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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 33: Colla Ciotach

Fàilte oirbh, a chàirdean, gu Litir trì deug ar fhichead neo, anns an t-siostam ùr, trichead ’s a trì (33). Tha mi’n dòchas gu bheil sibh uile gu dòigheil, sunndach. Chan eil fhios a’m dè cho math ’s a tha ur cuimhne ach, anns an Litir mu dheireadh agam, latha ron Nollaig, chuir mi ceist oirbh. Cò e an seann ghaisgeach Gaidhealach a bha leis a’ chearrag neo, mar a chanas iad anns an sgìre aige fhèin, a bha ciotach? Agus a th’air a chuimhneachadh airson sin.

Uill, ’s i an fhreagairt Colla Ciotach neo, ann am Beurla, Colkitto. Rugadh Colla Ciotach ann an Aontrom, ann an ceann a tuath na h-Eireann, anns a’ bhliadhna coig ceud deug, tri fichead ’s a deich, neo còig ceud deug is seachdad (1570). Bha e na bhall de Chlann Dòmhnaill agus thugadh e, na òige, a dh’Eilean Cholasa ann an Earra-Ghaidheal. Agus thogadh e ann an Colasa.

Anns an leabhar “Colkitto!”, tha an t-ùghdar, Kevin Byrne, a tha a’ fuireach ann an Colasa, a’ deanamh dheth gur dòcha nach ann ciotach a bha Colla ma tha sinn a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil am facal a’ ciallachadh dìreach left-handed, ach gu robh e comasach air claidheamh a thogail le a dhà làimh. Bha e a cheart cho math le a làimh chlì ’s a bha e le a làimh dheis. Ambidextrous mar a chanas iad ann am Beurla.

Co-dhiù, cha robh cùisean sìtheil air Ghàidhealtachd aig toiseach an t-seachdamh linn deug nuair a bha Seumas a-Sia (VI) na Rìgh agus, an dèidh strì mhòr, thug an Rìgh Colasa do Ghilleasbaig Caimbeul, seachdamh Iarla Earra-Ghaidheal. Cha b’e sin deireadh na strì, ge-tà, agus ann an sia ceud deug ‘s a còig-deug (1615), thug na Caimbeulaich ionnsaigh air na Dòmhnallaich ann an caisteal ann an Ìle. Bha Colla Ciotach am broinn a’ chaisteil.

Chaill na Dòmhnallaich am batail, ach fhuair Colla air falbh air an oidhche ann an bàta beag cuide ri fichead duin’ eile. Bha am bàta, ge-tà, ag ao-dion agus b’fheudar dhaibh stad airson greis air tìr. Fhuair na Caimbeulaich greim air sianar dhen sgioba ann a sin, ach fhuair Colla air falbh a-rithist.

Airson greis chum Colla a dol air feadh nan eilean, a’ togail chreach, agus a’ toirt ionnsaigh air na Caimbeulaich. A-rèir a’ chiad Phroifeasair de Cheilteis ann an Oilthigh Dhun Eideann, Dòmhnall MacFhiongain, a bhuineadh do Cholasa, “bha e cho teòma leis a’ ghunna is a bha leis a’ chlaidheamh.” Mu dheireadh, ge-tà, chaidh cùisean na aghaidh, agus thàinig e gu rèite leis an riaghaltas nach dèanadh e an tuilleadh aimhreit, nan leigeadh iad leis dhol dhachaigh a Cholasa.

Chaidh e dhachaigh ach bha nàmhaid aige anns an eilean – fear Calum Mac a’ Phì, ceann-cinnidh Clann Ic a’ Phì ann an Colasa. A-rèir beul-aithris, chaidh Colla agus feadhainn eile a bhuineadh do Chlann Dòmhnaill an tòir air Mac a’ Phì agus b’fheudar dha dhol am falach mar a b’fheàrr a b’urrainn dha. Tha cuimhn’ aig muinntir Cholasa fhathast air cuid de na h-àiteachan far an deach e am falach am measg nan creag. Tha an t-aon ainm orra uile – Leab’ Fhalaich Mhic a’ Phì, sin Leabaidh Fhalaich Mhic a’ Phì, an Leabaidh far an deach Mac a’ Phì am falach.

Agus tha cuimhn’ aig muinntir an eilein cuideachd air an àite far an do chuireadh Mac a’ Phì gu bàs, le Colla Ciotach agus a chàirdean. Anns an ath litir, bheir sinn sùil a-rithist air Colla, agus air a mhac, a tha cuideachd gu math ainmeil ann an eachdraidh na Gàidhealtachd, Alasdair Mac Cholla. Chun an uairsin, slàn leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine

gu dòigheil, sunndach: in good temper and good spirits; leis a'chearrag: left-handed; ciotach: left-handed,ambidextrous; Aontrom: Antrim; Colasa:Colonsay (traditionally, the spelling was Colbhasa, but the people of the island today preferColasa); Earra-Ghaidheal: Argyll; ùghdar: author; claidheamh: sword; Iarla: Earl; Caimbeul:Campbell; batail: battle; ag ao-dion: leaking; sianar: six people; sgioba: crew, party; teòma:skilful,adept; nàmhaid: enemy; Calum Mac a' Phì: Malcolm MacFie (or MacDuffie); amfalach: hidden; slàn leibh: cheerio, farewell.

Abairtean na seachdaine

agus a th'air a chuimhneachadh airson sin: and is rememberedfor that; bha e na bhall de Chlann Dòmhnaill: he was a member of Clan Donald; na òige: inhis youth; bha e a cheart cho math le a làimh chlì 's a bha e le a làimh dheis: he was just asgood with his left hand as he was with his right hand; thug X ionnsaigh air Y: X attacked Y;b'fheudar dhaibh stad: they had to stop; a' togail chreach: plundering; Proifeasair de Cheilteis:Professor of Celtic; a bhuineadh do Cholasa: who belonged to Colonsay; bha e cho teòmaleis a' ghunna is a bha e leis a' chlaidheamh: he was as adept with a (the) gun as he was witha (the) sword; thàinig e gu rèite nach deanadh e an tuilleadh aimhreit, nan leigeadh iad leisdhol dhachaigh: he came to an agreement that he would cause no further trouble if they lethim go home; mar a bfheàrr a burrainn dha: as best he could; Leab Fhalaich Mhic a' Phì:(lit.) MacFies (or MacDuffies) Hiding Bed.

Puing ghràmair na seachdaine

Thogadh e ann an Colasa: he was raised (brought up) inColonsay. Do you remember Litir 19 (Sept 24) in which we looked at using chaidh with theverbal noun to make past passives? Here is another way, and it's a bit neater. Take the rootof the verb, lenite it and add -adh or -eadh (according to the spelling rule). So tog becomesthogadh. Thogadh mi ann an Glaschu (I was raised in Glasgow). Breab becomes bhreabadh.Bhreabadh mi da thuras (I was kicked twice). Similarly, cur (a' cur) becomes chuireadh egfar an do chuireadh Mac a' Phì gu bàs (where MacFie was put to death). With the regularverbs, finding the root is straightforward, but it can be more complicated with irregularverbs. Beir (a' breith) becomes rugadh eg rugadh Colla Ciotach ann an Aontrom (Colkittowas born in Antrim); thoir (a' toirt) becomes thugadh eg thugadh e a Cholasa (he was takento Colonsay). Dont worry you will learn most of these irregular cases simply by exposureto the language, although a Gaelic grammar book is a useful item on every learner's bookshelves.

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine

Bha Colla Ciotach am broinn a chaisteil: Colkitto was inthe castle. Broinn is the dative of brù, a belly, and am broinn literally means in the bellyof (with the following noun in the genitive). This phrase is commonly heard, but it isimportant only to use it where you mean that something is physically inside something else.It cannot be used for something which is conceptually inside something else. eg Bha miam broinn an taighe; bha i am broinn a charbaid. But if you want to say, for example,inside a week from now you should not say am broinn seachdain bhon a seo; you wouldhave to say taobh a-staigh seachdain bhon a seo.

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