1116: Dearcan Sasgatùin
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.
Dearcan Sasgatùin
O chionn beagan sheachdainean, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu lus ùr a chuir mi am-bliadhna – an càl buan. A-nise, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu phreas a chuir mi o chionn trì bliadhna. Am-bliadhna nochd measan air – dearcan a bha blasta gu leòr, chanainn.
Ann am Beurla, ʼs e saskatoon berry a chanas daoine ris an lus, agus na measan. Canaidh mise preas sasgatùin agus dearc sasgatùin riutha ann an Gàidhlig. Bidh sibh ag aithneachadh gum buin an lus do thaobh an iar Chanada, ged a tha e cuideachd a’ fàs ann an ceann an iar-thuath nan Stàitean Aonaichte. ʼS dòcha gum bi sibh a’ smaoineachadh gun deach an lus ainmeachadh an dèidh baile mòr ann an Saskatchewan – Saskatoon. Sin a bha mi fhìn a’ smaoineachadh an toiseach.
Ach ʼs e mo thuigse a-nise gur ann air an rathad eile a tha e. Tha an t-ainm-àite Saskatoon a’ comharrachadh làrach far am faighte na dearcan. Chaidh ainmeachadh leis na daoine dùthchasach ris an canar na Crì. Bha iad a’ cruinneachadh nan dearcan far a bheil baile Sasgatùin an-diugh oir bha iad lìonmhor ann. Tha na mìltean de Chrì fhathast a’ fuireach ann an Sasgatùn. Tha mi an dùil gum bi feadhainn dhiubh a’ cruinneachadh nan dearcan as t-samhradh.
Cheannaich mi dà phreas bheag o chionn trì bliadhna. A-nise tha iad dà mheatair a dh’àirde agus bha tòrr mheasan orra am-bliadhna. Tha na dearcan a’ dol bho uaine gu dearg gu purpaidh fhad ʼs a tha iad ag abachadh. Chan eil iad mòr, beagan nas lugha na dearc dhubh. Agus tha blas car àraidh orra. Chanainn fhìn, nuair a tha iad amh, gu bheil am blas car coltach ri blas pheasraichean òga amh. Tha iad nas fheàrr air am bruich le beagan siùcair.
Tha na Cainèidianaich gu math measail orra. Tha gnìomhachas coimeirsealta stèidhichte air saskatoons, mar a chanar riutha. ʼS iomadh duine ann an Canada a dh’itheas saskatoon pie a h-uile bliadhna. Agus bidh feadhainn a’ dèanamh fìon leis na measan.
Nuair a bhios sinn a’ cur lusan ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba, bidh sinn uaireannan car faiceallach leotha oir faodaidh an geamhradh againn a bhith car fada is fuar. Ach chan eil dragh ann mu phreasan sasgatùin. Tha aimsir a’ gheamhraidh far a bheil iad a’ fàs gu nàdarrach cianail fhèin fuar. Chaidh an teothachd ann an baile Sasgatùin sìos gu caogad Celsius fo neoni anns na clàraidhean, ged a bha sin còrr is ceud bliadhna air ais. Cha bhi i uair sam bith cho fuar sin ann an Inbhir Nis!
Tha na dearcan math dhut, le beothamain is mèinnirich gu leòr annta. Anns an dòigh sin, tha iad car coltach ri dearcan gorma. Bidh iad a’ tighinn abaich tràth as t-samhradh. Mar as motha de sholas na grèine a gheibh iad aig an àm sin, ʼs ann as fheàrr.
Tha na preasan a’ coimhead glè shnog cuideachd. Thig flùraichean geala orra as t-earrach agus bidh na duilleagan a’ dol dearg as t-fhoghar. Ma tha rùm agaibh san leas, carson nach fheuch sibh preas sasgatùin no dhà a chur ann aig deireadh a’ gheamhraidh?
Faclan na Litreach: ceadaichte: permitted; preas sasgatùin: saskatoon berry bush; dearc sasgatùin: saskatoon berry fruit; Crì: Cree; dearc dhubh: blackcurrant.
Abairtean na Litreach: mu lus ùr a chuir mi am-bliadhna – an càl buan: about a plant I planted this year – perennial kale; dearcan a bha blasta gu leòr, chanainn: berries that are tasty enough, I’d say; ʼs e mo thuigse a-nise gur ann air an rathad eile a tha e: it’s my understanding now that it is the other way round; gum bi feadhainn dhiubh a’ cruinneachadh nan dearcan as t-samhradh: that some of them collect the berries in the summer; dà mheatair a dh’àirde: two metres high; fhad ʼs a tha iad ag abachadh: while they are ripening; car coltach ri blas pheasraichean òga amh: reminiscent of the flavour of raw young peas; air am bruich le beagan siùcair: cooked up with a little sugar; bidh feadhainn a’ dèanamh fìon leis na measan: some people make wine with the fruit; bidh sinn uaireannan car faiceallach leotha: we are sometimes quite careful with them; oir faodaidh an geamhradh againn a bhith car fada is fuar: because our winter can be quite long and cold; chaidh an teothachd ann an baile Sasgatùin sìos gu caogad Celsius fo neoni anns na clàraidhean: the temperature in the city of Saskatoon went down to -50 degrees Celsius in the records; le beothamain is mèinnirich gu leòr annta: with plenty of vitamins and minerals in them; mar as motha de sholas na grèine a gheibh iad aig an àm sin, ʼs ann as fheàrr: the more sunlight they get at that time, the better; thig flùraichean geala orra as t-earrach: white flowers come on them in spring; bidh na duilleagan a’ dol dearg as t-fhoghar: the leaves turn red in autumn; deireadh a’ gheamhraidh: the end of the winter.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: a’ comharrachadh làrach far am faighte na dearcan: marking a site where the berries would be obtained. The -te suffix on this verbal form represents the passive conditional ‘would be’ (it also occurs dialectally as -ist). Because faigh is an irregular verb, it is found in the forms gheibhte eg gheibhte e ‘it would be obtained, got’ and faighte eg am faighte e? ‘would it be obtained?’
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: cianail fhèin fuar: incredibly cold. The adjective fuar is here qualified by two adjective modifiers cianail and fhèin, both of which act as intensifers. Cianail fuar is ‘extremely cold’ and cianail fhèin fuar is even colder!
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 812
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