麻豆约拍

D猫 an ceangal a th鈥� ann eadar Leabhar Habacuic anns a鈥� Bh矛oball agus an catalog aig J D Williams trom biodh m貌ran air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd uaireigin a鈥� ceannach aodach? Mmm. Ceist dhoirbh, is cinnteach. Uill, bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar o chionn ghoirid, a bh鈥� air a sgr矛obhadh leis an Urramach D貌mhnall Uilleam MacCoinnich 鈥� 鈥淎s it Was 鈥� Sin Mar a Bha鈥�, mu dheidhinn bliadhnaichean 貌ige ann an eilean Ulbha, l脿imh ri Muile.

Anns an leabhar, tha an t-霉ghdar ag innse dhuinn mu dheidhinn ministear anns an Eilean Sgitheanach a bha a鈥� searmonachadh turas. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� choitheanal s霉il a thoirt air earrann de Leabhar Habacuic. Uill, chan eil anns an leabhar sin ach mu dh脿 dhuilleig, agus bha duilgheadas aig m貌ran anns a鈥� choitheanal a lorg am measg leabhraichean an t-Seann Tiomnaidh.

Thug iad 霉ine, a鈥� tionndadh duilleagan is a鈥� cur d脿il air an t-searmon, agus dh鈥檉h脿s am ministear m矛-fhoighidneach. Mu dheireadh, thuirt e, 鈥淎, nam b鈥� e leabhar J D Williams a bh鈥� ann, 鈥檚 fhada bhon a bha e air a bhith agaibh!鈥� Cha robh e fh猫in a鈥� saoilsinn m貌ran dhen chatalog sin!

Thachair mi ri Mgr MacCoinnich o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean, nuair a bha mi a鈥� d猫anamh pr貌gram-r猫idio mu dheidhinn Ulbha, agus bha e ag obair air an leabhar aige aig an 脿m. Tha mi air leth toilichte gun deach a chur an cl貌, oir tha e gu math inntinneach agus tha e ag innse dhuinn m貌ran mu dheidhinn eilean snog a bha, tr脿th anns an fhicheadamh linn, cho Gaidhealach ri gin.

Tha m貌ran naidheachdan beaga anns an leabhar a ch貌rdas ri duine sam bith aig a bheil 霉idh ann an G脿idhlig. Mar eisimpleir, bha calmain aca a bhiodh a鈥� caoirean fad an l脿 agus bhiodh D貌mhnall 貌g a鈥� faighneachd de athair, a bha cuideachd na mhinistear, gu d猫 bha na h-e貌in ag r脿dh. Chanadh athair ris gur ann a鈥� bruidhinn ri ch猫ile a bha iad agus gu robh iad ag r脿dh, 鈥渃ha b鈥� ann de mo chuideachd thu.鈥� Ma chanas sibh sin tri tursan sreath ch猫ile gu luath, ch矛 sibh d猫 bha e a鈥� ciallachadh.

Agus nuair a bhiodh daoine ag ithe uighean, chuireadh iad sp脿in an toiseach ann an luath no salann. Bha beachd ann am Muile gu robh uighean cunnartach agus 鈥檚 d貌cha gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich an saobh-chr脿bhadh air s脿illeamh sin. Co-dhi霉, bha seanfhacal aca:

Ugh gun 矛m, gun luath, gun salann

鈥檔 ceann seachd bliadhna gun tig galar.

Is tha an t-霉ghdar ag innse seanfhacal eile, air am bi feadhainn agaibh e貌lach 鈥檚 d貌cha, co-cheangailte ris mar a ghuir cearc aca uighean tunnaig turas a bha seo. A dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 nach robh a h-脿l coltach rithe idir, cha do ghabh a鈥� chearc dragh sam bith. Agus bha na h-iseanan fh猫in toilichte gu le貌r leantainn oirre mar gum b鈥� i am m脿thair - fhad 鈥檚 a bha an turadh ann.

Ach l脿 bha seo, bha i fliuch agus bha glumagan ann. Ged nach robh a鈥� chearc airson 鈥檚 gun rachadh na tunnagan beaga faisg air an uisge, cha b鈥� urrainn dhi stad a chur orra. Bha iad air an d貌igh glan, a鈥� plubadaich anns na glumagan. Agus 鈥檚 e an seanfhacal 鈥� th猫id dualchas an aghaidh nan creag. Th猫id dualchas an aghaidh nan creag.

Nuair a bha mi a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� phr貌gram mu dheidhinn Ulbha, thachair mi ri fear eile a bha mion-e貌lach air an eilean agus aig an robh e貌las f矛or mhath air taobh siar Mhuile 鈥� Ruairidh MacN猫ill nach maireann. Innsidh mi dhuibh beagan mu dheidhinn-san an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: Leabhar Habacuic: The Book of Habakkuk; 霉ghdar: author; m矛-fhoighidneach: impatient; air leth toilichte: very pleased; inntinneach: interesting.

Abairtean na seachdaine: trom biodh m貌ran uaireigin a鈥� ceannach aodach: through which many would at one time buy clothes; mu dheidhinn bliadhnaichean 貌ige ann an eilean Ulbha, l脿imh ri Muile: about the days of his youth in the isle of Ulva, next to Mull; chan eil anns an leabhar sin ach mu dh脿 dhuilleig: there are only about two pages in that book; am measg leabhraichean an t-Seann Tiomnaidh: among the books of the Old Testament; a鈥� cur d脿il air an t-searmon: delaying the sermon; nam b鈥� e X a bh鈥� ann, 鈥檚 fhada bhon a bha e air a bhith agaibh: if it had been X, you would have had [found] it long ago; cha robh e a鈥� saoilsinn m貌ran de..: he didn鈥檛 think much of..; a bha cho Gaidhealach ri gin: that was as Highland [Gaelic] as any; a ch貌rdas ri X: which X will enjoy; bha calmain aca a bhiodh a鈥� caoirean fad an l脿: they had doves which would coo all day; cha b鈥� ann de mo chuideachd thu: you don鈥檛 belong to my people; chuireadh iad an sp脿in an toiseach ann an luath no salann: they would first put the spoon in ash or salt; 鈥檔 ceann seachd bliadhna gun tig galar: in seven years a disease will come; mar a ghuir cearc uigheann tunnaig: how a hen incubated duck鈥檚 eggs; mar gum b鈥� i am m脿thair: as if she were their mother; fhad 鈥檚 a bha an turadh ann: as long as the weather was dry; cha b鈥� urrainn dhi stad a chur orra: she couldn鈥檛 stop them; bha iad air an d貌igh glan, a鈥� plubadaich anns na glumagan: they were as happy as could be, splashing in the puddles.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: A dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 nach robh a h-脿l coltach rithe idir, cha do ghabh a鈥� chearc dragh sam bith: although her offspring was not at all like her, the hen was not upset. Have you sometimes been in the situation, when listening to conversation, of misinterpreting the 鈥渉鈥� sound at the start of a noun, as in 鈥渁 h-脿l鈥�? It is obvious in the written form, but less so in speech. The important point to remember is that very few words in Gaelic start with 鈥渉鈥�. Indeed a scan of a dictionary will show that they are almost all loan words or proper or place names which originate in Norse (eg Na Hearadh, Hiort), Hebrew (Habacuc), English (hal貌) and Greek or Latin via English or French (heileacoptar, heactair). The 鈥渉鈥� sound is usually caused by one of the agents of lenition working on a consonant like 鈥渢鈥� or 鈥渟鈥� (mo th貌n, do shuipear) or, as in the above case, by the insertion of an 鈥渉鈥� before a vowel, following the possessive feminine adjective, 鈥渁鈥�. Other examples would be a h-anail (her breath), a h-eanchainn (her brain), a h-貌ige (her youth). The equivalent masculine possessives would be, simply, anail (his breath), eanchainn (his brain), 貌ige (his youth).

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Th猫id dualchas an aghaidh nan creag: one鈥檚 inheritance will come to the fore. This also exists as th猫id d霉thchas an aghaidh nan creag. In terms of humans, this might be used to express the perceived dominance of nature over nurture.