鈥 a r脿dh ris.鈥

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil 鈥榝矛or Gh脿idheal鈥 no dh脿 a tha ag 猫isteachd an-dr脿sta nach aontaicheadh ris an Urramach MacRuairidh! Ach saoilidh mi fh矛n bheil tomhas m貌r dhen fh矛rinn aige 鈥 gun robh e f矛or an uair sin is gu bheil e f矛or fhathast. Chan fheum beul-aithris a bhith 鈥榗eart鈥. Ma tha i G脿idhealach, n矛 sin an gnothach dhuinn!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha am ministear a鈥 toirt 貌raid mu dheidhinn rud n脿darrach. Uill, n脿darrach no os-n脿darrach, chan eil mi cinnteach. Ann an Uibhist, canaidh daoine 鈥楢n Teine M貌r鈥 ris. Anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, 鈥檚 e 鈥楢n Teine Biorach鈥 a chanar ris. Agus tha ainmean eile air a bharrachd 鈥 sionnachan, teine sionnachain, coinneal bianain, srada bianain, spiorad lodain agus teine dreallsach. Abair sreath de dh鈥檃inmean airson rud a tha cuid a鈥 cumail a-mach nach eil ann ach sa mhac-meanmna!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ann am Beurla, canaidh daoine 飞颈濒濒-辞鈥-迟丑别-飞颈蝉辫 ris. No jack o鈥 lantern. 鈥橲 e a th鈥 ann ach solas lag coltach ri teine a chithear air oidhche dhorch. Gu tric, bithear 鈥 no bhathar 鈥 ga fhaicinn os cionn bhoglaichean. Tha cuid a鈥 cumail a-mach gur e as coireach gasaichean mar meatan a th鈥 air an d猫anamh anns na boglaichean agus a tha so-loisgeach. Ma tha lasair de she貌rsa sam bith timcheall, bidh an gas a鈥 losgadh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Agus 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e sin as coireach gum biodh daoine ga fhaicinn anns an t-seann aimsir. Nam biodh solas sam bith aca, agus iad a-muigh air an oidhche, 鈥檚 e lasair a bhiodh ann 鈥 coinneal no l貌chran. No uaireannan leus (no coinneal-ghiuthais). Nam biodh gas so-loisgeach ann, bhiodh e a鈥 losgadh. Agus chitheadh na daoine sin oir bha na solais aca cho lag. Ach an-diugh, le tordsaichean dealain cumhachdach, cha bhi na gasaichean a鈥 losgadh, agus chan fhaiceamaid an teine m貌r co-dhi霉.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sin gu le貌r dhen t-saidheans. A-nise am beul-aithris. 鈥橲 aithne dhomh d脿 sgeulachd a tha a鈥 m矛neachadh mar a th脿inig an teine m貌r gu bith. Bha t猫 dhiubh aithnichte ann an diofar 脿iteachan, leithid Ge脿rrloch. Bha i air a h-aithris ann an 脠irinn cuideachd. Tha an t猫ile 脿 Uibhist agus n矛 mi aithris air an t猫 sin an-ath-sheachdain. Chun an uair sin, mar sin leibh.

Faclan na Litreach

naidheachdan: anecdotes, stories; 辞蝉-苍脿诲补谤谤补肠丑: supernatural; 听尘别补迟补苍: methane; so-loisgeach: inflammable; an t猫ile [an t猫 eile]: the other one [fem].

Abairtean na Litreach

leis an Urramach Iain MacRuairidh: by the Rev. John MacRury; no anns an robh daoine a鈥 creidsinn co-dhi霉: in which people believed, at least; a鈥 buntainn ris an fheallsanachd a th鈥 air c霉l m貌ran dhen obair: it is relevant to the philosophy that is behind much of the work; is fhe脿irrde gach neach leis an 脿ill fiosrachadh fhaotainn: each person who desires to get information is better off; fios a bhith aige air na beachdan a bha cumanta am measg an t-sluaigh san 脿m a dh'fhalbh: to know the opinions that were common among the people in past time[s]; aon de na d貌ighean air am faighear a-mach seann eachdraidh nan G脿idheal: one of the ways to find out the old history of the Gaels; is gann gun urrainnear X a r脿dh ris: he can hardly be called X; n矛 sin an gnothach dhuinn: that will suffice for us; a chithear air oidhche dhorch: that is seen on a dark night; bithear 鈥 no bhathar 鈥 ga fhaicinn os cionn bhoglaichean: it is 鈥 or was 鈥 seen above bogs; ma tha lasair de she貌rsa sam bith timcheall: if any form of flame is present; 鈥檚 e lasair a bhiodh ann 鈥 coinneal no l貌chran: it would be a flame 鈥 a candle or lantern; chitheadh na daoine sin oir bha na solais aca cho lag: the people would see that because their lights were so weak; le tordsaichean dealain cumhachdach鈥han fhaiceamaid an teine m貌r: with powerful electric torches鈥e wouldn鈥檛 see the 飞颈濒濒-辞鈥-迟丑别-飞颈蝉辫; gu le貌r dhen t-saidheans: enough of the science; aithnichte ann an diofar 脿iteachan: known in different places.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

coinneal-ghiuthais: pine candle. Are you familiar with the coinneal-ghiuthais (sometimes called leus)? In many parts of the G脿idhealtachd, resinous pine was dug up from peat bogs; once dried, it made a good torch and could be used outside. In places where pines (craobhan-giuthais) grew, people would sometimes cut pine candles from the heartwood of the living tree 鈥 I was sent a picture recently of such a tree in Lochaber. This was the norm in Glenmoriston, where the pine forest was extensive, leading to the expression 鈥楪leann Moireastan, far nach ith na coin na coinnlean鈥 (Glenmoriston, where the dogs don鈥檛 eat the candles). Dogs, of course, would eat candles made from animal fat but not those made of pine wood!

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach

tha e ann an tomhas m貌r aineolach: he is, to a great degree, ignorant.

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