201: Adhamh Fearghasdan
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.
Adhamh Fearghasdan
Ann an seachd-deug, seasgad ’s a seachd (1767), sgrìobh Adhamh Fearghasdan “aiste”, no leabhar ma tha sinn gu bhith fìrinneach, a rinn ainmeil e. ’S e an tiotal a bh’ air A History of Civil Society. Anns an leabhar, thug Fearghasdan sùil air mar a bha sìobhaltachd air atharrachadh tro eachdraidh is mar a bha sin air tachairt mar leasachadh nàdarrach, gun a bhith na amas aig mac an duine.
Aig an àm sin, cha robh Fearghasdan air mòran siubhail a dhèanamh ann an dùthchannan eile, ach leugh e aithrisean-siubhail aig feadhainn eile, agus bha e dhen bheachd gu robh mòran anns a’ chumantas, mar eisimpleir, eadar sìobhaltachd nan seann Ghaideal, nan Innseanach Ruadha ann an Aimeireagaidh agus nan seann Ghreugach.
Thug e bheachd air ealain is litreachas, air mar a tha an aimsir a’ toirt buaidh air modhan sluaigh, agus air a’ chàirdeas eadar meudachd sluaigh agus beartas dùthcha. Agus thug e rabhadh seachad. Thuirt e gum faodadh dùthaich a spiorad a chall, agus gun leigeadh sin le gnothaichean poileataiceach na dùthcha dhol bhuaithe.
Am measg an fheadhainn a leugh A History of Civil Society, agus a dh’ionnsaich mòran bhuaithe, bha Karl Marx. Bha aire Mharx air a tharraing leis na sgrìobh Fearghasdan mu dheidhinn na droch bhuaidh a tha na diofar ìrean ann an coimhearsnachd choimearsalta a’ toirt air daoine, gu h-àraidh an fheadhainn aig na h-ìrean as ìsle. Bha Fearghasdan a’ sgrìobhadh fada mus robh guth air coimiunachd.
’S e rud eile inntinneach a thachair co-cheangailte ri Fearghasdan gur ann anns an taigh aige a thachair Bhaltair Scott ri Raibeart Burns – an aon turas a thachair an dithis ri chèile. Cha robh Scott ach òg aig an àm.
Anns na seachdadan dhen ochdamh linn deug, chuir Fearghasdan seachad ùine ann an Geneva agus sgrìobh e aiste, a’ càineadh propaganda nan Aimeireaganach a bha ag iarraidh neo-eisimeileachd airson nan tìrean Breatannach ann an Aimeireagaidh a Tuath. An uair sin chaidh ainmeachadh mar fear de na coimiseanairean a dh’fheuchadh ri fuasgladh a lorg don eas-aonta eadar Riaghaltas Bhreatainn agus na h-Aimeireaganaich.
Ann an seachd-deug, ochdad ’s a h-aon (1781) ghabh e stròc. Dà bhliadhna as dèidh sin sgrìobh e leabhar air Eachdraidh na Poblachd Ròmanaich. Agus ann an seachd-deug, ochdad ’s a còig, leig e dheth a dhreuchd mar Phroifeasair na Feallsanachd Moralta. Ach cha robh e dìomhain. Dh’fhoillsich e leabhar ann an dà phàirt anns an robh mòran de na gliocas a bh’ air a bhith anns na h-òraidean aige aig an oilthigh.
Ann an seachd-deug, naochad ’s a trì, aig aois seachdad, dh’fhalbh e air turas mòr don Roinn Eòrpa, agus thadhail e air an Ròimh. Bha cothrom aige na h-àiteachan air an do sgrìobh e ann an Eachdraidh na Poblachd Ròmanaich fhaicinn dha fhèin.
Bha fhathast fichead bliadhna aige de shaoghal agus am measg nan àiteachan anns an do dh’fhuirich e bha na Pùballan agus Cill Rìmhinn. Chaochail e ann an ochd-deug is sia-deug (1816). Na sheann aois, sgrìobh e mòran aistidhean air feallsanachd is gnothaichean moralta.
An-diugh tha daoine eòlach air Adhamh Fearghasdan mar “Athair an Eòlais-shòisealta” agus is cinnteach gu robh e na dhuine cliùiteach aig àm nuair a bha àite mòr aig Alba ann an dùsgadh ghnothaichean inntinn anns an Roinn Eòrpa.
Ach bu toigh leam fios a bhith agam air beachd Fhearghasdain fhèin air an dualchas aige mar Ghaidheal. Mas urrainn dhuibh mo chuideachadh le fiosrachadh air a sin, bhithinn uabhasach toilichte cluinntinn bhuaibh. Beannachd leibh an-dràsta.
Faclan na Litreach: aiste: essay; fìrinneach: truthful; mòran siubhail: much travel; coimhearsnachd choimearsalta: commercial society; a’ càineadh: criticizing; neo-eisimeileachd: independence; eas-aonta: disagreement; Feallsanachd Nàdarrach: Natural Philosophy; Feallsanachd Moralta: Moral Philosophy; na Pùballan: Peebles; Cill Rìmhinn: St Andrews;
Abairtean na Litreach: mar a bha sìobhaltachd air atharrachadh tro eachdraidh: how civilization had changed through history; mar leasachadh nàdarrach: as a natural development; gun a bhith na amas aig mac an duine: without being a product of human design (a human aim); gu robh mòran anns a’ chumantas: that there was much in common; thug e bheachd air ealain is litreachas: he gave his opinion on arts and literature; mar a tha an aimsir a’ toirt buaidh air modhan sluaigh: how the climate affects a people’s manners; an càirdeas eadar meudachd sluaigh agus beartas dùthcha: the relationship between population size and the wealth of a nation; fada mus robh guth air coimiunachd: long before communism was heard of; ghabh e stròc: he suffered a stroke; thadhail e air an Ròimh: he visited Rome; bha fhathast fichead bliadhna aige de shaoghal: he still had twenty years of his life; na sheann aois: in his old age; athair an eòlais-shòisealta: the father of sociology; dùsgadh ghnothaichean inntinn: waking of intellectualism (the Scottish Enlightenment); bhithinn toilichte cluinntinn bhuaibh: I would be pleased to hear from you.
Abairtean na Litreach: There are two uses in the Litir this week for the prepositional pronoun bhuaithe (from him/it [masc]) which I mentioned in Litir 189 on January 31 this year. This could be a difficult word to deal with if you do not have a good dictionary for some do not mention it. Thankfully the newest one (the Gaelic-English Dictionary by Colin Mark) does, and also explains idiomatic uses. The second incidence in the Litir, agus a dh’ionnsaich mòran bhuaithe (who learned a lot from it) is fairly straightforward, but the second, gun leigeadh sin le gnothaichean poileataiceach na dùthcha dhol bhuaithe, is a more idiomatic use. A’ dol bhuaithe means declining, going downhill, getting in a bad state, so that the meaning of the phrase is “that that would let political matters [in the country] deteriorate.” Note that it does not matter whether we area dealing with masculine or feminine objects – the word is always the masculine , bhuaithe. If things are steadily and relentlessly getting worse, you might say to somebody, “Tha iad a’ sìor dhol bhuaithe.” Hopefully, it’s not a phrase you would use too often!
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Mas urrainn dhuibh mo chuideachadh le fiosrachadh: if you can (are able to) help me with information.
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