麻豆约拍

Bidh cuimhn鈥� agaibh gu robh mi a-mach air t貌imhseachain Gh脿idhlig an t-seachdainn 鈥檚 a chaidh, agus gun tug mi fear dhuibh airson smaoineachadh air. Agus seo e a-rithist airson a chur nur cuimhne:

Chaidh biadh gu dithis

Aig ceann Loch Maruibh鈥�.

Dh鈥檌th am biadh an dithis,

鈥橲 chaidh am biadh dhachaigh a-rithist.

Uill 鈥檚 e a bh鈥檃nn anns a鈥� bhiadh 鈥� cat fiadhaich a chaidh a ghlacadh le iolaire, iolaire mh貌r. Bha nead aig an iolaire 鈥� gu h-脿rd anns na creagan aig ceann Loch Maruibh鈥�, ann an Ros an Iar. Agus anns an nead bha d脿 ph霉dach, neo isean. B鈥檈 sin an 鈥渄ithis鈥�. Co-dhi霉, nuair a chuir an iolaire mh貌r an cat anns an nead, bha an cat gun mhothachadh. Bha coltas air mar gu robh e marbh. Agus dh鈥檉halbh an iolaire a dh鈥檌arraidh biadh eile. Ach cha robh an cat marbh idir. Agus mus do rinn na h-iseanan acrach c脿il, th脿inig an cat thuige. Mharbh e na h-iseanan, agus dh鈥檌th e iad. Agus as d猫idh sin, mus do thill an iolaire mh貌r, theich an cat. Chaidh e s矛os na creagan agus air ais dhachaigh.

Uill, tha e s矛mplidh gu le貌r, nach eil? Ach tha mi鈥檔 d貌chas nach do chuir e cus dragh oirbh thairis air an t-seachdainn a dh鈥檉halbh, agus sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh air fad an t-siubhail! Anns na m矛osan romhainn, bho 脿m gu 脿m, bheir mi t貌imhseachain eile dhuibh, agus ma tha gin agaibh fh猫in a bu toil leibh a chur thugam, bhithinn uabhasach toilichte am faighinn. Gheibh sibh an se貌ladh an cois teacs na litreach ann am Paipear Beag an Eilein Sgitheanaich an t-seachdainn-sa.

Ach air ais don iolaire. Tha tr矛 se貌rsaichean de iolaire againn ann an Alba. Mar is trice, ma chanas sinn d矛reach 鈥渋olaire鈥�, 鈥檚 i an iolaire-bhuidhe, neo golden eagle, a tha sinn a鈥� ciallachadh. Agus a bharrachd air 鈥渋olaire-bhuidhe鈥� tha ainm eile ann air a son 鈥� an 鈥渋olaire-mhonaidh鈥� air sg脿th 鈥檚 gum bi i, mar is trice, anns a鈥� mhonadh, neo anns an adhar os cionn a鈥� mhonaidh, seach aig a鈥� chladach.

Ged a tha an iolaire-bhuidhe br猫agha gun teagamh, tha t鈥檈ile ann a tha nas motha 鈥� an 鈥渋olaire-mhara鈥� neo sea eagle. Bidh fios agaibh uile, tha mi cinnteach, gun deach an t-eun m貌r seo 脿 bith ann an Alba, ged a chaidh a st猫idheachadh a-rithist air taobh siar na G脿idhealtachd o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean. Bidh a h-earball geal nuair a dh鈥檉h脿sas i sean gu le貌r, agus 鈥檚 ann air sg脿th sin a thathar cuideachd a鈥� gabhail white-tailed eagle oirre ann am Beurla. Airson an dearbh adhbhair, canaidh sin 鈥渋olaire-bh脿n鈥� rithe uaireannan ann an G脿idhlig.

Agus air sg脿th 鈥檚 gum faic sinn gu tric faisg air a鈥� chladach i, 鈥檚 e 鈥渋olaire-chladaich鈥� ainm eile oirre ann an G脿idhlig. Agus, co-dhi霉 ann am b脿rdachd, chaidh a h-ainmeachadh mar 鈥渋olaire-s霉il-na-gr猫ine鈥� 鈥� ainm snog dha-r矛ridh.

Ach d猫 an treas iolaire a th鈥檃gainn ann an Alba? Uill 鈥檚 e sin an se貌rsa ris an canar osprey ann am Beurla. Ann an G脿idhlig 鈥檚 e 鈥渋olaire-iasgaich鈥� a th鈥檕irre, leis gur ann le bhith ag iasgach a ghlacas i biadh. Neo canaidh cuid 鈥渋olaire-uisge鈥� rithe leis gum bi i a鈥� fuireach faisg air lochan-uisge, a鈥� neadachadh ann an seann chraobhan.

Mar sin d猫 an se貌rsa iolaire a ghlac an cat fiadhaich anns an t貌imhseachan? Iolaire-mhara? Cuimhnichibh gu robh iad uaireigin pailt ann an Ros an Iar. Iolaire-uisge a chunnaic cat fhad 鈥檚 a bha i a鈥� sealg os cionn an locha? Chanainn fh猫in gur e iolaire-bhuidhe as coltaiche leis gu robh i a鈥� sealg ann am monadh far am biodh cait a鈥� fuireach. Agus bhiodh e f矛or ri r脿dh gur e iolaire mhi-fhortanach a bh鈥檌nnte leis gun do chaill i a h-脿l. Chun na h-ath sheachdainn鈥�.

cat fiadhaich: wild cat; p霉dach, isean: young bird, chick; acrach: hungry; adhar: sky; earball, a h-earball: tail, its (her) tail; lochan-uisge: freshwater lochs; a' neadachadh: nesting; uaireigin: at one time; pailt: plentiful; a. sealg: hunting; cait: cats; 脿l, a h-脿l: offspring, her offspring.

gu robh mi a-mach air: that I was on about; a chaidh a ghlacadh le: that was caught by; gun mhothachadh: unconscious; bha coltas air mar gu robh e marbh: it (he) looked as if it was dead; dh.fhalbh an iolaire a dh.iarraidh biadh eile: the eagle left to seek other food; th脿inig e thuige: it (he) recovered consciousness; bhithinn uabhasach toilichte am faighinn: I would be delighted to receive them; an cois teacs na litreach: accompanying the text of the letter; mar is trice: usually; seach aig a. chladach: rather than at the shore; beagan bhliadhnaichean: a few years; air sg脿th sin: because of that; canaidh cuid X rithe: some call it (her) X; as coltaiche: most likely.

Paipear Beag an Eilein Sgitheanaich: the little Skye paper ie this very august publication known in the other language as the West Highland Free Press! In the "normal" nominative case, Skye is an t-Eilean Sgitheanach. This, however, is the genitive case ie "of Skye". Both the masculine noun (eilean) and its accompanying adjective (Sgitheanach) are slenderised as is normal in the genitive, so we get an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Note that the initial "t" is dropped and note also the change in pronunciation. In the dative case eg .on Skye. we get anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. This is not slenderised, but the initial "t" disappears again. Look through the letter for other examplesof slenderised words which are in the genitive case eg a' mhonaidh, chladaich. Why are these words in the genitive?

Fad an t-siubhail: all the time. (Lit. "all the journey") This is a common expression although one also hears fad na h-霉ine and fad na t矛de which mean effectively the same thing.