559: Mac-Talla
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.
Mac-Talla
Bha mi a’ coimhead air seann duilleag an latha eile a bhuineadh don phàipear-naidheachd Ghàidhlig Mac-Talla. Bha Mac-Talla air fhoillseachadh ann an Alba Nuadh airson dusan bliadhna aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug agus toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Air an duilleig bha an naidheachd bheag laghach seo.
Chaidh Dòmhnall Mòr gu taigh an uachdarain a phàigheadh a mhàil. Nuair a bha e a’ fàgail an taigh mhòir thàinig fras uisge agus thug an t-uachdaran gu coibhneil dha sgàilean airson an t-uisge a chumail dheth. Dh’fhalbh Dòmhnall, agus a cheann mòran na b’ àirde na bha e a’ tighinn oir bha e a’ meas gun do chuir an t-uachdaran onair mhòr air.
Ach cha b’ fhada gus am facas a’ tilleadh e agus an sgàilean os a chionn mar a bha nuair a dh’fhalbh e. “Seo,” ars esan ris an uachdaran, “cha dèan e an gnothach idir. Chan eil doras air an taigh agamsa air an gabh e toirt a-staigh agus b’ fheudar dhomh tilleadh leis.” A uill, Dòmhnall bochd!
Chan e an stòiridh beag laghach sin a thog m’ aire mun duilleig ann am Mac-Talla, ge-tà, ach briathrachas os a chionn. Tha am briathrachas a’ dèiligeadh ri rothaidheachd. A bheil sibh a’ tuigsinn an fhacail sin – rothaidheachd ? Tha e a’ ciallachadh “cycling”. Nise, ’s dòcha gur e baidhsagal a chanas sibh fhèin airson “bicycle”. Thàinig am facal sin bhon Bheurla. Agus gu h-inntinneach, chan eil e a’ nochdadh idir ann am Faclair Dwelly.
Ma choimheadas sibh ann an cuid de na faclairean Gàidhlig as ùire, chì sibh am facal rothair cuideachd airson bicycle. Rothair – R-O-T-H-A-I-R. Ach ann an Dwelly, ’s e rothar – R-O-T-H-A-R. Tha am facal stèidhichte air roth, seann fhacal Gàidhlig airson cuibhle. Cluinnear sin fhathast ann am barra-roth, a’ Ghàidhlig air wheelbarrow. Co-dhiù, ann an Dwelly, tha am facal Beurla bicycle a’ nochdadh dà thuras. Agus seo a’ Ghàidhlig air a shon: rothar dà-chuibhleach agus each-iarainn. Uill, chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gun canadh duine “each-iarainn” an-diugh!
Tha an t-alt ann am Mac-Talla ag ràdh: Seo faclan ùra Gàidhlig airson gach rud a bhuineas do rothar. Tha e coltach gun dèan iad mòran fheum do ar leughadairean an-dràsta nuair a tha rothaidhean cho lìonmhor anns gach àite.
Seo agaibh cuid de na faclan co-cheangailte ri rothar: cluas (handle); slat (handlebar); gabhal (fork), beann (prong of fork). Agus ’s e bonn a th’ aca air “tyre”.
Bonn - tha sin aig Dwelly cuideachd. Ach èistibh ri seo: bonn cruaidh (solid tyre), bolg-bhonn (pneumatic tyre). Tha bolg no balg a’ ciallachadh “air tube”. Ach cò chleachdadh bonn cruaidh air rothar an-diugh?!
Seo cuid eile de na faclan air an liosta: luasgan (spring); troighean (pedal), cnò (nut), tnachair (spanner), deocan (valve), teannaire (pump) agus priocadh (puncture). Bidh sibh ag aithneachadh cuid de na faclan sin, ceart gu leòr, ach an cleachdamaid teannaire is priocadh an-diugh?
Faclan na Litreach: Alba Nuadh: Nova Scotia; fras uisge: a shower of rain; briathrachas: vocabulary; rothaidheachd: cycling; rothar: bicycle; èistibh: listen! (plural).
Abairtean na Litreach: deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug agus toiseach an fhicheadamh linn: the end of the 19thCentury and the start of the 20thCentury; an naidheachd bheag laghach seo: this nice little anecdote; gu taigh an uachdarain a phàigheadh a mhàil: to the laird’s house to pay his rent; thug an t-uachdaran gu coibhneil dha sgàilean: the laird kindly gave him an umbrella; bha e a’ meas gun do chuir an t-uachdaran onair mhòr air: he reckoned the laird had honoured him; cha b’ fhada gus am facas a’ tilleadh e: it wasn’t long until he was seen returning; cha dèan e an gnothach: it’s no use; chan eil doras air an taigh agamsa air an gabh e toirt a-staigh: there is no door in my house through which it can be taken; b’ fheudar dhomh tilleadh leis: I had to return with it; ma choimheadas sibh: if you look; cuid de na faclairean Gàidhlig as ùire: some of the most modern Gaelic dictionaries; airson gach rud a bhuineas do rothar: for everything that belongs to a bicycle; tha e coltach gun dèan iad mòran fheum do ar leughadairean an-dràsta: it appears that they will be of great use to our readers just now; nuair a tha rothaidhean cho lìonmhor: when cyclists are so numerous; cò chleachdadh bonn cruaidh air rothar an-diugh?: who would use a solid tyre on a bicycle today?; bidh sibh ag aithneachadh cuid de na faclan sin: you’ll recognise some of those words; ach an cleachdamaid?: but would we use?
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bonn (tyre), teannaire (pump), priocadh (puncture): It’s interesting to see the influence of English on Gaelic during the 20th Century (an experience shared by many languages). Words that had currency at the beginning of the 20th Century have become redundant or little-used today. Taidhir has replaced bonn. Teannaire is based on the verb teannaich (“tighten, squeeze, tighten by pumping”) and is in Dwelly’s dictionary; pump(a) has replaced it. Dwelly has three words for “puncture” – priocadh, stob agus sgathadh. But we’d be more likely to say toll for “puncture” today. Where the old people might have said tha mi feumach air teannaire oir fhuair mi priocadh sa bhonn, we’d say today tha mi feumach air pump oir fhuair mi toll san taidhir.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: agus a cheann mòran na b’ àirde na bha e a’ tighinn: feeling much prouder than [he was] when he came [was coming].
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 255
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