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10/04/2006

Letter for those at an early stage in learning Gaelic.

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An Litir Bheag 48

Leugh mi seann leabhar o chionn ghoirid. Tha e air a sgrìobhadh ann am Beurla. Ach tha e mu dheidhinn na Gàidhlig. ’S e an tiotal a th’ air The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe and more especially of the English and Lowland Scotch and of their slang, cant and colloquial dialects. Abair tiotal!

B’ e an t-ùghdar Teàrlach MacAoidh. Bha ùidh mhòr aige sa Ghàidhlig. Bha e a’ smaoineachadh gu robh buaidh aig a’ Ghàidhlig air mòran chànanan Eòrpach. Tha mi a’ dol a thoirt sùil air faclan bhon leabhar a tha a’ tòiseachadh le “b”.

An toiseach am facal baste. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh mar a chuireas còcaire lionn thairis air feòil. Sgrìobh MacAoidh gun tĂ inig sin Ă  baist – facal GĂ idhlig. Baist, baisteadh – immersing in water, baptizing. Ă€s dèidh sin tha Bastille aige – an seann phrìosan ann am Paris. Bha am prìosan sin ainmeil. Thòisich an Rìgh TeĂ rlach V an obair-togail air ann an trì cheud deug is seachdad (1370). Ach cò Ă s a thĂ inig an t-ainm? Tha na sgoilearan ag rĂ dh gun tĂ inig e bho fhreumh Gearmailteach. Tha iad ag rĂ dh gu robh e a’ ciallachadh “togail”. Ach bha beachd eile aig TeĂ rlach MacAoidh. Sgrìobh esan gu robh e a’ tighinn bho dhĂ  fhacal GĂ idhlig – ˛úĂ ˛ő no “death” agus tiodhlaic no “bury”– ˛úĂ ˛ő-tiodhlaic. Anns a’ phrìosan bha mòran a’ faighinn ˛úĂ ˛ő. Agus bha iad air an tiodhlacadh. BĂ s-tiodhlaic – bastile…˛Ńłľłľâ€¦

A-nise bauble. San latha an-diugh, bidh daoine ag ràdh gur e bauble dèideag bheag. Rud nach eil luachmhor. Ach o shean bha e a’ ciallachadh “maide aig amadan cùirte”. Air a’ mhaide bha dosan is clagan. Thàinig bauble don Bheurla bhon Fhraingis. Ach ciamar a fhuair e a-steach don Fhraingis?

Tha MacAoidh ag rĂ dh gun tĂ inig e bhon GhĂ idhlig ˛úĂ , “a fool”, agus ball, “an instrument”. µţĂ -˛ú˛ą±ô±ô – bauble. Uill, chan eil mi fhìn cho cinnteach. Dè do bheachd fhèin?

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: leugh mi seann leabhar o chionn ghoirid: I read an old book recently; air a sgrìobhadh ann am Beurla: written in English; tiotal: title; abair tiotal!: what a title!; b’ e an t-Ăąghdar TeĂ rlach MacAoidh: the author was Charles Mackay; gu robh buaidh aig a’ GhĂ idhlig air mòran chĂ nanan Eòrpach: that Gaelic had an influence on many European languages; tha mi a’ dol a thoirt sĂąil air: I’m going to look at; mar a chuireas còcaire lionn thairis air feòil: how a cook puts a liquid over meat; an seann phrìosan: the old prison; thòisich an Rìgh TeĂ rlach V an obair-togail: King Charles started the building work; cò Ă s a thĂ inig an t-ainm?: where did the name come from?; bho fhreumh Gearmailteach: from a Germanic root; bha beachd eile aig X: X had a different opinion; bha mòran a’ faighinn ˛úĂ ˛ő: many were dying; bha iad air an tiodhlacadh: they were buried: san latha an-diugh: these days; dèideag bheag: a little toy; rud nach eil luachmhor: a thing that is not valuable; o shean: in olden times; maide aig amadan cĂąirte: a court fool’s (jester’s) stick; dosan is clagan: tassels and bells; ciamar a fhuair e a-steach don Fhraingis?: how did it get into [the] French [language]?; chan eil mi fhìn cho cinnteach: I’m not too sure myself; dè do bheachd fhèin?: what’s your own opinion?

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

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