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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 95: Na h-Innsean, Pakistan agus Bangladesh

Tha mo smuaintean air na h-Innsean an t-seachdain seo, agus na d霉thchannan l脿imh riutha air gach taobh 鈥 Pakistan agus Bangladesh. Tha deagh adhbhar ann airson sin. Aig an 脿m seo, o chionn deich bliadhna fichead, th貌isich an cogadh a thug neo-eisimeileachd do Bhangladesh.

Goirid ro mheadhan-oidhche air a鈥 ch貌igeamh latha fichead dhen Mh脿rt, naoi ceud deug, tr矛 fichead 鈥檚 a h-aon-deug (1971), th貌isich saighdearan 脿 Pakistan an Iar, a bha suidhichte ann am pr矛omh bhaile Phakistan an Ear, Dhaka, air losgadh air a鈥 mh貌r-shluagh. Ged a thug e beagan mh矛osan, b鈥 e sin a鈥 mhadainn fhuilteach air an do rugadh Bangladesh mar dh霉thaich neo-eisimeileach.

鈥橲 iomadh latha fuilteach a bha anns na d霉thchannan sin thairis air an eachdraidh, agus feumaidh sinn aideachadh gu robh Gaidheil an s脿s ann an gu le貌r aca. Am measg an fheadhainn a b鈥 ainmeile a bha thall, a鈥 sabaid as leth Bhreatainn, bha Sir Eachann Rothach, duin-uasal Gaidhealach a bhuineadh do Ros an Ear. B鈥 esan am mac a bu shine aig Uisdean Rothach 脿 Taigh an Fhuamhair, faisg air Bail鈥 Eoghainn.

Ann an seachd ceud deug is tr矛 fichead (1760), dh鈥檉halbh e air ceann Reiseamaid nan G貌rdanach a dh鈥檌onnsaigh nan Innsean. C貌ig bliadhna as d猫idh sin, bha e aig ceann feachd Companaidh nan Innsean an Ear, a rinn an gnothach air arm m貌r Innseanach ann am batail ris an canar 鈥淏atail Bhuxar鈥. Tha feadhainn a鈥 cumail a-mach gum b鈥 e sin a鈥 bhuannachd a bu chudthromaiche a-riamh aig na Breatannaich anns na h-Innsean.

Rinneadh f猫ill mh貌r air Eachann nuair a thill e dhachaigh. Chaidh e an s脿s ann am poileataics, agus chaidh a thaghadh mar bhall-p脿rlamaid do 鈥淏hailtean Inbhir Nis.鈥 Ach cha robh e deiseil anns na h-Innsean. Thill e ann an seachd ceud deug, tr矛 fichead 鈥檚 a h-ochd-deug (1778) don cheann a deas, far an d鈥檉huair e ceannas air an arm ann am Madras. A-rithist, bha e soirbheachail ann am batail, a鈥 cur na Frangaich a-mach 脿 Pondicherry agus a鈥 gabhail baile Negapatnam thairis bho na Duitsich.

Nuair a thill e dhachaigh, chuir Eachann iomhaigh mh貌r chloiche an 脿irde air mullach cnuic faisg air Taigh an Fhuamhair. Tha i na mac-samhail air geatachan Negapatnam agus tha i fhathast ann an-diugh, is ann an deagh 貌rdugh, d脿 cheud bliadhna as d猫idh a togail.

Ach cha deach leis an Rothach anns a h-uile d貌igh anns na h-Innsean, agus bha e aig ceann feachd ann am batail eile, anns an do rinneadh call air na Breatannaich a bha cho dona ri gin thall an sin. Thachair sin aig Polilur, p矛os a-mach 脿 Madras, ann an seachd ceud deug is ceithir fichead (1780) nuair a bha d脿 fheachd Bhreatannach a鈥 feuchainn ris a鈥 ch霉is a dh猫anamh air arm Mhysore.

Bha ochd m矛le saighdear fo smachd Albannach eile, an Coirneal Baillie, agus chaidh am marbhadh gu l猫ir, ged a bha feachd an Rothaich d矛reach beagan mh矛ltean air falbh. Thuirt feadhainn gur i a鈥 Gh脿idhlig a bu choireach airson na thachair, leis gum b鈥 fhe脿rr le Eachann agus Baillie conaltradh ri ch猫ile anns a鈥 ch脿nan sin, agus gun do dh鈥檃dhbharaich sin m矛-thuigse eadar iad fh猫in is oifigearan eile. Tha e a cheart cho coltach, ge-t脿, gur e d矛th-mhapaichean agus d矛th-bhrathaidh a bu choireach.

Co-dhi霉, fhuair Eachann air ais a Mhadras, ged a chaill e m貌ran saighdearan air an rathad. Thill e a dh鈥橝lba agus dh鈥檉h脿g e aon rud eile mar dh矛leab dhuinn 鈥 an cleoc a tha fhathast anns an st矛opall ann am meadhan baile Inbhir Nis. 鈥橲 iomadh co-fhoghar dhen chleoc sin a chomharraich l脿ithean m貌ra thall 鈥檚 a-bhos. Nam measg bha neo-eisimeileachd Bhangladesh o chionn deich bliadhna fichead.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: na h-Innsean: India; neo-eisimeileachd: independence; fuilteach: bloody; Sir Eachann Rothach: Sir Hector Munro; duin-uasal: gentleman; Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; Uisdean: Hugh; Taigh an Fhuamhair: Novar (estate); Bail鈥 Eoghainn: Evanton; Companaidh nan Innsean an Ear: The East India Company; Batail Bhuxar: The Battle of Buxar; Bailtean Inbhir Nis: Inverness Burghs (a parliamentary constituency no longer in existence); mac-samhail: likeness; m矛-thuigse: misunderstanding; d矛leab: legacy; st矛opall: steeple.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: na d霉thchannan l脿imh riutha air gach taobh: the countries next to them (na h-Innsean) on each side; feumaidh sinn aideachadh gu robh Gaidheil an s脿s ann an gu le貌r aca: we must admit that Gaels were involved in many of them; am measg an fheadhainn a b鈥 ainmeile a bha thall: among the most famous of those who were over there; dh鈥檉halbh e air ceann R猫iseamaid nan G貌rdanach: he left at the head of the Gordon Highlanders; gum b鈥 e sin a鈥 bhuannachd a bu chudthromaiche: that that was the most important victory; rinneadh f猫ill mh貌r air Eachann: a big fuss was made of Hector; chaidh e an s脿s ann am poileataics: he got involved in politics; far an d鈥檉huair e ceannas air an arm: where he obtained command of the army; chuir X iomhaigh mh貌r chloiche an 脿irde: X put up a large stone monument; ann an deagh 貌rdugh: in good condition; anns an do rinneadh call a bha cho dona ri gin: in which as great a loss as any was made; chaidh am marbhadh gu l猫ir: they were all killed; leis gum b鈥 fhe脿rr le X agus Y conaltradh ri ch猫ile anns a鈥 ch脿nan sin: as X and Y preferred communicating with each other in that language; d矛th-mhapaichean agus d矛th-bhrathaidh: a lack of maps and a lack of intelligence (ie information from spies).

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥橲 iomadh latha fuilteach a bha anns na d霉thchannan sin thairis air an eachdraidh: lit. it is many a bloody day that there was in those countries over their history. There is a tendency, among Gaelic learners, to always try to start a sentence with an active verb so that they might say, 鈥淏ha iomadh latha fuilteach anns na d霉thchannan sin鈥︹ Bear in mind, however, that the assertive verb 鈥渋s鈥 is commonly used in idiomatic Gaelic to commence a sentence and try this out as often as you can, especially when you are talking, as here, about a large number or quantity. Here are other examples: 鈥橲 iomadh rud a chunnaic mi (it is many a thing I have seen); 鈥檚 iomadh turas a chuala mi an leisgeul sin (it is many times I have heard that excuse); 鈥檚 iomadh duine a lean am Prionnsa gu C霉il Lodair (it is many a man who followed the Prince to Culloden). And, in the Litir: 鈥橲 iomadh co-fhoghar dhen chleoc sin a chomharraich l脿ithean m貌ra thall 鈥檚 a-bhos: it is many a chime of that clock which marked great events (days) in all parts of the world.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Tha deagh adhbhar ann airson sin: there is a good reason for that.

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