麻豆约拍

O chionn beagan seachdainean, dh鈥櫭╥rich duilgheadas 霉r ann an saoghal na G脿idhlig. Nochd galar as 霉r ann am Breatainn, galar a tha a鈥� bualadh air beathaichean ladhrach. Ann am Beurla, canaidh iad 鈥淔oot and Mouth Disease鈥� ris. Ach d猫 bha sinne, a tha ag obair anns na meadhanan G脿idhlig, a鈥� dol a ghabhail air?

Ann an G脿idhlig na h-Eireann, canaidh iad 鈥済alar cr煤ibe is b茅il鈥� ris. Tha sin na eadar-theangachadh air a鈥� Bheurla. Ann an Cuimris, 鈥檚 e eadar-theangachadh a th鈥� acasan cuideachd. Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn anns a鈥� ch脿nan againn fh矛n?

鈥橲 iomadh facal 霉r a dh鈥檉heumas sinn cruthachadh ann an G脿idhlig airson d猫iligeadh ri gnothaichean an latha an-diugh, ach tha prionnsabal cudthromach ann, saoilidh mi 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin, ma tha seann fhacal neo abairt Gh脿idhlig ann airson rudeigin, is ma dh鈥檃ithnicheas cuid e fhathast, cleachd e. O shean, agus suas chun an latha an-diugh, chanadh cuid de Ghaidheil 鈥渁n galar roilleach鈥� ris a鈥� ghalar seo.

Uill, tha sin f矛or ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan. Ann an 脿iteachan eile, chanadh iad, agus canaidh iad fhathast, 鈥渁n galar ronnach鈥� neo 鈥渁n galar roinneach鈥�. Tha iad uile a鈥� ciallachadh na h-aon rud 鈥� an galar far am bi uisge a鈥� ruith as be貌il nam beathaichean. 鈥淭he slavering disease鈥� ann am Beurla.

Ach tha sin a鈥� f脿gail duilgheadas. Am bu ch貌ir dhuinn gabhail ri aon fhacal air a shon air feadh saoghal na G脿idhlig? Mura h-eil am facal 鈥渞oilleach鈥� ann an G脿idhlig Ile, mar eisimpleir, carson a chanadh na h-Ilich 鈥渁n galar roilleach鈥�? Cha bhiodh e a鈥� d猫anamh ciall dhaibh. Seo an se貌rsa ceist ris a feum sinn d猫iligeadh gu tric nuair a tha sinn ag obair gu l脿itheil, agus aig 矛re n脿iseanta, ann an G脿idhlig.

Bha mi a鈥� coimhead tro sheann bh脿rdachd airson iomradh sam bith air a鈥� ghalar seo, ach chan fhaca mi c脿il. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach biodh an cuspair uabhasach taitneach do bh脿rd! Ach lorg mi am facal 鈥渞onn鈥�, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渟laver鈥� aig Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair agus, cuideachd, ann an d脿n a sgr矛obh Donnchadh B脿n Mac an t-Saoir.

Rinn Donnchadh aoir air fear Uisdean a bha na ph矛obaire. Neo p矛obaire de she貌rsa air choreigin. Cha do shaoil Donnchadh m貌ran dheth, a r猫ir choltais. Seo rann 脿s an d脿n 鈥淎oir Uisdean Ph矛obair鈥欌��:

Ciamar a n矛 Uisdean 貌g dhuibh

ce貌l gu dannsa,

Nuair a ch矛theadh tu sruth ronn

on a h-uile toll a bh鈥� air an t-seannsair:

鈥橲 sgeul tha f矛or a dh鈥檌nnseas mise,

gur h-e dh鈥檉h脿g e nis cho manntach,

Gun tug iad dheth leis an t-siosar

b脿rr na teanga.

Uill, cha chreid mi gu bheilear a鈥� sgr矛obhadh b脿rdachd mar sin an-diugh. Nan nochdadh a leithid, agus Uisdean c貌ir fhathast be貌, 鈥檚 iongantach mura biodh e air a鈥� f貌n sa bhad don luchd-lagh鈥� aige! Co-dhi霉 sin am facal 鈥渞onn鈥� ann am b脿rdachd, ged nach eil sgeul air crodh, caoraich, mucan neo lighichean-spr猫idh!

Saoilidh mi gu bheil c貌ir againn a bhith mothachail do dh鈥檃on rud gu h-脿raidh co-cheangailte ris a鈥� ghalar roilleach. 鈥橲 e sin mar a bhiodh galairean de dh鈥檌omadh se貌rsa a鈥� sgapadh am measg an t-sluaigh, gun luaidh air beathaichean, gu math luath, anns na l脿ithean a dh鈥檉halbh.

Ach cha robh ar sinnsirean gun d貌chas mu a leithid. Tha seanfhacal ann a tha a鈥� sealltainn gu robh iad dhen bheachd gun gabhadh leigheas d猫anamh air galar sam bith: 鈥淩uigidh an ro-ghiullachd air an ro-ghalar鈥�. The best of nursing may overcome the worst disease. Ruigidh an ro-ghiullachd air an ro-ghalar. Bidh sinn an d貌chas, a thaobh a鈥� ghalair roillich ann am Breatainn agus anns an Roinn E貌rpa, an-dr脿sta agus anns an 脿m ri teachd, gu bheil an seanfhacal ceart.

Faclan na seachdaine: dh鈥櫭╥rich: arose; galar: disease; ladhrach: cloven-hoofed; eadar-theangachadh: translation; prionnsabal: principle; o shean: in olden days; be貌il: mouths; Ile: Islay; taitneach: pleasant; aoir: satire, lampoon; lighichean-spr猫idh: vets.

Abairtean na seachdaine: am bu ch貌ir dhuinn gabhail ri aon fhacal air a shon air feadh saoghal na G脿idhlig?: should we accept one word for it throughout the Gaelic world?; cha bhiodh e a鈥� d猫anamh ciall dhaibh: it wouldn鈥檛 make sense to them; seo an se貌rsa ceist ris a feum sinn d猫iligeadh gu tric: this is the sort of question with which we have to deal often; airson iomradh sam bith air a鈥� ghalar seo: for any mention of this disease; ciamar a n矛 X dhuibh ce貌l gu dannsa: how will X play you dance music; nuair a chitheadh tu sruth ronn on a h-uile toll a bh鈥� air an t-seannsair: when you could see slaver running from every hole in the chanter; gur h-e dh鈥檉h脿g e nis cho manntach: that it is this which left him now so stuttery; gun tug iad dheth leis an t-siosar b脿rr na teanga: that they took off the end of the (his) tongue with scissors; cha chreid mi gu bheilear a鈥� sgr矛obhadh b脿rdachd mar sin an-diugh: I don鈥檛 think poetry like that is written today; gun luaidh air beathaichean: without mentioning animals; anns an 脿m ri teachd: in the future.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥橲 iongantach mura biodh e air a鈥� f貌n sa bhad don luchd-lagh鈥� aige: he would likely be on the phone to his lawyers straightaway. The phraseology 鈥溾�橲 iongantach mura 鈥︹�� appears commonly in Gaelic conversation. Iongantach (the 鈥済鈥� is pronounced in some dialects, but not in others and, in Ireland, the spelling has been simplified to 鈥渋ontach鈥�) means 鈥渨onderful, suprising, strange鈥︹�� Gu h-iongantach means 鈥渨onderfully, surprisingly鈥� etc. In the idiom used in the litir, iongantach appears with the assertive verb 鈥渋s鈥�, and is then followed by the negative form of another verb. Literally, 鈥檚 iongantach mura biodh e鈥︹�� means 鈥渋t is surprising if he were not鈥︹�� ie it is likely that he would be... Here are some other examples: Q: Am bi thu aig a鈥� Mh貌d am bliadhna? (will you be at the Mod this year?) A: 鈥橲 iongantach mura bi. (I expect so). Q: An caill Rangers an l矛og am bliadhna? (will Rangers lose the league this year?) A: 鈥橲 iongantach mura caill (I expect so; lit. it will be surprising if they don鈥檛).

Learners sometimes get confused with these apparent double negatives in Gaelic, but they occur in English as well (eg 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say no to a drink鈥︹��; 鈥渉e鈥檚 not the most incapable man you鈥檒l ever see鈥�).

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Ruigidh an ro-ghiullachd air an ro-ghalar: the best of nursing may overcome the worst disease.