1288: Foithear (1)

O chionn greis, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu àite air a’ Ghàidhealtachd a dh’fhuiling ionnsaighean le bomaichean aig àm an Dàrna Cogaidh. B’ e sin Loch Iubh ann an Ros an Iar. An-diugh, tha mi a’ dol a thoirt sùil air àite eile air a’ Ghàidhealtachd a dh’fhuiling anns an aon dòigh.

’S e sin Foithear, taobh Loch Nis – no ann am Beurla, Foyers. Thig mi an-ceartuair don ionnsaigh-adhair. Ach, an toiseach, tha mi airson sùil a thoirt air an ainm-àite, oir tha ceangal ann eadar Foithear Loch Nis agus àiteachan air cladach Loch Iubh.

Ann an Gàidhlig Rois an Iar, canaidh daoine faithear no faithir ri àiteachan far a bheil leathad ann eadar cladach an latha an-diugh agus an seann chladach a bh’ ann o shean – a raised beach mar a th’ aca air ann am Beurla. Anns an fhaclair dhualchainnteach aige, tha Roy Wentworth ag innse seo dhuinn: faithir – arable or grazing land at shore, between the beach and the foot of [a] grassy slope going up to [a] raised beach, and sometimes on the raised beach itself. Tha An Fhaithear Mhòr agus An Fhaithear Bheag ann faisg air Inbhir Àsdail.

Tha Uilleam MacBhàtair ag innse dhuinn gur e an t-aon fhacal a th’ ann am Foithear, taobh Loch Nis. Tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘a slope, a terraced declivity’. Tha e boireanta. B’ e Fear Foithreach an t-ainm Gàidhlig a bh’ air the Laird of Foyers.

Tha abhainn a’ sruthadh sìos am bruthach an sin agus a’ tuiteam thairis air leac mhòr, a’ dèanamh eas a tha cho ainmeil ri gin ann an Alba – the Falls of Foyers. Ann an Gàidhlig, bhiodh tu an dùil gur e sin Eas Foithreach. Ach, a rèir choltais, ’s e Eas na Smùide a chanadh muinntir an àite ris. Canaidh sinn smùid ris a’ water vapour a dh’èireas às an eas nuair a tha tòrr uisge ann.

Chaidh mi a choimhead air an eas agus tha an t-àite gu math drùidhteach. Ach bha an turadh air a bhith ann airson grunn làithean mus deach mi ann. Gu mì-fhortanach, cha robh mòran uisge anns an eas.

Tha an t-àite sìtheil agus bòidheach an-diugh. Tha e gu sònraichte àlainn as t-fhoghar nuair a tha na duilleagan ruadh is donn is buidhe. Ach cha robh e sìtheil air an treas latha deug dhen Ghearran, naoi ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a h-aon (1941). Air an latha sin leig itealan-cogaidh Gearmailteach bomaichean air an fhactaraidh aluminium ann am Foithir.

Thuit dà bhoma air pìoban uisge ri taobh na factaraidh. Chaidh dithis fhear a mharbhadh – Murchadh MacLeòid agus Gilleasbaig MacDhòmhnaill – agus chaidh feadhainn eile dhen luchd-obrach a leòn. Chuir a’ bhanaltram ionadail agus buidheann de shaor-thoilich ionad-nursaidh air dòigh airson cobhair a dhèanamh orra.

Chaidh a h-uile uinneag anns an fhactaraidh a bhriseadh ach cha do chuir an ionnsaigh stad air obair na factaraidh ach airson latha no dhà. Trì mìosan an dèidh sin, thàinig itealan Gearmailteach eile. An turas seo, bha gunnaichean dìon aig an fhactaraidh. Loisg iad air an itealan agus chùm am pìleat a dol sìos Loch Nis, gun boma sam bith a leigeil.

Faclan na Litreach: Loch Iubh: Loch Ewe; dualchainnteach: dialectal; Uilleam MacBhàtair: William J Watson; boireanta: feminine; Fear Foithreach: the Laird of Foyers; Eas na Smùide: the Falls of Foyers; drùidhteach: impressive; gunnaichean dìon: defensive guns.

Abairtean na Litreach: a dh’fhuiling ionnsaighean le bomaichean aig àm an Dàrna Cogaidh: that suffered attacks with bombs at the time of the Second World War; a dh’fhuiling anns an aon dòigh: which suffered in the same way; thig mi an-ceartuair don ionnsaigh-adhair: I’ll come presently to the aerial attack; a’ sruthadh sìos am bruthach agus a’ tuiteam thairis air leac mhòr: flowing down the hill and falling over a large slab; eas a tha cho ainmeil ri gin ann an Alba: a waterfall that is as famous as any in Scotland; airson grunn làithean mus deach mi ann: for a few days before I went there; àlainn as t-fhoghar nuair a tha na duilleagan ruadh is donn is buidhe: beautiful in autumn when the leaves are russet and brown and yellow; leig itealan-cogaidh Gearmailteach bomaichean air an fhactaraidh: a German warplane dropped bombs on the factory; chaidh dithis fhear a mharbhadh: two men were killed; chaidh feadhainn eile dhen luchd-obrach a leòn: others of the workforce were injured; chuir a’ bhanaltram ionadail agus buidheann de shaor-thoilich ionad-nursaidh air dòigh: the local nurse and a group of volunteers set up a nursing station; airson cobhair a dhèanamh orra: to aid them; chaidh a h-uile uinneag anns an fhactaraidh a bhriseadh: every window in the factory was broken; loisg iad air an itealan agus chùm am pìleat a dol: they fired on the aircraft and the pilot continued on; gun boma sam bith a leigeil: without dropping any bomb.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: cha do chuir an ionnsaigh stad air obair na factaraidh ach: the attack only stopped the factory’s work [for]... This structure, employing a negative verb and the conjunction ach ‘but’ is a useful one. Here are other examples: cha robh mi ach a’ tarraing asad ‘I was only/just teasing you’; cha do leugh e ach a’ chiad chaibideil ‘he only read the first chapter’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha an turadh air a bhith ann: the weather had been dry.

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 984

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