麻豆约拍

Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil e gl猫 fheumail uaireannan G脿idhlig a bhith agaibh nuair a tha sibh a鈥� leughadh leabhraichean Beurla, gu h-脿raidh ma tha iad air cuspair Gaidhealach. Th脿inig mi tarsainn air eisimpleir dheth sin an l脿 eile, nuair a bha mi a鈥� leughadh an leabhair, Tales and Traditions of the Lews le D貌mhnall D貌mhnallach. Tha p矛os ann mu dheidhinn fear a bha seo 鈥渨ho came to raise creachs in Uist.鈥�

Chanainn nach biodh fios aig a鈥� chuid mh貌ir de dh鈥橝lbannaich, gun luaidh air luchd na Beurla ann an d霉thchannan eile, gu d猫 bha sin a鈥� ciallachadh. Bhiodh iad a鈥� smaoineachadh riutha fh猫in 鈥� 鈥渨hat鈥檚 a creach, and how does it get raised?鈥�! Tha mi an d霉il, ge-t脿, gu bheil sibh fh猫in ga thuigsinn. Bha Mgr D貌mhnallach a鈥� cleachdadh facal G脿idhlig 鈥� creach 鈥� agus a鈥� cur gn矛omhair ris 鈥� raise 鈥� a tha na eadar-theangachadh air a鈥� ghn矛omhair Gh脿idhlig 鈥� togail. Oir, ann an G脿idhlig, canaidh sinn gu robh cuideigin a鈥� togail creach 鈥� airson he was plundering.

Saoilidh mi gur e as coireach gun can sinn 鈥渢ogail creach鈥� no 鈥渢ogail na creiche鈥� gu bheil am facal a鈥� ciallachadh an stuth a bhiodh creachadairean a鈥� togail nuair a bhiodh iad a鈥� sp霉inneadh. Bhiodh iad a鈥� togail 貌r no airgead, mart no muc, is a鈥� falbh dhachaigh leotha. Chanadh muinntir Shrath Sp猫 anns an t-seann aimsir gur ann a鈥� togail creach a bhiodh na Camshronaich gach turas a thigeadh iad tron sg矛re aca. 鈥橲 ann ann an Loch Abar a bha na Camshronaich a鈥� c貌mhnaidh, ach rachadh iad tric don ear-thuath airson crodh a thoirt dhachaigh leotha, agus thilleadh iad tro Shrath Sp猫. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air an t-slighe a ghabhadh iad 鈥淩athad nam M猫irleach鈥�, agus 鈥檚 e sin an t-ainm a th鈥� air fhathast.

Agus leugh mi earrann eile ann an Tales and Traditions of the Lews: 鈥淐attle raiding, traditionally known as 鈥楲ifting the Cattle, Togail nam B貌, was a common custom in the Highlands for many generations.鈥� 鈥橲 ann ri sin a bha na Camshronaich 鈥� a鈥� togail nam b貌, a鈥� togail creach.

An do mhothaich sibh gur e 鈥渞aising creachs鈥� a sgr矛obh D貌mhnall D貌mhnallach, ach 鈥渓ifting the cattle鈥�, ged is e 鈥渢ogail鈥� a chanas sinn ris an d脿 chuid ann an G脿idhlig. Tha e furasta gu le貌r sin a mh矛neachadh. Tha raising cattle agus lifting cattle gu math eadar-dhealaichte o ch猫ile ann am Beurla. Agus, ma 鈥檚 e 鈥渢ogail nam b貌鈥� a chanas sinn airson 鈥渓ifting the cattle鈥� d猫 chanas sinn airson 鈥渞aising the cattle鈥�? Uill, feumaidh sinn facal eile a chleachdadh 鈥� 脿rach. Tha sinn ag 脿rach nam b貌 no ag 脿rach a鈥� chruidh.

Faodaidh sinn am facal sin a chleachdadh cuideachd airson daoine. Dh鈥檉haodadh sibh a r脿dh gu robh cuideigin ag 脿rach cloinne. No, le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh 脿rachmar ainmear, gun d鈥� fhuair cuideigin 脿rach. Ann am b脿rdachd is 貌rain, chithear sin gu tric 鈥� an d霉thaich far an d鈥� fhuair mi m鈥� 脿rach 鈥� the land in which I was raised. Bidh cuid agaibh e貌lach air an d脿n aig M脿iri Mh貌r nan 脪ran anns a bheil 鈥淪oraidh leis an 脿it鈥� far an d鈥� fhuair mi m鈥� 脿rach 貌g鈥︹��

Bu toigh leam d矛reach tilleadh gu creach mus fhalbh mi. A bharrachd air plunder is booty, tha e cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh ruin no destruction. Bidh sibh e貌lach air an abairt 鈥� 鈥淥 mo chreach!鈥�. Gu litireil, tha 鈥渕o chreach鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕y ruin!鈥� ach bhiodh e na bu choltaiche eadar-theangachadh mar 鈥渕y goodness鈥� no a leithid sin. Agus 鈥� mo chreach 鈥� tha an 霉ine air ruith orm! Feumaidh mi falbh. Mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta.

Faclan na seachdaine: creachadairean: plunderers; a鈥� sp霉inneadh: plundering, robbing; Camshronaich: Camerons; Srath Sp猫: Strathspey; m猫irleach: robber.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mi cinnteach gu bheil e gl猫 fheumail: I am certain it is very useful; th脿inig mi t脿rsainn air eisimpleir dheth sin: I came across an example of that; nach biodh fios aig a鈥� chuid mh貌ir de dh鈥橝lbannaich: that most Scots wouldn鈥檛 know; gun luaidh air luchd na Beurla ann an d霉thchannan eile: without mentioning English-speaking people in other countries; tha mi an d霉il, ge-t脿: I expect, however; saoilidh mi gur e as coireach gun can sinn X: I reckon that we say X because; gach turas a thigeadh iad tron sg矛re aca: each time they would come through their parish; airson crodh a thoirt dhachaigh leotha: to take cattle home with them; leugh mi earrann eile: I read another part; a chanas sinn ris an d脿 chuid: which we call both; tha sinn ag 脿rach a鈥� chruidh: we are raising the cattle; soraidh leis an 脿it鈥� far an d鈥� fhuair mi m鈥� 脿rach 貌g: farewell to the place where I was raised as a child; gu litireil, tha X a鈥� ciallachadh: literally, X means; feumaidh mi falbh: I must go (leave); mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta: cheerio just now.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bidh sibh e貌lach air an abairt: you will know the phrase. Here is a potted guide to translating the English 鈥渒now鈥�. Fios can be used for knowledge, in terms of knowing a fact. You might say tha fios/fhios agam or tha fios/fhios agam air X when saying that you have knowledge of something. A bheil fios agad c貌 tha a鈥� fuireach an seo? (do you know who lives here?). But when dealing with recognition of something, particularly of a person or place, it is preferable to use e貌las or its adjective e貌lach. A bheil thu e貌lach air an duine a tha a鈥� fuireach an seo? (do you know the person who lives here?); a bheil e貌las agad air duine sam bith dhen teaghlach sin? (do you know any of that family?). Don鈥檛 use fios in this regard 鈥� ie avoid saying tha fios agam air an duine sin. And note the handy luchd-e貌lais which means 鈥渁cquaintances鈥�. Another way of dealing with acquaintance is to use the noun aithne. Is aithne dhomh e (I know him, recognise him; an aithne dhut M脿iri?(do you know Mary?); the answer to the last question would be 鈥檚 aithne (yes) or chan aithne (no). Alternatively, you may be asked an aithnich thu M脿iri? using the verb aithneachadh (in some dialects it is faithneachadh ie am faithnich thu M脿iri?), to which you would say aithnichidh or chan aithnich (faithnichidh or chan fhaithnich).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Tha an 霉ine air ruith orm: my time is up (lit. the time has run on me). Tha an uine a鈥� ruith orm (I don鈥檛 have much time left).