蜜芽传媒

Bidh sibh e貌lach air 鈥淎r-a-mach nan Seumasach鈥�, tha mi cinnteach, agus 鈥淎r-a-mach na Frainge鈥�, a thug buaidh mh貌r air an Roinn E貌rpa. Ach cia mheud nur measg a th鈥� air cluinntinn mu dheidhinn 鈥淎r-a-mach Inbhir Gh貌rdain鈥�? Seadh, Inbhir Gh貌rdain 鈥� baile beag air cladach Rois an Ear.

Thachair e air an t-seachdain seo o chionn seachdad bliadhna ann an naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1931), ged nach ann buileach ann an Inbhir Gh貌rdain a bha e, ach p矛os beag a-mach 脿 cladach a鈥� bhaile ann an soithichean a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail a bha aig acair ann an Linne Chrombaidh. Thug e crathadh m貌r air Riaghaltas Bhreatainn.

Bha cabhlach a鈥� Chuain Siar air tighinn cruinn anns an acarsaid mh貌ir sin, agus iad a鈥� deiseileachadh airson eacarsaich an fhoghair. Bha sia soithichean-cogaidh deug ann, agus dusan m矛le se貌ladair air b貌rd orra, ach th脿inig iad cruinn aig f矛or dhroch 脿m. Bha eaconomaidh Bhreatainn ann an staing mh貌r, agus bha an Riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn d矛reach air innse gum biodh iad a鈥� lughdachadh gu m貌r na suim a chosgadh iad anns an roinn phoblaich.

Bha an suidheachadh poilitigeach air f脿s na bu mhiosa thairis air an t-samhradh, agus thuit an Riaghaltas L脿barach 脿s a ch猫ile anns an L霉nasdal. Bha c貌ir aig a鈥� Phr矛omhaire, Ramsay D貌mhnallach, falbh c貌mhla ri c脿ch, ach dh鈥檌arr an R矛gh air fuireach ann an Sr脿id Downing mar cheannard air Riaghaltas N脿iseanta, a ghabhadh a-steach T貌raidhean agus Libearalaich. Chuir e ch霉l ris na L脿baraich agus dh鈥檉huirich e mar phr矛omhaire. Bha an R矛gh dhen bheachd gur e pr矛omhaire s貌isealach a-mh脿in a bhiodh comasach air buidseat cruaidh fhaighinn troimhe gu soirbheachail.

Agus bha am buidseat cruaidh. Airson dearbhadh do bhancairean m貌ra an t-saoghail gu robh Breatainn dha-r矛reabh a鈥� d猫anamh a d矛chill gus an eaconomaidh a thoirt am feabhas, ghe脿rr an Riaghaltas na bha iad a鈥� dol a chosg ceud is fichead millean not 鈥� barrachd na bhathar a鈥� cosg air foghlam na d霉thcha. Bha a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen ghearradh gu bhith a鈥� tighinn 脿 lughdachadh ann an tuarastal. Agus am measg an fheadhainn a chailleadh airgead bha muinntir a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail.

Gu m矛-fhortanach, cha robh na gearraidhean cothromach. Bha a h-uile duine anns an n猫ibhidh a鈥� dol a chall tasdan gach l脿. Dh鈥檉h脿gadh sin Lieutenant-Commandair le ceithir 脿s a鈥� ch猫ud nas lugha anns an tuarastal aige. Ach bhiodh an fheadhainn faisg air a鈥� bhonn, na h-Able Seamen mar a chanas iad, a鈥� call aon not 脿s a h-uile ceithir. Bha iad bochd co-dhi霉. As d猫idh gearradh mar sin, bhiodh an teaghlaichean, shaoil iad, ann am bochdainn dha-r矛reabh. Agus bha an caothach orra.

Air t矛r, ann an Inbhir Gh貌rdain, th貌isich na maraichean a dheasbad na c霉ise. Nuair a thill iad do na longan aca, bha cuid mhath aca a鈥� maoidheadh nach togadh iad corrag as leth a鈥� Chabhlaich gus am biodh iad air an riarachadh. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a bha e. Dhi霉lt iad gabhail ri 貌rdughan air b貌rd. Shuidh iad air slabhraidhean nan acraichean gus nach cuireadh na soithichean gu muir.

Bha cuid anns an riaghaltas ag iarraidh saighdearan is gunnaichean a chur an s脿s an aghaidh nam maraichean reubalach ach, gu fortanach, bha l脿mh-an-uachdair aig feadhainn na bu ghlice, agus dh鈥檃ontaich an Caibineat s霉il a thoirt air gearanan nan se貌ladairean. Mu dheireadh thall, dh鈥檃ontaich iad na gearraidhean ann an tuarastal a chumail aig deich 脿s a鈥� cheud, an 脿ite c貌ig ar fhichead 脿s a鈥� cheud. Agus ann an Linne Chrombaidh, an 脿ite dhol gu muir airson eacarsaich, dh鈥檉halbh na soithichean-cogaidh dhachaigh gu na puirt aca, agus bha ar-a-mach Inbhir Gh貌rdain seachad.

Faclan na seachdaine: Ar-a-mach nan Seumasach: the Jacobite Rebellion; Ar-a-mach na Frainge: the French Revolution; Ar-a-mach Inbhir Gh貌rdain: the Invergordon Mutiny; eacarsaich an fhoghair: autumn exercises; s貌isealach: socialist; gu soirbheachail: successfully; bancairean: bankers; tuarastal: wages; n猫ibhidh: navy (in some places this is used rather than Cabhlach R矛oghail); tasdan: shilling; maraichean: mariners; slabhraidhean: chains; reubalach: rebellious; Caibineat: Cabinet (political); deich 脿s a鈥� cheud: ten percent.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a thug buaidh mh貌r air an Roinn E貌rpa: which greatly influenced Europe; ann an soithichean a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail a bha aig acair ann an Linne Chrombaidh: in Royal Navy vessels that were at anchor in the Cromarty Firth; thug e crathadh m貌r air Riaghaltas Bhreatainn: it shook up the British Government; bha eaconomaidh Bhreatainn ann an staing mh貌r: the British economy was in deep trouble; gum biodh iad a鈥� lughdachadh gu m貌r na suim a chosgadh iad anns an roinn phoblaich: that they would be greatly decreasing the sum they would spend in the public sector; bha c貌ir aig a鈥� Phr矛omhaire falbh c貌mhla ri c脿ch: the Prime Minister ought to have left with the others; chuir e ch霉l ris na L脿baraich: he turned his back on Labour (lit. the Labour people); a鈥� d猫anamh a d矛chill gus an eaconomaidh a thoirt am feabhas: doing its (her) best to improve the economy; ann an bochdainn dha-r矛reabh: in real poverty; bha an caothach orra: they were furious; gus nach cuireadh na soithichean gu muir: so the ships wouldn鈥檛 put to sea; bha lamh-an-uachdair aig feadhainn na bu ghlice: wiser heads prevailed.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha sia soithichean-cogaidh deug ann: there were sixteen warships. The separation of deug from the first part of the numeral, for numbers between 10 and 20, is not always observed these days, particularly where there is a compound noun, as above. So one might hear 鈥渟ia-deug soithichean-cogaidh鈥�. There is no good reason for this, other than that Gaelic is coming under increasing influence from English. I would recommend sticking to traditional counting modes between 10 and 20 where it is not too cumbersome, eg tr矛 p脿rtaidhean poilitigeach deug (thirteen political parties), c貌ig taighean-chearc deug. But with some more complicated phrases, it may be acceptable to compromise for the sake of understanding eg sia deug ionadan fiosrachaidh-f貌n (16 call centres) rather than sia ionadan fiosrachaidh-f貌n deug which would be the traditional mode. The above comments are all made for adult learners 鈥� in primary schools, the system keeps the primary numeral and deug together followed by the noun, at least in the first instance, to encourage numeracy skills 鈥� before going on to explain the traditional mode in later years.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha cabhlach a鈥� Chuain Siar air tighinn cruinn anns an acarsaid: the Atlantic fleet had gathered in the anchorage. A鈥� tighinn cruinn 鈥� gathering, assembling.

Before I leave you this week, have you seen the new publication 鈥淭he Essential Gaelic-English Dictionary鈥� by Angus Watson (pub. Birlinn)? It is very useful for learners, giving modern spellings and examples of how many words are used. I can recommend it.