23/11/2001

Anns an Litir mu dheireadh, o chionn ceala-deug, thug sinn sùil air an fhacal sgamhan. An t-seachdain seo bu mhath leam sùil a thoirt air facal eile, aig a bheil ceangal do sgamhan. ’S e sin “cliabh”. Tha amharas agam gum bi sibh eòlach air an fhacal cliabh mu thràth. Tha e a’ ciallachadh creel. Ann an Litir seasgad ’s a trì (63) an-uiridh, thug mi an abairt dhuibh – “a’ taomadh na mara le cliabh” – rud nach gabh coileanadh g’ e bith dè nì thu.

Agus, gu dearbh, ’s e sin a’ chiall as cumanta a th’ aige – creel no basket – an seòrsa a bhiodh daoine a’ cleachdadh o shean airson rudan a ghiùlan air an guailnean, leithid airson fàdan a thoirt dhachaigh bhon pholl-mònach. Canaidh sinn cliabh cuideachd ri pannier air each agus ri creel dhen t-seòrsa a chleachdas iasgair airson giomaich a ghlacadh. ’S e sin cliabh-ghiomach. Chan eil, ge-tà, ceangal aig gin aca sin ri sgamhan.

Ach ma smaoineachas sibh airson tiotan air cumadh clèibh, bidh sibh a’ tuigsinn gu bheil e rudeigin coltach ri pàirt dhen bhodhaig – mar a chanar anns a’ Bheurla – the chest no thorax, an dearbh àite far a bheil an sgamhan. Tha na h-aisnichean, na cnàmhan timcheall a’ chlèibh ann an duine, car coltach ris na staingean ann an cliabh dhen t-seòrsa a thogas duine. Gu dearbh, ’s e an aon fhacal a th’ air na dhà anns a’ Bheurla – ribs. Aisnichean agus staingean.

Tha cuimhn’ a’m air turas a sheall m’ athair dhomh mar a thogainn cliabh anns an t-seann dòigh Ghaidhealaich – rud a chunnaic e fhèin iomadh turas na òige air a’ Chomraich. Bha sinn a’ fuireach ann an Astràilia, agus b’ e a’ chiad cheist a chuir mi air – ciamar a gheibheadh e fiodh a bhiodh freagarrach. ’S e coilltean eucalypt a bha timcheall oirnn. Ach suas an rathad bha cuideigin air na h-uibhir de chraobhan seilich a chur, agus ’s e an seileach a’ chraobh as freagarraiche airson clèibh a thogail, leis gu bheil e sùbailte. Chruinnich sinn slatan seilich agus thill sinn don leas air cùl an taighe.

Thòisich e le bhith a’ stobadh grunn slatan anns an talamh. Lùb e iad agus stob e na cinn eile anns an talamh mu dhà throigh air falbh. B’ iad sin na staingean. An uairsin, dh’fhigh e slatan eile eatarra gus an do thog e, mean air mhean, cliabh a bha bun-os-cionn. Cha robh ann an uairsin ach an cliabh a tharraing às an talamh agus ceann gach staing a ghearradh dheth.

Tha fhios nach eil mòran daoine a’ togail chliabh air a’ Ghaidhealtachd an-diugh. Chan fhiach an t-saothair. Ach, nuair a bha mi anns na h-Eileanan Arainneach ann an taobh siar na h-Eireann, mhothaich mi do dhoireachan beaga de chraobhan seilich. Bidh muinntir na coimhearsnachd a’ cumail nan doireachan sin airson ’s gum bi stuth aca airson clèibh a thogail no, mar as trice a thachras an-diugh, airson bascaidean beaga a thogail a reiceas iad do luchd-turais.

Ach tilleamaid don bhodhaig. Agus seo rabhadh dhuibh. Na canaibh uair sam bith gu bheil duine “ann an cliabh” oir, anns an t-seadh sin, tha cliabh a’ ciallachadh straightjacket. Anns an t-seann aimsir, b’ e nàdar de chliabh a chuirte air daoine a bha feumach air smachd dhen t-seòrsa. Agus canaidh daoine fhathast “tha an t-òlach ann an cliabh”, a’ ciallachadh the fellow is a madman! Nise, a rèir seann fhaclair MhicAilpein is MhicCoinnich bha sin cuideachd air a ràdh mu dheidhinn daoine aig an robh droch Ghàidhlig. Taing do Shealbh gu bheil sinn nas modhaile na sin an-diugh!

Faclan na seachdaine: cliabh-ghiomach: lobster creel; aisnichean: ribs (human); staingean: ribs (creel); seileach: willow; sùbailte: pliable, flexible; leas: garden; na h-Eileanan Arainneach: The Aran Islands.

Abairtean na seachdaine: o chionn ceala-deug: a fortnight ago; a’ taomadh na mara le cliabh: (lit.) emptying the sea with a creel; rud nach gabh coileanadh: something that cannot be fulfilled; airson fàdan a thoirt dhachaigh bhon pholl-mònach: to take peats back from the peat-bank; ma smaoineachas sibh airson tiotan air cumadh clèibh: if you think for a moment of the form of a creel (clèibh is the genitive of cliabh); mar a thogainn cliabh anns an t-seann dòigh: how I could (would) make a creel in the old way; ciamar a gheibheadh e fiodh a bhiodh freagarrach: how he would get wood that would be suitable; thòisich e le bhith a’ stobadh grunn slatan anns an talamh: he started by shoving several rods of wood into the ground; dh’fhigh e slatan eile eatarra: he wove other rods between them; gus an do thog e, mean air mhean, cliabh a bha bun-os-cionn: until he made, little by little, a creel which was upside-down; mothaich mi do dhoireachan beaga de chraobhan seilibh: I noticed small copses of willow trees; tilleamaid don bhodhaig: let’s return to the human body; mar as trice a thachras an-diugh: as most often happens today; na canaibh uair sam bith: don’t ever say; Taing do Shealbh gu bheil sinn nas modhaile na sin an-diugh: thank goodness we are more polite than that today.

Puing-ghràmair na seachdaine: Anns an t-seann aimsir, b’ e nàdar de chliabh a chuirte air daoine a bha feumach air smachd dhen t-seòrsa: in the olden days, it was a type of (wicker) creel that would be put on people who needed that type of control. A challenging grammatical point this week! Chuirte is a passive conditional (or passive past habitual) form of the verb “cuir” and means “would be put” eg chuirte e anns an uisge (it would be put in the water). In a regular verb it is generally formed by leniting the root of the verb and adding a terminal “-te”. Other examples would be bhuailte i (she would be struck); thogte iad (they would be raised); dh’òlte e (it would be drunk); leughte an leabhar (the book would be read). You will recognise that this is not a simple grammatical form and can generally be avoided by learners. However, if you have reached the point where you are trying to stretch your linguistic competency, you will find a capacity to recognise and use such forms useful. Note, however, that there are two other word endings equivalent to “-te”, used in some areas, which represent exactly the same grammatical form – “-t(e)adh” and “-(a)ist” eg chuirteadh e and chuirist e.

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chan fhiach an t-saothair: it’s not worth the effort.