蜜芽传媒

Tha ceist agam dhuibh aig toiseach na Litreach an-diugh. Cuine a nochd a鈥� chiad sg脿ilean, no umbrella, air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd? Uill, cha chreid mi gu bheil fios againn air a sin, agus feumaidh sinn aideachadh nach eil a leithid gu cus feum nuair a tha gaoth l脿idir ann co-dhi霉. Agus, gu h-脿raidh air taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd, is iomadh l脿 a th鈥� ann air a bheil a鈥� ghaoth ro l脿idir airson sg脿ilean a chur suas.

Mura h-eil fios againn cuine a nochd a鈥� chiad sg脿ilean air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, chan eil sin f矛or mu bhaile Inbhir Nis, ged nach urrainn dhomh r脿dh am b鈥� e sin a鈥� chiad fhear air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd gu l猫ir. Is cuine a bha sin? Uill, faodaidh sibh tuaiream a dh猫anamh air a鈥� ghnothach, agus innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 a鈥� bhliadhna a bh鈥� ann nas fhaide dhen Litir.

Mus robh sg脿ilean ann, agus mus robh c貌taichean ceart d矛onach againn, no Gore-Tex no c脿il mar sin, bidh fios agaibh gur e d矛reach am breacan, no am f猫ile m貌r, a bh鈥� aig daoine airson an cumail bl脿th is tioram. Mus robh sg脿ileanan aig muinntir Inbhir Nis, tha 鈥淣aochadair Chlach na C霉dainn鈥� ag innse dhuinn gur ann tric a chluinnte air sr脿idean a鈥� bhaile an cuireadh seo 鈥� 鈥渢hig fo mo bhreacan鈥�. Is iomadh ceangal romansach eadar fear is boireannach a th貌isich anns an d貌igh sin, a r猫ir choltais.

Nochd saighdear Gaidhealach, ann an 猫ideadh Gaidhealach, mu choinneimh na B脿nrigh Anna turas. B鈥� esan am M脿idsear Seumas Friseal 脿s an Fhreiceadan Dubh. Nise, nuair a chanas mi gu robh 猫ideadh Gaidhealach air, feumaidh mi aideachadh nach robh f猫ile beag air. An 脿ite sin bha triubhas tartain. Ach bha breacan aige cuideachd, a ghi霉lain e thairis air a ghualainn.

Dh鈥檉haighnich a鈥� Bh脿nrigh dheth gu d猫 am feum a dh猫anadh e dhen bhreacan. 鈥淎irson mo leannan a phasgadh ann air oidhche fhuar,鈥� fhreagair am Frisealach. Uill, bha a鈥� Bh脿nrigh cho toilichte le fhreagairt, 鈥檚 gun do tharraing i f脿inne far a corraig is gun tug i don t-saighdear i.

Ach bha na l脿ithean romansach sin a鈥� tighinn gu ceann, oir cha b鈥� fhada gus an tigeadh an sg脿ilean don Ghaidhealtachd. Chan eil e buileach cho romansach a bhith a鈥� toirt cuireadh do chuideigin 鈥� 鈥渢hig fo mo sg脿ilean鈥�!

Tha a鈥� chuid mh貌r anns an r矛oghachd seo dhen bheachd gur ann airson a chumail tioram a chleachdas duine sg脿ilean, ach chan eil sin f矛or anns a h-uile h-脿ite. Chunnaic mi m貌ran ann an 脌isia a bha gan cleachdadh airson an d矛on an aghaidh solas teth na gr猫ine. Agus tha cuimhne agam air a bhith ag 猫isteachd ri boireannach ann an Calcutta air an r猫idio, agus i a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a bhiodh i a鈥� cleachdadh sg脿ilean nuair a bhiodh i a鈥� coiseachd tro choille. 鈥淏hiodh sin nuair a tha r脿ithe an uisge ann, airson ur cumail tioram,鈥� thuirt an t-agallamhair rithe. 鈥淥 chan ann,鈥� fhreagair i. 鈥淏idh e gam dh矛on an aghaidh nathraichean a bhios a鈥� leum oirnn bho na craobhan os ar cionn!鈥�

Co-dhi霉 鈥檚 ann air l脿 tioram grianach, a nochd a鈥� chiad sg脿ilean ann an Inbhir Nis, a r猫ir an 鈥淣aochadair鈥�, Iain MacIlleathain. 鈥橲 ann air l脿 f猫ille a bha e, agus chaidh an sg脿ilean a ghi霉lain os cionn an fh矛r a bha aig meadhan na buidhne a bha a鈥� caismeachd tron bhaile. Is bha sin air a鈥� ch貌igeamh l脿 fichead dhen D脿mhair anns a鈥� bhliadhna seachd ceud deug is seasgad (1760), direach ceithir bliadhn鈥� deug 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r fuilteach Ch霉il Lodair.

Faclan na seachdaine: sg脿ilean: umbrella; naochadair: nonagenarian; 猫ideadh Gaidhealach: Highland dress; f猫ile beag: kilt; triubhas tartain: tartan trews; 脌isia: Asia; agallamhair: interviewer; l脿 f猫ille: festival day, holiday; a鈥� caismeachd: parading; D脿mhair: October.

Abairtean na seachdaine: cha chreid mi gu bheil fios againn: I don鈥檛 think we know; feumaidh sinn aideachadh: we must admit; nach eil a leithid gu cus feum: that such things aren鈥檛 of too much use; is iomadh l脿 a th鈥� ann: there is many a day; faodaidh sibh tuaiream a dh猫anamh: you can guess; mus robh c貌taichean ceart d矛onach againn: before we had proper waterproof coats; gur e d矛reach am breacan a bh鈥� aig daoine: that it was just the (tartan) plaid that people had; gur ann tric a chluinnte an cuireadh seo: that this invitation would often be heard; b鈥� esan am M脿idsear Seumas Friseal 脿s an Fhreiceadan Dubh: he was Major James Fraser of the Black Watch; a ghi霉lain e thairis air a ghualainn: that he carried over his shoulder; d猫 am feum a dh猫anadh e dhen bhreacan: what use he made [would make] of the plaid; airson mo leannan a phasgadh: to wrap my sweetheart in; airson an d矛on an aghaidh solas na gr猫ine: to protect themselves against sunlight; agus i a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a bhiodh i a鈥� cleachdadh sg脿ilean: who was explaining how she would use an umbrella; nuair a tha r脿ithe an uisge ann: when it is the wet season; nathraichean a bhios a鈥� leum oirnn bho na craobhan: snakes that jump on us from the trees; Bl脿r fuilteach Ch霉il Lodair: the bloody Battle of Culloden.

uing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥檚 gun do tharraing i f脿inne far a corraig: that she drew a ring from her finger. You will know that the generic word for finger is corrag (each finger has an individual name in Gaelic), but it is here slenderised as corraig (note the pronunciation change). The reason is that it is preceded by the preposition far which takes the genitive. This might seem strange as simple looking prepositions almost always take the dative, but far originated as the complex preposition de bh脿rr (literally 鈥渇rom the top of鈥�). Of course, 鈥渇rom the finger鈥� would be far a鈥� chorraig, but here corraig remains unlenited because it is commanded by the third person singular possessive article (ie 鈥渉er鈥�) which does not lenite a following consonant.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 a鈥� bhliadhna a bh鈥� ann nas fhaide dhen Litir: I will tell you what year it was further on in the Litir. Nas fhaide dhen t-seachdain: further on in the week. Nas fhaide dhen bhliadhna: at a later point in the year..