蜜芽传媒

Bidh fios agaibh gu bheil m貌ran daoine ann an Alba nach eil uabhasach d猫idheil air laoidh n脿iseanta Bhreatainn, 鈥淕od Save the Queen鈥� no 鈥淕od Save the King鈥� mar a bh鈥� ann an toiseach. Tha diofar adhbharan ann airson sin ach, nam measg, tha gu robh an t-貌ran gu math trom air muinntir na h-Alba nuair a th脿inig a鈥� chiad iris dheth a-mach ann an cl貌 anns an D脿mhair, seachd deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1745).

Seo ceithir loighnichean 脿s aon rann dhen 貌ran:

May he sedition hush

And like a torrent rush

Rebellious Scots to crush,

God Save the King!

Is math nach eil iad a鈥� seinn sin nuair a bhuainnicheas Breatainn bonn 貌ir aig na geamannan Oilimpigeach!

Ach c貌 鈥渉e鈥� 鈥� c貌 e 鈥� anns an 貌ran 鈥� am fear a tha a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh sgrios air na reubaltaich Albannach? 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann, fear a dh鈥檉h脿g d矛leab mh貌r as a dh猫idh air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd. Fear le ainm a tha aithnichte don mh貌r-chuid fhathast an-diugh 鈥� an Seanailear Wade. Ann am Bliadhna a鈥� Phrionnsa, bha e os cionn an airm ann an Sasainn agus seo mar a nochdas e ann an laoidh n脿iseanta Bhreatainn, anns na tr矛 loighnichean ro na ceithir shuas:

God grant that Marshal Wade

May by Thy mighty aid

Victory bring鈥�.

Rugadh Se貌ras Wade ann an Eirinn. Thathar ag r脿dh gum b鈥� esan a鈥� chiad Eireannach, am measg mh矛ltean, a thog rathaidean ann an Alba thairis air an d脿 cheud gu leth bliadhna a dh鈥檉halbh. Cha b鈥� e einsin矛r a bh鈥� ann, ge-t脿, ach saighdear. Cha robh e fi霉 鈥檚 fichead bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois nuair a chaidh e an s脿s ann an cogadh an toiseach, ann an arm Bhreatainn, ann am Fl脿nras agus anns an Sp脿innt. R脿inig e 矛re Mhaidseir-Seanaileir agus bha e an s脿s ann a bhith a鈥� cumail s霉il air Seumasaich ann an Sasainn ann an seachd deug is c貌ig-deug (1715) nuair a bha ar-a-mach ann an Alba. Ann an seachd deug, fichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1722), chaidh a thaghadh mar bhall p脿rlamaid airson Bath.

Ach d脿 bhliadhna as d猫idh sin, dh鈥檌arr an R矛gh, De貌rsa a h-aon, air dhol chun na Gaidhealtachd airson s霉il a thoirt air suidheachadh muinntir an 脿ite. Bha Mac Shimidh, ceann-cinnidh nam Frisealach, air innse don riaghaltas gu robh m貌ran ann a bha gu math m矛-thoilichte agus a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith na chunnart don r矛oghachd. Na aithisg, sgr矛obh Wade gu robh faisg air dusan m矛le duine air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd a bha deiseil airson sabaid as leth mac R矛gh Sheumais a Seachd, Seumas Sti霉bhart, athair a鈥� Phrionnsa The脿rlaich. Cha robh ann an Te脿rlach aig an 脿m sin ach leanabh beag.

Bha Wade mothachail don t-suidheachadh dhoirbh anns a bheil saighdearan ann an d霉thaich gharbh far nach eil rathaidean no drochaidean, agus far a bheil e貌las fada nas fhe脿rr air cumadh na t矛re aig an fheadhainn a bhuineas don d霉thaich. Bha e cuideachd mothachail don duilgheadas a bh鈥� aig an arm ann a bhith a鈥� gluasad saighdearan is armachd is biadh is eile eadar na ceithir gearastanan a chaidh a thogail air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd as deidh an ar-a-mach anns a鈥� bhliadhna c貌ig-deug. B鈥� iad sin an fheadhainn aig Cille Chuimein, Loch Laomainn, Gleann Eilg agus aig Ruadhainn, faisg air Cinn a鈥� Ghiuthsaich.

Ach tha aon rud annasach mu dheidhinn aithisg Wade. Cha do mhol e gum biodh rathaidean air an togail gu maith an airm no gun d猫anadh e fh猫in c脿il dhen t-se貌rsa. A dh鈥檃indeoin sin, ge-t脿, cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh e air ais air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, a鈥� d猫anamh sin. Bheir sinn s霉il air cuid de na rinn e an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: reubaltaich: rebels; an Seanailear Se貌ras Wade: General George Wade; Fl脿nras: Flanders; ar-a-mach: rebellion; Mac Shimidh, ceann-cinnidh nam Frisealach: Lord Lovat, clan chief of the Frasers; leanabh: infant; Cille Chuimein: Fort Augustus; Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; Gleann Eilg: Glenelg; Ruadhainn: Ruthven;

Abairtean na seachdaine: nach eil uabhasach d猫idheil air laoidh n脿iseanta Bhreatainn: who are not very fond of the British national anthem; nuair a th脿inig a鈥� chiad iris dheth a-mach ann an cl貌: when its first edition came out in print; fear a dh鈥檉h脿g d矛leab mh貌r as a dh猫idh: a man who left a great legacy behind him; r脿inig e 矛re Mhaidseir-Seanaileir: he reached the rank of major-general; ann a bhith a鈥� cumail s霉il air Seumasaich ann an Sasainn: in keeping an eye on Jacobites in England; chaidh a thaghadh mar bhall p脿rlamaid: he was elected as member of parliament; airson s霉il a thoirt air suidheachadh muinntir an 脿ite: to look at the situation of the people of the place; a bha deiseil airson sabaid as leth mac R矛gh Sheumais a Seachd, Seumas Sti霉bhart: who were ready to fight for the son of King James VII, James Stuart (ie the Old Pretender); far a bheil e貌las fada nas fhe脿rr air cumadh na t矛re aig an fheadhainn a bhuineas don d霉thaich: where those who belong to the country know the lie of the land much better; no gun d猫anadh e fh猫in c脿il dhen t-se貌rsa: or that he would do anything of the like himself; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh e air ais air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd: it wasn鈥檛 long until he was back in the Highlands.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: eadar na ceithir gearastanan a chaidh a thogail air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd: between the four forts (garrisons) that were built in the Highlands. The point this week is about spelling. You will perhaps be more familiar with the spelling of gearastan as gearasdan. Indeed, the Gaelic for Fort William is traditionally an Gearasdan (or, if one wishes to be specific, Gearasdan Inbhir L貌chaidh or Gearasdan Loch Abair). However, the modern convention is to change the historic 鈥渟d鈥� in initial, internal and final positions in words to 鈥渟t鈥�, a usage which is supported by Faclair na P脿rlamaid. That is why you will see 猫isteachd in modern publications and 猫isdeachd in older ones; similarly, an-dr脿sta instead of the older an-dr脿sda. I would recommend to all learners that they employ modern spelling modes. Do you notice two different Gaelic equivalents for George in this week鈥檚 Litir? In the northern Gaidhealtachd, Se貌ras is generally used, with De貌rsa reserved for kings. In Argyll, De貌rsa may be used both for both monarchs and commoners. What would you call Fort George in Gaelic? I鈥檒l give you the answer next week.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gu maith an airm: for the good of the army. You will sometimes see and hear maith as an alternative for math, not only in the Gaelic of Donegal, where it is the common form, but also in Scotland.