1203: Abairt is Seanfhaclan co-cheangailte ri ‘uisge’
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.
Abairt is Seanfhaclan co-cheangailte ri ‘uisge’
Anns an Litir mu dheireadh bha mi a’ toirt sùil air bùrn agus uisge, faclan airson water ann an Gàidhlig. Mus fhàg sinn an cuspair sin, dè th’ ann am ‘bùrn na Sàbaid’? Bùrn na Sàbaid. ’S e sin am bùrn a bhiodh feadhainn a’ toirt a-steach bhon tobar air Disathairne gus nach biodh aca ri dhol ann air an t-Sàbaid.
An t-seachdain seo, cha bhi sinn a’ trèigsinn uisge is bùrn uile-gu-lèir. Tha mi a’ dol a thoirt sùil air abairtean is seanfhaclan co-cheangailte ri uisge. An toiseach feadhainn anns a bheil am facal uisge a’ nochdadh.
Uaireannan, tha am facal a’ ciallachadh uisge a tha na laighe air an talamh. Mar eisimpleir tha an seanfhacal seo ann: Bha rudeigin de dh’uisge far na bhàthadh an gamhainn. Tha sin a’ nochdadh anns a’ chruinneachadh aig an Sgitheanach, Alasdair MacNeacail. Tha e co-ionann ris an t-seanfhacal ann an Albais – there’s aye some water whaur the stirkie drowns. Bha rudeigin de dh’uisge far na bhàthadh an gamhainn. Tha bàthadh a’ ghamhna a’ dearbhadh, mar gum bitheadh, gu bheil uisge – rudeigin domhainn – anns an àite sin.
Uaireannan, tha uisge a’ seasamh airson ‘rain’ mar anns an abairt: Tha currac air a’ bheinn, siud an t-uisg’ a’ tighinn – the mountain has a cap on, there’s the rain coming. Tha currac air a’ bheinn, siud an t-uisg’ a’ tighinn.
Mar as trice, ann an abairtean is seanfhaclan, ’s e am facal uisge a tha a’ nochdadh airson water. Ach seo agaibh abairt anns a bheil ‘bùrn’. Bùrn dubh ort! Black water on you. Bùrn dubh ort! Uill, tha mi an dùil gu bheil e mì-mhodhail ach chan eil mi buileach cinnteach cuin a bhiodh daoine ga ràdh.
Ma leigeas tu seachad cothrom air rudeigin – mar eisimpleir a bhith a’ dèanamh obair – dh’fhaodamaid a ràdh: Cadal a’ mhuilleir ’s an t-uisg’ a’ dol seachad. The miller asleep and the water running past. Cadal a’ mhuilleir ’s an t-uisg’ a’ dol seachad. Tha sin a’ buntainn ri muileann-uisge ri taobh allt a bhios a’ sruthadh fad na h-ùine.
Tha abairt car coltach ri sin. Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil i co-cheangailte ri suidheachadh nuair a tha e a’ fàilneachadh air cuideigin rudeigin a dhèanamh air sàillibh ghnothaichean air nach eil smachd aige no aice. Cha b’ e ’m muileann nach meileadh ach an t-uisge nach ruitheadh. It wasn’t the mill that wouldn’t grind but the water that wouldn’t run. Bha sinne deònach is comasach air an gnothach a choileanadh, ach bha an dealan dheth, mar eisimpleir. Cha b’ e ’m muileann nach meileadh ach an t-uisge nach ruitheadh.
Agus dè ur beachdan air an t-seanfhacal seo? Cha do rinn uisge glan riamh leann math. Clean water never made good ale. Tha amharas agam nach biodh an fheadhainn a tha a’ dèanamh leann ag aontachadh ri sin! Ach tha e a-mach air daoine, nach eil? Cha leig thu leas a bhith fìor-ghlan airson a bhith math air rudeigin. Cha do rinn uisge glan riamh leann math.
Leis an t-seanfhacal mu dheireadh, tha sinn a’ tilleadh don fhacal bùrn. Is duilich bùrn glan a thoirt à tobar salach. Tha sin fìor ann an iomadach dòigh, nach eil? It’s difficult to draw clean water from a dirty well. Is duilich bùrn glan a thoirt à tobar salach.
Faclan na Litreach: tobar: well; abairtean is seanfhaclan: phrases and proverbs; bhàthadh: was drowned; gamhainn: stirk; domhainn: deep; currac: hood, cap; fìor-ghlan: pure.
Abairtean na Litreach: Mus fhàg sinn an cuspair sin, dè th’ ann am ‘bùrn na Sàbaid’?: before we leave that subject, what is Sabbath water?; gus nach biodh aca ri dhol ann air an t-Sàbaid: so that they wouldn’t have to go there on the Sabbath; cha bhi sinn a’ trèigsinn uisge is bùrn uile-gu-lèir: we won’t be abandoning water entirely; uisge a tha na laighe air an talamh: water that is lying on the ground; tha mi an dùil gu bheil e mì-mhodhail ach chan eil mi buileach cinnteach cuin a bhiodh daoine ga ràdh: I expect it is rude but I’m not entirely sure when people would say it; ma leigeas tu seachad cothrom: if you let an opportunity pass; a’ buntainn ri muileann-uisge ri taobh allt a bhios a’ sruthadh fad na h-ùine: concerns a watermill beside a burn which runs all the time; nuair a tha e a’ fàilneachadh air cuideigin rudeigin a dhèanamh air sàillibh ghnothaichean air nach eil smachd aige no aice: when somebody fails to do something because of matters over which they have no control; tha amharas agam nach biodh an fheadhainn a tha a’ dèanamh leann ag aontachadh ri sin: I suspect that those who make ale would not agree with that; fìor ann an iomadach dòigh: correct in many ways.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: am bùrn a bhiodh feadhainn a’ toirt a-steach bhon tobar air Disathairne: the water that some people would take in from the well on Saturdays. To be absolutely clear, you could say ‘a h-uile Disathairne’ but the presence of the preposition air with a day of the week generally refers to a regular or repeated occurrence. Although we might say ‘on Tuesday’ in English, we just say Dimàirt in Gaelic e.g. am bi thu ann Dimàirt? ‘will you be there on Tuesday?’ Air Dimàirt would mean ‘on Tuesdays’. Bidh mi a’ dol ann Dicadain ‘I will be going there on Wednesday’; bidh mi a’ dol ann air Diciadain ‘I go there on Wednesdays’.
Seanfhacal na Litreach: Cadal a’ mhuilleir ’s an t-uisg’ a’ dol seachad: the miller asleep and the water running past.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 899
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