1187: Ùbhlan na h-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.
Ùbhlan na h-Alba
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chlann ʼic Coinnich na Cùile ann an Siorrachd Rois, agus mu àiteachan ann an Tìr na Banrigh far a bheil Mackenzie anns an ainm. ʼS e fear de na lochan a bu bhrèagha san robh riamh mi a’ snàmh Lake McKenzie ann an Tìr na Banrigh. Tha a ghrunnd air a dhèanamh de ghainmheach bhàn agus tha an loch air a chuairteachadh le tràighean àlainn. Tha e suidhichte ann an eilean mòr ris an canar Fraser Island.
Nise, chan eil fhios a’m cò am MacCoinnich a thug ainm don loch, ach saoilidh mi gu bheil an t-am ann beachdachadh air ainm dùthchasach a thoirt dha. ʼS e Boorangoora a chanas na tùsanaich ionadail ris.
Tha mi airson tilleadh don Chùil a-nise, agus don Ridire Seòras Stiùbhart MacCoinnich. Dh’inns mi dhuibh gun robh e na cheann-suidhe air Comann Tuathanais-ghàrraidh na h-Alba, the Caledonian Horticultural Society. Feumaidh gun robh ùidh shònraichte aige ann an ùbhlan.
Chruthaich MacCoinnich seòrsa ùr de dh’ubhal aig Taigh na Cùile agus ʼs e an t-ainm a th’ air ‘Coul Blush’. Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gur e an t-ubhal sònraichte as fhaide tuath a chaidh a chruthachadh ann an Alba.
Anns an naoidheamh linn deug bha Alba ainmeil airson a cuid ùbhlan. Tha a’ bhuidheann Scottish Apple Producers ag innse dhuinn gun deach còrr is ceathrad seòrsa de dh’ubhal a chruthachadh ann an Alba thairis air na linntean. B’ e an linn a b’ ainmeile airson sin meadhan an naoidheamh ceud deug.
An dèidh sin, thàinig na rathaidean-iarainn agus fionnarachadh fuadain. Leig sin le ùbhlan na bu shaoire faighinn a-steach. Thòisich tuathanaich air faighinn cuidhteas an cuid ubhal-ghoirtean, agus bàrr na bu phrothaidiche a chur. Chailleadh an t-uabhas de ar ubhal-ghoirtean aig an àm sin. Tha iad a’ tilleadh anns an latha an-diugh mean air mhean.
Cia mheud de na seann seòrsaichean Albannach a tha rin lorg fhathast? Chan eil fhios a’m, ach tha feadhainn a’ dol, leithid Beauty of Moray, Galloway Pippin agus James Grieve. Ach bu mhath leam crìoch a chur air gnothaichean an-diugh le iomradh air ubhal iongantach air a bheil an Treabhaiche Fuilteach no Bloody Ploughman.
Tha an seòrsa seo annasach oir faodaidh an taobh a-staigh a bhith eadar pinc is dearg – coltach ri fuil, gu dearbh! Tha an craiceann dorch-dhearg. Thàinig e gu bith air Cars Ghobharaidh, sgìre a tha ainmeil airson mheasan, agus chaidh a chlàradh an toiseach ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad ʼs a trì (1883).
Ach ciamar a fhuair e an t-ainm an Treabhaiche Fuilteach? Uill, seo an sgeul. Bha treabhaiche ann, agus bha e a’ goid ùbhlan bho Oighreachd Mhig-innis. Chunnaic geamair e agus loisg e a ghunna air. Thuit an treabhaiche marbh.
Nuair a chaidh a chorp a thoirt do a bhean, lorg i ùbhlan na phòcaidean agus thilg i air flagais iad. Dh’fhàs craobh às an fhlagais air an robh ùbhlan sònraichte, agus chaidh an seòrsa ùr ainmeachadh an dèidh an treabhaiche bhochd.
Faclan na Litreach: Clann ʼic Coinnich na Cùile: the Mackenzies of Coul; Tìr na Banrigh: Queensland; suidhichte: situated; pàrras: paradise; An Ridire Seòras Stiùbhart MacCoinnich: Sir George Steuart Mackenzie; rathaidean-iarainn: railways; fionnarachadh fuadain: artificial refrigeration; mean air mhean: little by little; Cars Ghobharaidh: The Carse of Gowrie; treabhaiche: ploughman; fuilteach: bloody; Oighreachd Mhig-innis: Megginch Estate; geamair: gamekeeper; flagais: compost heap.
Abairtean na Litreach: fear de na lochan a bu bhrèagha san robh riamh mi a’ snàmh: one of the most beautiful lakes in which I have ever swum; tha a ghrunnd air a dhèanamh de ghainmheach bhàn: its bottom is made of white sand; air a chuairteachadh le tràighean àlainn: surrounded by beautiful beaches; a chanas na tùsanaich ionadail ris: which the local aboriginal people call it; feumaidh gun robh ùidh shònraichte aige ann an ùbhlan: it must be that he had a particular interest in apples; seòrsa ùr de dh’ubhal: a new variety of apple; gur e an t-ubhal sònraichte as fhaide tuath a chaidh a chruthachadh: that it is the most northerly apple that was created; b’ e an linn a b’ ainmeile airson sin meadhan an naoidheamh ceud deug: that the most famous time for that was the middle of the 19th century; leig sin le ùbhlan na bu shaoire faighinn a-steach: that allowed cheaper apples to be imported; bàrr na bu phrothaidiche: more profitable crop[s]; bu mhath leam crìoch a chur air gnothaichean an-diugh: I’d like to finish matters today; tha an craiceann dorch-dhearg: the skin is dark red; nuair a chaidh a chorp a thoirt do a bhean: when his body was given to his wife; lorg i ùbhlan na phòcaidean: she found apples in his pockets.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Thòisich tuathanaich air faighinn cuidhteas an cuid ubhal-ghoirtean: farmers began to get rid of their apple orchards. The expression faighinn cuidhteas ‘getting rid of’ is interesting because the verb in it ‘faighinn’ is never put in inverse position i.e. we never get ‘cuidhteas fhaighinn’. Also, even though faighinn is a verbal noun, the noun or noun phrase it commands is always in the nominative form e.g. bha an t-àm againn faighinn cuidhteas an sòfa ‘it was time for us to get rid of the sofa’. Sometimes it is used with the preposition de e.g. a bheil thu a’ faighinn cuidhteas dheth? ‘are you getting rid of it?’
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gu bheil an t-am ann beachdachadh air ainm dùthchasach a thoirt dha: that it’s time to consider giving it an indigenous name.
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 883
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