335: An t-Urramach Tormod MacLeòid (5)
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.
An t-Urramach Tormod MacLeòid (5)
Cha ghabhadh Tormod MacLeòid airgead bhon t-sluagh airson an cuid cloinne a theagasg anns an sgoil. Chan e tuarastal an eich a fhuair e na bu mhò. ’S e an duais a fhuair e obair. Bhiodh na fir aig an robh clann san sgoil a’ dèanamh obair do Thormod air an lot aige. Carson a bha sin? Carson nach robh Tormod ag iarraidh airgead bho na daoine? Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e as coireach gu robh Tormod airson a bhith os cionn chàich. Bha e airson a bhith na cheannard dhaibh. Nam faigheadh e airgead bhuapa bhiodh e coltach ri searbhant. Ach le bhith a’ toirt orra obair a dhèanamh air an fhearann aige, b’ esan am maighstir.
Co-dhiù tha sin fìor gus nach eil, tha mòran dhen bheachd gun tug Tormod buaidh mhath air suidheachadh na Gàidhlig anns an sgìre. Le bhith a’ teagasg anns a’ chànan, thug e bonn-stèidh dhi nach robh air a bhith aice nan robh a’ chlann a’ faighinn foghlam ann am Beurla. Uaireannan bhiodh clann a’ dol dhachaigh bhon sgoil aige is a’ leughadh a’ Bhìobaill Ghàidhlig do phàrantan aig nach robh comas leughaidh. Cha robh Gàidheil na sgìre a’ coimhead air a’ Ghàidhlig mar rud suarach, ach mar rud urramach.
Bha Tormod gu mòr airson Là na Sàbaid a chumail mar là adhraidh. Cha robh obair sam bith air a dèanamh air an là sin agus duine sam bith a rachadh an aghaidh nan riaghailtean aige, bhiodh iad air an càineadh gu dubh bhon chùbaid. Agus, a-rithist, mar mhinistear cha ghabhadh e airgead sam bith bhon choitheanal. Bhiodh na fir a’ dèanamh obair dha. Am measg na rinn iad dha, thog iad eaglais.
A rèir beul-aithris thachair rudeigin annasach a chuir cliù Thormoid fo sgleò. Bha fear a bha seo a’ coiseachd a dh’ionnsaigh an àite-obrach aige. Air an rathad thachair e ri ceannaiche. Cheannaich e rudan bhon cheannaiche ach cha robh airgead aige. Bha an t-airgead anns an taigh ann an sporan ann an ciste. Chaidh an dithis air ais don taigh. Thug an duine an sporan a-mach às a’ chiste agus phàigh e an ceannaiche. Chuir e an sporan air ais agus dh’fhalbh an dithis sìos an rathad.
Às dèidh greis, dhealaich iad bho chèile. Nuair a thill an duine dhachaigh feasgar cha robh sgeul air an sporan. Bha cuideigin air a ghoid. ’S e balach a bha a’ fuireach an ath dhoras a chaidh a choireachadh. Chaidh a chruaidh cheasnachadh agus chaidh iarraidh air aideachadh gum b’ esan a ghoid an sporan. Thuirt e, ge-tà, uair is uair, nach robh gnothach sam bith aige ris a’ mhèirle.
Mu dheireadh, thuirt na fir a bha ga cheasnachadh gum biodh e air a ghlasadh anns a’ chladh airson na h-oidhche. Bha an t-eagal mòr air roimhe sin, agus thuirt e gur esan dha-rìreabh a ghoid an sporan. Thug Tormod MacLeòid binn seachad – binn chruaidh. Bhiodh pàirt de chluas a’ bhalaich air a ghearradh dheth. Chaidh sin a dhèanamh sa spot. Ghabh mòran anns a’ choimhearsnachd an t-uabhas nuair a chuala iad mu dheidhinn.
Seachdain às dèidh sin, ge-tà, thuirt cuideigin gum fac’ e an ceannaiche a’ dol tro uinneag an taighe air an là a chaidh an sporan a ghoid. Dh’aidich an ceannaiche gun do thill e don taigh feasgar is gun do ghoid e an sporan.
Thuirt fear-lagha ann an Suidni gum biodh e deònach Tormod a thoirt gu lagh airson na rinn e, ach dhiùlt athair a’ bhalaich sin a dhèanamh. Bhiodh sin, thuirt e, a rèir aithris, a’ dol an aghaidh Dhè.
Faclan na Litreach: suarach: trifling, contemptible; urramach: worthy of respect; là adhraidh: a day of workship; coitheanal: congregation.
Abairtean na Litreach: airson an cuid cloinne a theagasg: for teaching their children; ’s e an duais a fhuair e obair: the reward he received was work; gu robh Tormod airson a bhith os cionn chàich: that Norman wanted to be above everybody else; nam faigheadh e airgead bhuapa:if he received money from them; co-dhiù tha sin fìor gus nach eil: whether that is true or not; thug e bonn-stèidh dhi: he gave her a foundation; bhiodh iad air an càineadh gu dubh bhon chùbaid: they would be roundly condemned from the pulpit; am measg na rinn iad dha: among [the things] they did for him; thachair e ri ceannaiche: he met a pedlar; anns an taigh ann an sporan ann an ciste: in the house in a purse in a chest; dhealaich iad bho chèile: they departed from each other; a chaidh a choireachadh: who was blamed; chaidh a chruaidh cheasnachadh: he was interrogated; uair is uair: time after time; nach robh gnothach sam bith aige ris a’ mhèirle: that he had nothing to do with the theft; gum biodh e air a ghlasadh anns a’ chladh:that he would be locked in the cemetery; bhiodh pàirt de chluas a’ bhalaich air a ghearradh dheth: part of the boy’s ear would be cut off; sa spot: immediately; ghabh mòran an t-uabhas: many were horrified; gum biodh e deònach Tormod a thoirt gu lagh: that he would be willing to take Norman to law; bhiodh sin a’ dol an aghaidh Dhè: that would be going against God.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: a dh’ionnsaigh an àite-obrach aige : towards his workplace. Àite-obrach is a compound noun in which the basic element is àite(the second noun describes the type of àiteit is ie it works adjectivally). The second noun is in its genitive form (“place of work”). The compound is masculine, as is àite,so if the compound were in the nominative with the article it would be an t-àite-obrach.But in the Litir the compound is in the genitive case following the compound preposition a dh’ionnsaigh.Now here’s an important point: because àiteis the basic word in the compound it is the one which declines as the compound changes case. But the word àitedoes not change its form – it is still àite in the genitive. So the genitive of àite-obrach is àite-obrach.The second noun does not decline. We would never say a dh’ionnsaigh an àite-obraich, for example, although you will sometimes hear such a mistake being made.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan e tuarastal an eich a fhuair e na bu mhò : it wasn’t the “horse’s wages” he got, either. Tuarastal an eich means food as a reward for work, rather than money.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 31
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