1294: M.E.M. Donaldson (3)
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.
M.E.M. Donaldson (3)
Tha mi air a bhith ag innse dhuibh mu M.E.M. Donaldson agus an leabhar aice ‘Wanderings in the Western Highlands and Islands’. Tha cunntas aice mu mar a fhuair na MacIntyres – Clann ’ic an t-Saoir – an ainm, co-dhiù a rèir beul-aithris. Thachair e aig muir faisg air Rubha Àird nam Murchan.
Tha e a’ dol air ais don linn nuair a bha Somhairle Mòr ann. B’ esan ceannard Gàidhealach-Lochlannach a bha beò anns an dàrna linn deug. ʼS e a chruthaich Tighearnas Earra-Ghàidheal ʼs nan Eilean.
Bha Somhairle ag iarraidh nighean Rìgh Mhanainn a phòsadh. B’ ise Raghnaid. Ach dhiùlt a h-athair, Rìgh Amhlaibh, a chead airson a phòsaidh. Ge-tà, cha do ghabh Somhairle ris an diùltadh. Bha e airson toirt air an Rìgh a chead a thoirt dha. Agus fhuair e taic bho a bhràthair-dalta, Murchadh Mac Nèill.
Bha Somhairle agus Amhlaibh a’ seòladh anns na birlinnean aca far taobh an iar na h-Alba. Bha Murchadh air bòrd birlinn Amhlaibh. Rinn e tuill ann an slige an t-soithich. Lìon e na tuill le ìm, gus nach fhaigheadh an sàl a-steach. Rinn e fàsagan dhen mheud cheart airson na tuill a lìonadh nuair a dh’fhalbhadh an t-ìm.
Ràinig soitheach an Rìgh Àird nam Murchan. Bha i gu math stoirmeil. Bha fairge mhòr ann. Dh’fhalbh an t-ìm às na tuill, agus thòisich an t-uisge air aoidion a-steach. Bha an soitheach a’ dol a dhol fodha.
Bha Somhairle faisg air làimh anns a’ bhirlinn aige fhèin. Dh’iarr Amhlaibh air Somhairle cobhair a dhèanamh air. Dhiùlt Somhairle dad a dhèanamh gus an d’ fhuair e gealladh bho Amhlaibh gum faigheadh e fhèin – Somhairle – cead nighean Amhlaibh a phòsadh. Dh’aontaich Amhlaibh ris an iarrtas.
Nuair a chuala e sin, chuir Murchadh fàsagan anns na tuill anns an t-slige. Chuir sin stad air an uisge faighinn a-steach agus shàbhail e an soitheach. Nise, bha Murchadh na shaor. Air sàillibh sin, bha inneal-tollaidh aige.
ʼS e Clann an t-Saoir a chanadh daoine ris a’ chloinn aige. ʼS e cinneadh ùr a bh’ ann. Tha sinn eòlach orra an-diugh ann am Beurla mar ‘MacIntyres’. Uill, ʼs e sin an sgeul, co-dhiù.
Nise, tha Mem Donaldson ag aideachadh anns an leabhar aice gur dòcha nach e an fhìrinn a th’ ann a sin. Tha sgeul eile mu mar a thòisich na MacIntyres. Bha tùsaire a’ chinnidh latha a bha seo leis fhèin ann am bàta. Nochd toll ann an slige a’ bhàta. Thòisich uisge air aoidion a-steach.
Chuir am fear òrdag don toll airson stad a chur air an uisge faighinn a-steach. Ach cha robh comas aige am bàta a stiùireadh. Mar sin, gheàrr e òrdag dheth. Leis gur e saor a bh’ ann, bha inneal gearraidh air choreigin aige. Bha e a-nise comasach am bàta a stiùireadh don chala. Dè an sgeul as fheàrr leibh fhèin?!
Thog Mem Donaldson taigh ann an Sanna Beag ann an Àird nam Murchan anns na ficheadan. Bha i a’ toirt taic làidir don Eaglais Easbaigich, agus chaidh an taigh a bheannachadh le Easbaig Earra-Ghàidheal ʼs nan Eilean.
Ach chaidh a sgrios le teine anns na ceathradan. Ghluais Donaldson a Dhùn Èideann far an do chaochail i ann an naoi ceud deug, caogad ʼs a h-ochd (1958). Chaidh a tiodhlacadh anns an Òban.
Faclan na Litreach: Somhairle Mòr: Somerled the Great; birlinnean: Highland galleys; aoidion: leaking; dh’aontaich: agreed; inneal-tollaidh: a boring (‘holing’) implement; cinneadh: clan, bearers of a common surname; tùsaire: progenitor; òrdag: his (or ‘a’) thumb; An Eaglais Easbaigeach; the Episcopalian Church.
Abairtean na Litreach: Thachair e aig muir faisg air Rubha Àird nam Murchan: it happened at sea near Ardnamurchan Point; anns an dàrna linn deug: in the twelfth century; bha X ag iarraidh nighean Rìgh Mhanainn a phòsadh: X wanted to marry the daughter of the King of Man; dhiùlt a h-athair, Rìgh Amhlaibh, a chead airson a phòsaidh: her father, King Olaf, refused his permission for the marriage; cha do ghabh X ris an diùltadh: X didn’t accept the refusal; bha e airson toirt air an Rìgh a chead a thoirt dha: he wanted to force the King to give him permssion; fhuair e taic bho a bhràthair-dalta, Murchadh Mac Nèill: he obtained help from his foster-brother, Maurice MacNeill; far taobh an iar na h-Alba: off the west of Scotland; rinn e tuill ann an slige an t-soithich: he made holes in the vessel’s hull; lìon e na tuill le ìm: he filled the holes with butter; gus nach fhaigheadh an sàl a-steach: so that the seawater wouldn’t get in; rinn e fàsagan dhen mheud cheart airson na tuill a lìonadh: he made bungs of the correct size to fill the holes; dh’iarr X air Y cobhair a dhèanamh air: X asked Y to help him; dhiùlt X dad a dhèanamh gus an d’ fhuair e gealladh gum faigheadh e cead: X refused to do anything until he received a promise that he would get permission; bha X na shaor: X was a joinere/carpenter; inneal gearraidh air choreigin: some cutting device or other; comasach am bàta a stiùireadh don chala: able to steer the boat to [the] harbour; chaidh an taigh a bheannachadh: the house was blessed.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chaidh a tiodhlacadh anns an Òban: she was buried in Oban. The ‘a’ here is the possessive pronoun, representing the third person singular feminine and therefore not causing lenition of the verbal noun (according to lenition rules). The masculine pronoun does cause lenition, so for ‘he was buried’ we would say chaidh a thiodhlacadh. Chaidh mo thiodhlacadh would be the first person singular (but it is an unlikely sentence!) Chaidh an tiodhlacadh is the third person plural i.e. ‘they were buried’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha fairge mhòr ann: the sea was rough.
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 990
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn