125: Claidbh
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.
Claidbh
Anns an Litir mu dheireadh, o chionn cola-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 ge 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 Ghàidhealaich – 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-uimhir 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 uair sin, dh’fhigh e slatan eile eatarra gus an do thog e, mean air mhean, cliabh a bha bun-os-cionn. Cha robh ann an uair sin 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’ Ghàidhealtachd an-diugh. Chan fhiach an t-saothair. Ach, nuair a bha mi anns na h-Eileanan Arainneach ann an taobh siar na h-Èireann, 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 basgaidean 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 Litreach: 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 Litreach: o chionn cola-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 Litreach: 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.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan fhiach an t-saothair: it’s not worth the effort.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn