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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 372: Gr脿mar D霉bailt: Beurla is G脿idhlig

Tha leabhar iongantach air mo bheulaibh an-dr脿sta. Uill, chan eil sin buileach f矛or. Tha e rim thaobh. Oir tha sg脿ilean a鈥 choimpiutair air mo bheulaibh. Ach tha am buadhair a chleachd mi mun leabhar ceart 鈥 oir tha e iongantach. Gu m矛-fhortanach, chan ann leamsa a tha e. Tha e le caraid dhomh, agus tha e agam d矛reach air iasad.

鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥 air Gr脿mar D霉bailt: Beurla is G脿idhlig, anns a bheil St猫idhean na D脿 Chainnt M矛nichte gu Soilleir. Ann am Beurla: A Double Grammar of English and Gaelic, in which the Principles of Both Languages are Clearly Explained. B鈥 e an t-霉ghdar Iain Foirbeis, Maighstir-sgoile Chille Chuimein. Chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1843) agus chosg e ceithir tastain.

Tha fhios nach d猫anadh cuid g脿irdeachas mu sheann leabhar gr脿mair a bhith aca! Ach tha mi fh矛n rudeigin measail air gr脿mar, feumaidh mi aideachadh. Anns an Ro-r脿dh aige, tha Iain Foirbeis ag ainmeachadh briathran sgoilear G脿idhlig: 鈥淢ar as e貌laiche a chinneas sibh air maise, air milsead agus snasmhorachd na G脿idhlig, 鈥檚 ann as taitniche a bhitheas i leibh.鈥 Agus faodar maise, milsead is snasmhorachd fhaicinn tro bhith a鈥 sgr霉dadh a鈥 ch脿nain fh猫in. Ch矛 daoine b貌idhchead ann an coille. Ach chithear cuideachd b貌idhchead anns na lusan a tha a鈥 d猫anamh coille is mar a tha iad suidhichte c貌mhla.

Bidh daoine a鈥 gearain uaireannan mu na h-atharrachaidhean a th脿inig air a鈥 Gh脿idhlig anns a鈥 cheud gu leth bliadhna a chaidh seachad. Ach, bho bhith a鈥 leughadh a鈥 Ghr脿mair Dh霉bailt, tha e follaiseach gu bheil m貌ran ann nach do dh鈥檃tharraich. Bha ainmear aige airson noun, buadhar airson adjective and gniomhar airson verb 鈥 an 矛re mhath mar a th鈥 againn an-diugh. Air an l脿imh eile, seo faclan a bh鈥 aig Foirbeis: cubadh, an 脿ite litreachadh, airson spelling, pungar, an 脿ite alt, airson article agus car, an 脿ite tuiseal, airson case.

Sin am briathrachas, no beagan dheth. Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn nan riaghailtean gr脿mair? A bheil iad sin air atharrachadh? Uill, 猫istibh ri seo. Thug Foirbeis eisimpleirean de 鈥渕h矛-chleachdadh鈥 an roimheir air. Sgr矛obh e gu bheil Tha e air p貌sadh a鈥 ciallachadh he is at or on a marriage, or present at the ceremony. Ma tha thu a鈥 ciallachadh he has married bu ch貌ir dhut a r脿dh, no a sgr矛obhadh, Tha e iar p貌sadh. Bha iar a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渁fter鈥 鈥 mar a tha e a鈥 ciallachadh ann am west. Tha an taobh an iar air c霉laibh duine a bhios a鈥 coimhead a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿ird an ear, far an 猫irich a鈥 ghrian.

Thug Foirbeis eisimpleir eile: Bha Seumas air trusadh nan caorach 鈥 James was at the gathering of the sheep. Agus Bha Seumas iar trusadh nan caorach 鈥 James had gathered the sheep. Nise, tha a h-uile c脿il a tha sin air atharrachadh. Tha iar air a dhol 脿 bith anns an t-seagh sin. 鈥橲 e air a chanas daoine anns a h-uile suidheachadh sin an-diugh.

Is toigh leam an earrann bheag dhen leabhar anns a bheil liosta de chlisgearan. 鈥橲 e clisgear, a r猫ir Foirbeis, 鈥渇acal a nochdas mothachadh geur no gluasad grad na h-inntinn鈥. Rudan mar bi falbh!, mo thruaighe! agus puth! Agus 鈥 d脿 abairt dhuibh airson an Litir a thoirt gu cr矛ch: airson alas, alas! 鈥 och is ochan nan och 猫ire! Agus dhaibhsan a tha m矛-riaraichte lem beatha: a shaoghail bhreugaich, bu tu 鈥檔 carraiche!

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: iongantach: wonderful; sg脿ilean: screen; buadhair: wonderful; Iain Foirbeis: John Forbes; Cille Chuimein: Fort Augustus; tastan: shilling; ro-r脿dh: foreword; briathrachas: vocabulary; m矛-chleachdadh: misuse; clisgear: interjection.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: air mo bheulaibh: in front of me; chan ann leamsa a tha e: it is not mine; air iasad: on loan; chaidh fhoillseachadh: it was published; nach d猫anadh cuid g脿irdeachas: some wouldn鈥檛 express pleasure; mar as e貌laiche a chinneas sibh air maise, air milsead agus snasmhorachd: the more knowledgeable you grow about the beauty, sweetness and elegance; 鈥檚 ann as taitniche a bhitheas i leibh: the more attractive it [fem] will be to you; chithear b貌idhchead anns na lusan a tha a鈥 d猫anamh coille: beauty is [can be] seen in the plants which make a forest; a鈥 gearain uaireannan mu na h-atharrachaidhean: sometimes complaining about the changes; gu bheil m貌ran ann nach do dh鈥檃tharraich: that there is much that has not changed; an 矛re mhath mar a th鈥 againn an-diugh: pretty much as we have today; 猫istibh ri seo: listen [pl.] to this; bu ch貌ir dhut a r脿dh: you should say; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-脿ird an ear: towards the east; far an 猫irich a鈥 ghrian: there where the sun rises; anns an t-seagh sin: in that sense; facal a nochdas mothachadh geur no gluasad grad na h-inntinn: a word which demonstrates a quick feeling or a sudden emotion; bi falbh!: begone!; mo thruaighe!: alack!; puth!: pshaw!; dhaibhsan a tha m矛-riaraichte lem beatha: for those who are dissatisfied with their lives.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: tha e rim thaobh: it is next to me. Rim thaobh is a contracted form of ri mo thaobh (at my side). GOC II has confirmed that it is quite acceptable for prepositional phrases to be written in this way (although the full form is obviously better in official reports and the like). Here are some examples so you can see how the contraction works 鈥 and remember that it is always the possessive article contained within the phrase (mo, do a etc) which determines the lenition or non-lenition of the noun. Fod chasan (under your [sing.] feet); for casan (under our feet); fur casan (under your [pl.] feet; fon casan (under their feet). Rid thaobh (beside you); rin taobh (beside them). Led chead (with your [sing.] permission); ler cead (with our permission); lur cead (with your [pl.] permission); len cead (with their permission).

Gn脿thsan-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿thsan-cainnt na Litreach: och is ochan nan och 猫ire!: alas! pity me!; a shaoghail bhreugaich, bu tu 鈥檔 carraiche!: o deceitful world, you are a cheat!

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