631: Cairidhean agus am Bradan Sligeach
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Cairidhean agus am Bradan Sligeach
Tha cuid de sheann chleachdaidhean a bu chòir a bhith air an ath-nuadhachadh. Am measg sin, tha a’ chairidh. Chithear cairidhean ann an grunn àiteachan air a’ Ghàidhealtachd fhathast, ged nach eil cuimhne aig duine beò cuin mu dheireadh a bha iad air an cur gu feum. Tha na dhà air a’ Chomraich. Agus tha feadhainn faisg air Inbhir Nis ann an Linne Fharair – no am Beauly Firth mar a chanar ann am Beurla).
Mura h-eil sibh eòlach air an fhacal cairidh, tha e a’ ciallachadh balla beag cloiche a bhathar a’ togail air tràigh. Bhiodh èisg a’ snàmh thairis air a’ bhalla aig àm lìonaidh na mara. Nuair a bhiodh an tràghadh ann, chan fhaigheadh na h-èisg a-mach a-rithist; bhiodh iad air an glacadh air cùl a’ bhalla. Dh’fhaodadh daoine dhol sìos don tràigh agus na h-èisg a thogail. Chan eil dòigh iasgaich eile cho furasta ris!
Tha feadhainn gu math measail air gàrraidhean a thogail – dry-stane dyking mar a chanar ann an Albais. Bidh cuid a’ dol gu clasaichean airson na sgilean sin ionnsachadh. Ach cia mheud duine a th’ air a bhith an sàs ann a bhith a’ dèanamh ath-thogail de chairidh? Cha chuala mi fhìn air gin. Ma tha sibh fhèin eòlach air duine no coimhearsnachd a rinn a leithid, nach cuir sibh fios thugam.
Nach biodh e math feadhainn de na seann chairidhean a thogail às ùr? ’S dòcha nach eil an t-iasg cho pailt san latha a th’ ann, ach chanainn gun obraicheadh iad fhathast. Co-dhiù, bhithinn an dùil gum faighte lèabag no dha. Anns an t-seann aimsir, ge-tà, tha mi a’ tuigsinn gun robhar a’ glacadh bhradan annta! ’S dòcha gum biodh cuid de dh’uachdarain an aghaidh pròiseact dhen t-seòrsa seo air sàillibh sin. Ach is coma leam.
Nise, nuair a chanas mi “bradan”, tha mi a’ ciallachadh “Atlantic salmon”. Tha mi ag innse sin dhuibh oir tha “bradain” de sheòrsachan eile ann. Mar eisimpleir tha am bradan sligeach ann – “the scaly salmon” – am bradan sligeach. A bheil sibh eòlach air? ’S e sin an t-iasg ris an canar ann am Beurla, sturgeon. Tha am bradan sligeach a’ fàs uabhasach fhèin mòr agus tha na h-ùighean aige gu math luachmhor. ’S e sin stuth ris an canar caviar.
Tha fios agam gun robhar a’ glacadh bradan sligeach ann an cairidhean bho àm gu àm oir tha e clàraichte ann an seann làmh-sgrìobhainn ris an canar am Wardlaw Manuscript. Thachair e ann an Linne Fharair faisg air Leantran, siar air Inbhir Nis, anns a’ bhliadhna sia ceud deug is seasgad (1660). Bha an t-iasg deich troighean a dh’fhaid.
Aig an àm sin, bha gearastan de shaighdearan Sasannach ann an Inbhir Nis – feadhainn a bh’ air a dhol ann às leth Oliver Chromwell. Cheannaich iadsan am bradan sligeach airson ceithir puinnd Shasannach. Thug iad air ais don ghearastan e. Bha iad dhen bheachd gun d’ fhuair iad bargan. Ann an Sasainn, bhiodh e a’ cosg co-dhiù deich puinnd Shasannach.
Anns an latha an-diugh, thathar a’ smaoineachadh gum faighte suas ri ochd mìle not airson iasg mar sin! Dh’fhaodadh gum biodh cairidh gu math prothaideach – fhad ’s a gheibhte cead bhon bhanrigh airson an t-iasg a reic oir ’s ann leathase a tha gach bradan sligeach a th’ air a ghlacadh ann an uisgeachan Bhreatainn.
Faclan na Litreach: cairidh: stone fish trap on beaches; Linne Fharair: Beauly Firth; tràghadh: ebb tide; coimhearsnachd: community; bradan sligeach: sturgeon; bargan: a bargain.
Abairtean na Litreach: tha cuid de sheann chleachdaidhean a bu chòir a bhith air an ath-nuadhachadh: there are some old practices that should be renewed; cuin mu dheireadh a bha iad air an cur gu feum: when they were last put to use; tha na dhà air a’ Chomraich: there are two in Applecross; aig àm lìonaidh na mara: at the time of the incoming tide; air an glacadh air cùl a’ bhalla: caught behind the wall; chan eil dòigh iasgaich eile cho furasta ris: there is no other method of fishing that is as easy; tha feadhainn gu math measail air gàrraidhean a thogail:some people really like building stone dykes; mar a chanar ann an Albais: as it is called in Scots; cha chuala mi fhìn air gin: I haven’t heard of any myself; chanainn gun obraicheadh iad fhathast: I reckon they’d still work; bhithinn an dùil gum faighte lèabag no dha: I would expect a flounder or two to be obtained; gun robhar a’ glacadh bhradan annta: that salmon were caught in them; gum biodh cuid de dh’uachdarain an aghaidh pròiseact dhen t-seòrsa seo: that some landlords would be against a project of this type; is coma leam: I’m indifferent [to that]; clàraichte ann an seann làmh-sgrìobhainn: recorded in an old manuscript; deich troighean a dh’fhaid:ten feet long; bha gearastan de shaighdearan Sasannach: a garrison of English soldiers; feadhainn a bh’ air a dhol ann às leth: some who had gone there on behalf of; ceithir puinnd Shasannach: four pounds Sterling (as opposed to Scots); thathar a’ smaoineachadh gum faighte suas ri ochd mìle not: it is thought that up to eight thousand pounds would be obtained; fhad ’s a gheibhte cead bhon bhanrigh: as long as permission were obtained from the queen.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Although we tend to think of bradan as meaning “salmon” (in some parts of the Gàidhealtachd “breac” is used for the same species), there are other types of bradan. Bradan sligeach (“scaly salmon”) is also used for the mullet, a more common fish than the sturgeon in British waters. And other names recorded for the sturgeon include bradan bacach (“halting salmon”), bradan ceàrr (“left sided salmon”), bradan geàrr (“short salmon”) and bradan leathann (“broad salmon”). However bradan leathann is more commonly (and sensibly) used for the halibut, while the turbot is bradan-bràthan (“quern-stone like ie round salmon”).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ’s ann leathase a tha gach bradan sligeach: every sturgeon belongs to her.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 327
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