Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Clip

Litir 374: Gr脿mar D霉bailt Beurla is G脿idhlig

An do mhothaich sibh a-riamh mar a tha am facal fear air a dhol rudeigin boireann ann an cuid de sg矛rean? Tha mi a鈥 ciallachadh le sin, gum bi cuid ag r脿dh an fhear, an 脿ite am fear anns an tuiseal ainmneach. Mar eisimpleir 鈥 sin an fhear a bha mi a鈥 ciallachadh an 脿ite sin am fear a bha mi a鈥 ciallachadh. Uill, chan e rud 霉r a th鈥 ann. Bha e a鈥 tachairt anns na ceathradan dhen naoidheamh linn deug. Tha fhios a鈥檓 air sin, oir tha liosta aig Iain Foirbeis anns an leabhar aige Gr脿mar D霉bailt Beurla is G脿idhlig air a bheil 鈥淪eollairtean Gaelig Mi-cheart鈥 no Improper Gaelic Phrases agus tha an fhear ud 鈥 yon fellow, that man 鈥 nam measg.

Ach tha Foirbeis uabhasach 脿ilgheasach. Tha e ag r脿dh nach eil feagal ceart is gur e eagal a bu ch貌ir a r脿dh. Tha e m矛-thoilichte le D猫 mar a tha sibh? is bhrist e a chas an 脿ite bhris e a chas. Agus tha e ag r脿dh gu bheil e ce脿rr a bhith ag r脿dh char e a-null 鈥 is gur e chaidh e a-null a tha ceart. Ach buinidh na rudan seo do dhualchainntean na G脿idhlig. Agus nach eil beairteas againn nar dualchainntean?

脠istibh ri seo: 脌rdachdainn, cruinneachdainn, cinneachdainn, ceasnachdainn ... and the like are improperly used by vulgar speakers for 脿rdachadh, cruinneachadh, ceasnachadh etc. A-rithist, nach e rud dualchainnteach a tha sin? Agus fhad 鈥檚 a tha mi a-mach air dualchainntean, tha seo aige: The erroneous practice of pronouncing adh or eadh like ubh prevails to a great extent in Ross and Sutherlandshire; as bheirubh, chuirubh, chitu ... for bheireadh, chuireadh, chiteadh... Obh obh!

Air an l脿imh eile, nach robh Foirbeis ceart ann a bhith a鈥 cur s矛os air abairtean mar tha e dependigeag ort oir tha abairtean matha G脿idhlig ann airson sin. D猫 chanadh sibh fh猫in airson tha e dependigeag ort? Cuiridh mi na fuasglaidhean aig Foirbeis anns an dreach sgr矛obhte dhen Litir. Ch矛 sibh sin ann am P脿ipear Beag an Eilein Sgitheanaich, Observer Shruighlea no air l脿rach-l矛n Gh脿idhlig a鈥 BhBC.

Nise, bu toigh leam t貌imhseachan no dh脿 a chur mur coinneimh. Tha liosta de dh鈥檃bairtean Frangach aig Foirbeis, agus a鈥 Gh脿idhlig air an son rin taobh. Tha mi a鈥 dol a thoirt dhuibh na G脿idhlig is tha mi airson 鈥檚 gun can sibh d猫 an Fhraingis a th鈥 air gach abairt.

Seo a-nist iad: Ceann ri ceann. Ceann ri ceann 鈥 t锚te-脿-t锚te. Str脿c cr矛ochnachaidh. Str脿c cr矛ochnachaidh 鈥 coup de gr芒ce; Se貌mar uaigneach mn脿 uaisle. Se貌mar uaigneach mn脿 uaisle 鈥 boudoir. Gille-se貌mair. Gille-se貌mair 鈥 valet de chambre. Fear ionnsaichte. Fear ionnsaichte 鈥 savant. Dia 鈥檚 mo ch貌ir. Dia 鈥檚 mo ch貌ir 鈥 Dieu et mon Droit. Olc dh脿san a smaoinicheas air olc. Olc dh脿san a smaoinicheas air olc 鈥 honi soit qui mal y pense.

An robh sibh math orra? Bha. Tr猫s bien! Airson cr矛och a chur air an Litir, tha ceist agam dhuibh. D猫 a鈥 Gh脿idhlig a th鈥 air irony? 脤oranas, nach e? Ach 鈥檚 e sg猫igeach a bh鈥 aig Foirbeis. Tha e a鈥 sgr矛obhadh Is e Sg猫igeach figear anns am bheil neach ag r脿dh gu sg猫igeil, chan i a bheachd ach a ceart-chaochladh. Agus tha e a鈥 toirt eisimpleir 鈥 Their sinn ri giullan a dh矛ochuimhnicheas a leasan 鈥 鈥淕u dearbh is c霉ramach thu!鈥 Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Iain Foirbeis: John Forbes; 脿ilgheasach: fussy, hard to please.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: air a dhol rudeigin boireann: has become somewhat feminine; anns an tuiseal ainmneach: in the nominative case; chan e rud 霉r a th鈥 ann: it鈥檚 not a new thing; anns na ceathradan dhen naoidheamh linn deug: in the forties of the 19th Century (ie the 1840s); tha fhios a鈥檓 air sin: I know that; gur e eagal a bu ch貌ir a r脿dh: that it is eagal that should be said; buinidh na rudan seo do dhualchainntean: these things belong to dialects; nach eil beairteas againn nar dualchainntean?: don鈥檛 we have riches in our dialects?; air an l脿imh eile: on the other hand; ann a bhith a鈥 cur s矛os air abairtean mar: in deriding phrases like; tha abairtean matha G脿idhlig ann: there are good Gaelic phrases; d猫 chanadh sibh fh猫in?: what would you say yourself?; P脿ipear Beag an Eilein Sgitheanaich: West Highland Free Press (鈥淪kye鈥檚 Little Paper鈥); Observer Shruighlea: The Stirling Observer; l脿rach-l矛n Gh脿idhlig a鈥 BhBC: the 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 Gaelic website; bu toigh leam t貌imhseachan no dh脿 a chur mur coinneimh: I would like to present you with a puzzle or two; liosta de dh鈥檃bairtean Frangach: list of French phrases; agus a鈥 Gh脿idhlig air an son rin taobh: with the Gaelic equivalents adjacent; tha mi airson 鈥檚 gun can sibh d猫 an Fhraingis a th鈥 air: I want you to say what the French is for; an robh sibh math orra?: were you good at them?; is e Sg猫igeach figear anns am bheil neach ag r脿dh gu sg猫igeil, chan i a bheachd ach a ceart-chaochladh: Irony is a figure in which a person sneeringly utters the very reverse of what he thinks; their sinn ri giullan a dh矛ochuimhnicheas a leasan: we say to a boy who neglects his lesson; gu dearbh is c霉ramach thu!: you are very attentive indeed!

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: I asked you in the Litir to work out Gaelic alternatives for tha e dependigeag ort, an 鈥渋mproper Gaelic phrase鈥 according to John Forbes. The author gives three alternatives, each one subtly different from the next. For he depends on you we might say tha e ag earbsadh riut. For he is trusting in you we might say tha e a鈥 cur earbs鈥 annad. And for he is dependent on you, we might say tha e an crochadh riutsa. How did you get on? Here (with modern orthography) is Forbes鈥檚 comment on words like dependigeag 鈥 have a go at translating it (with Dwelly鈥檚 help) and see if you agree! 鈥淚s c霉is n脿ire facal Beurla a ghn脿thachadh ann an ciallairt G脿idhlig nuair a tha a鈥 Gh脿idhlig fh猫in a鈥 toirt facail fhreagarraich; tha an cleachdadh sg貌ideach seo a鈥 taisbeanadh m貌r-aineolais air taobh an fhir-labhairt. Is c貌ir do gach neach cumail gu dl霉th agus gu h-eagarra ris a鈥 chainnt anns a bheil e a鈥 labhairt no a鈥 sgr矛obhadh.鈥

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: obh obh!: oh dear!

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic

Tha Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic (le PDFs)

All letters

Tha na litrichean uile an seo / The letters are available here

Podcast: Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

Letter To Gaelic Learners

Podcast