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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 408: Calum Beag

Tha aon st貌iridh beag eile agam mu Chalum Beag. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi cuimhne agaibh gun robh Calum m矛-chli霉iteach airson a bhith a鈥 goid spr猫idh. Bha e a鈥 fuireach anns na Srianan ann an sg矛re 脌ird Chlach faisg air Inbhir Narann. 鈥橲 e caractar a bh鈥 ann gun teagamh agus, ged a bha eas-onarach, bha e fh猫in agus Fear Chaladair, an t-uachdaran, gl猫 mh貌r aig a ch猫ile. Bho 脿m gu 脿m bhiodh an t-uachdaran ga dh矛on nuair a bha Calum fo chasaid aig uachdarain eile gun robh e air a bhith ri creach air an fhearann aca.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Co-dhi霉, turas a bha seo, ghoid Calum molt. Sin caora fhireann a th鈥 air a spothadh 鈥 molt. Chaidh Calum a ghlacadh, agus am molt na chois, agus chaidh a thoirt air beulaibh Fear Chaladair. Cha robh fios aig an uachdaran d猫 dh猫anadh e. Bha an fhianais l脿idir oir bha am molt aig Calum! Air an l脿imh eile, bha peanas m貌r ann aig an 脿m sin airson m猫irle, agus cha robh an t-uachdaran airson 鈥檚 gum biodh Calum a鈥 fulaing.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Smaoinich an t-uachdaran mun ch霉is. An uair sin, dh鈥櫭瞨daich e gum biodh Calum agus am molt air an cur c貌mhla do chealla anns a鈥 chaisteal. Bha a鈥 chealla os cionn na talmhainn agus bha tuill bheaga sa bhalla airson 猫adhar is beagan solais a leigeil a-steach.

Aig an aon 脿m, fhuair na daoine, a bha a鈥 toirt casaid de mh猫irle 脿s leth Chaluim, deoch is biadh gu le貌r. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha na daoine sin ag ithe 鈥檚 ag 貌l, chaidh an t-uachdaran suas don chealla far an robh Calum.

鈥淎 bheil sgian gheur agad?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich e de Chalum.

鈥淭ha,鈥 fhreagair Calum. Tha sin car annasach oir shaoileadh tu gum biodh iad air a leithid sin a thoirt bhuaithe. Co-dhi霉, tha seo a鈥 tighinn thugainn bho bheul-aithris. Mas breug bhuam e, 鈥檚 breug thugam e.

鈥淐uiridh mi luchd-ceannach thugad airson do mhuilt,鈥 thuirt Fear Chaladair ri Calum. Agus dh鈥檉halbh e. 鈥橲 e rud ne貌nach a bha rin ri r脿dh, nach e? 鈥淐uiridh mi luchd-ceannach thugad airson do mhuilt.鈥 Ach bha fios aig Calum d猫 bha an t-uachdaran a鈥 ciallachadh. Thug e an sgian aige a-mach agus mharbh e am molt. An uair sin, ghe脿rr e closach a鈥 mhuilt ann am p矛osan beaga. Thilg e na p矛osan a-mach air na tuill sa bhalla.

Sh矛os fodha, bha an t-uachdaran air sgaoth chon fh脿gail. Bha an t-acras orra. Rinn iad a鈥 ch霉is air a鈥 mholt gu luath. 脌s d猫idh 霉ine, dh鈥檌arr an t-uachdaran gum biodh Calum Beag, agus an fhianais na aghaidh, air an toirt air a bheulaibh. Agus nuair a chaidh a鈥 chealla fhosgladh, cha robh sgeul air a鈥 mholt 鈥 d矛reach Calum fh猫in (ged a bu mhiann leam faighinn a-mach ciamar a ghlan e an se貌mar!) Nuair a nochd Calum air a bheulaibh, thuirt Fear Chaladair nach robh c霉is ann oir cha robh fianais ann gun robh e air dad a ghoid!

Aig a鈥 cheann thall, cha b鈥 urrainn eadhon don uachdaran Calum Beag a sh脿bhaladh. Bha Fear Chill Rathaig airson Calum a chrochadh gu b脿s. Chaidh Fear Chaladair gu ruige Cill Rathaig. Bha seo air Latha na Bliadhn鈥 脵ire. Thuirt Fear Chaladair gun robh e ag iarraidh f脿bhar bhon fhear eile mar chomharra dhen Bhliadhn鈥 脵ir. 鈥淣矛 mi rud sam bith dhut,鈥 arsa Fear Chill Rathaig ris, 鈥渁ch a-mh脿in aon rud. Cha toir mi maitheanas do Chalum Beag.鈥 Dh鈥檉halbh Fear Chaladair agus, goirid 脿s d猫idh sin, chaidh Calum Beag don chroich agus th脿inig a bheatha gu cr矛ch.

Faclan na Litreach

eas-onarach: dishonest; sgian: knife; 驳丑别脿谤谤: cut; maitheanas: forgiveness; 霉辫谤补颈诲: uproar.

Abairtean na Litreach

m矛-chli霉iteach airson a bhith a鈥 goid spr猫idh: infamous for stealing livestock; 鈥檚 e caractar a bh鈥 ann gun teagamh: he was a character without doubt; bha e fh猫in agus Fear Chaladair gl猫 mh貌r aig a ch猫ile: he and the Laird of Cawdor were very fond of each other; fo chasaid aig uachdarain eile gun robh e air a bhith ri creach air an fhearann aca: accused by other landlords that he had been plundering on their land; caora fhireann a th鈥 air a spothadh 鈥 molt: a male sheep that has been castrated 鈥 a wedder; bha peanas m貌r ann airson m猫irle: there was a heavy penalty for theft; cha robh an t-uachdaran airson 鈥檚 gum biodh Calum a鈥 fulaing: the laird didn鈥檛 want Calum to suffer; air an cur c貌mhla do chealla anns a鈥 chaisteal: put together in a cell in the castle; os cionn na talmhainn: above the ground; bha tuill bheaga sa bhalla airson 猫adhar is beagan solais a leigeil a-steach: there were little holes in the wall to let air and a bit of light in; a bha a鈥 toirt casaid 脿s leth Chaluim: who were accusing Calum; gum biodh iad air a leithid sin a thoirt bhuaithe: that they would have taken such a thing away from him; mas breug bhuam e, 鈥檚 breug thugam e: I鈥檓 only repeating what I鈥檝e been told; cuiridh mi luchd-ceannach thugad airson do mhuilt: I鈥檒l send you some buyers for your wedder; sgaoth chon: a large pack of dogs; bu mhiann leam faighinn a-mach ciamar a ghlan e an se貌mar: I鈥檇 like to find out how he cleaned the room; nach robh c霉is ann: that there was no case to answer; gun robh e air dad a ghoid: that he鈥檇 stolen anything; cha b鈥 urrainn eadhon don uachdaran X a sh脿bhaladh: even the laird couldn鈥檛 save X; Fear Chill Rathaig: the Laird of Kilravock; chaidh X don chroich agus th脿inig a bheatha gu cr矛ch: X went to the gibbet and his life came to an end.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

: Sh矛os fodha: down below [him]. Are you confident about when to use 蝉丑矛辞蝉 rather than the unlenited form 蝉矛辞蝉? Generally speaking, 蝉丑矛辞蝉 is used of a situation where the object is static. With 蝉矛辞蝉 the object is usually moving. Chaidh mi 蝉矛辞蝉 an rathad (I went down the road) but bha mi 蝉丑矛辞蝉 aig an st猫isean (I was down at the station). Also ceann 蝉丑矛辞蝉 鈥 bha mi aig ceann 蝉丑矛辞蝉 an rathaid (I was at the bottom end of the road). Similar comments can be made of shuas (static) and suas (moving). Thig suas uaireigin (come up/over sometime). Bha mi shuas an sin fad 霉ine mh貌r (I was up there for ages). Bidh mi aig ceann shuas an rathaid (I鈥檒l be at the top end of the road).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

agus am molt na chois: with the wedder in his company.

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