26/04/2002

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, anns na puingean-gràmair, dh’iarr mi oirbh eadar-theangachadh a dhèanamh, bho Bheurla gu Gàidhlig, air dà ainm-àite - the sea-narrows of the small anchorage agus the point of the big lump-shaped hill. Ciamar a chaidh dhuibh? An do rinn sibh an gnothach?

The sea-narrows of the small anchorage an toiseach – Caolas na h-Acarsaid Bige, Caolas na h-Acarsaid Bige. Agus – the point of the big lump-shaped hill? Dè mu dheidhinn - Rubha a’ Mhill Mhòir? Rubha a’ Mhill Mhòir.

Thug sinn sùil air ainm-àite no dhà anns an Litir mu dheireadh bho CD-ROM ùr air a bheil cruinneachadh de dh’ainmean à sgìre na Còigich ann an Siorrachd Rois. Bha sinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh anns na h-Eileanan Samhraidh. An turas seo bu mhath leam coimhead air àite no dhà air tìr-mòr agus na ghabhas ionnsachadh bhuapa mu ghràmar na Gàidhlig.

Uill, tha an CD-ROM fosgailte an-dràsta agus tha mi a’ coimhead air àite air a bheil Ceum nan Each. Ceum nan Each. Tha mi an dòchas gu bheil sibh a’ tuigsinn gu bheil nan each a’ ciallachadh of the horses. Nuair a tha ainmear mar each ag atharrachadh gu eich anns an tuiseal ainmneach iolra, no nominative plural, - ’s e sin le caolachadh, an àite le bhith a’ cur –an aig an deireadh, tha sin a’ ciallachadh dà rud cudthromach a thaobh gràmar. Anns a’ chiad dol a-mach, bidh buadhair a thèid leis air a shèimheachadh. Canaidh sinn eich mhòra is eich bheaga.

Agus ’s e an dàrna riaghailt chudthromach gu bheil cruth an fhacail anns an tuiseal ghinideach iolra co-ionann ri chruth anns an tuiseal ainmneach shingilte. Mar sin, airson the horses, canaidh sinn “na h-eich”, ach airson of the horses, canaidh sinn “nan each”. Ceum nan Each – the Path of the Horses.

Beagan gu deas air sin tha Creag nam Broc. Dè tha sin a’ ciallachadh? Creag nam Broc. Tha broc a’ ciallachadh badger. Airson a dhèanamh iolra, bidh sinn ga chaolachadh – gu bruic. Tha na bruic a’ ciallachadh the badgers. Mar sin, tha “nam broc” a’ ciallachadh of the badgers. Creag nam Broc – the Rock of the Badgers. Chan eil fhios a’m a bheil bruic fhathast a’ fuireach ann. Tha amharas agam nach eil.

Agus seo àite eile - Cadha nan Tòn. ’S e cadha bealach cas anns a bheil ceum, air am bi daoine a’ coiseachd. Agus – mura h-eil fios agaibh ca’ eil ur tòn, feumaidh sibh coimhead ann am faclair! Bha Donaidh Friseal, a chruinnich na h-ainmean-àite, dhen bheachd gur e gum biodh duine buailteach tuiteam air a thòn nuair a bhiodh e a’ dìreadh a’ chadha a bu choireach ris an ainm.

Agus seo agaibh eisimpleirean eile de dh’ainmean anns a bheil facal anns an tuiseal ghinideach iolra – Uamhag nan Gobhar (the little cave of the goats), Glaic nan Reitheachan (the hollow of the rams), Bruthach nan Càrn (the brae of the cairns) agus Meall nam Fiadh (the hill of the deer).

Nise, tha mi airson trì ainmean, às a CD-ROM seo, a thoirt dhuibh, ann an Gàidhlig an turas seo, agus tha mi a’ dol a dh’iarraidh oirbh eadar-theangachadh a dhèanamh orra gu Beurla. Seo iad, ma tha: Allt Gleann na Gaoithe, Faing a’ Chùirn Bhàin, agus Meall Dubh na Saobhaidh. An do mhothaich sibh mar a tha na h-uibhir de dh’ainmean-àite stèidhichte air beathaichean agus àiteachan far am biodh daoine a’ dèiligeadh ri beathaichean – eich, bruic, reitheachan, caoraich, goibhrean, fèidh, sionnaich… Aaah. Mapaichean. Nach e rudan air leth a th’ annta!

Faclan na seachdaine: tìr-mòr: mainland; tuiseal: case (noun); ainmneach: nominative; iolra: plural; caolachadh: slenderisation; caoraich: sheep; fèidh: deer (plural); goibhrean (or gobhair): goats; sionnaich: foxes.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ciamar a chaidh dhuibh?: how did you get on?; an do rinn sibh an gnothach?: did you manage?; dè mu dheidhinn?: what about?; na ghabhas ionnsachadh bhuapa mu ghràmar na Gàidhlig: what can be learned from them about Gaelic grammar; bidh buadhair a thèid leis air a shèimheachadh: an adjective which accompanies it is lenited; ’s e an dàrna riaghailt chudthromach: the second important rule is; gu bheil cruth an fhacail anns an tuiseal ghinideach iolra co-ionann ri chruth anns an tuiseal ainmneach shingilte: that the form of the word in the genitive plural case is the same as its form in the singular nominative case; beagan gu deas air sin: a little south of that; tha amharas agam nach eil: I suspect [they are] not; feumaidh sibh coimhead ann am faclair: you must look in a dictionary; tha mi a’ dol a dh’iarraidh oirbh eadar-theangachadh a dhèanamh orra: I am going to ask you to translate them; far am biodh daoine a’ dèiligeadh ri beathaichean: where people would be dealing with animals; nach e rudan air leth a th’ annta: aren’t they special things.

Puing-ghràmair na seachdaine: I would like to make a point this week about common abbreviations in speech which I tend to avoid in the Litir because of confusion, and the fact that they are not found in dictionaries. But they are common in speech and I have put two in this week. The first is chan eil fhios a’m. The a’m here stands for agam – it is actually chan eil fhios agam – but in conversation the former is usually used. Also in mura h-eil fios agaibh ca’ eil ur tòn (if you don’t know where your “tòn” is), tha ca’ eil stands for càite a bheil. Sometimes it is shortened even more and written ca’il. You might say to a friend (but not in a formal situation) – ca’il thu dol? for càite a bheil thu a’ dol? In some circumstances it is shortened to ca’ bheil eg if you are shouting for a child – a Dhòmhnaill, ca’ bheil thu? (Donald, where are you?) Try and get used to shortening these phrases from what you might learn in a textbook so that your Gaelic sounds more natural.

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: gur e gum biodh duine buailteach tuiteam air a thòn .. a bu choireach ris an ainm: it is that a person would be liable to fall on his posterior .. that was responsible for the name. Sometimes buailteach goes with the prepositions do (dha) or air eg tha e buailteach do shabaid (he is prone to fighting); tha iad buailteadh air gèilleadh (they are apt to yield).