690: Cè Tormod Dòmhnallach agus Puirt-à-Beul (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.
Cè Tormod Dòmhnallach agus Puirt-à-Beul (1)
An cuala sibh riamh mu Chè Tormod Dòmhnallach – Keith Norman MacDonald? ’S e Sgitheanach a bh’ ann. Rugadh e ann an Slèite ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead ’s a ceithir (1834). Ged as e dotair a bh’ ann, tha e ainmeil airson a bhith a’ cruinneachadh agus a’ foillseachadh ceòl nan Gàidheal. O chionn ghoirid, chaidh an cruinneachadh aige de phuirt-à-beul a chur an clò às ùr. Bu mhath leam sùil a thoirt air a’ chruinneachadh sin. Ach, an toiseach, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mun fhear-chruinneachaidh fhèin.
B’ e Cè Tormod an treas mac aig Teàrlach Dòmhnallach às an Òrd ann an Slèite. B’ e a sheanair, taobh a mhàthar, an Caiptean Niall MacLeòid Gheusto. Bha ùidh mhòr aig Niall ann an ceòl nan Gàidheal agus dh’fhoillsich e leabhar pìobaireachd. Agus chuir e canntaireachd air pàipear, canntaireachd a fhuair e bho Iain Dubh MacCruimein, fear dhen fheadhainn mu dheireadh anns an teaghlach Sgitheanach sin a bha nan sàr-phìobairean.
Cheumnaich Cè Tormod ann an Dùn Èideann ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad ’s a ceithir (1854). Thill e don Eilean Sgitheanach mar dhotair airson dà bhliadhna. An uair sin, chuir e seachad deich bliadhna ann an Loch Abar, a’ Chuimrigh, Sasainn agus Burma. Fhad ’s a bha e ann am Burma, ghabh e ùidh anns an eòlas aca air leigheas traidiseanta. Sgrìobh e leabhran The Practice of Medicine Among the Burmese, Translated from Original Manuscripts. Ach, ged a bha e a’ dèanamh obair mhòr, is obair mhath, airson slàinte a’ phobaill thall an sin a thoirt am feabhas, bha a shlàinte fhèin a’ fulang. Thill e a Bhreatainn ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad ’s a naoi (1869).
Phòs e tè, Eliza Mary Niblett, à Dùn Èideann, agus bha còignear de theaghlach aca – dithis mhac agus triùir nighean. A dh’aindeoin cho trang ’s a bha e le theaghlach agus le obair mar dhotair, sgrìobh e grunn altan saidheansail. ’S e neo-chreidmheach a bh’ ann, agus bha e dhen bheachd gun robh Crìosdachd aig an àm sin a’ cur cus cuideim air fulangas às dèidh a’ bhàis. Sgrìobh e leabhran air an robh On Death and How to Divest It of Its Terrors.
Mar a chaidh an ùine seachad, ’s e a chànan is a chultar fhèin a bu mhotha a bha a’ gabhail aire. Fhad ’s a bha e a’ fuireach ann am Fìobh, dh’fhoillsich e The Skye Collection of Reels and Strathspeys. Bha e ag iarraidh seann phuirt a ghleidheadh, ach bha e cuideachd ag iarraidh gum biodh daoine gan cluich. Mar sin, ann am fasan an latha, chuir e ceòl piàna ann airson gach port. Tha e coltach gun robh daoine gu math measail air a’ chruinneachadh sin ann an Ceap Breatainn, ged nach urrainn dhomh a ràdh co-dhiù thug e buaidh mhòr air an stoidhle chluich aca.
Ann an ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890), thill Cè Tormod do dhùthaich a shinnsirean, nuair a ghabh e dreuchd mar oifigear meidigeach ann an Ospadal Gheusto anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha e an sin airson sia bliadhna. Mus do dh’fhàg e Geusto, dh’fhoillsich e leabhar eile – The Gesto Collection of Highland Music. Agus feumaidh an còrr mu dheidhinn feitheamh chun na h-ath Litreach.
Faclan na Litreach: Cè Tormod Dòmhnallach: Keith Norman MacDonald; Slèite: Sleat; cheumnaich: graduated; Fìobh: Fife; piàna: piano.
Abairtean na Litreach: ’S e Sgitheanach a bh’ ann: he was a Skyeman; ged as e dotair a bh’ ann: although he was a doctor; ainmeil airson a bhith a’ cruinneachadh agus a’ foillseachadh: famous for collecting and publishing; chaidh X a chur an clò às ùr: X was republished; chuir e air canntaireachd air pàipear: he put canntaireachd air pàipear; a bha nan sàr-phìobairean: who were fantastic pipers; ghabh e ùidh anns an eòlas aca air leigheas traidiseanta: he became interested in their knowledge of traditional healing practices; airson slàinte a’ phobaill thall an sin a thoirt am feabhas: to improve the health of people over there; bha a shlàinte fhèin a’ fulang: his own health was suffering; bha còignear de theaghlach aca: they had five children; sgrìobh e grunn altan saidheansail: he wrote several scientific articles; gun robh Crìosdachd aig an àm sin a’ cur cus cuideim air fulangas às dèidh a’ bhàis:that Christianity at that time was overemphasizing suffering after death; ’s e a chànan is a chultar fhèin a bu mhotha a bha a’ gabhail aire: it was his own language and culture that mostly occupied his attention; gun robh daoine gu math measail air a’ chruinneachadh sin ann an Ceap Breatainn: that people in Cape Breton really liked his collection; co-dhiù thug e buaidh mhòr air an stoidhle chluich aca: if it had a big impact on their style of playing; thill X do dhùthaich a shinnsirean: X returned to the land of his ancestors; nuair a ghabh e dreuchd mar oifigear meidigeach ann an Ospadal Gheusto: when he took a position as a medical officer in Gesto Hospital; feumaidh an còrr mu dheidhinn feitheamh: the rest about him will have to wait.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha e cuideachd ag iarraidh gum biodh daoine gan cluich:he also wanted people to play them [that people would be playing them]. The gan here is derived from aig (ag) + an, the third person plural possessive adjective. Here are some other examples: tha i gan tuigsinn “she understands them”, literally “she is at their understanding”; bha sibh gan leantainn “you were following them”, bidh mi gan leughadh “I will be reading them”. Note that gan is replaced by gam in front of a labial consonant, b, f, m, p eg tha sinn gam moladh “we are commending them”.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: a sheanair, taobh a mhàthar: his grandfather on his mother’s side.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 386
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