359: La Marie de Dunquerque
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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La Marie de Dunquerque
An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu thuras a chaidh Gàidheil a thoirt am bruid le maraichean. An t-seachdain seo tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh mu thachartas eile anns an robh cuideigin air a thoirt am bruid le maraiche. Thachair e ann an Leòdhas.
As t-earrach ochd ceud deug, seachdad ’s a ceithir (1874), nochd long ann an Camas Ùige. Tha sin ann an Sgìre Ùige ann an taobh an iar Leòdhais. Leig i a h-acair ann an àite ris an canar am Poll Gorm. Chan e acarsaid mhath a th’ innte, ge-tà. Chunnaic feadhainn ann am baile Chradhlastadh an long. Bha iad a’ gabhail uallach mu a deidhinn oir bha i ann an droch àite.
Chaidh feadhainn a-mach ga h-ionnsaigh ann an geòla. Dh’èigh iad air a’ chriutha gu robh iad ann an droch àite. B’ e an sgiobair an aon duine air bòrd aig an robh Beurla – agus cha robh mòran dhen chànan sin aig fir Chradhlastadh. Thuirt an sgiobair gur e La Marie de Dunquerque an t-ainm a bh’ air an t-soitheach. Bha i a’ dèanamh air Innis Tìle far am biodh i a’ cumail biadh is bathar ris na bàtaichean-iasgaich Frangach.
Thuirt na Leòdhasaich ris an sgiobair gu feumadh iad feitheamh gus am biodh làn na mara ann. An uair sin, shealladh iad slighe dhaibh gu ruige acarsaid na bu shàbhailte.
Gu mì-fhortanach, ge-tà, tharraing an soitheach a h-acair agus chaidh i air sgeir. Thug muinntir Chradhalstadh cuireadh do na Frangaich dhol a dh’fhuireach nan dachannan fhad ’s a bhathar a’ càradh na luinge. Ach airson a càradh, b’ fheudar don chriutha an luchd gu lèir a chur air tìr. Am measg a’ bhathair bha branndaidh gu leòr agus bha na Frangaich gu math fialaidh leis.
Bha na h-Albannaich is na Frangaich a’ faighinn air adhart gu math. Bha na Frangaich ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig agus bha na h-Albannaich ag ionnsachadh Fraingis. Ach bha aon rud a’ cur sgreamh air muinntir Chradhlastadh, a rèir choltais. B’ e sin cho measail ’s a bha na Frangaich air a bhith ag ithe feòil nam faoileagan.
Latha a bha seo, bha buidheann de chloinn-nighean a’ nighe aodaich anns an allt. Thàinig còmhlan de mharaichean Frangach seachad agus chaidh rudeigin a ràdh eatarra. Theich na caileagan, agus ruith na Frangaich às an dèidh. Ràinig a’ chlann-nighean taigh aig seann bhoireannach air an robh Peigi Dhòmhnaill.
Chuir Peigi suas an staidhre iad agus nuair a nochd na Frangaich dh’innis i dhaibh nach fhaca i a’ chlann-nighean. Ach bha na Frangaich amharasach agus chaidh iad am falach air cùl cnuic faisg air an taigh. Nuair a thàinig na caileagan a-mach, ruith na Frangaich às an dèidh. Fhuair a’ chuid a bu mhotha de na caileagan air falbh, ach fhuair aon Fhrangach grèim teann air tè bhrèagha air an robh Anna Ruairidh. Cha leigeadh e às i.
Thug am maraiche Anna am bruid agus dh’fhalbh e gu taigh leatha. Dhiùlt e a leigeil air falbh. Bha cuid de na fir airson am Frangach a dhochann ach bha an t-eagal orra gum biodh Anna air a goirteachadh anns an t-sabaid.
Fhuair muinntir an àite taic bho na Frangaich eile. Bha iadsan air an nàrachadh mu dhol a-mach an companaich. Mu dheireadh, gu h-anmoch air an oidhche, chaidh Anna a shaoradh. Dh’fhalbh an soitheach Frangach. Chan ann do dh’Innis Tìle, ge-tà, ach air ais don Fhraing. Bha na h-iasgairean ann an Innis Tìle às aonais a’ bhìdh is a’ bhranndaidh ris an robh dùil aca as t-samhradh sin.
Faclan na Litreach: Sgìre Ùige: [the parish of] Uig; long: ship; acarsaid: anchorage; Cradhlastadh: Crowlista; branndaidh: brandy; fialaidh: generous; sgreamh: nausea.
Abairtean na Litreach: mu thuras a chaidh Gàidheil a thoirt am bruid le maraichean: about a time Gaels were kidnapped by seamen; leig i a h-acair: she dropped her anchor; chaidh feadhainn a-mach ga h-ionnsaigh ann an geòla: some went out to her in a dinghy; bha i a’ dèanamh air Innis Tìle: she was making for Iceland; far am biodh i a’ cumail biadh is bathar ris na bàtaichean-iasgaich: where she would be supplying food and goods to the fishing boats; làn na mara: high tide; shealladh iad slighe dhaibh gu ruige acarsaid na bu shàbhailte: they would show them a route to a safer anchorage; fhad ’s a bhathar a’ càradh na luinge: while the ship was being repaired; b’ fheudar don chriutha an luchd gu lèir a chur air tìr: the crew had to put the entire cargo on land; cho measail ’s a bha na Frangaich air a bhith ag ithe feòil nam faoileagan: how keen the Frenchmen were on eating seagull meat; ruith na Frangaich às an dèidh: the Frenchmen ran after them; grèim teann: a tight grip; cha leigeadh e às i: he wouldn’t release her; bha cuid de na fir airson X a dhochann: some of the men wanted to beat up X; bha iadsan air an nàrachadh mu dhol a-mach an companaich: they were ashamed of their companion’s behaviour; às aonais a’ bhìdh air an robh dùil aca: without the food they were expecting.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha buidheann de chloinn-nighean a’ nighe aodaich : a group of girls was washing clothes. Clann-nighean is a collective compound in which the second element nighean is in the genitive plural (“of girls”) and therefore does not inflect. In some places there is no inflection of the first element either, except for lenition. So it would be buidheann de chlann-nighean. But a more traditional mode still occurs in which the dative is indicated by a slenderisation of clann to cloinn. Note, however, that the compound is always singular because clann is always singular. So “the girls” (nominative) is always a’ chlann-nighean . In a compound noun of this nature, the first element shows no terminal inflection (because the second part of the compound follows it) so the genitive is na cloinn-nighean (not na cloinne-nighean).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha iad a’ gabhail uallach mu a deidhinn : they were concerned about her. Ghabh e uallach mun chùis: he was concerned, worried about the matter.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 55
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