麻豆约拍

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, anns na puingean-gr脿mair, dh鈥檌arr mi oirbh eadar-theangachadh a dh猫anamh, bho Bheurla gu G脿idhlig, air d脿 ainm-脿ite - the sea-narrows of the small anchorage agus the point of the big lump-shaped hill. Ciamar a chaidh dhuibh? An do rinn sibh an gnothach?

The sea-narrows of the small anchorage an toiseach 鈥� Caolas na h-Acarsaid Bige, Caolas na h-Acarsaid Bige. Agus 鈥� the point of the big lump-shaped hill? D猫 mu dheidhinn - Rubha a鈥� Mhill Mh貌ir? Rubha a鈥� Mhill Mh貌ir.

Thug sinn s霉il air ainm-脿ite no dh脿 anns an Litir mu dheireadh bho CD-ROM 霉r air a bheil cruinneachadh de dh鈥檃inmean 脿 sg矛re na C貌igich ann an Siorrachd Rois. Bha sinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh anns na h-Eileanan Samhraidh. An turas seo bu mhath leam coimhead air 脿ite no dh脿 air t矛r-m貌r agus na ghabhas ionnsachadh bhuapa mu ghr脿mar na G脿idhlig.

Uill, tha an CD-ROM fosgailte an-dr脿sta agus tha mi a鈥� coimhead air 脿ite air a bheil Ceum nan Each. Ceum nan Each. Tha mi an d貌chas gu bheil sibh a鈥� tuigsinn gu bheil nan each a鈥� ciallachadh of the horses. Nuair a tha ainmear mar each ag atharrachadh gu eich anns an tuiseal ainmneach iolra, no nominative plural, - 鈥檚 e sin le caolachadh, an 脿ite le bhith a鈥� cur 鈥揳n aig an deireadh, tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh d脿 rud cudthromach a thaobh gr脿mar. Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach, bidh buadhair a th猫id leis air a sh猫imheachadh. Canaidh sinn eich mh貌ra is eich bheaga.

Agus 鈥檚 e an d脿rna riaghailt chudthromach gu bheil cruth an fhacail anns an tuiseal ghinideach iolra co-ionann ri chruth anns an tuiseal ainmneach shingilte. Mar sin, airson the horses, canaidh sinn 鈥渘a h-eich鈥�, ach airson of the horses, canaidh sinn 鈥渘an each鈥�. Ceum nan Each 鈥� the Path of the Horses.

Beagan gu deas air sin tha Creag nam Broc. D猫 tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh? Creag nam Broc. Tha broc a鈥� ciallachadh badger. Airson a dh猫anamh iolra, bidh sinn ga chaolachadh 鈥� gu bruic. Tha na bruic a鈥� ciallachadh the badgers. Mar sin, tha 鈥渘am broc鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh of the badgers. Creag nam Broc 鈥� the Rock of the Badgers. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 a bheil bruic fhathast a鈥� fuireach ann. Tha amharas agam nach eil.

Agus seo 脿ite eile - Cadha nan T貌n. 鈥橲 e cadha bealach cas anns a bheil ceum, air am bi daoine a鈥� coiseachd. Agus 鈥� mura h-eil fios agaibh ca鈥� eil ur t貌n, feumaidh sibh coimhead ann am faclair! Bha Donaidh Friseal, a chruinnich na h-ainmean-脿ite, dhen bheachd gur e gum biodh duine buailteach tuiteam air a th貌n nuair a bhiodh e a鈥� d矛readh a鈥� chadha a bu choireach ris an ainm.

Agus seo agaibh eisimpleirean eile de dh鈥檃inmean anns a bheil facal anns an tuiseal ghinideach iolra 鈥� Uamhag nan Gobhar (the little cave of the goats), Glaic nan Reitheachan (the hollow of the rams), Bruthach nan C脿rn (the brae of the cairns) agus Meall nam Fiadh (the hill of the deer).

Nise, tha mi airson tr矛 ainmean, 脿s a CD-ROM seo, a thoirt dhuibh, ann an G脿idhlig an turas seo, agus tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌arraidh oirbh eadar-theangachadh a dh猫anamh orra gu Beurla. Seo iad, ma tha: Allt Gleann na Gaoithe, Faing a鈥� Ch霉irn Bh脿in, agus Meall Dubh na Saobhaidh. An do mhothaich sibh mar a tha na h-uibhir de dh鈥檃inmean-脿ite st猫idhichte air beathaichean agus 脿iteachan far am biodh daoine a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri beathaichean 鈥� eich, bruic, reitheachan, caoraich, goibhrean, f猫idh, sionnaich鈥� Aaah. Mapaichean. Nach e rudan air leth a th鈥� annta!

Faclan na seachdaine: t矛r-m貌r: mainland; tuiseal: case (noun); ainmneach: nominative; iolra: plural; caolachadh: slenderisation; caoraich: sheep; f猫idh: deer (plural); goibhrean (or gobhair): goats; sionnaich: foxes.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ciamar a chaidh dhuibh?: how did you get on?; an do rinn sibh an gnothach?: did you manage?; d猫 mu dheidhinn?: what about?; na ghabhas ionnsachadh bhuapa mu ghr脿mar na G脿idhlig: what can be learned from them about Gaelic grammar; bidh buadhair a th猫id leis air a sh猫imheachadh: an adjective which accompanies it is lenited; 鈥檚 e an d脿rna riaghailt chudthromach: the second important rule is; gu bheil cruth an fhacail anns an tuiseal ghinideach iolra co-ionann ri chruth anns an tuiseal ainmneach shingilte: that the form of the word in the genitive plural case is the same as its form in the singular nominative case; beagan gu deas air sin: a little south of that; tha amharas agam nach eil: I suspect [they are] not; feumaidh sibh coimhead ann am faclair: you must look in a dictionary; tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌arraidh oirbh eadar-theangachadh a dh猫anamh orra: I am going to ask you to translate them; far am biodh daoine a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri beathaichean: where people would be dealing with animals; nach e rudan air leth a th鈥� annta: aren鈥檛 they special things.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: I would like to make a point this week about common abbreviations in speech which I tend to avoid in the Litir because of confusion, and the fact that they are not found in dictionaries. But they are common in speech and I have put two in this week. The first is chan eil fhios a鈥檓. The a鈥檓 here stands for agam 鈥� it is actually chan eil fhios agam 鈥� but in conversation the former is usually used. Also in mura h-eil fios agaibh ca鈥� eil ur t貌n (if you don鈥檛 know where your 鈥渢貌n鈥� is), tha ca鈥� eil stands for c脿ite a bheil. Sometimes it is shortened even more and written ca鈥檌l. You might say to a friend (but not in a formal situation) 鈥� ca鈥檌l thu dol? for c脿ite a bheil thu a鈥� dol? In some circumstances it is shortened to ca鈥� bheil eg if you are shouting for a child 鈥� a Dh貌mhnaill, ca鈥� bheil thu? (Donald, where are you?) Try and get used to shortening these phrases from what you might learn in a textbook so that your Gaelic sounds more natural.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gur e gum biodh duine buailteach tuiteam air a th貌n .. a bu choireach ris an ainm: it is that a person would be liable to fall on his posterior .. that was responsible for the name. Sometimes buailteach goes with the prepositions do (dha) or air eg tha e buailteach do shabaid (he is prone to fighting); tha iad buailteadh air g猫illeadh (they are apt to yield).