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An Litir Bheag 850

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 850. Roddy Maclean is back with this week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 29 Aug 2021 16:00

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An Litir Bheag 850

D猫 tha am facal druim a鈥� ciallachadh dhuibh? Bidh sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh air 鈥�back鈥�, tha mi cinnteach. Tha mo dhruim goirt 鈥�my back is sore鈥�.听

Ach tha ciallan eile air druim. Uaireannan, tha e a鈥� seasamh airson mullach rudeigin 鈥� mar 鈥�the ridge of a hill鈥�. Druim an aonaich 鈥�the mountain ridge鈥�. Agus tha e a鈥� nochdadh ann an ainmean-脿ite far an robh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air a bruidhinn uaireigin. Mar eisimpleir 鈥� Drumchapel ann an Glaschu. Tha cuid ag r脿dh gur ann 脿 Druim a鈥� Chapaill a th脿inig e 鈥� the ridge of the horse. Ach chuala mi beachd cuideachd gun t脿inig e 脿 Druim a鈥� Chaibeil 鈥�the ridge of the chapel鈥�.

Airson 鈥榯he spine鈥� of a book canaidh sinn druim an leabhair. Druim an leabhair.听

Cuiribh b脿ta bun-os-cionn air a鈥� chladach. D猫 ch矛 sibh a-nise ach druim a鈥� bh脿ta aig a鈥� mhullach 鈥� the keel of the boat. Druim a鈥� bh脿ta. Ma tha am b脿ta m貌r gu le貌r is ma tha sibh treun gu le貌r, ma dh鈥檉haodte gun t猫id sibh a-mach gu druim a鈥� chuain. The open sea. Druim a鈥� chuain.

Anns an t-seann aimsir, nuair a bha daoine a鈥� bruidhinn mu 鈥榙ruim an rathaid鈥�, bha iad a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥�the middle of the road鈥�. C霉m an t-each air druim an rathaid. Keep the horse in the middle of the road.

Ach cha bhiodh sibh a鈥� cumail each air druim an taighe! Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥�the ridge line of the house鈥�.

Ciamar a chanas sinn 鈥�flat on my back鈥� ann an G脿idhlig? Air mo dhruim d矛reach. Bha mi nam laighe air mo dhruim d矛reach.听

Tha am facal druim rud beag neo-riaghailteach. Anns an tuiseal ghinideach shingilte canaidh sinn droma. Taigh an Droma 鈥�the house of the ridge鈥�. Sin baile beag ris an canar Tyndrum ann am Beurla.听

Uaireannan, bidh a鈥� ghealach air a druim. Sin nuair a tha a鈥� ghealach chorranach ann, agus na h-adharcan aice a鈥� stobadh an-脿irde aig gach ceann dhith. Tha i coltach ri bobhla no beul a tha ri g脿ire. Bha na seann Gh脿idheil toilichte a faicinn. Bha iad ag r脿dh, nuair tha a鈥� ghealach mar sin, gum bi deagh aimsir ann.

The Little Letter 850

What does the word druim mean to you. You鈥檒l be thinking about 鈥榖ack鈥�, I鈥檓 sure. Tha mo dhruim ghoirt 鈥榤y back is sore鈥�.听

But druim has other meanings. Sometimes it stands for the top of something, like 鈥榯he ridge of a hill鈥�. Druim an aonaich 鈥榯he mountain ridge鈥�. And it appears in place-names where Gaelic was once spoken For example 鈥� Drumchapel in Glasgow. Some say it came from Druim a鈥� Chapaill 鈥榯he ridge of the horse鈥�. But I鈥檝e also heard an opinion that it came from Druim a鈥� Chaibeil 鈥榯he ridge of the chapel鈥�.听

For 鈥榯he spine鈥� of a book we say druim an leabhair. Druim an leabhair.

Turn a boat upside-down on the shore. What do you see now but druim a鈥� bh脿ta at the top 鈥� the keel of the boat. Druim a鈥� bh脿ta. If the boat is big enough and you are brave enough, perhaps you鈥檒l go out to druim a鈥� chuain. The open sea. Druim a鈥� chuain.

In olden times, when people were speaking about 鈥�druim an rathaid鈥�, they were meaning 鈥榯he middle of the road鈥�. C霉m an t-each air druim an rathaid. Keep the horse in the middle of the road.

But you wouldn鈥檛 keep a horse on druim an taighe! That means 鈥榯he ridge line of the house鈥�.

How do we say 鈥榝lat on my back鈥� in Gaelic? Air mo dhruim d矛reach. I was lying flat on my back.

The word druim is a bit irregular. In the genitive singular case we say droma. Taigh an Droma 鈥榯he house of the ridge鈥�. That鈥檚 a village called Tyndrum in English.

Sometimes the moon is on her druim 鈥榖ack鈥�. That鈥檚 when there is a crescent moon, with her horns sticking up at either end of her. She is like a bowl or a smiley mouth. The old Gaels were pleased to see her. They were saying, when the moon is like that, that the weather will be good.

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