麻豆约拍

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Bhl脿r na L猫ine an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Thug am batail sin f矛or dhroch bhuaidh air Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh. A r猫ir beul-aithris, am measg nan ceudan de Fhrisealaich is Granndaich a bha an s脿s ann, choisich na bu lugha na leth-dhusan air falbh. Agus a bharrachd air sin, chaidh an ceann-cinnidh, Mac Shimidh fh猫in, a mharbhadh.

Chan e sin a-mh脿in ach nochd a mhac, 脵isdean, aig a鈥� bhl脿r. Bha Mac Shimidh air 貌rdugh a thoirt dha fuireach aig an taigh. Ach th脿inig e gu Loch L貌chaidh agus chaidh a mharbhadh-san cuideachd. No chaidh a le貌n, agus chaochail e beagan l脿ithean 脿s a dh猫idh.

A dh鈥檃indeoin a鈥� chall, ge-t脿, cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh air ais ann an suidheachadh l脿idir. Ciamar? Uill, a r猫ir beul-aithris a鈥� chinnidh, bha ochdad boireannach a bhuineadh dhaibh trom air an latha sin. Chaill iad na daoine c猫ile aca aig Bl脿r na L猫ine ach, taobh a-staigh m矛osan, rugadh ochdad gille 鈥� seadh, gillean uile gun sgeul air nighean sam bith nam measg! (is, ged a tha sin gu math eucoltach, chan urrainn dhut beul-aithris fh矛rinneachadh no a bhreugnachadh!)

Ochd bliadhn鈥� deug 脿s d猫igh Bl脿r na L猫ine bha fear 霉r na cheann-cinnidh do Chlann 鈥檌c Shimidh. B鈥� esan 脵isdean 鈥� 脵isdean eile 鈥� mac br脿thair an fhir a chaidh a mharbhadh aig Ceann Loch L貌chaidh. Bha e d矛reach seachd bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois. Agus chuir e f脿ilte sa bhliadhna sin air a鈥� Bh脿nrigh 鈥� M脿iri Sti霉bhart 鈥� nuair a thadhail i air Inbhir Nis.

Nuair a chaochail 脵isdean, bhathar ag r脿dh gu robh naoi ceud gaisgeach de Chlann 鈥檌c Shimidh aig a thiodhlacadh. A dh鈥檃indeoin na sgrios aig Bl脿r na L猫ine, dh鈥櫭╥rich na Frisealaich 脿s 霉r. Agus tha gu le貌r dhiubh ann an-diugh 鈥� air feadh an t-saoghail, gu dearbh.

Tha rud inntinneach mu na Frisealaich 鈥� agus 鈥檚 e sin an lus a nochdas air an t-suaicheantas aca. 鈥橲 e s霉bh-l脿ir a th鈥� ann 鈥� strawberry. Tha e air a bhith air an t-suaicheantas aca bhon treas linn deug. Tha beul-aithris a鈥� d猫anamh ceangal eadar an s霉bh-l脿ir agus an cinneadh seo 鈥� agus cuimhnichibh gur e Fraser a th鈥� orra ann am Beurla. 鈥橲 e fraise an Fhraingis airson s霉bh-l脿ir. Tha cuimhne agam gl猫 mhath cho blasta 鈥檚 a bha na tartes aux fraises nuair a bha mi anns a鈥� Bhreatainn Bhig.

A r猫ir na sge貌il, bha fear Frangach ann air an robh Julius de Berry (seadh, de Berry). Bha e a鈥� toileachadh an r矛gh le bhith a鈥� cur thuige bobhlaichean de sh霉bhaichean-l脿ir. Dh鈥櫭瞨daich an r矛gh dha ainm atharrachadh gu Fraise agus s霉bhaichean-l脿ir a chur air suaicheantas a theaghlaich. A r猫ir cuid, 鈥檚 e Fraissier an t-ainm a thagh an r矛gh air a shon. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇ear a bhios a鈥� gi霉lain s霉bhaichean-l脿ir.鈥� Uaireigin 脿s d猫idh sin, dh鈥檉halbh feadhainn dhen teaghlach a dh鈥橝lba. Agus thug iad an t-ainm 霉r leotha.

Uill, 鈥檚 e st貌iridh laghach a th鈥� ann. Ach a bheil sibh ga chreidsinn? Chan eil? Chan eil, no mise. Uill, tha mi amharasach mu dheidhinn co-dhi霉. Tha an st貌iridh st猫idhichte a-mh脿in air coltas is fuaimneachadh an ainm ann am Beurla. Ach ciamar a dh猫anamaid ceangal eadar fraise agus Friseal 鈥� dreach an ainm ann an G脿idhlig?

Tha cuid eile a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gum b鈥� e de Freselieres an t-ainm a bh鈥� air na Frangaich a th脿inig a dh鈥橝lba. Bha feadhainn dhen aon ainm a鈥� fuireach ann an Sasainn aig an 脿m. Chuir na G脿idheil Friseal air an ainm, is chuir luchd na Beurla Fraser air.

Faclan na Litreach: Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh: the Frasers of Lovat; ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; Mac Shimidh: the clan chief of the Frasers of Lovat; Loch L貌chaidh: Loch Lochy; s霉bh-l脿ir: strawberry.

Abairtean na Litreach: nochd a mhac aig a鈥� bhl脿r: his son appeared at the battle; bha X air 貌rdugh a thoirt dha fuireach aig an taigh: X had ordered him to stay at home; chaochail e beagan l脿ithean 脿s a dh猫idh: he died a few days later; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh: it wasn鈥檛 long until; bha ochdad boireannach a bhuineadh dhaibh trom: 80 women who belonged to them [the clan] were pregnant; na daoine c猫ile aca: their spouses; gillean uile gun sgeul air nighean: all boys without a single girl; chan urrainn dhut beul-aithris fh矛rinneachadh no a bhreugnachadh: you can鈥檛 prove or disprove oral tradition; nuair a thadhail i air: when she visited; bhathar ag r脿dh: it was said; aig a thiodhlacadh: at his funeral; dh鈥櫭╥rich na Frisealaich 脿s 霉r: the Frasers recovered; an lus a nochdas air an t-suaicheantas aca: the plant that appears on their [clan] badge; cho blasta 鈥檚 a bha na tartes aux fraises: how tasty the strawberry tarts were; anns a鈥� Bhreatainn Bhig: in Brittany; bha fear Frangach ann air an robh X: there was a Frenchman called X; le bhith a鈥� cur thuige bobhlaichean de: by sending him bowls of; dh鈥櫭瞨daich an r矛gh dha ainm atharrachadh: the king ordered him to change his name; ciamar a dh猫anamaid ceangal?: how would we make a link?; tha cuid eile a鈥� d猫anamh dheth: others maintain (say); bha feadhainn dhen aon ainm a鈥� fuireach ann an Sasainn: some people of the same name were living in England.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: chaidh a mharbhadh-san cuideachd: he was killed as well. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I am still more comfortable with the traditional mode of forming an emphatic passive using 鈥渞ach鈥� (the verb 鈥渢o go鈥�). Many speakers today, and the vast majority of young people, would change the structure of the passive from chaidh a mharbhadh (he was killed, with no personal pronoun) to chaidh esan a mharbhadh (he was killed, emphatic), with the emphatic pronoun esan suddenly making an appearance. The traditional mode is to retain the same grammatical structure as the non-emphatic example, but to employ the relevant emphatic suffix following the verbal infinitive. It鈥檚 much more elegant! Contrast the following: chaidh mo bhreabadh (I was kicked) can become, in its emphatic form, either chaidh mise a bhreabadh (modern) or chaidh mo bhreabadh-sa (traditional).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: chan e sin a-mh脿in (ach): not only that (but).