71: Imrich
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.
Imrich
An t-seachdain ’s a chaidh, rinn mi iomradh air seanfhacal – ’s iomadh nì a chailleas fear na h-imrich. Leugh mi o chionn ghoirid mar a chaidh an seanfhacal sin a chruthachadh. Chan eil fhios a’m co-dhiù tha e fìor gus nach eil, ach seo mar a nochd e ann an leabhar a chaidh a sgrìobhadh anns an naoidheamh linn deug.
Bha tuathanach ann an Ile a bh’ air a chur roimhe gluasad gu taigh eile. Latha ro latha na h-imrich, thug e cuireadh do nàbaidhean tighinn a chèilidh air airson soraidh slàn a leigeil leis. Bha an taigh aige beag (’s dòcha gur e sin a bu choireach gu robh e a’ dèanamh imrich), agus bha e loma-làn daoine. Mar sin, dh’iarr an tuathanach air a’ ghille aige, a bha mu dheich bliadhna a dh’aois, a chuid fheòla a thoirt leis gu oisean gus am biodh rùm a bharrachd ann do chàch.
Cha robh an gille ro thoilichte agus, nuair a bha e a’ dèanamh a shlighe don oisean, leig e cuid de na bh’ air a thruinnsear air an làr. Thug athair trod dha, agus fhreagair am balach, "’s iomadh ni a chailleas fear na h-imrich.” Nuair a chuala e na faclan sin, smaoinich athair mun t-suidheachadh aige fhèin, agus chuir e roimhe gun imrich a dhèanamh gu taigh ùr idir.
Uill, chan eil fhios a’m mu dheidhinn na sgeòil, ach tha fìrinn anns an t-seanfhacal gun teagamh. Agus chan e dìreach rudan a bhuineas dhut a chailleas tu nuair a ghluaiseas tu gu àite ùr, ach na daoine a bha timcheall ort anns an t-seann dachaigh cuideachd – nàbaidhean, caraidean is mar sin air adhart. ’S dòcha gun caill thu do chànan, mar a thachair do dh’iomadh duine a dh’fhàg a’ Ghaidhealtachd.
Ach air an làimh eile, ’s iomadh buannachd a thig an lùib na h-imrich cuideachd. Nì thu caraidean ùra, ’s dòcha gum bi obair nas fheàrr agad, agus taigh nas motha. Nuair a ghluais mise don Ghaidhealtachd bho àite eile, fhuair mi greim air a’ chànan nach robh agam anns an t-seann dachaigh. Agus an-diugh cha bhithinn as a h-aonais.
’S e “imrich” am facal a chleachdadh na seann daoine nuair a dh’fhàgadh iad am bailtean airson a dhol don àirigh gach samhradh. Nuair a thilleadh luchd na h-imrich, aig deireadh an Iuchair, bho na h-àirighean, bhiodh oidhche mhòr aca, a’ cèilidh air muinntir a’ bhaile is a’ gabhail seanachas leotha. ’S e “Oidhche na h-Imrich” a chanadh iad ris an oidhche sin.
Ach ann an àite mar Ghàidhealtachd na h-Alba, aig a bheil droch eachdraidh de dh’fhuadaichean is de dhaoine a’ falbh a-null thairis, ’s dòcha gu bheil e nàdarrach gur ann air droch bhuaidh na h-imrich a tha na seanfhaclan. Is tha mi air lorg fhaighinn air dhà eile. ’S e a’ chiad fhear – is buidhe le amadain imrich – fools are fond of flitting. Is buidhe le amadain imrich.
Agus tha am fear eile rudeigin coltach ris a’ chiad fhear a thug mi dhuibh. Nì am imrich thric an àirneis lom. Frequent flitting bares the furnishing. Nì an imrich thric an àirneis lom. ’S dòcha gur e teachdaireachd a tha sin a chluinneas sinn aig Tonaidh Blair is Gordan Brown aig an ath thaghadh, agus iad ag iarraidh oirnn fuireach far a bheil sinn gu poilitigeach. Tha fhios, ge-tà, gun cleachdadh Uilleam Hague seanfhacal eile - “is ùrachadh atharrachadh”. Cò aige tha fios dè an seanfhacal a bhios nas cumhachdaiche ann an inntinn an t-sluaigh nuair a thig e gu latha a’ bhòtaidh…
Faclan na Litreach: loma-làn: completely full; truinnsear: plate; àirigh: shieling; an Iuchar: July; fuadaichean: clearances; teachdaireachd: message; taghadh: election; bhòtadh: voting; cumhachdach: powerful.
Abairtean na Litreach: rinn mi iomradh air: I mentioned; chan eil fhios a’m co-dhiù tha e fìor gus nach eil: I don’t know whether it’s true or not; thug e cuireadh do nàbaidhean tighinn a chèilidh air airson soraidh slàn a leigeil leis: he invited his neighbours to visit him to farewell him; a’ chuid fheòla a thoirt leis gu oisean: to take his portion of meat to a corner; gus am biodh rùm a bharrachd ann do chàch: so that there would be more room for the others; nuair a bha e a’ dèanamh a shlighe: when he was making his way; leig e cuid de na bh’ air a thruinnsear: he let fall some of what was on his plate (note the two different uses of cuid in relation to what was on the boy’s plate); thug athair trod dha: his father scolded him; chuir e roimhe gun imrich a dhèanamh: he made up his mind not to move house; a’ gabhail seanachas leotha: engaging in conversation; ’s iomadh buannachd a thig an lùib na h-imrich: many good things come with a flitting; cha bhithinn as a h-aonais: I wouldn’t be without it (fem).
Puing ghràmair na Litreach: Dh’iarr an tuathanach air a’ ghille aige…: the farmer asked his son to… Using iarraidh followed by air is the commonest way of saying that somebody is requesting somebody else to do something. It also appears in the final paragraph of the Litir: ag iarraidh oirnn fuireach far a bheil sinn gu poilitigeach (asking us to remain where we are, politically). Here are some other examples: Dh’iarr mi air Seumas fòn a chur thugam (I asked James to phone me); an do dh’iarr thu orra sgrìobhadh thugainn? (did you ask them to write to us?); tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh uile fuireach far a bheil sibh (I want you all to remain where you are).
Seanfhaclan na Litreach: Here are the four proverbs in this week’s letter: ’s iomadh nì a chailleas fear na h-imrich: the man that flits loses much; Is buidhe le amadain imrich: fools are fond of flitting (this use of buidhe is a particular Gaelic idiom and it crops up elsewhere in the language); Nì an imrich thric an àirneis lom: frequent flitting bares the furnishing; is ùrachadh atharrachadh: change is refreshing (this might suffice as a Gaelic equivalent for the English “a change is as good as a holiday”).
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