347: Ath nam Muileach
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.
Ath nam Muileach
’S e àite sìtheil a th’ ann an Ath nam Muileach. Tha e faisg air ceann an iar Loch Afraig ann an Gleann Afraig. Àite far am biodh daoine a’ faighinn tarsainn Abhainn Afraig anns an t-seann aimsir. Tha drochaid ann an-diugh. Agus tha bothan ann far am bi cuid a’ fuireach nuair a bhios iad a’ cur chraobhan sa ghleann.
’S e Athnamulloch a th’ air an àite ann am Beurla. Tha beachd ann gun tàinig an t-ainm à Ath nam Muileach – The Mull Men’s Ford. Ach tha beachd eile ann cuideachd – gur e The Ford of Mulloch a tha e a’ ciallachadh, agus gur e Mulloch – no am Mullach – an seann ainm a bh’ air a phàirt sin dhen ghleann.
Co-dhiù, canaidh mise Ath nam Muileach ris. Ged a tha e a’ coimhead sìtheil an-diugh, chan ann mar sin a bha e air an dàrna là dhen Dàmhair, seachd ceud deug, is aon air fhichead (1721). Air an là sin, bha còmhrag ann, anns an deach duine a mharbhadh. Bha e co-cheangailte ri Cogaidhean nan Seumasach, agus seo mar a thachair e.
Nuair a chaidh ar-a-mach nan Seumasach ann an seachd ceud deug is còig-deug (1715) a mhùchadh, ghabh an riaghaltas thairis na h-oighreachdan aig Iarla Shìophoirt, An Siosalach agus Granndach Ghleann Mhoireastain. Bha na trì oighreachdan air an cur fo smachd choimiseanairean a bha a’ tional a’ mhàil airson an riaghaltais.
Ach cha robh an obair aca furasta. Bhiodh na seann bhàillidhean fhathast a’ faighinn màl bho na daoine is ga chur gu na cinn-chinnidh, a bh’ air teicheadh. Bha eagal air na coimiseanairean dhol gu na glinn sin. Bha an sluagh a’ faighinn misneachd bho aithrisean is fathannan gum faighte taic bho na Spàinntich ann a bhith a’ cur Rìgh Stiùbhartach air ais air a’ chathair rìoghail.
Thàinig feachd Spàinnteach gu tìr ann an Cinn Tàile ann an seachd ceud deug is naoi-deug (1719), ach rinn an t-arm dearg a’ chùis orra ann an Gleann Seile. A dh’aindeoin ’s gun do chaill na Spàinntich, bha mòran de na daoine sna glinn sin fhathast dìleas do na Seumasach. Bha am màl fhathast a’ dol do na seann chinn-chinnidh.
Mar sin, anns an t-Sultain, seachd ceud deug is aon air fhichead (1721), chaidh feachd a chur ri chèile leis an amas am màl a thional don riaghaltas. Bha saighdearan ann bho na North British Fusiliers. Os an cionn bha dithis à Siorrachd Rois – Uilleam Ros, a bha roimhe na Phròbhaist ann am Baile Dhubhthaich, agus a bhràthair Raibeart.
Chaidh iad an toiseach a dh’Inbhir Moireastan. Bha mòd aca an sin. Dh’iarr iad air na màladairean gu lèir a nochdadh ann. Chaidh feadhainn ann, ach cha tug duine aca màl seachad. Chaidh iad gu Srath Ghlais an uair sin. Thachair an aon rud. An uair sin, rinn iad deiseil airson coiseachd tro Ghleann Afraig gu ruige Cinn Tàile.
Nuair a bha iad ann an Inbhir Moireastan, bha fear-brathaidh san èisteachd. Chaidh esan gu Cinn Tàile airson innse do bhàillidh nan Sìophortach, Dòmhnall MacCalmain, gu robh an fheachd seo air an rathad gan ionnsaigh. Cha b’ fhada gus an robh trì cheud duine armaichte aig MacCalmain, deiseil airson stad a chur air na saighdearan dearga. Chaidh iad tro Ghleann Afraig agus choinnich an dà fheachd ri chèile aig Ath nam Muileach. Loisg iad air a chèile agus chaidh Bhaltair Ros, mac Uilleim, a mharbhadh. Ach mus deach cus fala a leigeil, thàinig an dà thaobh gu aonta tarraing air ais, agus bha còmhrag Ath nam Muileach seachad.
Faclan na Litreach: Gleann Afraig: Glen Affric; còmhrag: combat, fight; cinn-chinnidh: clan chiefs; fathannan: rumours; Cinn Tàile:Kintail; dìleas: loyal; Inbhir Moireastan: Invermoriston; mòd: assembly; Srath Ghlais: Strathglass; armaichte: armed.
Abairtean na Litreach: far am biodh daoine a’ faighinn tarsainn: where people would be crossing; a’ cur chraobhan: planting trees; chan ann mar sin a bha e air an dàrna là dhen Dàmhair: that’s not how it was on 2 October; co-cheangailte ri Cogaidhean nan Seumasach: connected to the Jacobite Wars; nuair a chaidh ar-a-mach nan Seumasach a mhùchadh: when the Jacobite rebellion was quelled; Iarla Shìophoirt, An Siosalach agus Granndach Ghleann Mhoireastain: The Earl of Seaforth, Chisholm and Grant of Glenmoriston; fo smachd choimiseanairean: under the control of commissioners; bhiodh na seann bhàillidhean fhathast a’ faighinn màl: the old factors were still receiving rent; rinn an t-arm dearg a’ chùis orra ann an Gleann Seile: the British (red) army defeated them in Glenshiel; leis an amas am màl a thional don riaghaltas:with the aim of collecting the rent for the government; a bha roimhe na Phròbhaist ann am Baile Dhubhthaich:who was formerly a Provost of Tain; dh’iarr iad air na màladairean gu lèir a nochdadh ann: they asked all the rentpayers to appear there; cha tug duine aca màl seachad: nobody gave any rent; bàillidh nan Sìophortach, Dòmhnall MacCalmain: the Seaforths’ factor, Donald Murchison; deiseil airson stad a chur air na saighdearan dearga:ready to stop the redcoat soldiers: choinnich an dà fheachd ri chèile: the two forces met each other; mus deach cus fala a leigeil: before too much blood was spilled; thàinig X gu aonta tarraing air ais: X came to an agreement to retreat.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: gum faighte taic bho na Spàinntich : that help would be obtained from the Spaniards. Did you recognise faighte as a conditional passive of the verb faigh ? I highlighted it in Litir 204, but that is nearly three years ago, so I thought it was worth revisiting. Note that there are dialectal alternatives which mean the same: faighteadh, faighist and faighiste. These are all dependent forms (eg following gum). The independent forms (eg gheibhte taic …; help would be obtained) are gheibhte, gheibhteadh, gheibhist and gheibhiste.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha fear-brathaidh san èisteachd : a spy was in the audience. Bha mi san èisteachd: I was in the audience.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 43
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