22: Tsunami ann an Alba
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.
Tsunami ann an Alba
Tha a’ bhliadhna seo air a bhith gu math dona airson crithean-talmhainn. Anns an Turc agus ann an Taiwan – chaill na mìltean am beatha nuair a thuit togalaichean àrd’ orra. Ach nuair a tha crith-thalmhainn ann, chan ann dìreach anns na bailtean mòra, far a bheil togalaichean àrda, a tha an cunnart. Faodaidh e bhith gu math cunnartach air a’ chladach cuideachd. ‘S e is coireach airson sin rud ris an canar tsunami.
‘S e facal Iapanach a th’ ann an tsunami, agus ’s e am facal as fheàrr a th’ ann airson a leithid. Ann am Beurla bithear a’ bruidhinn air tidal wave , ach chan eil gnothach sam bith aig an tìde-mhàra ri tsunami. ‘S e crith-thalmhainn a tha ag adhbharachadh tsunami, ach crith-thalmhainn fon mhuir, is chan ann air tìr.
Bidh sibh a’ smaoineachadh, ’s dòcha, leis gu bheil uachdar na talmhainn cho seasmhach ann an Alba, nach tachradh tsunami ann an seo uair sam bith. Uill, ma ’s e sin ur beachd, tha sibh ceàrr, a-rèir choltais. Ged nach eil iad a’ tachairt ann a seo ach ainneamh, tha iad air a bhith ann bho àm gu àm.
O chionn coig bliadhn’ deug ar fhichead (35), lorg dithis às Oilthigh Dhun Eideann, gainmheach fo uachdar na talmhainn faisg air a’ bhaile. Shaoil iad gur e tuil a bu choireach – tuil-aibhne – is gur iad uisgeachan-aibhne a ghluais a’ ghainmheach agus a dh’fhàg ann a sin i. Cha robh iad dhen bheachd gu robh gnothach sam bith aig a’ mhuir rithe.
Ach, tro thìde, lorg feadhainn eile gainmheach dhen aon seòrsa suas is sìos costa sear na h-Alba. Agus bha fosailean innte a bh’ air tighinn bhon mhuir. Tha e coltach gun deach a thilgeil air cladach na h-Alba aig an aon àm le tuinn mhòra mhòra o chionn còrr is seachd mìle bliadhna. Ach de dh’adhbharaich na tuinn mhòra? Uill, a-rèir choltais, tsunami.
Bha crith-thalmhainn anns a’ chuan eadar Nirribhidh agus Innis Tìle. Ghluais pàirt de ghrunnd na mara a bha cho mòr ri Alba, agus dh’adhbharaich sin fairge mhòr – nas motha nan stoirm as miosa a chunnaic sinne a-riamh. Ann an Alba bha na tuinn sia meatairean na b’àirde na ìre làn na mara.
Agus tha fianais aig luchd-saidheans gun do thachair an tsunami as t-fhoghar. Ciamar a tha iad a’ dèanamh sin a-mach? Uill, gu sìmplidh. Bha na tuinn cho mòr ’s gun do rinn iad milleadh air tìr far an robh lusan is craobhan a’ fàs. Agus chaidh measan a thiodhlacadh anns a’ ghainmheach a chaidh a thilgeil air tìr leis an fhairge. Measan a bhios abaich dìreach as t-fhoghar.
Tha mi toilichte nach robh mi ann airson an tsunami sin fhaicinn. Ach ’s dòcha gu robh daoine ann an Alba aig an àm agus as t-fhoghar tha deagh theans ann gu robh iad faisg air a’ chladach. ’S dòcha gun do chaill feadhainn am beatha. Chuala mi naidheachd mu dheidhinn geòlaiche – eòlaiche-chreagan – a bh’ air cladach ann an Alàsca latha a bha seo, nuair a chunnaic e rudeigin annasach a’ tachairt anns a’ mhuir. “Mo chreach,” thuirt e ris fhèin, “tha tsunami a’ tighinn.” Agus ruith e air falbh bhon chladach cho luath ’s a b’ urrainn dha. Mura b’ e gu robh eòlas sònraichte aige, bha a’ mhuir air a dhol thairis air agus a bhàthadh. Ach cha robh eòlas mar sin aig na daoine o chionn seachd mìle bliadhna.
Agus an tachair tsunami a-rithist ann an Alba air sgàth gluasad grunnd na mara faisg air Nirribhidh? Tachraidh – ach ’s dòcha gum bi e greis fhathast. Agus gheibh sinn rabhadh ro-làimh – co-dhiù dà uair a thìde mus ruig na tuinn mhòra Alba. Bidh sinn beò an dòchas nach tachair e, ma thà, aig dà uair ’s a mhadainn.
Faclan na Litreach: crith-thalmhainn, crithean-talmhainn: earthquake, earthquakes; togalaichean: buildings; cunnart, cunnartach: danger, dangerous; Iapanach: Japanese: ag adhbharachadh: causing; seasmhach: stable; ainneamh: rare, rarely; Oilthigh Dhun Eideann: Edinburgh University; gainmheach: sand; tuil, tuil-aibhne: flood, riverine flood; fosailean: fossils; grunnd na mara: the sea bed; abaich: ripe; geòlaiche, eòlaiche-chreagan: geologist; Alàsca: Alaska; annasach: unusual; greis: a while.
Abairtean na Litreach: chaill na mìltean am beatha: thousands lost their lives; faodaidh e bhith gu math cunnartach: it can be extremely dangerous; uachdar na talmhainn: the surface of the earth; a-rèir choltais: apparently; bho àm gu àm: from time to time; tro thìde:over (through) time; costa sear na h-Alba: the east coast of Scotland; tha e coltach gun deach a thilgeil: it appears it was thrown: o chionn còrr is seachd mìle bliadhna: over seven thousand years ago; anns a’ chuan eadar Nirribhidh agus Innis Tìle: in the ocean between Norway and Iceland; dh’adhbharaich sin fairge mhòr: that caused a great sea; na b’àirde na ìre làn na mara: higher than the high-tide mark; chaidh measan a thiodhlacadh: fruit were buried; tha deagh theans ann: there is a good chance; cho luath ’s a b’ urrainn dha: as quickly as he could; mura b’ e gu robh eòlas sònraichte aige, bha a’ mhuir air a dhol thairis air agus a bhàthadh:if it had not been for his special knowledge, the sea would have engulfed him and drowned him; gheibh sinn rabhadh ro-làimh: we will get a warning beforehand; mus ruig na tuinn Alba: before the waves reach Scotland.
Puing ghràmair na Litreach: tuinn mhòra mhòra: very large waves. The singular is tonn mòr. As tonn is pluralised by slenderising its terminal (in this case only) vowel, the attributive adjective is lenited in the plural. This is a general rule in Gaelic. If the adjective ends in a consonant and has only one syllable, we add a terminal –a-. Thus cù mòr becomes coin mhòra (big dogs); each dubh becomes eich dhubha (black horses); boireannach beartach becomes boireannaich bheartach (wealthy women); gèadh glas becomes geòidh ghlasa (greylag geese). In some places, tonn is pluralised, not by slenderisation but by a terminal –an-. In this case the lenition of the attributive adjective no longer applies and we get tonnan mòra, not tonnan mhòra.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: chan eil gnothach sam bith aig an tìde-mhara ri tsunami: a tsunami has nothing to do with the tide. …gu robh gnothach sam bith aig a’ mhuir rithe: that the sea had anything to do with it (fem). Gnothach (business, matter, affair) is an extremely useful word and is employed in many contexts. This is one of its commonest uses. Gabh mo lethsgeul, ach an robh gnothach agadsa ris a’ mhilleadh air a chàr agam?: excuse me, but did you have anything to do with the damage to my car? Cha robh gu dearbh. Cha robh gnothach sam bith agam ris. Certainly not. I had nothing to do with it.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn