3: Black-haired John, son of Donald, son of Iain 3: Iain Dubh Mac Dhòmhnaill ’ic Iain
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag 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 little 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.
Iain Dubh Mac Dhòmhnaill ’ic Iain
Halò a-rithist. Tha ceist agam dhuibh. Am bi sibh a’ bruidhinn ribh fhèin uair sam bith? Tha mi a’ creidsinn gum bi. Bidh mise co-dhiù! Ach am bi sibh a’ bruidhinn ribh fhèin ann an Gàidhlig uair sam bith? No dìreach ann am Beurla? No cànan eile?
Uill, bu chòir dhuibh a bhith a’ bruidhinn ribh fhèin ann an Gàidhlig. Aig amannan co-dhiù. Tha e math airson an cànan ionnsachadh. Feuchaibh rudan sìmplidh. Canaibh ribh fhèin, “Ciamar a tha thu an-diugh, a charaid?” Agus rudan mar sin. Agus canaibh rudeigin mar fhreagairt. Mar eisimpleir, “Tha mi gu math, tapadh leat” no “Chan eil mi ach meadhanach an-diugh.”
Carson a tha mi ag ràdh sin? Uill, an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi a’ bruidhinn mu Iain Dubh. Iain Dubh Mac Dhòmhnaill ’ic Iain, no Iain MacIllInnein. Bha Iain na bhàrd. Bha e a’ fuireach ann an Astràilia. Bha e na bhàrd don Chomunn Ghàidhealach ann am Brisbane.
Rugadh Iain ann an Geàrrloch. Bha e math air òrain a sgrìobhadh. Seo agaibh òran a sgrìobh e. ’S e an tiotal a th’ air A’ Labhairt na Gàidhlig Rium Fhìn. A’ Labhairt na Gàidhlig Rium Fhìn.
Bhiodh Iain a’ bruidhinn, no a’ labhairt, ris fhèin, ann an Gàidhlig. Agus bhiodh e a’ seinn dha fhèin ann an Gàidhlig cuideachd. Seo an t-sèist bhon òran:
Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mise a’ Ghàidhlig
Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fhìn,
Bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim aig a’ mhuinntir tha mun cuairt,
Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fhìn.
Carson a sgrìobh Iain an t-òran? Carson a bhiodh e a’ seinn dha fhèin ann an Gàidhlig? Uill, seo freagairt. Seo dà loidhne bhon òran:
Nuair a labhras mi rium fhìn anns a’ Ghàidhlig laghach, ghrinn,
Bidh mi ann am bruadar anns na glinn…
Bhiodh e ann am bruadar. A bheil am facal sin agaibh – bruadar? Tha e a’ ciallachadh smuaintean anns a’ cheann aige fhèin. Smuaintean a bhios aig duine nuair a tha e na chadal. Agus, anns a’ bhruadar aige, bhiodh Iain air ais anns na glinn. Bhiodh e air ais air a’ Ghàidhealtachd.
Nise, seo obair-dachaigh dhuibh. Anns an sgìre aig Iain, sgìre Gheàrrloch, tha dà bhaile ann le “Mellon” anns na h-ainmean aca. Mellon Charles agus Mellon Udrigle. Dè tha “Mellon” a’ ciallachadh? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.
Faclan is abairtean: tha ceist agam dhuibh: I have a question for you [dhuibh is the prepositional pronoun formed from do + sibh]; am bi sibh a’ bruidhinn ribh fhèin?: do you speak to yourself (the future tense is used to refer to a current repeated activity); uair sam bith: [at] any time; tha mi a’ creidsinn gum bi: I reckon [you] do [will]; bidh mise co-dhiù: I do [will] anyway; gum bu chòir dhuibh: that you should [bu chòir is accompanied by the preposition do]; aig amannan co-dhiù: at times, at least; tha e math airson an cànan ionnsachadh: it is good for learning the language; feuchaibh rudan sìmplidh: try simple things; canaibh ribh fhèin: say to yourself/yourselves (in both these examples feuchaibh and canaibh are the second person plural imperative – I am speaking to more than one person. It is also the polite way of addressing an older person. In the singular it would be feuch and can); chan eil mi ach meadhanach: I’m not too well (note that while meadhanach means “middling” it can mean “poorly” in relation to a person’s health); carson a tha mi ag ràdh sin?: why am I saying that?; Iain Dubh Mac Dhòmhnaill ’ic Iain: black [haired] John, son of Donald, son of Iain; MacIllInnein: MacLennan; bha Iain na bhàrd: John was a bard [lit. Iain was of a bard – this is the way to use “bi” – the verb “to be” when expressing identity]; bha e math air òrain a sgrìobhadh: he was good at writing songs; A’ Labhairt na Gàidhlig Rium Fhìn: Speaking Gaelic to Myself; seinnidh mi dhomh fhìn: I will sing to myself; bho nach cluinn mi [a-]nise fuaim: since I can no longer hear a noise; aig a’ mhuinntir [a] tha mun cuairt: from [at] the people [who are] around; carson a sgrìobh Iain an t-òran?: why did John write the song? [note the t- in front of òran after the article – this marks it out as a masculine noun]; carson a bhiodh e a’ seinn dha fhèin?: why would he sing to himself [bhiodh is an example of a verb in the conditional – which also in Gaelic represents repeated actions taking place in the past]; nuair a labhras mi rium fhìn: when I speak to myself [the verb with an –as ending is in the relative future after “nuair”]; anns a’ Ghàidhlig laghach, ghrinn: in nice neat Gaelic; bidh mi ann am bruadar anns na glinn: I will be in a dream in the glens; anns a’ cheann aige fhèin:in his own head; bhiodh e air ais air a’ Ghàidhealtachd: he would be back in [on] the Gaidhealtachd; obair-dachaigh: homework; tha dà bhaile ann le “Mellon” anns na h-ainmean aca: there are two villages with “Mellon” in their names; innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain: I will tell you next week.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 307
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