14/04/2006

Anns an dà Litir mu dheireadh, bha mi a’ toirt sùil air eisimpleirean bhon leabhar The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe le Teàrlach MacAoidh. Ach cò e an duine a sgrìobh an leabhar? Agus an robh Gàidhlig aige? Uill, cha robh. Ach bha mòran chànanan eile aige. Agus bha e Albannach.

Rugadh e ann am Peairt ann an ochd ceud deug is dhà-dheug (1812) no ’s dòcha ochd ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1814). Chaochail a mhàthair nuair a bha Teàrlach glè òg, agus ’s e athair a thog e. Bha esan na stiùiriche còmhlan-ciùil anns an rèisimeid ris an canar an Royal Artillery. Bha e a’ fuireach thall thairis ach thill e a dh’Alba nuair a ghabh e malaria. Bha e beò an uair sin air peinnsean nach robh uabhasach luachmhor.

Fhuair Teàrlach a chuid foghlaim an toiseach ann an Lunnainn is an uair sin anns a’ Bhruiseal, far an deach athair a dh’fhuireach. Ann an sin, dh’ionnsaich an gille Fraingis, Gearmailtis, Eadailtis is Spàinntis. ’S e bràthair a sheanar, am Màidsear-Seanalair Raibeart MacAoidh, a bha a’ pàigheadh airson a chuid foghlaim. Agus bha esan a’ tuigsinn gum biodh Teàrlach a’ dol do na h-Innseachan mar shaighdear. Ach cha deach am plana sin air adhart. Chaidh athair Theàrlaich agus uncail a-mach air a chèile.

Fhuair Teàrlach obair mar neach-naidheachd ann an Lunnainn – an toiseach leis an Sun agus an uair sin leis a’ Mhorning Chronicle – am pàipear a bu mhotha a bha a’ strì le Tìm Lunnainn airson prìomhachas. Am measg na bha ag obair don Chronicle aig an àm, bha Uilleam Thackeray agus Teàrlach Dickens.

Fhuair MacAoidh obair mar Fo-dheasaiche. Ach a dh’aindeoin ’s gu robh e trang, ag obair sia latha san t-seachdain, fhuair e ùine airson bàrdachd is leabhraichean a sgrìobhadh. Mus robh e trithead bliadhna a dh’aois, bha e air na leabhraichean a leanas a sgrìobhadh: A History of London, The Thames and its Tributaries, nobhail air an robh Longbeard, Lord of London, agus cruinneachadh de dh’aistidhean air an robh Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions, and the Madness of Crowds.

Ann an ochd ceud deug ceathrad ’s a ceithir (1844), fhuair MacAoidh obair ùr – air ais ann an Alba – mar Dheasaiche Argus Ghlaschu. Anns a’ bhaile sin, bha e an sàs gu mòr le daoine aig an robh beachdan libearalach. Chaidh ceum LLD a bhuileachadh air le Oilthigh Ghlaschu. Agus phòs e ann an Glaschu – tè Rose Henrietta Vale.

Às dèidh trì bliadhna ann an Glaschu, thill e a Lunnainn far an d’ fhuair e obair anns an Illustrated London News. Nuair a bha e ag obair don phàipear sin, dh’fhoillsich e ann feadhainn de na h-òrain a sgrìobh e. Airson sin bha e ag obair còmhla ris a’ chruthadair-chiùil ainmeil, Sir Eanraig Bishop.

’S e bliadhna dhòrainneach a bh’ ann dha ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad ’s a naoi (1859). Dh’fhàg e an Illustrated London News airson pàipear-naidheachd ùr a chur air chois – an London Review – nach do shoirbhich. Agus chaochail a’ bhean aige. Dà bhliadhna às dèidh sin phòs e Màiri Ealasaid Mills.

Nise, bidh sibh a’ mothachadh nach do dh’aithris mi dad mun Ghàidhlig fhathast. ’S e as coireach ri sin nach eil dad ri aithris fhathast. Gu dearbh, feumaidh sinn feitheamh chun na h-ath-sheachdain airson sin. Cha do ràinig sinn ach ochd ceud deug, seasgad ’s a dhà (1862), nuair a chaidh MacAoidh a dh’Ameireagaidh airson aithrisean a dhèanamh air a’ Chogadh Chatharra. Agus bhris e naidheachd mhòr fhad ’s a bha e thall – air an toir sinn sùil anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: eisimpleirean: examples; Teàrlach MacAoidh: Charles Mackay; fo-dheasaiche: sub-editor; cogadh catharra: civil war.

Abairtean na Litreach: ’s e athair a thog e: it [was] his father who raised him; bha esan na stiùiriche còmhlan-ciùil anns an rèisimeid ris an canar: he was a bandleader in the regiment known as; peinnsean nach robh uabhasach luachmhor: a pension which was not very valuable; anns a’ Bhruiseal, far an deach athair a dh’fhuireach: in Brussels, where his father went to live; gum biodh Teàrlach a’ dol do na h-Innseachan mar shaighdear: that Charles would be going to India as a soldier; chaidh athair Theàrlaich agus uncail a-mach air a chèile: Charles’s father and his [father’s] uncle fell out with each other; am pàipear a bu mhotha a bha a’ strì le Tìm Lunnainn airson prìomhachas: the paper which was most strongly competing with the Times of London for the top spot; a dh’aindeoin ’s gu robh e trang: despite the fact that he was busy; dh’fhoillsich e ann feadhainn de na h-òrain a sgrìobh e: he published in it some of the songs he wrote; còmhla ris a’ chruthadair-chiùil: with the composer; bliadhna dhòrainneach: an anguished year; nach do shoirbhich: which did not succeed; nach eil dad ri aithris fhathast: there is nothing to report yet; bhris e naidheachd mhòr: he broke big news.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chaochail a mhàthair/chaochail a’ bhean aige: his mother/wife died. There are several euphemisms in Gaelic for saying someone has died. In much of the Gàidhealtachd, particularly in northern parts of the mainland, it is considered ill-mannered to say bhàsaich in relation to a person (although this is standard speech in Lewis). So it would be said: bhàsaich a’ bhò (the cow died) but chaochail Pàdraig (Peter died). Chaochail e literally means “he changed” and would refer to a “natural” death or, at least, not to one involving obvious outside intervention. If somebody is killed in an explosion, for example, we would be more likely to say chaidh X a mharbhadh ann an spreadhadh, although if somebody were injured in an explosion but died three days later in hospital, we would probably say chaochail X san ospadal trì latha às dèidh dha a bhith air a leòn ann an spreadhadh.

Gnàths-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh ceum a bhuileachadh air: a degree was bestowed upon him.