31/12/1999

An do cheannaich sibh pacaid de “Bhleideagan Arbhair” anns an uine bhig a dh’fhalbh? O – gabhaibh mo lethsgeul. Nach eil fios agaibh de th’ann ann am Bleideagan Arbhair? A uill, cha robh fios neo agamsa gus an cuala mi aig pàist’ e. Bha e a’ bruidhinn mun stuth a chuireas tu ann am bobhla airson do bhracaist. Bha e a’ ciallachadh Corn Flakes. Ach ’s dòcha gun can mise dìreach Corn Flakes fhèin.

An do mhothaich sibh a-riamh gu bheil rudeigin air gach pacaid de Chorn Flakes, co-dhiù nuair nach eilear a’ sanasachd airson Star Wars neo gnothach dhen t-seòrsa. ‘S e eun a th’ann – coileach. Ach carson a tha a’ chompanaidh a tha a’ deanamh Corn Flakes – Kelloggs – a’ cur a leithid de dh’eun air na pacaidean aca? Uill, chuala mi stòiridh mu dheidhinn sin agus innsidh mi dhuibh i ann am mionaid.

Ach an toiseach, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu dheidhinn mo chuairt o chionn ghoirid don Chuimrigh. Bha mi anns a’ cheann a tuath, ann an Snowdonia mar a theirear anns a’ Bheurla, agus abair thusa gu bheil an dùthaich sin brèagha. Ach a-bharrachd air a’ bòidhchead, tha an sgìre gu math inntinneach do Ghàidheil na h-Alba. Chì sinn, ann a sin, mar a dh’fhaodadh suidheachadh na Gàidhlig a bhith ann an Alba nan robh sinne cho làidir mu dheidhinn ar cànain ‘s a tha na Cuimrich mu dheidhinn a’ chànain aca fhèin.

Chuala mi an t-uabhas Chuimris air a bruidhinn air na sràidean agus ann am bùthan. Bha i ri fhaicinn air soighnichean da-chànanach air feadh an àite. Agus far nach robh muinntir an àite ag aontachadh ris an litreachadh air na soighnichean Cuimreach, bha iad air peant a chur thairis orra. ’S cinnteach gum biodh iad gu math trang air na soighnichean Gàidhlig ann an Alba!

Tha a’ Chuimris agus a’ Ghàidhlig gu math eadar-dhealaichte o chèile, agus cha b’urrainn dhomh bun neo bàrr a dheanamh dhen chòmhradh a chuala mi. Ach chunnaic mi corra fhacal, an siud ’s an seo, air soighnichean agus air a’ mhap, a bha a’ toirt faclan Gàidhlig gu mo chuimhne. Mar eisimpleir, canaidh iad traeth airson tràigh, craig airson creag, afon airson abhainn agus mawr airson mòr. Canaid iad moel airson maol, amser airson aimsir, nuair a tha i a’ ciallachadh “tìm” co-dhiù agus, far a chanas sinne “prìomh”, canaidh iadsan prif.

Ach thog aon fhacal m’aire gu h-àraidh. B’e sin am facal aca airson “coileach” – ceiliog. Nuair a chunnaic mi sin, smaoinich mi gu robh e car coltach ris an fhacal Ghàidhlig. Ceiliog, coileach. Ach a-bharrachd air a sin, thug e air ais do mo chuimhne an stòiridh a chuala mi, ann am badeigin, o chionn fhada, mun Chorn Flakes. Agus ma ’s math mo chuimhne, seo mar a chuala mi e.

Bha Mgr Kellogg a’ coimhead airson dealbh a chuireadh air a’ phacaid nuair a chruthaich e Corn Flakes o chionn fhada. Bha Cuimreach ag obair dha, agus thuirt esan ri Kellogg, “Carson nach cuir sibh coileach oirre?”

“Carson fon ghrèin a chuirinn coileach oirre,” dh’fhaighnich am fear eile.

“Uill,” thuirt an Cuimreach, “tha an t-ainm Kellogg uabhasach fhèin coltach ris an fhacal airson coileach anns a’ chànan againn fhèin – ceiliog. Mar sin, bhiodh e glè shnog nan cuireadh sibh dealbh de choileach air a’ phacaid.”

Dh’aontaich Kellogg ris agus ’s e coileach a th’air a’ phacaid fhathast. Ma ’s breug bhuam e, ’s breug thugam e!

Fàgaidh mi sibh le smuain eile mu dheidhinn eòin agus cànan nan Cuimreach. Tha eun ann a tha dubh is geal, agus air a bheil ainm ann am Beurla a thàinig gu dìreach bhon Chuimris. Dè th’ann? Innsidh mi sin dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

pacaid: packet; bleideagan arbhair: lit. corn flakes (but most peoplewould say corn flakes); pàiste: child; bobhla: bowl; bracaist: breakfast: coileach: cockerel;stòiridh: story; soighne, soighnichean: sign, signs; da-chànanach: bilingual; agaontachadh: agreeing; litreachadh: spelling; aire, maire: attention, my attention; gu dìreach:directly; a Chuimris: the Welsh language.

anns an ùine bhig a dh'fhalbh: in the recent past (lit. in the littletime that departed); cha robh fios neo agamsa: I didnt know either; co-dhiù nuair nacheilear a sanasachd X: at least when X is not being advertised; mo chuairt don Chuimrigh:my trip to Wales; mar a theirear: as it is called; abair thusa gu bheil X brèagha: an idiomatictranslation would be X is wonderfully beautiful (the use of abair in this way is verycommon ); a bharrachd air a bòidhchead: in addition to her beauty (sgìre is fem.); mar adh'fhaodadh X a bhith: as X could be; an siud 's an seo: here and there; bha i ri fhaicinn: it(fem.) was to be seen; ma 's math mo chuimhne: if my memory serves me correctly; nuair achruthaich e X: when he invented X; carson fon ghrèin a chuirinn X oirre?: why on earth (lit.under the sun) would I put X on it (fem.); uabhasach fhèin coltach ri: very like; cànan nanCuimreach: the language of the Welsh.

Ann am badeigin: in some place (which the speaker maybe unable or unwilling to identify). The terminal -eigin in Gaelic words, meaning some isan extremely useful one. Bad is a place; badeigin is some place. Other examples are àiteigin(some place), cuideigin (some person), rudeigin (something). A lack of knowledge of theexactness of the thing, person, place can be strengthened with the use of air choreigin (orother). Thus we get latha air choreigin (some day or other), cuideigin air choreigin (somebodyor other), togalach air choreigin (some building or other). Bhris cuideigin an uinneag(someone broke the window) Cò? (who?) Chan eil fhios am 's dòcha bleigeard air choreigin(I dont know probably some lout or other). It is important to note two things about eigin.Firstly, the initial syllable is short it is not like èiginn which means emergency, difficulty. Secondly, in the case of badeigin, rudeigin, (air) choreigin we have compoundwords, made of two elements, which do not follow the usual leathann ri leathann, caol ricaol spelling rule; airson is another example of such a word.

Cha b'urrainn dhomh bun neo bàrr a dhèanamh dhenchòmhradh: I couldn't make head or tail of the conversation. Bun (bottom) and bàrr (top)are opposites and often appear together in figures of speech of this nature. Chan eil bun neobàrr aig a sheanachas: his story makes no sense.