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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1203

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir àireamh 1203. Roddy Maclean reads this week's letter for Gàidhlig learners.

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Sun 7 Aug 2022 13:55

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Litir 1203: Abairt is Seanfhaclan co-cheangailte ri 'uisge'

Anns an Litir mu dheireadh bha mi a’ toirt sùil air ²úù°ù²Ô agus uisge, faclan airson water ann an Gàidhlig. Mus fhàg sinn an cuspair sin, dè th’ ann am ‘²úù°ù²Ô na Sàbaid’? Bùrn na Sàbaid. ’S e sin am ²úù°ù²Ô 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 ²úù°ù²Ô 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 ‘²úù°ù²Ô’. 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 ²úù°ù²Ô. Is duilich ²úù°ù²Ô 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 ²úù°ù²Ô glan a thoirt à tobar salach.

Faclan na Litreach

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

Abairtean na Litreach: Mus fhàg sinn an cuspair sin, dè th’ ann am ‘²úù°ù²Ô 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 ²úù°ù²Ô 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

Puing-chànain na Litreach: am ²úù°ù²Ô 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 ¶Ù¾±³¾Ã ¾±°ù³Ù in Gaelic e.g. am bi thu ann ¶Ù¾±³¾Ã ¾±°ù³Ù? ‘will you be there on Tuesday?’ Air ¶Ù¾±³¾Ã ¾±°ù³Ù 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

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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