麻豆约拍

A bheil cuimhne agaibh air Iain Major, neo John Major, mar a th鈥� ac鈥� air ann am Beurla? Tha fhios gu bheil. 鈥橲 e e fh猫in a thug iomradh ainmeil air na rudan a bu mh貌tha a ch貌rd ris. Seana-mhn脿than a鈥� raighdeadh baidsagalan air feasgar samhraidh, leann meadh-bhl脿th taobh a-muigh taigh-seinnse, agus criogad air an fheur. Dealbh snog do mh貌ran, ach tha fhios nach robh e a鈥� bruidhinn mu dheidhinn Na Hearadh!

Ach an robh fios agaibh gun tuirt Iain Major seo: O chionn 霉ine nach robh fada, bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air a bruidhinn leis a鈥� mh貌r-chuid againn. Seadh, Iain Major. Ach feumaidh mi a bhith onarach. Chan e an aon Iain Major a bh鈥� ann! Tha an darna fear na Shasannach agus bha e na Phr矛omhaire ann am Breatainn o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean. Bha am fear eile na Albannach agus bha e be貌 o chionn c貌ig ceud bliadhna.

Ged is e 鈥淢ajor鈥� a chanas sinn ris an-diugh, thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e 鈥淢air鈥� an sloinneadh a bh鈥� air ann am Beurla anns an sg矛re far an do thogadh e 鈥� Lodainn an Ear faisg air D霉n Eideann. Ach sgr矛obh e gu m貌r ann an Laidinn, agus anns a鈥� ch脿nan sin, 鈥檚 e 鈥淢ajorus鈥� a bh鈥� aige air fh猫in. 鈥橲 e an leabhar a b鈥� ainmeile a sgr矛obh e 鈥� Historia Majoris Britanniae. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淓achdraidh Bhreatainn Mh貌ir鈥�, ach tha cuid a鈥� cumail a-mach gu robh Major a鈥� gabhail sp貌rs leis na faclan, is a鈥� f脿gail smuain aig feadhainn gu robh am 鈥淢ajoris鈥� a鈥� seasamh air a shon fh猫in!

Bha Major air thoiseach air a鈥� chuid mh貌ir ann a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh nam faclan Great Britain neo Greater Britain, ceud bliadhna mus do chuir Righ Seumas VI sin mar thiotal air an r矛oghachd 霉ir aige, nuair a fhuair e cr霉n Shasainn.

Chaidh Iain Major gu sgoil ann an Haddington, agus chaidh e an uairsin gu Oilthigh Chambridge. Ann an ceithir cheud deug, ceithir fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛-deug (1493), chaidh e a dh鈥橭ilthigh Pharis far an do ghabh e ceum. 鈥橲 iad na cuspairean a bh鈥� aige 鈥� feallsanachd, diadhachd agus ealain-reusanachaidh, neo loidig.

Chuir e seachad bliadhnaichean mar 貌raidiche anns an Fhraing, ach thill e a dh鈥橝lba ann an c貌ig ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-ochd-deug (1518) mar Ard-ollamh na Feallsanachd is na Diadhachd ann an Oilthigh Ghlaschu. Roimhe sin bha e air a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen leabhar aige, mu dheidhinn eachdraidh Bhreatainn, a sgr矛obhadh.

Tha beachdan Mhajor anns an leabhar gu math inntinneach. Bha e na bu bh脿idheile ri muinntir Shasainn na m貌ran eile de luchd-eachdraidh na h-Alba aig an 脿m. Agus bha e dhen bheachd gu robh an t-脿m ann an d脿 r矛oghachd, Alba agus Sasainn, a chur c貌mhla fon aon r矛gh neo b脿nrigh. Sgr矛obh e tric mu na 鈥淏reatannaich鈥� neo 鈥淏ritons鈥� aig 脿m nuair a bha daoine eile rudeigin leisg a thaobh a bhith a鈥� cur na Sasannaich is na h-Albannaich c貌mhla mar sin.

Agus bha beachdan air leth inntinneach aige mu dheidhinn muinntir na h-Alba fh猫in agus gu h-脿raidh mu dheidhinn nan Gaidheal. Mar a thuirt mi aig an toiseach, sgr矛obh e gu robh G脿idhlig air a bhith aig a鈥� mh貌r-chuid de mhuinntir na h-Alba goirid ro linn fh猫in. Agus dh矛on e am biadh 脿raidh a bh鈥� aig na h-Albannaich. 鈥淔aodaidh na Frangaich is na Sasannaich a bhith ri fanaid,鈥� sgr矛obh e,鈥漚ch tha sinne air batailean a bhuannachadh air an stuth seo鈥�! D猫 am biadh a bh鈥� ann? Innsidh mi sin dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

seana-mhn脿than: old wives; leann: beer; meadh-bhl脿th: lukewarm;taigh-seinnse: pub; criogad: cricket; Na Hearadh: Harris; onarach: honest; Pr矛omhaire:Prime Minister; ceum: degree (University); cuspairean: subjects.

鈥檚 e e fh猫in a thug iomradh ainmeil air na rudan a bu mhotha ach貌rd ris: it鈥檚 himself that made famous mention of the things he enjoyed most; tha an darnafear na Shasannach: the first (lit. the second) is an Englishman; o chionn beaganbhliadhnaichean: a few years ago; bha am fear eile na Albannach: the other was a Scot; a鈥檚easamh air a shon fh猫in: standing for himself; bha e na bu bh脿idheile ri muinntir Shasainn:he was more kindly disposed towards the people of England; nuair a bha daoine eilerudeigin leisg a thaobh a bhith a鈥� cur X is Y c貌mhla mar sin: when others were somewhatreluctant to put X and Y together like that; goirid ro linn fh猫in: shortly before his time;dh矛on e am biadh 脿raidh: he defended the particular food; faodaidh na Frangaich is naSasannaich a bhith ri fanaid: the French and English may well mock (us); tha sinne airbatailean a bhuannachadh air an stuth seo: we have won battles on this stuff.

mar Ard-ollamh na Feallsanachd is na Diadhachd ann anOilthigh Ghlaschu: as Professor of Philosophy and Divinity at the University of Glasgow.Do you recall in Litir 34 (14 January 2000) that I mentioned that the Gaelic word forepiscopacy is easbaigeachd, which is formed from easbaig (bishop) and 鈥�(e)achd? Here is asimilar word 鈥� diadhachd (Divinity, Theology) 鈥� which is formed from Dia (God) and 鈥揳chd, with the 鈥渄h鈥� included to break up the double vowel sound. And it probably won鈥檛surprise you to hear that diadhach or diadhair means a religious personage and that bothwords are masculine, while the form ending in 鈥�(e)achd is feminine. The verbal noun is a鈥檇iadhachadh which means deifying and the adjective is diadhaidh (godly, pious or divine).Such relationships between words are common, and an understanding of how they work(including the irregularities) can increase your word power quickly. Feallsanachd(philosophy) is feminine as might be expected, as it ends in 鈥揳chd, but feallsanach(philosopher) is masculine. The adjective is feallsanachail (philosophical). Try to work outthe Gaelic for tooth, toothed, baring your teeth, dentist and dentistry and then check youranswers with your teacher or in a dictionary.

Chuir e seachad bliadhnaichean mar oraidiche: he spentyears as a lecturer. This is a common expression and literally means 鈥渉e put past years鈥�.How would you say 鈥淚 spent years living in Germany鈥�?