492: Robbie Northway (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.
Robbie Northway (2)
Anns a’ Ghiblean dà mhìle ’s a h-aon (2001) nochd dithis phoileas agus dithis mhaor-siorraim anns an t-Srathan air a’ Pharbh. Bha iad ann airson dèanamh cinnteach gum biodh Robbie Northway a’ gluasad a-mach às a’ bhothan anns an robh e air a bhith a’ fuireach gun chead. Bha a’ bhean aige mu thràth air a dhol a dh’fhuireach air taobh an ear na Gàidhealtachd. Ach bha Robbie fhathast ann.
Bha Robbie co-obrachail. Thugadh a h-uile ball àirneis a-mach às an taigh. Chaidh an doras a ghlasadh. Agus choisich an còignear thar na mòintich chun an rathaid.
Nuair a ràinig iad an rathad, chaidh lioft a thabhann do Robbie gu ruige Baile Dhubhthaich far an robh a’ bhean aige a-nise a’ fuireach. Thuirt e ris na poilis gum biodh e a’ tilleadh an ceann latha no dhà airson an stuth aige a thoirt air falbh. Gheibhear cunntas dhen ùine a chuir na Northways seachad anns an t-Srathan anns an leabhar “Wilderness Dreams” le Mike Cawthorne. Tha Cawthorne fhèin a’ cur nan ceist – carson nach deach an stoc aig na Northways a thrusadh? Agus carson nach do chuir an t-òrdugh-cùirte stad orra bho bhith a’ tilleadh ann? A rèir an òrduigh, cha robh cead aca dhol a dh’fhuireach anns a’ bhothan a-rithist. Ge-tà, cha do chuir e stad air na Northways bho bhith a’ fuireach ann an nàbaidheachd a’ bhothain.
Agus ’s e sin, gu dearbh, na thachair. Bha Robbie deimhinne gun robh e ceart ann a bhith ag àiteachadh na talmhainn anns an t-Srathan, co-dhiù bha am bothan fosgailte dha gus nach robh. Mar sin, thill e don àite agus thog e bruchlag de phìosan iarainn aig ceann an taighe. Bha i beag is tais agus b’ fheudar do Robbie teine mònach a bhith aige fad an t-siubhail airson a’ mheanbh-chuileag a chumail a-mach.
Le seann chrann air a cheangal ris a’ ghearran aige, rinn Robbie obair treabhaidh. Chuir e todhar is feamainn air an talamh. Thòisich e air pìos talmhainn a dhèanamh rèidh airson taigh a thogail. Bhuain e mòine. Thog e gàrradh mòr fada. Chuir e buntàta. Bha a h-uile rud sin iongantach oir bha e a’ fulang droch shlàinte.
Nochd buill Chomann Bothain nam Beann airson obair leasachaidh a dhèanamh air a’ bhothan. Bha iad mì-thoilichte gun robh Robbie fhathast a’ fuireach ri taobh a’ bhothain. “Bha e,” thuirt fear aca, “mar gun robh duine a dh’fheuch ri mèirle a dhèanamh anns an taigh agad air gluasad an ath dhoras.” Ach fhuair iad air adhart math gu leòr leis nuair a bha iad ann. Agus, anns an fharsaingeachd, tha e coltach gun robh daoine a’ toirt spèis dha airson na spàirne a rinn e.
Ach feumaidh nach robh a h-uile duine riaraichte. Chan eil luchd-fianais ann a dhearbhas na thachair, ach tha Robbie a’ cumail a-mach gun do choisich dithis fhear òg don t-Srathan Didòmhnaich a bha seo anns an Lùnastal dà mhìle ’s a h-aon (2001). Bha iad tapaidh agus bhruidhinn iad Beurla le blas a bhuineadh do cheann a tuath Shasainn. Rinn iad dochann air Northway agus dh’innis iad dha gun robh an t-àm aige teicheadh.
Agus ’s e sin a rinn e. Thàinig caibideil bheag annasach ann an eachdraidh taobh an iar-thuath na Gàidhealtachd gu crìch le fuadachadh is dochann. Aig a’ cheann thall, ’s dòcha nach robh Robbie Northway cho buileach eadar-dhealaichte bho mhòran de na Gàidheil a bha beò anns na linntean roimhe.
Faclan na Litreach: An Giblean: April; co-obrachail: co-operative; Baile Dhubhthaich: Tain; òrdugh-cùirte: court order; tais: damp; treabhadh: ploughing; todhar: fertilizer; feamainn: seaweed; rèidh: level; gàrradh: stone wall; spàirn: exertion; tapaidh: well-built.
Abairtean na Litreach: anns an t-Srathan air a’ Pharbh: in Strathan at Cape Wrath ; thar na mòintich chun an rathaid: over the moor to the road; chaidh lioft a thabhann do: a lift was offered to; gheibhear cunntas: an account can be obtained; carson nach deach an stoc aig X a thrusadh?: why was X’s livestock not gathered?; bho bhith a’ fuireach ann an nàbaidheachd a’ bhothain: from living in the neighbourhood of the bothy; ag àiteachadh na talmhainn: cultivating the land; co-dhiù bha am bothan fosgailte dha gus nach robh: whether or not the bothy were open to him; thog e bruchlag de phìosan iarainn aig ceann an taighe: he built a hovel from pieces of iron at the end of the house; teine mònach: peat fire; airson a’ mheanbh-chuileag a chumail a-mach: to keep the midge[s] out; le seann chrann air a cheangal ris a’ ghearran aige: with an old plough harnessed to his pony; bhuain e mòine: he cut peat; chuir e buntàta: he planted potatoes; buill Chomann Bothain nam Beann: members of the Mountain Bothies Association; a dh’fheuch ri mèirle a dhèanamh anns an taigh agad: who tried to burgle your house; luchd-fianais a dhearbhas na thachair: witnesses who can confirm what happened; tha X a’ cumail a-mach: X maintains; gun robh an t-àm aige teicheadh: that it was time for him to leave; thàinig X gu crìch le fuadachadh is dochann: X came to an end with an eviction and a beating-up.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: dithis phoileas agus dithis mhaor-siorraim: two policemen and two sheriff’s officers. This is a revision of a point made in one or two previous Litrichean – that dithis (like other numerical nouns eg triùir, ceathrar) commands a noun in the genitive plural case. Poileas is a policeman. It is pluralised (to poilis) by slenderisation, so its genitive plural form is the same as the nominative singular, except that it is lenited – thus dithis phoileas. Maor is pluralised in the nominative to maoir, so it behaves in the same way. The lenited genitive plural is mhaor. Note that, as maor is the basic word of the compound maor-siorraim ( siorraim is the genitive singular form of siorram and is here acting like an adjective describing maor), it is this word that inflects with case.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Thugadh a h-uile ball àirneis a-mach às an taigh : every item of furniture was taken out of the house.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 188
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