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16/01/2006

Letter for those at an early stage in learning Gaelic.

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An Litir Bheag 36

Bha na daoine à Ceap Breatainn ag iarraidh fearann ann an New Zealand. Ach bha fear, Seumas Busby, mì-thoilichte. Thuirt e gun robh am fearann leis-san. Thuirt e gun do cheannaich e am fearann bho na Maori. Ach cha robh an riaghaltas toilichte. Bha ceud mìle acaire aige. Cha robh sin ceadaichte. Bha am fearann sin ro mhòr.

            Cheannaich an riaghaltas am fearann sin as ùr. Cheannaich iad bho na Maori e. Cheannaich na h-Albannaich am fearann bhon riaghaltas.

            Chaidh an t-Urr Tormod MacLeòid agus feadhainn à Melbourne gu Auckland. Bha Gàidheil gu leòr anns a’ bhaile. Bha Tormod a’ searmonachadh ann an Gàidhlig is Beurla. Chaidh iad an uair sin gu Waipu.

            Nuair a bha iad anns an dachaigh ùir aca, sgrìobh iad gu Baile Anna ann an Ceap Breatainn. Thuirt iad gu robh àite math aca. Dh’iarr iad air daoine eile a dhol a New Zealand.

            Anns na leth-cheudan dh’fhàg ceithir longan eile Alba Nuadh. Chaidh iad gu New Zealand. Bha iad làn daoine. Chaidh naoi ceud duine à Alba Nuadh gu Waipu. Chaidh gu math do na daoine sin ann an New Zealand. Bha na Maori bàidheil riutha. Bha an talamh math. Bha bàrr math aca. Chaidh cuid de na fir gu muir, a’ seòladh.

            Fhuair Tormod an t-àite aige air ais mar cheannard spioradail na coimhearsnachd. Chaochail a bhean, Màiri. Bha sin trì bliadhna às dèidh dhaibh dhol a New Zealand. Ach mhair Tormod fhèin beò airson ùine. Chaochail e ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad ’s a sia (1866). Bha e ochdad ’s a còig bliadhna a dh’aois.

            Ann an cladh Waipu, chaidh geatachan ùra a chur suas. Bha iad mar chuimhneachan air Tormod is a chompanaich. Sgrìobhte orra bha earrann às a’ Bhìoball Ghàidhlig.

            Chaidh clach-chuimhne a chur suas do Thormod MacLeòid ann an Asainte. Chaidh clach eile a chur suas ann am Baile Anna, ann an Ceap Breatainn. Tha mòran Gàidhlig air an tè sin. Tha sin iomchaidh. Tha e air fearann a bha le Tormod MacLeòid. Chleachd Tormod mòran Gàidhlig mar thidsear. Agus mar mhinistear. Agus sin far a bheil Colaiste na Gàidhlig an-diugh. 

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: thuirt e gun robh am fearann leis-san: he said he owned the land; gun do cheannaich e am fearann: that he bought the land; bha ceud mìle acaire aige: he had 100,000 acres; ceadaichte: permitted; cheannaich an riaghaltas am fearann sin as ùr: the government bought that land anew; a’ searmonachadh: preaching; anns an dachaigh ùir aca: in their new home; dh’iarr iad air daoine eile a dhol a NZ: they asked other people to go to NZ; anns na leth-cheudan dh’fhàg ceithir longan eile Alba Nuadh: in the fifties (1850s) four other ships left Nova Scotia; chaidh gu math do na daoine sin: it went well for those people; bha na Maori bàidheil riutha: the Maoris were well disposed towards them; bha bàrr math aca: they had good crops [a good crop]; chaidh cuid de na fir gu muir, a’ seòladh: some of the men went to sea, sailing; fhuair Tormod an t-àite aige air ais: Norman got his place back; mar cheannard spioradail na coimhearsnachd: as the spiritual head of the community; chaochail a bhean: his wife died; trì bliadhna às dèidh dhaibh dhol a NZ: three years after they went to NZ; mhair Tormod fhèin beò: Norman himself survived; chaidh geatachan ùra a chur suas: new gates were erected; mar chuimhneachan air Tormod: a memorial to Norman; sgrìobhte orra bha earrann às a’ Bhìoball Ghàidhlig: there was a verse from the Gaelic Bible written on them; tha sin iomchaidh: that is fitting; chleachd Tormod mòran Gàidhlig mar thidsear: Norman used a lot of Gaelic as a teacher; sin far a bheil Colaiste na Gàidhlig an-diugh: that is where the Gaelic College is today.

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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