13/04/2007
A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 406
Duration: 05:53
Litir 406: Calum Beag
O chionn fhada bha fear air an robh Calum Beag mar ainm a鈥 fuireach ann an 脌ird Chlach. Bha taigh aige faisg air Uisge 脠ireann, far a bheil an talamh 脿rd, garbh ag 猫irigh bhon talamh 矛osal, thorrach. Tha ainm s貌nraichte air a鈥 che脿rnaidh sin ann am Beurla 鈥 The Streens. Tha mi cinnteach nach cuir e iongnadh sam bith oirbh nuair a dh鈥檌nnseas mi dhuibh gur ann bhon Gh脿idhlig a th脿inig an t-ainm.
Gu mionaideach tha na Streens 鈥 no Streens of Findhorn 鈥 a鈥 ciallachadh p脿irt dhen abhainn 鈥 sin Uisge 脠ireann, no the Findhorn River. Agus seo na sgr矛obh an s脿r-e貌laiche, Uilleam MacBh脿tair, mun ghnothach: Na Srianaibh, the Streens of Findhorn, the Bridles, dative-locative plural of srian, a bridle 鈥 a graphic and appropriate name for this remarkable gorge. Leis gu bheil an tuiseal tabhartach iolra, the dative plural, air a dhol 脿 bith ann an G脿idhlig, chanainn gur e Na Srianan a bu n脿darraiche a ghabhadh sinn air an 脿ite sin an-diugh. Agus, gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e sin a th鈥 aig Iain Mac an T脿illeir air an liosta aigesan de dh鈥檃inmean-脿ite, a ghabhas leughadh air an eadar-l矛on: Na Srianan. 鈥淭he Restraint鈥 referring to narrows in the River Findhorn.
Co-dhi霉, air ais gu Calum Beag. Bha Calum cli霉iteach 鈥 no 鈥檚 d貌cha m矛-chli霉iteach 鈥 airson nam pl貌ighean a bh鈥 aige, agus e a鈥 goid spr猫idh. Bhiodh e tric a鈥 faighinn gr猫im air mart, a bha le cuideigin eile, agus a鈥 teicheadh leis gu 脿ite faisg air an taigh aige fh猫in. Cha chumadh e a h-uile p矛os dhen fhe貌il dha fh猫in, ge-t脿. Bha e gu math fialaidh 鈥 do mhuinntir nan Srianan co-dhi霉. Agus mar sin fhuair e taic gu le貌r bho mhuinntir an 脿ite.
Nuair a bha e na ghille, bha Calum ag obair mar bhuachaille do dh鈥橣hear Chaladair aig Caisteal Chaladair. Latha samhraidh a bha seo, bha e a鈥 buachailleachd treud de chrodh G脿idhealach nuair a th脿inig c貌mhlan de cheatharnaich a-nuas air. Chuir iad an gr猫im e. Th貌isich na ceatharnaich air slighe a dh鈥檌onnsaigh taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd. Bha an crodh ann an toiseach, an uair sin Calum, leis na creachadairean aig an deireadh. D猫 fon ghr猫in a bha Calum a鈥 dol a dh猫anamh?
Uill, bha breacan air a bhiodh aithnichte don a h-uile duine anns an sg矛re. Th貌isich e air m矛rein dhen bhreacan a ghearradh dheth is a leigeil don talamh. Cha do mhothaich na ceatharnaich do na bha e a鈥 d猫anamh. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach bha muinntir Chaladair a-muigh, a鈥 coimhead airson a鈥 chruidh, nuair a lorg fear p矛os breacain. Thuig e gur e p矛os de bhreacan Chaluim a bh鈥 ann. Chaidh d脿rna p矛os a lorg agus mar sin lean iad an rathad a ghabh Calum is na ceatharnaich.
Fhuair iad lorg orra ann an ceann shuas Srath 脠ireann. Bha na ceatharnaich, agus am pr矛osanach, nan suidhe ann an lagan, a鈥 r貌stadh mart. Fhuair muinntir Chaladair an crodh air ais agus fhuair Calum Beag duais bhon uachdaran airson na rinn e. Ge-t脿, cha b鈥 fhada gus am biodh e fh猫in a鈥 goid crodh!
Nuair a chaochail a ph脿rantan, fhuair Calum an taigh aca anns na Srianan. Bha sin ann an 脿ite ris an canar Straneorn ann am Beurla. Tha mi a鈥 d猫anamh dheth gur e sin Srath an E貌rna. Ph貌s Calum t猫 bhon talamh 矛osal ach bha i gu math d矛leas dha a thaobh na d貌igh-beatha aige. Lean Calum air le bhith a鈥 faighinn gr猫im air spr猫idh a bhuineadh do dhaoine eile. Bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air a bheatha anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach
脌ird Chlach: Ardclach; Uisge 脠ireann: Findhorn River; 肠别脿谤苍补颈诲丑: locality; 尘矛-肠丑濒颈霉颈迟别补肠丑: infamous; 蝉辫谤猫颈诲丑: livestock; mart: cow, steer; fialaidh: generous; Caisteal Chaladair: Cawdor Castle; 辫丑貌蝉: married.
Abairtean na Litreach
fear air an robh Calum Beag mar ainm: a man called wee Calum; ag 猫irigh bhon talamh 矛osal, thorrach: rising from the low, fertile country; nach cuir e iongnadh sam bith oirbh: that it won鈥檛 surprise you at all; seo na sgr矛obh an s脿r-e貌laiche, Uilleam MacBh脿tair: this is what the expert, William J Watson, wrote; air a dhol 脿 bith: has become extinct; chanainn gur e X a bu n脿darraiche a ghabhadh sinn air: I鈥檇 say that it is X that we would most naturally call; airson nam pl貌ighean a bh鈥 aige: for his ploys; a bha le cuideigin eile: which belonged to somebody else; cha chumadh e a h-uile p矛os dhen fhe貌il dha fh猫in: he wouldn鈥檛 keep all the meat to himself; bha e a鈥 buachailleachd treud de chrodh G脿idhealach: he was tending a herd of Highland cattle; th貌isich na ceatharnaich air slighe a dh鈥檌onnsaigh taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd: the caterans started on a route towards the West Highlands; th貌isich e air m矛rein dhen bhreacan a ghearradh dheth: he started to cut small pieces of the plaid; chaidh d脿rna p矛os a lorg: a second piece was found; ann an ceann shuas Srath 脠ireann: at the upper end of Strathdearn; nan suidhe ann an lagan, a鈥 r貌stadh mart: sitting in a hollow, roasting a cow, steer; duais bhon uachdaran: a reward from the laird; ge-t脿, cha b鈥 fhada gus am biodh e fh猫in a鈥 goid crodh: however, it wasn鈥檛 long until he would be stealing cattle himself; nuair a chaochail a ph脿rantan: when his parents died; bha i gu math d矛leas dha a thaobh na d貌igh-beatha aige: she was very loyal to him with regard to his way of life; lean X air le bhith a鈥 faighinn gr猫im air spr猫idh a bhuineadh do dhaoine eile: X continued to capture livestock which belonged to other people.
Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach
Bha an crodh ann an toiseach, leis na creachadairean aig an deireadh: the cattle were at the front, with the plunderers at the rear. Note the use of toiseach for front and deireadh for rear. In a boat, the toiseach is the bow, while the stern is the deireadh. We say ann an toiseach a鈥 ch脿ir for 鈥渋n the front of the car鈥 and ann an deireadh a鈥 ch脿ir for 鈥渋n the rear of the car鈥. Both of these nouns commonly appear in their genitive forms as adjectives. For example an animal鈥檚 front legs are casan toisich; its rear legs are casan deiridh.
Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach
lean iad an rathad a ghabh Calum is na ceatharnaich: they followed the route that Calum and the caterans took. Gabhaidh mi an rathad m貌r: I鈥檒l take the main road.
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