19: Gaeilge
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.
Gaeilge
Bha mi ann an Eirinn o chionn ghoirid ann an Gaeltacht Thìr Chonaill, sgìre anns an iar-thuath far a bheil an cànan, Gaeilge, gu math làidir. Thàinig mi tarsainn air an t-sean-fhacal a leanas ann an sin agus tuigidh sibh anns a’ mhionaid, nuair a chluinneas sibh e, dè cho coltach ’s a tha an dà chànan, agus an dà chultar, ann an Alba agus Eirinn: “Is feárr carad ’s a g-cúirt ’na bonn sa sparán”.
Uill, nach eil sinn fhèin ann an Alba ag ràdh an dearbh rud. “Is fheàrr caraid ’s a chùirt na crùn ’s a sporan.” ’S dòcha gur e “crùn” a chanadh na h-Eireannaich fhèin uaireigin, agus gun d’ fhuair iad cuidhteas sin air sgàth adhbharan poilitigeach. Cò aige tha fios. Ach, a dh’aindeoin crìochan poilitigeach a chaidh a thogail eadar Alba is Poblachd na h-Eireann anns an fhicheadamh linn, chan eil teagamh nach eil an dà dhùthaich, agus an dà Ghàidhlig, faisg air a’ chèile ann an iomadach dòigh.
Chan eil sin a’ ciallachadh, ge-tà, nach eil diofar ann agus nach gabh mearachdan dèanamh bho àm gu àm nuair a tha Albannach thall ann an Eirinn, agus e a’ feuchainn ri Gaeilge a labhairt. Tha cuid de na faclan Gàidhlig againne cuideachd aig na h-Eireannaich ach le ciall rudeigin eadar-dhealaicht’ orra. Agus feumaidh tu bhith gu math faiceallach!
Am facal “bodach” mar eisimpleir. Mar is trice, ann an Alba, tha sin a’ ciallachadh “fear aosta”. Ach chan eil an ciall sin aig an fhacal ann an Eirinn. An àite sin, tha e a’ ciallachadh “bleigeard”. Agus feumaidh tu bhith faiceallach ann an Eirinn leis an fhacal “dòigheil”. Chuir boireannach Eireannach ceist air fear Albannach a bha còmhla rium – “caidé mar a tá tú?”, neo “ciamar a tha thu?” Thuirt e “tá mé go dóigheil” neo “tha mi gu dòigheil” agus chuir sin stad air a’ chòmhradh buileach. Tha dòigheil a’ ciallachadh “brèagha” neo “bòidheach” ann an Eirinn agus bha a’ bhan-Eireannach a’ smaoineachadh gu robh mo charaid ag ràdh gu robh e dìreach “bòidheach”! Agus nach robh irioslachd sam bith aige!
Rinn mi-fhìn rudeigin car coltach ri sin nuair a bha mi a’ bruidhinn ri tè ann an taigh-seinnse. Thug mi iomradh air boireannach eile agus thuirt mi ris a’ bhan-Eireannach gur e “bean ghasta” neo “boireannach gasta” a bh’ anns an tèile. Bha mi a’ ciallachadh gu robh i còir, laghach. Ach, ann an Eirinn, tha “gasta” a’ ciallachadh “luath, sgiobalta”. Smaoinich a’ bhan-Eireannach gu robh mi a’ ciallachadh gu robh an tèile na boireannach luath – mar a bhiodh Sonia O’ Suileabháin, an luth-chleasaiche. Ach nas miosa na sin, faodaidh “bean ghasta” cuideachd a bhith a’ ciallachadh “fast woman”, leis an droch chiall mar a th’ aca ann am Beurla. Cha mhòr nach do rinn mi mearachd mhòr!
Ach canaidh mi aon rud mu dheidhinn nan Eireannach: tha iad math air spòrs is fealla-dhà a dhèanamh, agus cha ghabh iad dragh mòr sam bith mu mhearachd neo dhà mar sin. Agus tha iad nas fheàrr na tha muinntir na Gàidhealtachd againne ann a bhith a’ cumail a dol leis a’ Ghaeilge an àite a bhith a’ tionndadh gu Beurla. Thuirt boireannach ann an Tìr Chonaill rium gu robh Alba brèagha brèagha agus gun do chòrd a làithean-saora a bhon-uiridh anns na h-Eileanan Siar agus anns an Eilean Sgitheanach rithe gu mòr, ach a-mhàin aon rud. ’S e sin nach bruidhneadh aon neach Gàidhlig rithe anns na h-eileanan air fad, ach a-mhàin aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. Gu fortanach, cha b’ e sin an seòrsa fàilte a fhuair mi-fhìn ann an Gaeltacht Thìr Chonaill.
Faclan na Litreach: crìochan: borders, boundaries; thall: over there; faiceallach: careful; aosta: old; bleigeard: lout; gu dòigheil: well; bòidheach: beautiful; irioslachd: humbleness; taigh-seinnse: pub; gasta, còir, laghach: nice; luth-chleasaiche: athlete; fealla-dhà: fun; a bhon-uiridh: the year before last.
Abairtean na Litreach: Gaeltacht Thìr Chonaill: the Donegal Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht, the equivalent of our Gàidhealtachd , is applied in Ireland to small areas of the country where Gaelic is spoken by most of the people and has a special status); sgìre anns an iar-thuath: an area in the north-west; thàinig mi tarsainn air an t-sean-fhacal a leanas: I came across the following proverb; anns a’ mhionaid: immediately; dè cho coltach ’s a tha: how similar are; gun d’ fhuair iad cuidhteas sin air sgàth adhbharan poilitigeach:that they got rid of that for political reasons; ann an iomadach dòigh: in many ways; nach gabh mearachdan dèanamh:that mistakes cannot be made; thug mi iomradh air: I made mention of: cha mhòr nach do rinn mi mearachd mhòr: I almost made a big mistake; cha ghabh iad dragh mòr sam bith: they don’t take any great offence; ach a-mhàin: except; nach bruidhneadh aon neach Gàidhlig rithe: that not one person would speak Gaelic to her.
Puing ghràmair na Litreach: a chaidh a thogail: which were built, constructed. The verb rach , “go”, may be used with a Verbal Noun (often lenited) to form the Passive Voice. To fully understand this you will need to consult a grammar book or a Gaelic teacher, but some examples will show how it works eg the verb dèan, “do, make”. The Verbal Noun is dèanamh eg Tha mi a’ dèanamh tì agus cofaidh (I am making tea and coffee). Using rach we can make the following: Thèid an cofaidh a dhèanamh (the coffee will be made), chaidh an cofaidh a dhèanamh (the coffee was made), thuirt e gun deach an cofaidh a dhèanamh le bean an taighe (he said the coffee was made by the landlady), tha mi ’n dòchas gun tèid an cofaidh a dhèanamh a dh’aithghearr le cuideigin! (I hope the coffee will be made soon by somebody!). It also works in the Subjunctive Mood eg rachadh an lùchairt a thogail ’s a mhionaid nan robh an t-airgead ann air a son ( the palace would be built straight away if the money were there for it). Note also the following examples: Chaidh mo thogail ann an Alba (I was brought up in Scotland); chaidh a thogail ann am Beàrnaraigh (he/it [masc] was brought up/built in Berneray); chaidh a togail ann a sin (she/it [fem] was brought up, built there).
Sean-fhacal na Litreach: Is fheàrr caraid ’s a chùirt na crùn ’s a sporan: a friend in the court is better than a crown in the purse. This proverb is still in common use and is probably just as applicable today as regards the Scottish Parliament as it was in the old royal courts! The Irish version is very similar and shows how old it must be.
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