麻豆社

Tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil an t-脿m ann t貌imhseachan a thoirt dhuibh a-rithist. 鈥橲 fhada o nach robh fear againn anns an Litir. Agus bheir mi dhuibh aig an deireadh e. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 thug orm smaoineachadh air t貌imhseachan, ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e am p矛os fealla-dh脿 a chuala mi an latha eile a bu choireach.

Bha balach a bha seo nach robh uabhasach 鈥� uill, canaidh sinn 鈥溍╝sgaidh鈥� 鈥� mar sgoilear. Cha chanadh e m貌ran ri ph脿rantan mu dheidhinn na sgoile, agus oidhche a bha seo, aig an taigh, th貌isich athair air a cheasnachadh mu dheidhinn na bha e a鈥� d猫anamh anns an sgoil. 鈥淏ha deuchainnean agam an-diugh,鈥� dh鈥檃idich an gille, 鈥渁nn an Saidheans is Matamataig.鈥�

鈥淎gus ciamar a chaidh dhut leis na ceistean?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich athair.

鈥淥, ceart gu le貌r,鈥� fhreagair a mhac, 鈥渂ha na ceistean furasta gu le貌r.鈥�

鈥淩inn thu gu math, ma th脿,鈥� thuirt athair.

鈥淥, cha do rinn,鈥� fhreagair am balach. 鈥淐ha do rinn idir.鈥�

鈥淐iamar a tha sin?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich athair. 鈥淭huirt thu gu robh na ceistean furasta.鈥�

鈥淥ch uill,鈥� thuirt an gille, 鈥渂ha na ceistean furasta gu le貌r, ach bha na freagairtean cianail fh猫in doirbh!鈥�

鈥橲 e facal inntinneach a th鈥� ann an 鈥渃eist鈥�, agus tha e inntinneach mar a bhios daoine, bho 脿m gu 脿m, a tha gu math aineolach mu dheidhinn na G脿idhlig, a鈥� cur as a leth gu feum i t貌rr fhaclan Beurla a thoirt a-staigh fad an t-siubhail, agus gu robh sin a鈥� tachairt bho chionn fhada. Chan eil iad uaireannan a鈥� mothachadh do na h-uibhir de dh鈥檉haclan-iasaid a th鈥� air a dhol a-steach don Bheurla. 鈥淨uestionnaire鈥�, mar eisimpleir. Facal Frangach. Ach canaidh sinne ann an G脿idhlig 鈥渃eisteachan鈥�, facal G脿idhlig a tha co-cheangailte ri 鈥渃eist鈥�.

Ann am Beurla nuair a tha iomadh dath air rudeigin, canaidh daoine gu bheil e 鈥渕ulticoloured鈥�. 鈥橲 ann 脿s a鈥� Laidinn a th脿inig an d脿 ph脿irt dhen fhacal sin. Ach ann an G脿idhlig bidh sinn a鈥� cur d脿 fhacal G脿idhlig ri ch猫ile, is canaidh sinn 鈥渋oma-dhathte.鈥� Tha m貌ran eisimpleirean eile ann mar sin, far a bheil am facal Beurla air tighinn bho ch脿nan eile, neo far a bheil e air a chur ri ch猫ile le freumhan a th脿inig bho ch脿nan, neo c脿nanan, eile. Tha am facal G脿idhlig, ge-t脿, gu math 鈥� uill 鈥� Gaidhealach. Seo grunn eisimpleirean eile, leis an fhacal Bheurla an toiseach, air a leantainn leis a鈥� Gh脿idhlig.

Suburb: fo-bhaile. Centrifugal: meadhan-sheachnach. Omnipotence: uile-chumhachd. Philanthropy: gr脿dh-daonna. Ambidextrous: co-dheas-l脿mhach. Synchronous neo contemporaneous: co-th矛meil.

Nise, chan eil mi ag r脿dh gu bheil c脿nan seach c脿nan 鈥渘as fhe脿rr鈥� nan t鈥� eile air sg脿th sin. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e sin aon adhbhar 鈥檚 gu bheil a鈥� Bheurla cho neartmhor 鈥� gu bheil i a鈥� gabhail a-steach m貌ran fhaclan bho ch脿nanan eile gu furasta. Ach chanainn cuideachd gu bheil neart aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig anns an t-seadh 鈥檚 gun urrainn dhuinn m貌ran fhaclan a chruthachadh innte gun a bhith a鈥� dol don Laidinn neo seann Ghr猫igis.

Co-dhi霉, tha an t-脿m ann airson an t貌imhseachain. Faodaidh sibh smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn mus coinnich sinn a-rithist.

Tri霉ir air muin tr矛

鈥橲 tr矛 nan d猫idh.

B鈥� iad sin tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean,

Dol a dh鈥檌arraidh bean dom m脿thair fh猫in.

Feumaidh sibh me貌mhrachadh air! Agus bu ch貌ir dhomh r脿dh gun deach a chruthachadh aig 脿m nuair nach robh c脿raichean air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd. Nan robh duine ann an cabhaig, 鈥檚 ann air muin eich a bhiodh e a鈥� falbh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi sin na chuideachadh. Seo an t貌imhseachan a-rithist:

Tri霉ir air muin tr矛

鈥橲 tr矛 nan d猫idh.

B鈥� iad sin tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean,

Dol a dh鈥檌arraidh bean dom m脿thair fh猫in.

D猫 am fuasgladh? Innsibh mi dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

t貌imhseachan: riddle; fealla-dh脿: fun, joke; 猫asgaidh: willing (as astudent); deuchainnean: exams; dh鈥檃idich e: he admitted; aineolach: ignorant; ceisteachan:questionnaire; neartmhor: strong; seann Ghr猫igis: Ancient Greek.

chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 thug orm smaoineachadh air X: I don鈥檛know what made me think of X; bha na freagairtean cianail fh猫in doirbh: the questions werereally difficult; a鈥� cur as a leth: accuse it; fad an t-siubhail: all the time; chan eil iad a鈥檓othachadh do na h-uibhir de dh鈥檉haclan-iasaid: they are not aware of the large number ofloan-words; anns an t-seadh: in the sense; tri霉ir air muin tr矛: three people on the back ofthree; tr矛 nan d猫idh: three after them; b鈥� iad sin tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean: they were three brothers;(a鈥�) dol a dh鈥檌arraidh bean dom m脿thair fh猫in: going to fetch a 鈥渨ife鈥� for their own mother.

鈥淥, ceart gu le貌r,鈥� fhreagair a mhac: 鈥淥, okay,鈥� repliedhis son. Are you comfortable with the use of the possessive adjectives in the third personsingular? A mhac means 鈥渉is son鈥�, because the noun is lenited. An unlenited noun ie a macwould mean 鈥渉er son鈥�; and, of course, am mac would mean 鈥渢he son.鈥� But look at anotherexample in the Litir: cha chanadh e m貌ran ri ph脿rantan (he would not say much to hisparents). I deliberately left out the possessive adjective 鈥渁鈥�, meaning 鈥渉is鈥�, in this instancebecause it is elided in speech (when preceded and followed by vowels) and because this is acommon convention in Gaelic writing. This would not be the case with the feminine 鈥渁鈥�(hers) which is pronounced and written (ie cha chanadh i m貌ran ri a p脿rantan). Anotherexample is th貌isich athair air a cheasnachadh (his father started to interrogate him). 鈥淗erfather鈥� would be a h-athair. Note, however, that some Gaelic writers think that themasculine possessive adjective should always be written for the sake of clarity and to assistlearners. With the new 鈥淔aclair P脿rlamaid na h-Alba鈥� being produced next year, and theneed for uniformity of orthographic conventions, one hopes that such matters will soon besettled to universal satisfaction.

ciamar a chaidh dhut leis na ceistean?: how did you get onwith the questions? 鈥淐iamar a chaidh dhut?鈥� is a very common phrase which you will hearin daily use in any Gaelic home or workplace. It can be extended to other situations egCiamar a chaidh do Hearts an aghaidh Celtic? (how did Hearts fare against Celtic?).