1021: Carbadan Argyll (1)
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.
Carbadan Argyll (1)
Tha ceud is fichead bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a chaidh a’ chompanaidhHozier Engineering a chur air dòigh. Agus cò bh’ ann an Hozier Engineering? Uill, ʼs e companaidh a bh’ ann, stèidhichte ann an Glaschu, a bha a’ togail chàraichean gu coimeirsealta. Seadh, bha gnìomhachas togail chàraichean againn ann an Alba, fada mus robh guth air a’ Hillman Imp!
Cha bhi cuimhne agaibh air carbadan-ola a bha ainmichte mar Hoziers, oir cha robh a leithid ann. Ach ʼs dòcha – ma tha ùidh agaibh ann an eachdraidh thionnsgalach na h-Alba – gu bheil sibh air cluinntinn mun Argyll. Bha na h-Argylls air an dèanamh aig factaraidh Hoziers ann an Glaschu. Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mun deidhinn agus mu dheidhinn Alexander Govan a bh’ air cùl an Argyll.
Thogadh e ann am bochdainn ann am Baile an t-Saoir ann an Siorrachd Lannraig. Ghluais a theaghlach gu ruige Baile na Drochaid ann an Glaschu ach bha iad air an cuairteachadh le bochdainn an sin cuideachd.
Bha Ailig airson piseach a thoirt air a shuidheachadh fhèin. Chaidh e gu colaiste theicnigeach, far an do rinn e gu math. An uair sin, chaidh e fhèin ʼs a bhràthair-chèile còmhla airson rothairean a dhèanamh. Ge-tà, bha cùisean doirbh aig an àm sin airson luchd-dèanaimh rothairean. Cha robh a’ mhargaidh a’ dol am meud luath gu leòr airson na bh’ ann de chompanaidhean a bha gan dèanamh.
Ghluais Ailig a Shasainn – gu Redditch ann am Worcestershire, far an d’ fhuair e obair ann am factaraidh einnseanairidh. Thòisich a’ chompanaidh air càraichean a thogail, le bhith a’ cleachdadh phàirtean a bhuineadh do chàraichean a bh’ air an togail ann an dùthchannan eile.
Dh’ionnsaich Ailig gu leòr an sin airson obair a ghabhail ann an Glaschu mar mhanaidsear air companaidh a bh’ air a bhith a’ dèanamh rothairean – The Scottish Manufacturing Company. ʼS e an entrepreneur, Uilleam A Mac a’ Ghobhainn, a bh’ air cùl na companaidh. Bha e na shàr-eòlaiche air lagh nam peutantan. Bha Mac a’ Ghobhainn airson a dhol an sàs ann an togail charbadan-ola, agus dh’fhastaich e Ailig Govan airson cruth-atharrachadh a thoirt air a’ chompanaidh. Dh’atharraich iad a h-ainm gu The Hozier Engineering Company.
Bha càr aca taobh a-staigh beagan mhìosan. ʼS e Argyll Voiturette a chanadh iad ris agus bhathar ga reic aig prìs reusanta – ceud, caogad ʼs a còig gini. ʼS e voiturette a chanadh daoine ri mòran chàraichean beaga aig an àm sin, agus bha an Argyll stèidhichte air voiturette a chaidh a thogail le Renault san Fhraing.
Ach carson nach tug Renault gu cùirt iad? Uill, mar a bha mi ag ràdh, bha ceannard Hozier, Uilleam Mac a’ Ghobhainn, na eòlaiche air lagh nam peutantan! Ge-tà, bha aca ri bogsa-ghèaraichean ùr a dhealbhachadh, agus thug Hozier a-mach peutant airson sin.
Bha dà is trì-chairteal horsepower ann an einnsean a’ voiturette agus bha an t-einnsean ann an toiseach a’ chàir. Bha e air fhionnarachadh le rèididheatar làn uisge. Bha aingleachadh dealain ann, agus càrbradair math Frangach.
Bha an t-einnsean air a cheangal ris na cuibhlichean deiridh le fearsaid-dràibhidh, cluidse agus bogsa-ghèaraichean a bha ag obair aig trì astaran. B’ e an t-astar a bu luaithe aig a’ Voiturette ochd mìle deug san uair. Bidh tuilleadh agam air an Argyll an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach : Baile an t-Saoir: Blantyre; Baile na Drochaid: Bridgeton; Siorrachd Lannraig: Lanarkshire; colaiste theicnigeach: technical college; luchd-dèanaimh:manufacturers; factaraidh einnseanairidh: engineering factory.
Abairtean na Litreach : Tha ceud is fichead bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a chaidh a’ chompanaidh a chur air dòigh: 120 years have gone past since the company was established; a bha a’ togail chàraichean gu coimeirsealta: who were building cars commercially; bha gnìomhachas togail chàraichean againn: we had a car-building industry; cha robh a leithid ann: there was no such thing; chaidh e fhèin ʼs a bhràthair-chèile còmhla airson rothairean a dhèanamh: he and his brother-in-law combined to make bicycles; ghluais Ailig a Shasainn: Alex moved to England; le bhith a’ cleachdadh phàirtean a bhuineadh do chàraichean a bh’ air an togail ann an dùthchannan eile: by using parts that belonged to cars that were built in other countries; ʼs e Uilleam A Mac a’ Ghobhainn a bh’ air cùl na companaidh: it’s William A Smith that was behind the company; bha e na shàr-eòlaiche air lagh nam peutantan: he was an expert on patent law; dh’fhastaich e X airson cruth-atharrachadh a thoirt air a’ chompanaidh: he hired X to restructure the company; carson nach tug Renault gu cùirt iad?: why didn’t Renault take them to law?; bha an t-einnsean ann an toiseach a’ chàir: the engine was in the front of the car; bha e air fhionnarachadh le rèididheatar: it was cooled by a radiator; bha aingleachadh dealain ann, agus càrbradair math Frangach: there was electric ignition, and a good French carburettor [aingleachadh is a bit of ‘posh’ word for ‘ignition’ – in common parlance ‘startadh’ would generally be used]; air a cheangal ris na cuibhlichean deiridh le fearsaid-dràibhidh, cluidse agus bogsa-ghèaraichean a bha ag obair aig trì astaran: linked to the rear wheels by a drive-shaft, clutch and a gearbox that worked at three speeds; b’ e an t-astar a bu luaithe aig a’ Voiturette ochd mìle deug san uair: the Voiturette had a maximum speed of eighteen miles per hour.
Puing-chànain na Litreach : Cha bhi cuimhne agaibh air carbadan-ola a bha ainmichte mar X: you won’t remember petrol cars that were called X. As the Litir concerns early motor cars, it’s appropriate to use the term the Gaels used in the early days – carbad-ola ‘a petrol vehicle’ (and carbad-iarainn ‘a train). You will still occasionally hear an older person speaking about ‘ carbadan-ola’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach Thogadh e ann am bochdainn: he was raised in poverty.
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.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 717
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