1175: Leabhar Dhèir (2)
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.
Leabhar Dhèir (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Leabhar Dhèir, The Book of Deer. An-diugh, tha mi a’ dol a leughadh dhuibh a’ chiad earrainn de na notaichean Gàidhlig ann. Seo a’ chiad phàirt dhen chiad sheantans: Colum Cille & Drostan mac Cosgreg a dalta tangator a hÍ mar ro falseg Dia doib gonic Abbordoboir, & Bede cruthnec robo mormaer Buchan ar a ginn...
Tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth nach do rinn sibh cus dhen sin. Agus chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach mar a bha cuid de na faclan air am fuaimneachadh. Nam biomaid a’ sgrìobhadh an aon teacsa ann an Gàidhlig an latha an-diugh, seo mar a bhitheadh i: Calum Cille agus Drostan mac Chosgraich a dhalta, thàinig (iad) à (Eilean) Ì mar a dh’fhoillsich Dia dhaibh gu ruige Obar Dobhair, agus (ʼs e) Bede (an) Cruithneach a bha (na) mhorair (air) Buchan air an cionn.
Bidh sibh a’ mothachadh nach eil an gnìomhair tangator – thàinig – aig toiseach an t-seantans. Ge-tà, anns an dàrna seantans, tha an dearbh fhacal aig an toiseach!
Tha an cunntas ag innse dhuinn gun tàinig Calum Cille agus an neach-leantainn aige, Drostan, à Eilean Ì gu ruige Obar Dobhair. Tha Obar Dobhair air a’ chladach gu tuath air Dèir. Math dh’fhaodte gur e am port as fhaisge air Dèir, no as fàbharaiche airson faighinn a Dhèir. Tha mi an dùil gun tàinig Calum Cille agus Drostan à Ì air bàta agus air cois no muin-eich, suas an Gleann Mòr a dh’Inbhir Nis. An uair sin ann an soitheach gu ruige Obar Dobhair.
Thug Dia stiùir do na naoimh a dhol don ear-thuath. Ach nuair a ràinig iad Buchan – no Bùchainn mar a chanas cuid – bha aca ri dèiligeadh ris an fhear a bu chumhachdaiche anns an sgìre – am morair no mormaer. B’ esan Bede. Bha e na Chruithneach. Bha an dùthaich sin fhathast fo smachd nan Cruithneach.
An robh Bede taiceil dhaibh? Bha, aig an toiseach. An robh Bede na Chrìosdaidh mu thràth? No an robh adhbharan poilitigeach aige taic a thoirt do Chalum Cille? Chan eil fhios a’m, ach tha Leabhar Dhèir ag innse dhuinn gun tug Bede a’ mhanachainn dhaibh ‘ann an saorsa gu bràth’. Cha chuireadh morair no toiseach – ceannardan an latha – stad orra.
Ach dè a’ mhanachainn? Chan e Dèir, ach Obar Dobhair. Tha na notaichean Gàidhlig ag innse dhuinn gun deach Calum Cille agus Drostan an uair sin gu àite eile: Thàinig iad na dhèidh sin gu cathair eile, agus thaitinn i ri Calum Cille oir bu làn de rath Dhè i.
Tha sin a’ ciallachadh gun do chòrd an t-àite ri Calum Cille oir bha e làn gràs Dhè. B’ e an t-àite seo Dèir. Dh’iarr Calum Cille air Bede an t-àite a thoirt seachad dha. Ach, an turas seo, dhiùlt Bede.
Cha robh an gnothach seachad aige sin. ʼS e fear cumhachdach a bh’ ann an Calum Cille. Seo an ath earrann dhen chunntas: ghabh mac dha (Bede) galar ... agus bha e marbh ach beag. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh gun do ghabh gille aig Bede galar agus gun robh e aig uchd-bàis. Cluinnidh sinn an-ath-sheachdain mar a bha seo bunaiteach do stèidheachadh na manachainn ann an Dèir.
Faclan na Litreach: Leabhar Dhèir: The Book of Deer; gnìomhair: verb; Àrd-ollamh: Professor; dhiùlt: refused.
Abairtean na Litreach: a’ chiad phàirt dhen chiad sheantans: the first part of the first sentence; tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth nach do rinn sibh cus dhen sin: I reckon you didn’t make too much of that; cinnteach mar a bha cuid de na faclan air am fuaimneachadh: certain about how some of the words were pronounced; nam biomaid a’ sgrìobhadh an aon teacsa ann an Gàidhlig an latha an-diugh: if we were writing the same text in modern Gaelic; mar a dh’fhoillsich Dia dhaibh: as God showed them/guided them; ʼs e Bede an Cruithneach a bha na mhorair air Buchan air an cionn: it’s Bede the Pict that was the mormaer (provincial ruler) of Buchan on their arrival; tha an dearbh fhacal aig an toiseach: the same word is at the start; tha Obar Dobhair air a’ chladach gu tuath air Dèir: Aberdour is on the shore north of (Old) Deer; as fàbharaiche airson faighinn a Dhèir: most favoured for getting to Deer; air cois no muin-eich: by foot or horseback; thug Dia stiùir do na naoimh a dhol don ear-thuath: God guided the saints to go to the north-east; an robh Bede na Chrìosdaidh mu thràth?: was Bede already a Christian?; gun tug Bede a’ mhanachainn dhaibh ‘ann an saorsa gu bràth’: that Bede gave them the monastery ‘in freedom forever’; cha chuireadh X no Y – ceannardan an latha – stad orra: neither X or Y would stop them; gun do chòrd an t-àite ri X oir bha e làn gràs Dhè: that X enjoyed the place because it was full of the grace of God; gun do ghabh gille aig Bede galar agus gun robh e aig uchd-bàis: that a son of Bede’s caught a disease and was at death’s door; bunaiteach do stèidheachadh na manachainn: fundamental to the establishment of the monastery.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha aca ri dèiligeadh ris an fhear a bu chumhachdaiche: they had to deal with the most powerful man. The adjective cumhachdach ‘powerful’, based on cumhachd ‘power’ is made into its comparative form in the standard manner, by slenderisation and adding a terminal ‘e’. Tha ise nas cumhachdaiche na esan ‘she is more powerful than him’. However, with a past tense comparative, we also lenite the adjective and precede it with na bu rather na is (contracted to nas) e.g. bha ise na bu chumhachdaiche na esan ‘she was more powerful than him’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Cha robh an gnothach seachad aige sin: the matter wasn’t over with that.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 871
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