麻豆约拍

Gheall mi dhuibh, a ch脿irdean, gun innsinn tuilleadh dhuibh an t-seachdain-sa mu dheidhinn an fhacail 鈥渢uathal鈥� a tha ri lorg ann am 鈥減artan-tuathal鈥�. 鈥橲 e facal air leth inntinneach a th鈥檃nn air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu bheil e co-cheangailte ris an t-sealladh a bh鈥檃ig na G脿idheil, o shean, air a鈥� chruinne-c猫.

Mus robh na G脿idheil air gnothach a ghabhail ri Cr矛osdachd, nuair a bha iad fhathast nam p脿ganach, bha sealladh aca air an t-saoghal a bha st猫idhichte air mar a sheasadh duine ann am meadhan cearcaill, a鈥� coimhead a-mach a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿ird an ear, an 脿ird far am bi a鈥� ghrian ag 猫irigh. Bhiodh an 脿ird an ear air a bheulaibh, agus bhiodh an 脿ird an iar air a ch霉laibh. Agus 鈥檚 e sin a bha na faclan sin a鈥� ciallachadh anns an t-seann Gh脿idhlig 鈥� an ear, air do bheulaibh, agus an iar, a鈥� tighinn as do dh猫idh.

Nise, ma tha sibh nur suidhe an-dr脿sta, 猫irichibh gu鈥檙 casan. Greasaibh oirbh! Greasaibh oirbh! Seadh, tha sin nas fhe脿rr. Nise, smaoinichibh air combaist. Coimheadaibh a-mach a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿ird an ear, mar a bhiodh an seann draoidh. Togaibh ur l脿mh dheas. Tha mi鈥檔 d貌chas gu bheil an t猫 cheart agaibh! 鈥橲 e sin deas, agus 鈥檚 e sin ur l脿mh dheas. Tha deas ann an G脿idhlig a鈥� ciallachadh an d脿 chuid, right agus south. South Uist, Uibhist a Deas. South Africa, Afraga a Deas.

Ach d猫 tha air do l脿imh chl矛 air a鈥� chombaist? 鈥橲 e sin an 脿ird a tuath. An latha an-diugh, 鈥檚 e cl矛 neo ce脿rr a chanas sinn anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig Albannaich airson left. Ach, o shean, bha am facal tuath a鈥� ciallachadh left a bharrachd air north.

Nise cumaibh air ur casan agus smaoinichibh air a鈥� ghr猫in agus air slighe na gr猫ine tron adhar. Bidh i ag 猫irigh anns an 脿ird an ear, bidh i a鈥� gluasad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿ird a deas agus, mu dheireadh, th猫id i fodha anns an 脿ird an iar. Anns a鈥� mhadainn, agus tha seo cutromach, anns a鈥� mhadainn, aig toiseach an latha, bidh i a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿ird a deas. Canaidh sinn gur ann 鈥渄eiseil鈥� a tha i a鈥� dol. Tha 鈥渄eiseil鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁鈥� dol air slighe na gr猫ine鈥� neo, mar as fhe脿rr a thuigeas daoine an-diugh e, 鈥檚 d貌cha, 鈥渁ir slighe sp貌g an uaireadair.鈥�

Agus tha tuathal a鈥� dol calg-dh矛reach an aghaidh sin. Tha tuathal a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁鈥� gluasad an aghaidh na gr猫ine鈥� neo 鈥渁n aghaidh an uaireadair鈥�.

Ach tha ciall neo dh脿 eile air na faclan seo, tuathal agus deiseil, neo deas. Bidh fios agaibh gu bheil deiseil a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渦llamh鈥� neo 鈥渃r矛ochnaichte鈥�. Ach tha am facal eile a tha c脿irdeach dha, deas, cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済asta鈥�, neo 鈥渟nasail鈥� neo 鈥渟gileil le do chuid l脿mhan鈥�. Tha deas co-cheangailte ri dexter ann an Laideann. Tha am facal Beurla dexterous a鈥� tighinn 脿s a Laidinn.

Agus tha tuathal a鈥� dol an aghaidh deiseil agus deas anns an t-seadh seo cuideachd. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渄eireannach鈥� neo 鈥渃e脿rr鈥� neo 鈥渢roimh-ch猫ile鈥� neo 鈥済un a bhith ro sgileil neo sgiobalta鈥�. Carson, ma tha, an e partan-tuathal a chanas sinn ri hermit crab? An e gu robhar a鈥� deanamh dheth gum biodh am partan-tuathal a鈥� gluasad an aghaidh slighe na gr猫ine, neo an e d矛reach air sg脿th 鈥檚 gur e beathach car neo-脿bhaisteach 鈥� beathach 鈥渃e脿rr鈥� 鈥� a th鈥檃nn?

Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach mu dheidhinn sin, ach tha mi cinnteach mu dheidhinn aon rud. 鈥橲 e sin gu bheil t貌rr ri ionnsachadh mu dheidhinn dualchas na G脿idhlig bhon d脿 fhacal sin 鈥� tuathal agus deiseil. Agus bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air deiseil anns an ath litir. Ach, an-dr脿sta, tha mi deiseil.

partan-tuathal: hermit crab; air leth: particularly; co-cheangailte(ri): connected (to); sealladh: view; o shean: of old; an cruinne-c猫: the world; Cr矛osdachd:Christianity; combaist: compass; draoidh: druid; ullamh: ready, finished; cr矛ochnaichte:finished; gasta: nice; snasail: elegant; deireannach: slow,backward; ce脿rr: wrong, awkward;neo-脿bhaisteach: unusual.

gheall mi dhuibh gun innsinn tuilleadh dhuibh: I promised you(pl) that I would tell you more; a tha ri lorg: that is to be found; mus robh X air gnothach aghabhail ri Y: before X had become involved with Y; st猫idhichte air duine a sheasadh ann ammeadhan cearcaill: based upon a man who would stand in the middle of a circle; adh'ionnsaigh na h-脿ird an ear/an iar/a deas/a tuath: towards the east/west/south/north; air abheulaibh: in front of him; air a ch霉laibh: behind him; as do dh猫idh: after you; togaibh url脿mh dheas: lift your right hand; slighe na gr猫ine: the route of the sun; tha X a' dol calgdh矛reach an aghaidh sin: X goes directly against that (ie it is an opposite); an aghaidh nagr猫ine: anti-sunwise; anns an t-seadh seo: in this way; gu robhar a deanamh dheth: that itwas being made out; gu bheil t貌rr ri ionnsachadh mu dheidhinn dualchas na G脿idhlig: thatthere is much to learn about the Gaelic heritage; tha mi deiseil: I am finished

anns a' Gh脿idhlig Albannaich: in (the) Scottish Gaelic. InLitir 8 (9 July) we looked at the slenderisation of feminine nouns in the dative case. Here isanother example but this time look out for the adjective, not the noun (which already has aslender vowel at the end of the word). You will see that the adjective is Albannaich, notAlbannach. It is slenderised because G脿idhlig is a feminine noun and the adjective alsofollows the rule. A more obvious example is air do l脿imh dheis (on your right hand). Deas islenited and slenderised to dheis. Here are some examples in which both noun and adjectiveare slenderised: fon uinneig mh貌ir (under the big window), air a' chaileig bhig (on the smallgirl), air a' ghealaich ghil (on the white moon). Here are some examples in which only theadjective is slenderised, because the noun already has a slender ending (to the ear): annsan Eaglais Bhric (in Falkirk ie the speckled church); leis a' ph矛ob mh貌ir (with the great pipeie Highland bagpipes); anns a' Gh脿idhlig Mhanainnich (in [the] Manx Gaelic).

'S fhe脿rr am partan-tuathal na bhith gun fhear-taighe: better thehermit crab than to be without a man of the house (ie a husband). An interpretation of thisis given in the text of the letter.