82: Tòimhseachain (2)
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.
Tòimhseachain (2)
Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil an t-àm ann tòimhseachan a thoirt dhuibh a-rithist. ’S fhada o nach robh fear againn anns an Litir. Agus bheir mi dhuibh aig an deireadh e. Chan eil fhios a’m dè thug orm smaoineachadh air tòimhseachan, ach ’s dòcha gur e am pìos fealla-dhà a chuala mi an latha eile a bu choireach.
Bha balach a bha seo nach robh uabhasach – uill, canaidh sinn “èasgaidh” – mar sgoilear. Cha chanadh e mòran ri phàrantan mu dheidhinn na sgoile, agus oidhche a bha seo, aig an taigh, thòisich athair air a cheasnachadh mu dheidhinn na bha e a’ dèanamh anns an sgoil. “Bha deuchainnean agam an-diugh,” dh’aidich an gille, “ann an Saidheans is Matamataig.”
“Agus ciamar a chaidh dhut leis na ceistean?” dh’fhaighnich athair.
“O, ceart gu leòr,” fhreagair a mhac, “bha na ceistean furasta gu leòr.”
“Rinn thu gu math, ma thà,” thuirt athair.
“O, cha do rinn,” fhreagair am balach. “Cha do rinn idir.”
“Ciamar a tha sin?” dh’fhaighnich athair. “Thuirt thu gu robh na ceistean furasta.”
“Och uill,” thuirt an gille, “bha na ceistean furasta gu leòr, ach bha na freagairtean cianail fhèin doirbh!”
’S e facal inntinneach a th’ ann an “ceist”, agus tha e inntinneach mar a bhios daoine, bho àm gu àm, a tha gu math aineolach mu dheidhinn na Gàidhlig, a’ cur as a leth gu feum i tòrr fhaclan Beurla a thoirt a-staigh fad an t-siubhail, agus gu robh sin a’ tachairt bho chionn fhada. Chan eil iad uaireannan a’ mothachadh do na h-uibhir de dh’fhaclan-iasaid a th’ air a dhol a-steach don Bheurla. “Questionnaire”, mar eisimpleir. Facal Frangach. Ach canaidh sinne ann an Gàidhlig “ceisteachan”, facal Gàidhlig a tha co-cheangailte ri “ceist”.
Ann am Beurla nuair a tha iomadh dath air rudeigin, canaidh daoine gu bheil e “multicoloured”. ’S ann às a’ Laidinn a thàinig an dà phàirt dhen fhacal sin. Ach ann an Gàidhlig bidh sinn a’ cur dà fhacal Gàidhlig ri chèile, is canaidh sinn “ioma-dhathte.” Tha mòran eisimpleirean eile ann mar sin, far a bheil am facal Beurla air tighinn bho chànan eile, neo far a bheil e air a chur ri chèile le freumhan a thàinig bho chànan, neo cànanan, eile. Tha am facal Gàidhlig, ge-tà, gu math – uill – Gàidhealach. Seo grunn eisimpleirean eile, leis an fhacal Bheurla an toiseach, air a leantainn leis a’ Ghàidhlig.
Suburb: fo-bhaile. Centrifugal: meadhan-sheachnach. Omnipotence: uile-chumhachd. Philanthropy: gràdh-daonna. Ambidextrous: co-dheas-làmhach. Synchronous neo contemporaneous: co-thìmeil.
Nise, chan eil mi ag ràdh gu bheil cànan seach cànan “nas fheàrr” nan t’ eile air sgàth sin. ’S dòcha gur e sin aon adhbhar ’s gu bheil a’ Bheurla cho neartmhor – gu bheil i a’ gabhail a-steach mòran fhaclan bho chànanan eile gu furasta. Ach chanainn cuideachd gu bheil neart aig a’ Ghàidhlig anns an t-seadh ’s gun urrainn dhuinn mòran fhaclan a chruthachadh innte gun a bhith a’ dol don Laidinn neo seann Ghrèigis.
Co-dhiù, tha an t-àm ann airson an tòimhseachain. Faodaidh sibh smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn mus coinnich sinn a-rithist.
Triùir air muin trì
’S trì nan dèidh.
B’ iad sin triùir bhràithrean,
Dol a dh’iarraidh bean dom màthair fhèin.
Feumaidh sibh meòmhrachadh air! Agus bu chòir dhomh ràdh gun deach a chruthachadh aig àm nuair nach robh càraichean air a’ Ghaidhealtachd. Nan robh duine ann an cabhaig, ’s ann air muin eich a bhiodh e a’ falbh. ’S dòcha gum bi sin na chuideachadh. Seo an tòimhseachan a-rithist:
Triùir air muin trì
’S trì nan dèidh.
B’ iad sin triùir bhràithrean,
Dol a dh’iarraidh bean dom màthair fhèin.
Dè am fuasgladh? Innsibh mi dhuibh an ath sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: tòimhseachan: riddle; fealla-dhà: fun, joke; èasgaidh: willing (as a student); deuchainnean: exams; dh’aidich e:he admitted; aineolach: ignorant; ceisteachan: questionnaire; neartmhor: strong; seann Ghrèigis: Ancient Greek.
Abairtean na Litreach: chan eil fhios a’m dè thug orm smaoineachadh air X: I don’t know what made me think of X; bha na freagairtean cianail fhèin doirbh: the questions were really difficult; a’ cur as a leth: accuse it; fad an t-siubhail: all the time; chan eil iad a’ mothachadh do na h-uibhir de dh’fhaclan-iasaid: they are not aware of the large number of loan-words; anns an t-seadh: in the sense; triùir air muin trì: three people on the back of three; trì nan dèidh: three after them; b’ iad sin triùir bhràithrean: they were three brothers; (a’) dol a dh’iarraidh bean dom màthair fhèin: going to fetch a “wife” for their own mother.
Puing ghràmair na Litreach: “O, ceart gu leòr,” fhreagair a mhac:“O, okay,” replied his son. Are you comfortable with the use of the possessive adjectives in the third person singular? A mhacmeans “his son”, because the noun is lenited. An unlenited noun ie a mac would mean “her son”; and, of course, am mac would mean “the son.” But look at another example in the Litir: cha chanadh e mòran ri phàrantan (he would not say much to his parents). I deliberately left out the possessive adjective “a”, meaning “his”, in this instance because it is elided in speech (when preceded and followed by vowels) and because this is a common convention in Gaelic writing. This would not be the case with the feminine “a” (hers) which is pronounced and written (ie cha chanadh i mòran ri a pàrantan). Another example is thòisich athair air a cheasnachadh (his father started to interrogate him). “Her father” would be a h-athair. Note, however, that some Gaelic writers think that the masculine possessive adjective should always be written for the sake of clarity and to assist learners. With the new “Faclair Pàrlamaid na h-Alba” being produced next year, and the need for uniformity of orthographic conventions, one hopes that such matters will soon be settled to universal satisfaction.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ciamar a chaidh dhut leis na ceistean?: how did you get on with the questions? “Ciamar a chaidh dhut?” is a very common phrase which you will hear in daily use in any Gaelic home or workplace. It can be extended to other situations eg Ciamar a chaidh do Hearts an aghaidh Celtic? (how did Hearts fare against Celtic?).
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