504: B’ àillibh? (2)
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.
B’ àillibh? (2)
Anns an Litir mu dheireadh bha mi a’ beachdachadh air goireas ùr air an eadar-lìon – am faclair aig Eideard Dwelly a tha a-nise ann an riochd eileagtronaigeach. Tha e aig www.dwelly.info agus tha e air leth feumail. An latha eile chuir fear a bha a’ conaltradh rium le puist-dealain fiosrachadh thugam co-cheangailte ris an fhaclair. Fiosrachadh gu math inntinneach.
Bha e a-mach air siorrachd ann an Alba. Thuirt e rium – cuir ainm na siorrachd seo a-steach don fhaclair agus cuiridh e iongnadh ort. Rinn mi sin, agus bha e ceart. Chuir e iongnadh orm agus thug e toileachas dhomh aig an aon àm.
Ann am priobadh na sùla, nochd ceud, fichead ’s a ceithir ceann-fhaclan Gàidhlig. Ann an diog no dhà, rinn mi rannsachadh a bh’ air làithean a chosg, a’ coimhead tron fhaclair air pàipear. Seo ceithir de na ceann-fhaclan, agus innsidh mi dhuibh às dèidh làimh dè an t-siorrachd a bh’ ann: càl-deanntaig - leaves of the common nettle cooked and eaten as cabbage; criarachan – nest of wild birds before it is lined or finished; geir – pain experienced in the wrist of persons manipulating the pruning hook; agus gnudhadh – the slush from drifting snow in the winter.
Uill, chan eil fhios a’m a bheil cuid agaibh eòlach air na faclan sin. Ach buinidh iad uile, a rèir Dwelly, do Ghallaibh – do dhualchainnt na Gàidhlig ann an Gallaibh. Bha iad air an cruinneachadh le fear Dòmhnall MacCoinnich à Killimister, faisg air Inbhir Ùige. Airson an lorg, chuir mi am facal “Caithness” a-steach don lorgair air a’ choimpiutair. Agus bu chòir dhomh a ràdh, ma tha sibh a’ coimhead airson nam faclan a dh’ainmicheas mi, ’s mathaid nach bi iad ann am faclair àbhaisteach Dwelly. Tha cuid dhiubh bhon eàrr-ràdh don fhaclair. Sin an Appendix to Dwelly’s Gaelic-English Dictionary, a chaidh a chur ri chèile às dèidh bàs Dwelly le Dùbhghlas Clyne agus Ruaraidh MacThòmais.
Dìreach airson blasad a bharrachd a thoirt dhuibh de na faclan Gallach a th’ aig Dwelly, seo ceithir eile. Saoil a bheil fios agaibh dè tha iad a’ ciallachadh: marag-geòidh, rùdail, sileadh-sùith agus upaig. Seo iad a-rithist: marag-geòidh, rùdail, sileadh-sùith agus upaig.
Uill, seo na tha iad a’ ciallachadh ann am Beurla, fear mu seach: marag-geòidh – pudding made in the stomach of a goose, consisting of the blood and fat of the goose with seasoning; rùdail – rumbling noise in the bowels; sileadh-sùith – rain percolating through the sooty thatch of a house and falling in large black drops indelibly staining everything it comes in contact with; agus upaig – old and useless person, one regarded as being in the way. Uill, cha tuirt mi gun robh iad PC…
Buinidh am fear a chuir am fiosrachadh thugam mu na faclan Gallach sin do shliochd muinntir Ghallaibh. Bha Gàidhlig aig na sinnsirean aige. Tha esan a’ tuigsinn gun robh, agus gu bheil, àite mòr aig a’ Ghàidhlig ann an dualchas Ghallaibh, gu h-àraidh anns an leth as fhaide sìor is deas dhen t-siorrachd.
Uaireigin bha trì dualchainntean àraidh gam bruidhinn ann an Gallaibh. Dh’fhalbh an Lochlannais o chionn fhada. Chan eil cuimhne aig duine beò air a’ chainnt sin a chluinntinn. Dh’fhalbh a’ Ghàidhlig o chionn ghoirid. Tha cuimhne aig daoine oirre, agus tha fiosrachadh mu a deidhinn clàraichte. Agus tha dualchainnt Ghallach na Beurla Gallta, no Albais, fhathast ann am bith.
Tha dualchas àraidh – agus beartach – aig Gallaibh. Agus tha a’ Ghàidhlig mar phàirt dheth. Feumaidh sinn dèanamh cinnteach nach bi dìleab nan Gàidheal ann an Gallaibh air a dìochuimhneachadh. Cuidichidh Dwelly Air-Loidhne le sin.
Faclan na Litreach: siorrachd: county; diog: second; ceann-fhaclan: headwords; ’s mathaid: perhaps; eàrr-ràdh: appendix; Gallach: Caithnessian (noun and adjective).
Abairtean na Litreach: bha mi a’ beachdachadh air goireas ùr: I was considering/giving an opinion on a new resource; a tha a-nise ann an riochd eileagtronaigeach: which is now in electronic form; fear a bha a’ conaltradh rium le puist-dealain: a guy who was communicating with me by email; cuiridh e iongnadh ort: it will surprise you; thug e toileachas dhomh aig an aon àm: it gave me pleasure at the same time; ann am priobadh na sùla: in a twinkling of an [the] eye; rinn mi rannsachadh a bh’ air làithean a chosg: I did research that would have taken days; buinidh iad uile do Ghallaibh: they all belong to Caithness; bu chòir dhomh a ràdh: I should say; ma tha sibh a’ coimhead airson nam faclan a dh’ainmicheas mi: if you’re looking for the words I name; a chaidh a chur ri chèile: which was put together; airson blasad a bharrachd a thoirt dhuibh: to give you a bit more of a taste; saoil a bheil fios agaibh dè tha iad a’ ciallachadh: do you reckon you know what they mean; anns an leth as fhaide sìor is deas: in the western and southern half; uaireigin bha trì dualchainntean àraidh gam bruidhinn: at one time three unique dialects were spoken; tha fiosrachadh mu a deidhinn clàraichte: information about it is recorded; ann am bith: in existence; nach bi dìleab nan Gàidheal air a dìochuimhneachadh: that the legacy of the Gaels will not be forgotten.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: The Litir this week is about the wonderful new resource (mentioned last week) of Dwelly’s Dictionary Online ( www.dwelly.info) which allows the user to make electronic searches for words, and to use it as an English-Gaelic dictionary. Prompted by a contact whose people hail from Caithness, and who is proud of his Gaelic heritage, I put the word “Caithness” in the search-engine and found 124 entries in Dwelly’s collection (some of which only appear in the printed Appendix, not in the original dictionary). It is an indicator of the richness of the Caithness dialect of Gaelic, and an encouragement to the many Caithness folk who feel that the Gaelic heritage of their county has been poorly represented, and even disregarded, by a number of public figures in recent times. The linguistic heritage of Caithness is rich, diverse and fascinating, and Gaelic forms a considerable part of it.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: : fear mu seach : one (masc) after the other.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 200
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