159: Diùra
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Diùra
Chan eil mòran daoine air fhàgail ann an Diùra aig a bheil Gàidhlig an-diugh, ach tha dìleab phrìseil aig an eilean co-cheangailte ris a’ chànan. Chaidh seann sgeulachdan a chruinneachadh ann agus bu mhath leam tè dhiubh sin innse dhuibh an-diugh, ged a tha i nas giorra agamsa nan tè a chaidh aithris o shean.
Tha i co-cheangailte ri dà theaghlach a tha fhathast anns an eilean. Clann ’ic Ille Riabhaich no na Darrochs mar a chanas iad riutha ann am Beurla, agus Clann ’ic Ille Bhuidhe - na Buies. O chionn fhada bha fear de Chloinn ’ic Ille Riabhaich ann a bha mòr agus làidir. Bha e math air sabaid, agus dh’iarr Iarla Earra-Ghaidheal air Eilean Cholasa a ghabhail thairis as a leth. Airson sin, ge-tà, dh’fheumadh e cur às don fheadhainn aig an robh smachd air Colasa – Clann ’ic a’ Phì.
Rinn Mac Ille Riabhaich deiseil, ach chuala fear eile ann an Diùra mu dheidhinn. B’ esan Mac Ille Bhuidhe. Nuair a thàinig an là airson falbh a Cholasa ann am bìrlinn, chaidh Mac Ille Bhuidhe a dh’ionnsaigh Mhic Ille Riabhaich agus dh’fhaighnich e dheth am faigheadh e fhèin cothrom dhol a dh’Ìle còmhla ris. Cha do leig e air gu robh fios aige gu robh iad a’ dol a Cholasa.
Nuair a ràinig iad Ìle, thuirt Mac Ille Riabhaich gu robh iad a’ leantainn orra gu ruige Colasa, agus dh’iarr Mac Ille Bhuidhe air fuireach air bòrd. Nuair a ràinig iad Colasa, rinn sgioba Mhic Ille Riabhaich air an taigh mhòr airson cur às do Chloinn ’ic a’ Phì. Chum Mac Ille Bhuidhe pìos beag air falbh, ach chunnaic e boireannach òg a’ ruith a-mach às an taigh mhòr le rudeigin fo a h-achlais. ’S e a bh’ ann leanabh-gille, an duine mu dheireadh a bha beò anns an teaghlach as dèidh na sgrios.
Chuir Mac Ille Bhuidhe an leanabh fo a chuid aodaich agus chaidh e air ais don bhìrlinn. Bha e ag iomradh còmhla ri càch nuair a bhris an ràmh aige. Bhuail a làmhan an leanabh a bha aig a bhroilleach, agus leig am fear beag èigh a-mach. Chuala Mac Ille Riabhaich e agus thuirt e, “tha arrabhalach sa bhàta!”
“Chan eil ann,” fhreagair Mac Ille Bhuidhe, “ach dìosgan nan ràmh.”
Thug iad ràmh eile dha, ach bhris e sin cuideachd. An uairsin thug iad am buirbid mòr dha – an ràmh mòr a bhathar a’ cleachdadh airson bìrlinn a stiùireadh. Thug Mac Ille Bhuidhe a’ bhìrlinn a-steach gu tìr ann an Diùra mus do mhothaich càch gu robh iad faisg air a’ chladach. Chleachd e an ràmh airson leum air tìr agus, mus robh cothrom aig duine sam bith eile gluasad, bha e air a’ chladach deiseil dhaibh le chlaidheamh.
“Cha b’ fhuilear dhut, Mhic Ille Bhuidhe, a bhith cho ealamh,” thuirt Mac Ille Riabhaich.
“Thigibh air tìr a-nise,” fhreagair Mac Ille Bhuidhe, “tha mi deiseil air ur son.” Thog e an leanabh suas, ag innse dhaibh gur e oighre Mhic a’ Phì Cholasa a bh’ ann, agus nach fhaigheadh duine aca greim air.
Cha robh càch deònach sabaid leis ach b’ fheudar do Mhac Ille Bhuidhe teicheadh leis an leanabh agus chuir e am falach e ann an uamh air cliathaich Beinn an Òir, a’ bheinn as àirde ann an Diùra. Nuair a thàinig an gille gu ìre, fhuair e Eilean Cholasa air ais, airson greis co-dhiù, agus bhathar ag ràdh, nan robh taic a dhìth air Mac Ille Bhuidhe, nach robh aige ach teine mòr a thogail a chitheadh muinntir Cholasa, agus chuireadh iad sgioba de ghaisgich ga ionnsaigh airson a chuideachadh.
Faclan na Litreach: Diùra: Jura; nas giorra: shorter; o shean: a long time ago, in the old days; Clann ’ic a’ Phì: the MacPhees; bìrlinn:galley; a dh’ionnsaigh: towards; Ìle: Islay; leanabh-gille: baby boy; ràmh: oar; arrabhalach: stowaway (traitor); oighre: heir.
Abairtean na Litreach: tha dìleab phrìseil co-cheangailte ris a’ chànan: there is a valuable legacy associated with the language; bu mhath leam tè dhiubh sin innse dhuibh: I would like to tell you one of them (fem.); dh’iarr Iarla Earra-Ghaidheal air Eilean Cholasa a ghabhail thairis as a leth:The Earl of Argyll asked him to take over the Isle of Colonsay on this behalf; cha do leig e air gu robh fios aige: he didn’t let on that he knew; gu robh iad a’ leantainn orra gu ruige Colasa: that they were continuing on to Colonsay; rinn X air an taigh mhòr airson cur às do Y: X made for the big house to kill Y; le rudeigin fo a h-achlais: with something under her arm; an duine mu dheireadh a bha beò anns an teaghlach: the last person in the family who was alive; fo a chuid aodaich: under his clothes; bha e ag iomradh còmhla ri càch: he was rowing along with the others; bhuail a làmhan an leanabh a bh’ aig a bhroilleach: his hands hit the baby who was at his breast [under his clothes]; dìosgan nan ràmh: the creaking of the oars; a bhathar a’ cleachdadh airson bìrlinn a stiùireadh: which was used to steer the galley; bha e deiseil dhaibh le chlaidheamh: he was ready for them with his sword; b’ fheudar do X teicheadh: X had to flee; chuir e am falach e ann an uamh air cliathaich Beinn an Òir: he hid him in a cave on the side of Beinn an Òir (mountain of the gold); nach robh aige ach teine mòr a thogail a chitheadh muinntir Cholasa: he only had to light a fire which the Colonsay folk would see.
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: chuireadh iad sgioba de ghaisgich ga ionnsaigh airson a chuideachadh: they would send him a team of heroes to help him. The last 3 words are what I want to concentrate on here – airson a chuideachadh. The “a” is the masculine 3rd person singular possessive adjective and it therefore lenites the following word which, although it is an infinitive form of a verb, acts in the same way as a noun (it is in fact a form of verbal noun). A direct translation would be “for his helping”. The feminine equivalent (“for her helping” ie “in order to help her”) would be airson a cuideachadh. It works similarly for all other persons, leniting where appropriate ie after mo and do: tha iad an seo airson mo chur an greim (they are here to arrest me); tha mi airson do shàbhaladh (I want to save you); tha iad airson ar fàgail an seo (they want to leave us here); a bheil iad airson ur trèigsinn? (do they want to abandon you?); tha sinn airson an cuideachadh (we want to help them).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Cha b’ fhuilear dhut a bhith cho ealamh: you needed to be [so] sprightly. This is an old expression, and a little obtuse because of its negative structure, but it is still heard from time to time. Chan fhuilear dhut: you need/require.
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