麻豆约拍

Fhuair mi teachdaireachd tron phost-dealain an l脿 eile bho fhear anns na St脿itean Aonaichte mu na d貌ighean a th鈥� againn ann an G脿idhlig airson never a r脿dh. Bu mhath leam sin a dh猫anamh mar chuspair na Litreach seo.

Ma tha sibh ag iarraidh faighinn a-mach mar a chanas sibh never, mholainn anns a鈥� chiad dol-a-mach gun coimhead sibh ann am faclair Beurla gu G脿idhlig no anns an leabhar a chaidh a dh猫anamh le Sabhal M貌r Ostaig air a bheil 鈥淎n St貌r-D脿ta Briathrachais G脿idhlig鈥�. Tha tr矛 rudan acasan fo 鈥渘ever鈥�: a chaoidh, gu br脿th, agus riamh no (a-)riamh.

Chan e sin deireadh na sge貌il, ge-t脿. Tha c貌ig d貌ighean eile ann airson 鈥渘ever鈥� a r脿dh a tha a鈥� tighinn gu m鈥� inntinn an-dr脿sta. Gu s矛orraidh, tuilleadh, am feasd, gu suthainn agus uair sam bith. Sin ochd d貌ighean uile gu l猫ir agus chan 脿ichinn gu bheil barrachd na sin ann.

Bu mhath leam aon rud cudromach a r脿dh mu dheidhinn riamh no a-riamh. Tha e an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥� seasamh airson rudeigin a thachair anns an 霉ine a chaidh seachad. Bidh an fheadhainn eile mar as trice a-mach air rudan a thachras anns an 霉ine a tha romhainn.

Faodaidh a-riamh a bhith a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆ver鈥� cuideachd. Mar eisimpleir, tha e cho math 鈥檚 a bha e a-riamh, 鈥渉e鈥檚 as good as he ever was.鈥� Ach le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渘ever鈥�. Cha do dh鈥檉heuch mi sin a-riamh. 鈥淚 never tried that鈥� no 鈥淚 have never tried that.鈥� Uaireannan, bidh daoine ag r脿dh riamh-roimhe, 鈥渘ever before.鈥� Cha robh mi an seo riamh-roimhe 鈥� 鈥淚 was never here before now.鈥�

Canaidh sinn a-chaoidh cuideachd airson 鈥渘ever鈥�, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, agus a鈥� coimhead air adhart. Mar eisimpleir, cha till e a-chaoidh, 鈥渉e will never return.鈥�

Tha am facal br脿th a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渏udgement鈥� agus tha gu l脿 a鈥� bhr脿th a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渦ntil judgement day鈥�. Tha sin air a ghiorrachadh gu gu br脿th 鈥� 鈥渇or ever鈥�. Agus, mar as trice, canaidh daoine 鈥済u br脿ch鈥� mar gu robh 鈥渃h鈥� aig an deireadh, seach 鈥渢h鈥�. Alba gu Br脿th! 鈥� 鈥淪cotland for Ever!鈥� Ach, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, tha gu br脿th a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渘ever鈥�. Cha till mi gu br脿th, 鈥淚 will never return鈥�.

Tha gu s矛orraidh br脿th a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇or ever and ever鈥� ach, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, a-rithist, faodaidh gu s矛orraidh seasamh airson 鈥渘ever鈥�. Mar eisimpleir, cha nochd iad gu s矛orraidh, 鈥渢hey will never appear鈥�. Tha ciall car coltach air gu suthainn, ged nach cluinnear gu tric e. Cha till iad gu suthainn is gu s矛orraidh, 鈥渢hey will never ever return鈥�.

Tha am feasd a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇or ever鈥�, agus dh鈥檉haodadh tu r脿dh cha tig e am feasd 鈥� 鈥渉e will never come鈥�. Agus tha tuilleadh a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕ore鈥� no 鈥渁ny more鈥�. A-rithist, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil teachdail, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渘ever鈥�; cha till e tuilleadh, 鈥渉e will never return鈥�. Ach a鈥� coimhead air ais, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁ny more鈥�, leithid cha t脿inig i tuilleadh, 鈥渟he didn鈥檛 come any more鈥�.

Agus tha uair sam bith ann. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁ny time鈥� ach dh鈥檉haodadh e bhith air eadar-theangachadh mar 鈥渘ever鈥� cuideachd. Mar eisimpleir, chan 貌ladh e deoch l脿idir uair sam bith 鈥� 鈥渉e would never drink alcohol.鈥�

Thog mo charaid anns na St脿itean ceist. Am bi am facal idir air a chleachdadh airson 鈥渘ever鈥�? Uill, chanainn gu bheil idir a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁t all鈥�. Canaidh an duine aig a bheil toll na ph貌caid, 鈥淐han eil airgead agam idir鈥�. Ach chan eil sin a鈥� ciallachadh nach bi airgead aige uaireigin. 鈥橲 e nas miosa dheth buileach am fear a chanas, 鈥淐ha bhi airgead agam gu br脿th鈥� oir bidh e bochd airson a鈥� ch貌rr de bheatha.

Faclan na seachdaine: na St脿itean Aonaichte: The United States; Sabhal M貌r Ostaig: Gaelic College in the south of Skye; teachdail: future (tense of verb).

Abairtean na seachdaine: teachdaireachd tron phost-dealain: a message by (through) e-mail; mholainn anns a鈥� chiad dol-a-mach: I would recommend in the first instance; sin ochd d貌ighean uile gu l猫ir: that鈥檚 8 ways altogether; an 霉ine a chaidh seachad: the past; an 霉ine a tha romhainn: the future (lit. the time that is in front of us); tha ciall car coltach air X: X means something similar; an duine aig a bheil toll na ph貌caid: the man who has a hole in his pocket; chan eil airgead agam idir: I have no money at all; nach bi airgead aige uaireigin: that he will not have money sometime; cha bhi airgead agam gu br脿th: I will never have money; bidh e bochd airson a鈥� ch貌rr de bheatha: he will be poor for the rest of his life.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥橲 e nas miosa dheth buileach am fear a chanas鈥�: he is much the worse off the man who says鈥� Two points here: The comparative nas miosa dheth is a modern Gaelic idiom, derived from the English 鈥渨orse off鈥�, but now well established in the language. People also say tha e nas fhe脿rr dheth as an equivalent of 鈥渉e is better off鈥�, both in terms of money and other aspects of life. And note that I started the sentence with the assertive verb 鈥渋s鈥� rather than the verb 鈥渢o be鈥�, ie by saying Tha am fear a chanas X nas miosa dheth buileach. There is no difference in the meanings of the two sentences, but there is a difference in emphasis. We often use 鈥渋s鈥� at the beginning simply to be emphatic. 鈥橲 e nas miosa dheth buileach is a stronger form of wording which emphasises the point. Here are two other examples, and note how the second verb is in the relative future: 鈥檚 e as beartaiche am fear a sh脿bhalas a chuid airgid (it鈥檚 the man that saves his money that is the richest); 鈥檚 e as fhe脿rr don 脿rainneachd an carbad a ruitheas air h脿idraidean (the vehicle which runs on hydrogen is best for the environment). Now here is a more complicated example with two verbs, both in the relative future: 鈥檚 iad as fhaide a mhaireas be貌 an fheadhainn a dh鈥檌theas am biadh ceart (those who survive longest are those who eat the right food).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chan 脿ichinn gu bheil barrachd na sin ann: I wouldn鈥檛 deny there are more than that. An equivalent to this would be cha d鈥檙achainn as 脿icheadh gu bheil鈥� Note that the verb and noun 脿icheadh and the adjective 脿icheil (鈥渘egative鈥�), which appears in the Litir several times, come from the same root. Gn矛omhair 脿icheil means a 鈥渘egative verb鈥� ie a verb in its negative form.