麻豆约拍

Th脿inig an gille agam dhachaigh bhon sgoil latha a bha seo le fealla-dh脿 dhomh. Mar is trice 鈥檚 e jokes Beurla a bhios aig a鈥� chloinn, ach an turas seo bha rudeigin 猫ibhinn aige ri r脿dh ann an G脿idhlig. Cha robh e ach 貌g 貌g. Cha chreid mi nach robh e ann an Clas 2 anns a鈥� bhun-sgoil. 鈥淒猫 an t-貌ran G脿idhlig,鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e, 鈥渁s fhe脿rr leis an ochd-chasach, neo octopus?鈥�

鈥淐han eil c脿il a dh鈥檉hios agam,鈥� fhreagair mi, 鈥渄猫 an t-貌ran as fhe脿rr leis an ochd-chasach?鈥�

Dh霉in e a sh霉ilean, mar gu robh e air an 脿rd-霉rlar aig a鈥� Mh貌d N脿iseanta, agus th貌isich e air seinn鈥�. 鈥淭eann a-nall 鈥檚 thoir dhomh do l脿mh, do l脿mh, do l脿mh, do l脿mh, do l脿mh, do l脿mh, do l脿mh, do l脿mh.鈥� Bha e gu math toilichte leis fh猫in agus cha b鈥檜rrainn dhomh ach g脿ire a dh猫anamh.

An uairsin, dh鈥檉haighnich e dhiom gu d猫 bh鈥檃nn ann an seachd-chasach. 鈥淐han eil c脿il a dh鈥檉hios agam,鈥� arsa mise ris, a鈥� smaoineachadh air a h-uile beathach air an robh mi e貌lach, 鈥渄猫 th鈥檃nn ann an seachd-chasach?鈥�

鈥淭ha,鈥� ars鈥� esan, 鈥渙chd-chasach a th鈥檃ir cas a chall!鈥�

Bha mi a鈥� dol ga 貌rdachadh a-mach 脿s mo shealladh, ach thuirt e rium gu robh p矛os beag eile de dh鈥檉healla-dh脿 aige. Agus bha sin mu dheidhinn casan cuideachd.

鈥淪iuthad, ma tha,鈥� thuirt mi ris, 鈥渋nnis do sgeul dhomh agus thalla!鈥�

Bha e mu dheidhinn lannsair agus euslainteach ann an ospadal. Bha an t-euslainteach air a bhith fon lannsa mar tha. 鈥淭ha droch naidheachd agus deagh naidheachd agam dhut,鈥� thuirt an lannsair ris an euslainteach. 鈥淎n toiseach 鈥� an droch naidheachd. Thug sinn a鈥� chas che脿rr dh矛ot. Ach 鈥檚 i an naidheachd mhath 鈥� as d猫idh a h-uile rud, nach leig sinn a leas a鈥� chas eile a thoirt dh矛ot idir!鈥�

Faodaidh sinn fealla-dh脿 a dh猫anamh mu dheidhinn casan, gu h-脿raidh leis gu bheil am facal 鈥渃as鈥� neo, mar a tha e uaireannan, 鈥渃ois鈥� neo 鈥渃oise鈥� a鈥� nochdadh gu math tric ann an gn脿thsan-cainnt. Canaidh sinn 鈥渃as a鈥� falbh is cas a鈥� fuireach鈥� mu dheidhinn duine nach urrainn co-dh霉nadh a dh猫anamh. Neo gu robh taigh an cois na mara, ged nach eil cas aig a鈥� mhuir ann. Neo gun tug cuideigin a chasan leis. Ach nach eil sinn uile a鈥� toirt ar casan leinn?!

Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach eil, agus tha cuimhn鈥� agam air turas a dh鈥檉h脿g gn脿ths-cainnt anns an robh am facal 鈥渃as鈥� neo 鈥渃ois鈥� uabhas air fear is aithne dhomh a bha na fhear-naidheachd. Chuir e f貌n don duine eile a bha seo mu dheidhinn mar a chaill am fear eile a dh脿 chois ann an tubaist. Cha robh e freagarrach bruidhinn aig an 脿m agus thuirt mo charaid gum f貌nadh e air ais air an lathairne-mh脿ireach. Bha e airson faighinn a-mach am biodh an duine eile ag 猫irigh tr脿th anns a鈥� mhadainn, gus am biodh fios aige cuin鈥� a bhiodh e freagarrach f貌nadh. Ach 鈥檚 e na thuirt e ris 鈥渁m bi thu air do chois trath?鈥� Cho luath 鈥檚 a thuirt e e, bha fios aige gu robh e air mearachd a dh猫anamh. Gu fortanach thuig am fear eile nach ann a鈥� deanamh di-meas air a bha e, ach gur e d矛reach gn脿ths-cainnt n脿darrach a bh鈥檃nn.

Ach air ais gu smuaintean nas aighearaich. Air latha eile, th脿inig mo nighean dhachaigh le fe脿lla-dh脿 eile agus 鈥檚 ann mu dheidhinn casan a bha sin cuideachd. 鈥淐haidh fear a-steach a bh霉th-t脿illeir,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥淏ha aon chas aige ochd 貌irlich na b鈥檉haide nan t鈥檈ile. 鈥楤u toil leam deise fhaicinn a bhiodh freagarrach dhomh,鈥� thuirt e ris an t脿illear.

鈥楤u toil is leamsa,鈥� fhreagair an t脿illear.

fealla-dh脿: fun, joke; 猫ibhinn: funny, amusing;bun-sgoil: primary school; ochd-chasach: octopus (lit. eight-legged);lannsair: surgeon; euslainteach: patient; droch, deagh naidheachd: bad,good news; gn脿ths-cainnt: figure of speech; freagarrach: suitable; anlathairne-mh脿ireach: the next day; b霉th-t脿illeir: a tailors shop; deise:suit.

cha robh e ach 貌g 貌g: he was only very young;chan eil c脿il a dh'fhios agam: I have absolutely no idea; cha b'urrainndhomh ach g脿ire a dh猫anamh: I could do no other than laugh; bha mi a' dolga 貌rdachadh a-mach 脿s mo shealladh: I was going to order him out of mysight; bha e air a bhith fon lannsa: he had been operated on (lit. under thescalpel); a bha na fhear-naidheachd: who was a journalist; chuir e f貌n: hephoned; nas aighearaich: happier, more cheery; ochd 貌irlich na bfhaidenan t-eile: eight inches longer than the other one (feminine); bu toil isleamsa: so would I (like to see a suit which is suitable for you!)

Cas is feminine (a chas = a foot, leg).Thug sinn a chas che脿rr dh矛ot (we amputated the wrong leg). Cas che脿rrcould also mean left leg but the context should make the meaning obvious.The dative is cois. Air a' chois (on the foot). A dh脿 chois (his twolegs). Air chois also means established. Chuir iad a' bhuidheann airchois (they established the group, organisation). An cois means near ortogether with and, because it is a compound preposition, it governs thegenitive case in the following noun. An cois na mara (beside the sea). Theplural is casan. Thug e a chasan leis (he departed lit. he took his feet withhim). The genitive is coise. Football is ball-coise (ball of foot). Bonn mochoise (the sole of my foot). Cas a falbh is cas a' fuireach (lit. a footleaving and a foot staying) is said of somebody who cannot make up hismind. My friend asked the man who had lost his legs if he would be up andabout but, without thinking, he used the figure of speech air do chois (lit.on your foot) and, naturally, felt embarrassed when he realised what he hadsaid.

Siuthad (ma tha): Go on (then). Siuthad isa very useful word which covers a multitude of meanings in English, such as- get started, away with you, help yourself, speak up. You would often use itto encourage the start of an activity. If you have children at a Gaelic-mediumunit, try it out on them. Am faod mi am buntata mu dheireadh fhaighinnneo a bheil sibhse ga iarraidh, a Mhamaidh? (may I have the last potato,Mummy, or do you want it?) Siuthad ith e, tha gu le貌r agam (go ahead eat it, I have enough).