239: Iain Stiùbhart Blackie (1)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Iain Stiùbhart Blackie (1)
Chòrd e gu mòr ri Iain Stiùbhart Blackie a bhith na oileanach ann an Göttingen anns a’ Ghearmailt. Ach thug athair air gluasad a Bherlin. Cha do chòrd e ris idir anns a’ chathair sin anns a’ chiad dol a-mach, oir bha Berlin fada na bu mhò na Göttingen, agus bha na h-oileanaich sgapte air fheadh. Mean air mhean, ge-tà, fhuair e caraidean ùra.
Bha athair an dòchas gum biodh Iain airson a dhol a-steach don mhinistrealachd ann an Alba agus, gun teagamh, bha ùidh mhòr aige ann an gnothaichean na h-Eaglaise. Agus, fhad ’s a bha e anns a’ Ghearmailt, bhiodh e tric a’ deasbad a’ chreideimh aige le oileanaich eile. Bha e na Chrìosdaidh gun teagamh, ach thòisich e air fàs mì-chinnteach mu Aidmheil Westminster. Cha robh e ag aontachadh ris, agus bha sin a’ ciallachadh nach fhaigheadh e obair mar mhinistear ann an Eaglais na h-Alba. Dh’iarr e air athair leigeil leis dreuchd air choreigin eile a thaghadh.
Thairis air geamhradh ann am Berlin, ràinig Iain làn-fhileantachd ann an Gearmailtis, agus leugh e mòran de na leabhraichean clasaigeach anns a’ chànan sin. Agus ghabh e spèis mhòr mhòr do mhuinntir na dùthcha. Ach bha an ùine aige anns a’ Ghearmailt seachad.
Bha e am beachd dhol a Pharis ach, an toiseach, ghabh e cuairt tron Eadailt agus chòrd e ris gu mòr. Bha e dhen bheachd gum biodh e math dha fuireach anns an Ròimh airson greis airson tuilleadh ionnsachadh mu litreachas nan Ròmanach is nan Greugach. ’S ann nuair a bha e san Eadailt a cho-dhùin e dè dìreach a bha e ag iarraidh a bhith aige mar dhreuchd. Bha e airson a bhith na Phroifeasair de Dhaonnachd ann an oilthigh ann an Alba.
Chuir e rud eile roimhe cuideachd nuair a bha e anns an Ròimh – bha e airson connspaid adhbharachadh mu dheidhinn mar a bhiodh luchd-teagaisg nan oilthighean a’ labhairt na seann Ghreugais – gu ceàrr, na bheachd. Bha esan a’ cumail a-mach – agus lean e aig ceann na connspaid seo fad a bheatha – gum bu chòir dòigh-labhairt an t-seann chànain a bhith stèidhichte air Greugais mar a bha i fhathast ga bruidhinn anns a’ Ghrèig.
Bha athair deònach airgead a thoirt dha airson a bhith a’ siubhal anns a’ Ghrèig, ach dhiùlt Iain an cothrom. Cha robh e airson a bhith an eisimeil carthannas athar gu sìorraidh, agus bha obair aige ri dhèanamh anns an Ròimh. Nuair a thàinig an rannsachadh aige anns an Ròimh gu crìch, rinn e air Lunnainn. Ach cha do ghabh e an t-slighe àbhaisteach.
Choisich e fhèin is caraid Gearmailteach gu ruige Floireans – da cheud gu leth mìle thairis air naoi là. An uair sin choisich iad tro Bhologna gu ruige Bheineas, far an d’ fhuair iad coidse a Mhunich. Ràinig e Lunnainn aig toiseach na Samhna, fhathast le aodach air a bha freagarrach airson an t-samhraidh anns an Eadailt.
Airson beagan bhliadhnaichean bha e ann an Dùn Eideann ag obair ann an lagh. Ach lean e air le bhith a’ leughadh is ag eadar-theangachadh leabhraichean le sgrìobhadairean Greugach agus Gearmailteach. Gu mì-fhortanach dha, cha robh cathair Daonnachd bàn ann an oilthigh sam bith ann an Alba, agus cha robh dreuchd sam bith eile, a bhiodh freagarrach dha, bàn a bharrachd.
Ach dh’atharraich cùisean dha ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead ’s a naoi (1839), nuair a chaidh aontachadh Cathair Laidinn a stèidheachadh ann an Colaiste Mharischal ann an Obar Dheathain. Bha doras saoghal na sgoilearachd fosgailte dha mu dheireadh thall, agus cha b’ e ruith ach leum a rinn e troimhe.
Faclan na Litreach: a’ mhinistrealachd: the ministry (church); Crìosdaidh: Christian; mì-chinnteach: uncertain; Aidmheil Wesminster: Westminster Confession (of Faith); spèis: respect, affection; an Ròimh: Rome; a’ labhairt: speaking; Greugais: Greek (language); Floireans: Florence; Bheineas: Venice; bàn: unoccupied.
Abairtean na Litreach: thug athair air gluasad: his father made him move; anns a’ chathair mhòir sin:in that great city (note that cathair appears later on, meaning “chair” ie professorship in a university); mean air mhean:little by little; bha ùidh mhòr aige ann an X: he was greatly interested in X; dh’iarr e air athair leigeil leis dreuchd eile a thaghadh: he asked his father to let him choose another profession; bha e am beachd dhol a Pharis: he intended to go to Paris; bha e dhen bheachd gum biodh e math dha: he was of the opinion that it would be good for him; litreachas nan Ròmanach is nan Greugach: the literature of the Romans and Greeks; ’s ann nuair a bha e san Eadailt: it was when he was in Italy; bha e airson a bhith na Phroifeasair de Dhaonnachd: he wanted to be a Professor of Humanity; chuir e rud eile roimhe: he decided another thing; bha e airson connspaid adhbharachadh: he wanted to create a controversy; mar a bha i fhathast ga bruidhinn: as it (she) was still spoken; dhiùlt Iain an cothrom: John refused the opportunity; rinn e air Lunnainn: he made for London; aig toiseach na Samhna: at the beginning of November; cha b’ e ruith ach leum a rinn e troimhe: he jumped at the opportunity (idiomatic).
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: Bha na h-oileanaich sgapte air fheadh: the students were dispersed throughout it. I hope you recognised air fheadhas being a form of the compound preposition air feadh. You might say bha iad sgapte air feadh a’ bhaile(they were dispersed throughout the town – and note the genitive). But where no object noun exists, “throughout it” is given as air fheadh for a masculine object (eg baile) and air a feadh for a feminine object. So, if we are talking about a kingdom, we would say bha iad air feadh na rìoghachd, with the (feminine) noun present, and bha iad air a feadh (they were throughout it), without the noun. You will see that the possessive articles are contained within these phrases although the masculine one before a soundless consonant combination is not written. What we are really saying here is “throughout his/her extent”.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Cha robh e airson a bhith an eisimeil carthannas athar gu sìorraidh: he did not want to be dependent on his father’s charity for ever. Tha X an eisimeil Y (in the genitive): X is dependent on Y.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn