340: An t-Urramach Tormod MacLeòid (10)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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An t-Urramach Tormod MacLeòid (10)
Bha Seumas Busby dhen bheachd gur ann leis-san a bha am fearann a bha muinntir Alba Nuaidh ag iarraidh ann an New Zealand. Thug e rudan do na Maori airson an fhearainn, agus tha e coltach gu robh iad riaraichte leis a’ bhargan. Ach cha robh an riaghaltas riaraichte. Bha Busby air ceud mìle acaire de thalamh a “cheannach”. Cha robh sin ceadaichte. Airson barrachd na dà mhìle gu leth acaire a cheannach, bha cead bhon riaghaltas a dhìth. Agus cha d’ fhuair Busby an cead sin.
Mar sin, cheannaich an riaghaltas am fearann sin as ùr. An toiseach cha robh na Maori deònach a reic, oir bha iad air a reic mu thràth. Ach mu dheireadh, thàinig iad gu còrdadh leis an riaghaltas, agus reic iad am fearann a-rithist. Cheannaich na h-Albannaich an uair sin fearann bhon riaghaltas.
Fhad ’s a bha seo a’ tachairt, bha an t-Urr Tormod MacLeòid agus feadhainn à Melbourne air a dhol a-null a dh’Auckland. Bha Gàidheil gu leòr anns a’ bhaile, agus bhiodh Tormod a’ cumail sheirbheisean ann an Gàidhlig agus Beurla. An ceann ùine ghluais feadhainn, Tormod nam measg, gu ruige Waipu.
Ach cha b’ e sin a’ choimhearsnachd a dh’fhàg iad às an dèidh ann an Alba Nuadh. Bha feadhainn dhiubh air fuireach ann an Astràilia no ann an Auckland. Agus cha robh muinntir an Highland Lass, a bh’ air a dhol a New Zealand air thoiseach air muinntir a’ Mhargaret, buileach cho dlùth ri Tormod. Ach bha sin gu bhith ag atharrachadh a-rithist. Nuair a bha iad suidhichte anns an dachaigh ùir aca, sgrìobh iad gu Baile Anna ann an Ceap Breatainn. Thuirt iad gu robh àite math a’ feitheamh riutha ann an New Zealand.
Anns na leth-cheudan dh’fhàg ceithir longan eile Alba Nuadh air an t-slighe gu Waipu. Uile gu lèir, chaidh naoi ceud duine à Alba Nuadh a dh’fhuireach ann am Waipu is àiteachan faisg air. Shoirbhich leotha gu math ann an New Zealand. Bha na Maori bàidheil riutha. Bha an talamh math. Chuir iad is bhuain iad, agus fhuair iad prìs mhath air a’ bhàrr aca. Chaidh cuid de na fir gu muir, a’ seòladh thar a’ chuain.
Fhuair Tormod àite air ais mar cheannard spioradail na coimhearsnachd. Bhiodh e a’ cumail sheirbheisean ann an Gàidhlig is Beurla. Agus ged a chaochail a bhean, Màiri, trì bliadhna às dèidh dhaibh New Zealand a ruigsinn, mhair e fhèin chun na bliadhna ochd ceud deug, seasgad ’s a sia (1866). Chaochail e aig aois ochdad ’s a còig.
Ann an cladh Waipu, chaidh geatachan ùra a chur suas mar chuimhneachan air Tormod is a chompanaich. Sgrìobhte orra bha earrann às a’ Bhìoball, à Leabhar nan Eabhraidheach: “Fhuair iad seo uile bàs ann an creideamh ... uime sin cha nàr le Dia gun goirear an Dia-san dheth”.
Chaidh clachan-cuimhne a chur suas do Thormod MacLeòid, an dà chuid ann an Asainte agus ann am Baile Anna, ann an Ceap Breatainn. ’S e clach Cheap Bhreatainn an tè as mò air am faicear a’ Ghàidhlig. Agus far an robh fearann Thormoid, tha a-nise Colaiste na Gàidhlig suidhichte.
Air a’ chloich-chuimhne sin, tha seo sgrìobhte: Threòraich e a shluagh san àite seo na linn fhèin mar mhinistear, maighstir-sgoile ’s fear-lagha. Rugadh e an Rudha Stòrr, an Asaint, an Albainn. Thàinig e gu Pictou sa bhliadhna 1817, ’s sheòl e le a chuideachd gu St. Anns ann an 1820, far an d’ fhuirich iad gu ruige 1851, nuair a dh’fhalbh iad an toiseach gu Australia, is mu dheireadh gu New Zealand.”
Faclan na Litreach: deònach: willing; suidhichte: established.
Abairtean na Litreach: gur ann leis-san a bha am fearann a bha muinntir Alba Nuaidh ag iarraidh: that he owned the land the Nova Scotians wanted; tha e coltach gu robh iad riaraichte: it appears they were satisfied; ceud mìle acaire: 100,000 acres; bha cead bhon riaghaltas a dhìth:permission from the government was needed; bha iad air a reic mu thràth: they had already sold it; thàinig iad gu còrdadh: they came to an agreement; ghluais feadhainn gu ruige Waipu: some moved to Waipu; cha b’ e sin a’ choimhearsnachd a dh’fhàg iad às an dèidh: that wasn’t the community they left behind; buileach cho dlùth ri: quite as close to; bha sin gu bhith ag atharrachadh: that was to change; gu robh àite math a’ feitheamh riutha: that a good place was awaiting them; uile gu lèir: altogether, in total; shoirbhich leotha gu math: they succeeded; chuir iad is bhuain iad: they planted and they reaped; prìs mhath air a’ bhàrr aca: a good price for their crops; mar cheannard spioradail na coimhearsnachd: as the spiritual head of the community; trì bliadhna às dèidh dhaibh X a ruigsinn: three years after reaching X: Leabhar nan Eabhraidheach: Book of Hebrews; fhuair iad seo uile bàs ann an creideamh: these all died in faith; uime sin cha nàr le Dia gun goirear an Dia-san dheth: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; an tè as mò air am faicear a’ Ghàidhlig: the one on which Gaelic is most evident; threòraich e a shluagh: he guided his people; far an d’ fhuirich iad: where they lived.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Anns na leth-cheudan dh’fhàg ceithir longan eile Alba Nuadh : in the fifties four other ships left Nova Scotia. Na leth-cheudanis one of the ways in which we can say “the fifties” (in this case the 1850s) in Gaelic. An alternative is to say na caogadan.Although the decimal system is catching on in Gaelic – in which caogad formally replaces the vigesimal dà fhichead ’s a deich, it is worth noting that leth-cheud (50) is proving resistant to change and is being widely adopted into the decimal system. You will often hear children who are educated through the medium of Gaelic talking about, for example, “leth-cheud ’s a trì”, as well as “caogad ’s a trì”. However, they will rarely, if ever, say “dà fhichead ’s a trì-deug” for the same number.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: mar chuimhneachan air : in memory of.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 36
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