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15/06/2007
A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 415
Duration: 05:34
Litir 415: Diarmaid agus Gr脿inne
Tha mi a鈥 dol a chur cr矛och air an st貌iridh 鈥淒iarmaid agus Gr脿inne鈥 an-diugh. Bha Diarmaidair cur 脿s don torc nimhe air Beinn Ghulbain ann an Gleann S矛dh. Ach bha fios aig Fionn, gedas e gaisgeach l脿idir a bh鈥 ann an Diarmaid, gun robh aon laigse aige. Bha ball-d貌bhrain aigeair bonn a choise. Nam faigheadh calg aig torc a-steach ann, bhiodh sin ag adhbharachadh abh脿is.Dh鈥檌arr Fionn air Diarmaid dhol air ais gu far an robh closach an tuirc.鈥 A Dhiarmaid,鈥 thuirt e, 鈥渢omhais an torc. Cia mheud troigh bho shoc da sh脿il?鈥 Abheil sibh a鈥 tuigsinn nam faclan sin? From its snout to its heel. Bho shoc da sh脿il.Bha Fionn ag iarraidh gum biodh Diarmaid a鈥 tomhas fad an tuirc le chasan, agus ecasruisgte. Rinn e sin bho shoc da sh脿il. Ach bha sin leis an fhionnadh. Tha sin a鈥 ciallachadhwith the lie of the hair or bristles. Leis an fhionnadh.鈥淭ha e sia troighean deug,鈥 thuirt Diarmaid. 鈥橲 e torc air leth m貌r a bh鈥 ann!鈥淭omhais an torc a-rithist,鈥 thuirt Fionn. 鈥淎n turas seo an aghaidh an fhionnaidh.鈥 Thasin a鈥 ciallachadh against the lie of the bristles. An aghaidh an fhionnaidh.Rinn Diarmaid sin ach, an turas seo bhris bior cuilg am ball-d貌bhrain air bonn a choise.Thuit e. Shaoileadh tu gum biodh Fionn toilichte. Ach ghabh e aithreachas mu na rinn e. 鈥淒猫dh猫anadh na b鈥 fhe脿rr thu, a Dhiarmaid,鈥 thuirt e.鈥淣am faighinn deoch uisge 脿 bas Fhinn, bhithinn na b鈥 fhe脿rr,鈥 fhreagair Diarmaid.Dh鈥檉halbh Fionn a dh鈥檌arraidh uisge. Cha robh fad鈥 aige ri dhol. Thog e an t-uisge nal脿mhan. Ach nuair a smaoinicheadh e air Gr脿inne, bhiodh e a鈥 d貌rtadh an uisge. Nuair abhiodh e a鈥 smaoineachadh air Diarmaid, agus an gaisgeach sin ann an 猫iginn, gheibheadh etuilleadh uisge. An uair sin bhiodh e a鈥 smaoineachadh air Gr脿inne a-rithist agus dh貌irteadh ean t-uisge. Cha robh fios aige d猫 dh猫anadh e. Bha e eadar long is laimrig.Chuir an d脿il 脿s do Dhiarmaid. Mus do thill Fionn dha ionnsaigh le uisge, bha e marbh.Thill Fionn is a chompanaich don allt far an do choinnich iad ri Diarmaid anns a鈥 chiad dol a-mach.Choisich iad suas ri taobh an uillt.R脿inig iad an taigh far an robh Gr脿inne. Chaidh iad a-steach. Chunnaic iad gun robh d脿leabaidh ann. Thuig iad gun robh leapannan air leth aig an dithis. Thuig iad gun robh Diarmaidneo-chiontach. Bha iad anabarrach duilich mu na thachair.Tha cuid ag r脿dh gun do ghabh Gr脿inne l脿mh na beatha fh猫in. Tha cuid eile a鈥 d猫anamhdheth gun robh Fionn is a chompanaich cho feargach le Gr脿inne 鈥檚 gun do thog iad teine deghlas-darach agus gun do loisg iad Gr脿inne gu b脿s anns an teine.Mu choinneimh Beinn Ghulbain tha tom air a bheil Bad an L貌in. Agus air p矛os dheth sintha, air na mapaichean chun an latha an-diugh, 脿ite air a bheil The Tomb 鈥 an tuam. A r猫ir beul-aithris,聽鈥檚 e seo l脿rach na h-uaghach aig Diarmaid. Chaidh ceithir tursachan a chur suas ann.Agus ma th猫id thu gu ceann an ear nan tursachan, is ma choimheadas tu s矛os an loidhne a tha聽iad a鈥 d猫anamh, uill, tha e coltach gu bheil iad a鈥 comharrachadh an 脿ite far an do mharbhDiarmaid torc nimhe Beinn Ghulbain o chionn ceudan m貌ra bhliadhnaichean.
Faclan na Litreach
laigse: weakness; calg: bristle; closach: carcase; tomhais: measure; d脿il:聽delay; sliseagan: shavings (of wood); neo-chiontach: innocent.
Abairtean na Litreach
bha X air cur 脿s don torc nimhe air Beinn Ghulbain ann an GleannS矛dh: X had killed the wild boat on Ben Gulabin in Glenshee; ged as e gaisgeach l脿idir a bh鈥檃nn an X: although X was a strong hero; bha ball-d貌bhrain aige air bonn a choise: he had amole on the sole of his foot; le chasan, agus e casruisgte: with his feet, he being bare-footed;bhris bior cuilg X: the point of a bristle broke X; shaoileadh tu: you鈥檇 think; ghabh eaithreachas: he regretted; d猫 dh猫anadh na b鈥 fhe脿rr thu?: what would make you better?; namfaighinn deoch uisge 脿 bas Fhinn: if I were to get a drink of water from Fionn鈥檚 palm; adh鈥檌arraidh uisge: to get water; bhiodh e a鈥 d貌rtadh an uisge: he would pour the water away;ann an 猫iginn: in an emergency situation; cha robh fios aige d猫 dh猫anadh e: he didn鈥檛 knowwhat to do [lit. what he would do]; anns a鈥 chiad dol a-mach: in the first instance; ri taobh anuillt: beside the burn; gun robh leapannan air leth aig an dithis: that the two had separate beds;聽anabarrach duilich: extremely sorry; gun do ghabh X l脿mh na beatha fh猫in: that X committed聽suicide; 鈥檚 gun do thog iad teine de ghlas-darach: that they built a fire of peeled oak; 鈥檚 e seo聽l脿rach na h-uaghach: this is the site of the grave; chaidh ceithir tursachan a chur suas: four聽standing stones were erected; ceann an ear: the eastern end; ma choimheadas tu s矛os an聽loidhne: if you look along [down] the line; gu bheil iad a鈥 comharrachadh an 脿ite: that they聽point to the spot; o chionn ceudan m貌ra bhliadhnaichean: many hundreds of years ago.
Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach
nuair a smaoinicheadh e air Gr脿inne/nuair a bhiodh e a鈥櫬爏maoineachadh air Diarmaid: when he thought [would think] of Gr脿inne/when he would be聽thinking of Diarmaid. Can you tell the different grammatical status of smaoinicheadh and聽smaoineachadh and how to spell them? The second is the verbal noun (鈥渢hinking鈥) and is used聽in a construction with the verb 鈥渢o be鈥 eg bha mi a鈥 smaoineachadh [lit. 鈥淚 was at thinking鈥漖.聽You will find this in a dictionary (although in some places the verbal noun is smaointinn or聽smuaineachdainn). The first, however, is the conditional form of the verb. It is created by taking聽the root of the verb which is equivalent to the second person singular imperative ie an order聽given to a child 鈥 smaoinich! (think!) Then you add the suffix 鈥 eadh. That explains the聽different spelling and how to tell them apart.
Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach
Bha e eadar long is laimrig: he was undecided [lit. he was聽between ship and landing-place].
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Litrichean Gaidhlig do luchd-ionnsachaidh. Gaelic letters for students of the language.