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03/07/2006

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruairidh MacIlleathain.

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An Litir Bheag 60

Ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug bha coitheanalan mòra Gàidhlig ann an Inbhir Ùige. Bha Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn ann an Gallaibh – air an taobh an iar agus anns a’ cheann a deas. Ach cha robh Gàidhlig aig muinntir Inbhir Ùige. Carson a bha na coitheanalan Gàidhlig cho mòr, ma-thà?

Ann am facal – “iasgach”. Chaidh mòran Ghàidheal a dh’Inbhir Ùige airson an iasgaich gach samhradh. Bha iasgach mòr ann an Inbhir Ùige. Bha suas ri ceithir mìle duine a’ dol gu seirbheisean Gàidhlig air an t-Sàbaid. Bha iad ann am pàirc anns a’ bhaile.

Bha bonaidean Gàidhealach air na h-iasgairean Gàidhealach. Cha robh bonaidean mar sin air na h-iasgairean Gallta. Ach bha geansaidh air a h-uile iasgair, Gàidheal agus Gall. Bha dà sheòrsa geansaidh aig gach iasgair. Bha fear ann airson obair. Agus bha fear spaideil ann. Bha sin airson gnothaichean sòisealta. No airson a dhol don eaglais.

Bha diofar eadar an dà sheòrsa geansaidh. Bha putanan air an fheadhainn spaideil. Bha na putanan air na guailnean. Bhiodh suas ri ceithir putanan air gach gualann aig geansaidhean iasgairean bhon chosta an ear. Bha cuid de dhaoine comasach air innse dè am port dham buineadh iasgair, le bhith a’ coimhead air na putanan. Mar eisimpleir, bha ceithir putanan air gualann chlì iasgairean à Inbhir Ùige. Bha na putanan uaireannan na chuideachadh nuair a bha iasgair air a bhàthadh. Bha fios aig daoine dè am port às an robh e.

Bha tòrr Gàidhlig ann an Inbhir Ùige ann am mìosan an t-samhraidh ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug. Cha robh cuid de mhuinntir a’ bhaile uabhasach toilichte. Bho àm gu àm, bha sabaid ann eadar Gàidheil is Goill. Bha aimhreit mhòr ann aon turas. Bha sin ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad ’s a naoi (1859). Canaidh daoine “Sabaid Mhòr Inbhir Ùige” rithe. Innsidh mi dhuibh dè thachair an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug: in the middle of the 19th Century; bha coitheanalan mòra Gàidhlig ann an Inbhir Ùige: there were large Gaelic congregations in Wick: bha Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn ann an Gallaibh: Gaelic was spoken in Caithness; cha robh Gàidhlig aig muinntir Inbhir Ùige: thè people of Wick did not speak Gaelic; chaidh mòran Ghàidheal airson an iasgaich gach samhradh: many Gaels went for the fishing every summer; suas ri ceithir mìle duine: up to four thousand people; a’ dol gu seirbheisean Gàidhlig air an t-Sàbaid: going to Gaelic services on the Sabbath; cha robh bonaidean mar sin air na h-iasgairean Gallta: the Lowland fishermen did not have those types of bonnet; dà sheòrsa geansaidh: two types of gansey/jumper; spaideil: of smart appearance; airson a dhol don eaglais: for going to church; bha na putanan air na guailnean: the buttons were on the shoulders; bhon chosta an ear: from the east coast; bha cuid comasach air innse dè am port dham buineadh iasgair: some people were capable of telling what port a fishermen belonged to; le bhith a’ coimhead air na putanan: by looking at the buttons; gualann chlì: [the] left shoulder; uaireannan na chuideachadh nuair a bha iasgair air a bhàthadh: sometimes of assistance when a fisherman was drowned; dè am port às an robh e: what port he was from; cha robh cuid de mhuinntir a’ bhaile uabhasach toilichte: some of the town’s people were not overly pleased; bha sabaid ann eadar Gàidheil is Goill: there was conflict between Gael and non-Gael; aimhreit mhòr: a big riot; canaidh daoine “Sabaid Mhòr Inbhir Ùige” rithe: people call it “The Great Fight of Wick”; innsidh mi dhuibh dè thachair: I will tell you what happened.

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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