麻豆约拍

Hal貌, a ch脿irdean. Tha sibh e貌lach gu le貌r air sin, nach eil? A ch脿irdean. D猫 chanadh sibh ri buidheann de dh鈥檉hir no ri buidheann de bhoireannaich? Uill, ris na fir, chanadh sibh 鈥渉al貌, fhearaibh.鈥� Ris na boireannaich, bhiodh sibh a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail bean anns an tuiseal ghairmeach iolra, a鈥� cantainn 鈥渉al貌 a mhnathan鈥�. Ri balaich, chanadh sibh 鈥渁 bhalachaibh鈥� agus ri caileagan chanadh sibh 鈥渁 chaileagan.鈥� Tha na notaichean-gr脿mair an t-seachdain seo a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a tha an tuiseal gairmeach iolra ag obair.

Ach gu cuspair eile. Bu mhath leam rudeigin aithris dhuibh an-dr脿sta agus, mus bi mi deiseil, chanainn gum bi fios agaibh d猫 th鈥� ann. Seo a-nis e: Tuath, Tuath 鈥檚 a bhith 鈥檔 Ear, Tuath 鈥檚 an Ear-thuath, an Ear-thuath 鈥檚 a bhith tuath, an Ear-thuath, an Ear-thuath 鈥檚 a bhith 鈥檔 Ear, an Ear 鈥檚 an Ear-thuath, an Ear 鈥檚 a bhith Tuath, an Ear.

Bidh sibh a鈥� tuigsinn Tuath agus an Ear 鈥� north agus east 鈥� agus bidh e soilleir dhuibh, saoilidh mi, gur e a th鈥� annta 脿irdean na combaist, eadar Tuath agus an Ear. Agus dh鈥檉haodadh sibh leantainn oirbh eadar an Ear, Deas, an Iar, is air ais gu Tuath. Chan fhaca mi 脿irdean na combaist ann an G脿idhlig ann an cl貌 a-riamh, co-dhi霉 ann an leabhar a chaidh fhoillseachadh gu proifeasanta. Ach tha iad againn a-nise ann am faclair 霉r G脿idhlig a nochd o chionn ghoirid 鈥� The Gaelic-English Dictionary, am Faclair G脿idhlig-Beurla, le Cailean Mark. Buinidh Cailean don Ear-thuath, ma dh鈥檉haodas mi 脿irde na combaist a chleachdadh, agus dh鈥檌onnsaigh e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig. Sgr矛obh e leabhar anns na h-ochdadan mu ghn矛omhairean G脿idhlig agus tha a鈥� chompanaidh Routledge a-nise air fhaclair m貌r 霉r snasail fhoillseachadh.

A bharrachd air na faclan fh猫in tha earrannan anns an fhaclair a tha a鈥� m矛neachadh puingean cudthromach gr脿mair, cunntadh is eile 鈥� agus 脿irdean na combaist. Seo an fheadhainn eadar Deas agus an Iar: Deas, Deas 鈥檚 a bhith 鈥檔 Iar, Deas 鈥檚 an Iar-dheas, an Iar-dheas 鈥檚 a bhith Deas, an Iar-dheas, an Iar-dheas 鈥檚 a bhith 鈥檔 Iar, an Iar 鈥檚 an Iar-dheas, an Iar 鈥檚 a bhith Deas, an Iar.

A bheil sibh air rudeigin a mhothachadh mu na h-脿irdean ann an G脿idhlig? Seo an fheadhainn a laigheas eadar gach pr矛omh 脿irde, ann am Beurla an toiseach agus an uair sin ann an G脿idhlig: North-east, South-east, South-west, North-west; an Ear-thuath, an Earra-Dheas, an Iar-dheas, an Iar-thuath. Bidh sibh a鈥� mothachadh gu bheilear a鈥� toirt pr矛omhachas do Thuath agus Deas ann am Beurla, mar eisimpleir North-east an 脿ite East-north is South-west an 脿ite West-south. Ach ann an G脿idhlig canaidh sinn an Ear-thuath is an Iar-dheas an 脿ite Tuath-ear no Deas-iar.

Tha beachd aig Cailean Mark air a sin. Tha e a鈥� cumail a-mach gur e as coireach ri sin gu robh na h-脿irdean ann an G脿idhlig co-cheangailte bho th霉s ri adhradh na gr猫ine, agus gu robh an 脿irde an ear f矛or chudthromach oir 鈥檚 ann an sin a bhios a鈥� ghrian ag 猫irigh. Dh猫ilig mi ri seo ann an Litir o chionn fhada, nuair a mh矛nich mi gu bheil an ear a鈥� ciallachadh air beulaibh a chionn 鈥檚 gum biodh daoine a鈥� coimhead a dh鈥檌onnsaigh 脿irde 猫irigh na gr猫ine. Tha an iar a鈥� ciallachadh air c霉laibh air an aon d貌igh.

Agus 鈥檚 e sin as coireach gu bheil deas airson south co-ionann ri deas airson right, oir ma choimheadas tu a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿irde an ear, tha an 脿irde a deas air do l脿imh dheis. Co-dhi霉, a ch脿irdean, sin uile a cheadaicheas an 霉ine dhomh an t-seachdain seo. Beannach leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: Tuath 鈥檚 a bhith 鈥檔 Ear: N by E; Tuath 鈥檚 an Ear-thuath: NNE; an Ear-thuath 鈥檚 a bhith Tuath: E by N; an Ear-thuath: NE; an Ear-thuath 鈥檚 a bhith 鈥檔 Ear: NE by E; an Ear 鈥檚 an Ear-thuath: ENE; an Ear 鈥檚 a bhith Tuath: E by N; 脿irdean na combaist: the points of the compass; snasail: neat; an 脿irde an ear: the east; air beulaibh: in front of; air c霉laibh: behind.

Abairtean na seachdaine: hal貌, a ch脿irdean: hello, friends; hal貌, fhearaibh: hello, men; sgr矛obh e leabhar anns na h-ochdadan mu ghn矛omhairean G脿idhlig: he wrote a book in the eighties about Gaelic verbs; a bheil sibh air rudeigin a mhothachadh?: have you noticed something?; an fheadhainn a laigheas eadar gach pr矛omh 脿irde: the ones that lie between each primary compass point; gu bheilear a鈥� toirt pr矛omhachas do X: that priority is given to X; tha e a鈥� cumail a-mach: he reckons, maintains; gur e as coireach ri sin: that the reason for that is; co-cheangailte bho th霉s ri adhradh na gr猫ine: linked originally to sun-worship; ma choimheadas tu a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿irde an ear: if you look eastwards; tha an 脿irde a deas air do l脿imh dheis: (the) south (point of the compass) is at your right hand.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Last week we looked at the vocative singular case in Gaelic. At the beginning of this week鈥檚 Litir, I gave some examples of the vocative plural, an tuiseal gairmeach iolra. This is formed in two ways: where the nominative plural form has an 鈥揳n ending, the vocative plural is equivalent to the nominative plural, except that it is lenited and preceded by an 鈥渁鈥�. Thus c脿irdean becomes 鈥渁 ch脿irdean!鈥� and caileagan becomes 鈥渁 chaileagan!鈥� Where the nominative plural in some masculine nouns is formed by slenderisation of the nominative singular eg balaich (boys), fir (men), bodaich (old men), there is an old vocative form which still exists, and which terminates in 鈥揳ibh, eg 鈥渁 bhalachaibh!鈥�, 鈥渇hearaibh!鈥�, 鈥渁 bhodachaibh!鈥�. Note that with fhearaibh having an initial silent consonant combination because of lenition, the 鈥渁鈥� is dropped. Also, some dialects give a 鈥渋v鈥� sound at the end of these forms; in others, the sound is closer to 鈥渙o鈥�. Note also that a few nouns are irregular. An example is 鈥渁 mhnathan!鈥�, the vocative plural of bean, a wife or woman.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: sin uile a cheadaicheas an 霉ine dhomh: that鈥檚 all that time permits me.