08/08/2003

Chuir mi ceist oirbh an t-seachdain sa chaidh anns na nòtaichean-gràmair – ciamar a chanadh sibh ann an Gàidhlig “on top of a black bull”? Mholainn-sa gun tòisich sibh le “on top of the bull”? ’S e sin air muin an tairbh. Agus on top of the black bull – air muin an tairbh dhuibh. A-nise, thoiribh an t-alt air falbh, agus dè th’ agaibh? On top of a black bull – air muin tairbh dhuibh.

Nise, chan eil mi a’ moladh gum feuch sibh dhol air muin tairbh dhuibh, oir tha e dona gu leòr dhol air muin eich, ge bith dè an dath a th’ air. Ach ma thachras e dòigh air choreigin, ann am Pamplona no Pabail, bidh fios agaibh dè chanas sibh ris an nurs – “bha mi air muin tairbh dhuibh agus thuit mi!” Uill, ’s dòcha nach biodh sin gu cus feum ann am Pamplona!

Fàgamaid an tarbh an dàrna taobh. A bheil fios agaibh dè th’ ann an caora chrom? Tha i co-cheangailte ri uisge-beatha. Caoraich agus uisge-beatha? Mmm. Feumaidh mi mìneachadh…

Cha do ghabh mi uisge-beatha mì-laghail a-riamh ach aon turas a-mhàin. Agus, mus gabh luchd na cusbainn no na poilis cus gnothaich rium, cha robh mi ann an Alba ach ann an Thailand, ann am baile beag iomallach far a bheil treubhan nam beann a’ fuireach.

’S e an duilgheadas a bh’ ann gu robh mi a’ faighinn aoigheachd ann an taigh ceannaire a’ bhaile, far am biodh e mì-mhodhail deoch a dhiùltadh. Co-dhiù, cha b’ fhada gus an robh an smùid orm. Chan eil fhios agam dè an seòrsa arbhair a bha iad a’ cleachdadh airson uisge-beatha a dhèanamh, ach tha fhios againn ann an Alba air an t-seòrsa as fheàrr – eòrna.

Anns an t-seann aimsir, bhiodh mòran de mhuinntir Dùthaich MhicAoidh a’ dèanamh uisge-beatha dhaibh fhèin, ged a bha e an aghaidh an lagh. Gu tric, bhiodh iad a’ ceannach eòrna ann an Gallaibh agus dh’fheumadh iad a bhith cinnteach nach fhaiceadh poileas na pocannan aca air an rathad dhachaigh.

Bha fear ann turas a thàinig dhachaigh le pocannan làn eòrna, ach chunnaic dithis phoileas e agus lean iad air. Nuair a ràinig e an taigh aige, bha na poilis air a shàil. Bha iad a’ coimhead airson rudeigin a dhearbhadh gu robh poit-dhubh aige.

Uill, bha aon rud anns a’ chidsin – a’ chliath bhon phoit-dhuibh. ’S e sin a’ phìob shnìomhach, a th’ air a dèanamh le meatailt, anns am bi an ceò a’ tiughachadh. Bhiodh a’ phoit-dhubh ann am badeigin anns a’ mhonadh, ach feumaidh gu robh an croitear air a’ chliath a thoirt dhachaigh leis. Nam faigheadh na poilis greim air a’ chlèith, bhiodh fios aca gu robh poit-dhubh aige.

Bha an croitear air dìochuimhneachadh mu dheidhinn na clèithe, a bha ri taobh an t-sinc. Gu fortanach dha, ge-tà, thòisich na poilis anns a’ bhàthaich agus fhad ’s a bha iad a-muigh an sin, ruith e timcheall an taighe, a’ coimhead airson fianais sam bith gu robh e a’ dèanamh uisge-beatha. Chunnaic e a’ chliath. Ach cho luath ’s a chunnaic e i, chual’ e cas-cheuman nam poileas, agus iad a’ tighinn a-steach. Dè dhèanadh e leis a’ chlèith?!

Chunnaic e siuga mhòr de bhàinne air a’ bhòrd. Am biodh i mòr gu leòr? Dh’fhosgail an doras ach, mus do chuir a’ chiad phoileas a cheann a-steach, chuir an croitear a’ chliath anns an t-siuga agus, gu fortanach, cha robh i faicsinneach. Bha an croitear sàbhailte! Agus a’ chaora chrom? O … seallaibh air an uair. Seo deireadh na Litreach! Feumaidh a’ chaora – agus sibh fhèin – a bhith foighidneach!

Faclan na seachdaine: Paibil: Bayble (in Lewis); cusbainn: customs; ceannaire a’ bhaile: the village leader (“headman”); eòrna: barley; Dùthaich MhicAoidh: Mackay Country (N. Sutherland); Gallaibh: Caithness; poit-dhubh: small still used by distillers of illegal whisky; cliath: worm (in distilling apparatus); snìomhach: spiral; a’ tiughachadh: condensing; bàthach: byre; cas-cheuman: (noise of) footsteps; siuga: jug; faicsinneach: visible.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ge bith dè an dath a th’ air: whatever colour it is; ’s dòcha nach biodh sin gu cus feum: perhaps that wouldn’t be of too much use; fàgamaid an tarbh an dàrna taobh: let’s leave the bull at one side (out of the argument); cha do ghabh mi X ach aon turas a-mhàin: I only took X one time; far a bheil treubhan nam beann a’ fuireach: where the hill tribes live; far am biodh e mì-mhodhail deoch a dhiùltadh: where it would be rude to refuse a drink; cha b’ fhada gus an robh an smùid orm: it wasn’t long until I was drunk; nach fhaiceadh poileas na pocannan: that a policeman wouldn’t see the bags; lean iad air: they followed him; bha na poilis air a shàil: the police were on his heel(s); a bha ri taobh an t-sinc: which was beside the sink; ruith e timcheall an taighe: he ran around the house; airson fianais sam bith: for any evidence; cho luath ’s a chunnaic e i: as soon as he saw it; dè dhèanadh e leis a’ chlèith?: what would he do with the worm?; seallaibh air an uair: look at the time; feumaidh sibh a bhith foighidneach: you will have to be patient.

Puing-ghràmair na seachdaine: I hope you were able to follow the inflexion of the feminine noun cliath in the Litir. I take the traditional view – that feminine nouns should be slenderised in the singular dative (prepositional) case, although this is by no means adhered to universally today. But how do you slenderise a vowel combination like “ia”? The answer is that it changes to “èi”. Cliath is actually an easy one to deal with, as the same word is used for a fire grate or a harrow. In the dative singular it is clèith (nam faigheadh na poilis greim air a’ chlèith). In the genitive singular it is also slenderised – clèithe eg mu dheidhinn na clèithe. If you forget how this slenderisation takes place, think of a familiar word. Fiadh (a masculine noun) slenderises, according to the rules, in the genitive singular – to fèidh. You may also be familiar with the word riadh for “banking interest”. Interest rate in Gaelic is ìre an rèidh – demonstrating the same inflexion. You may also have noticed slenderisation of the dubh in poit-dhubh even where there is no slenderisation of poit. I will deal with that in next week’s puing-ghràmair.

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: ma thachras e dòigh air choreigin: if it happens in some way or another. Note that grammatically it should be “ann an dòigh air choreigin” but that the “ann an” is often missed out in everyday speech.