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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 371: Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Bhl脿r na L猫ine an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Thug am batail sin f矛or dhroch bhuaidh air Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh. A r猫ir beul-aithris, am measg nan ceudan de Fhrisealaich is Granndaich a bha an s脿s ann, choisich na bu lugha na leth-dhusan air falbh. Agus a bharrachd air sin, chaidh an ceann-cinnidh, Mac Shimidh fh猫in, a mharbhadh.

Chan e sin a-mh脿in ach nochd a mhac, 脵isdean, aig a鈥 bhl脿r. Bha Mac Shimidh air 貌rdugh a thoirt dha fuireach aig an taigh. Ach th脿inig e gu Loch L貌chaidh agus chaidh a mharbhadh-san cuideachd. No chaidh a le貌n, agus chaochail e beagan l脿ithean 脿s a dh猫idh.

A dh鈥檃indeoin a鈥 chall, ge-t脿, cha b鈥 fhada gus an robh Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh air ais ann an suidheachadh l脿idir. Ciamar? Uill, a r猫ir beul-aithris a鈥 chinnidh, bha ochdad boireannach a bhuineadh dhaibh trom air an latha sin. Chaill iad na daoine c猫ile aca aig Bl脿r na L猫ine ach, taobh a-staigh m矛osan, rugadh ochdad gille 鈥 seadh, gillean uile gun sgeul air nighean sam bith nam measg! (is, ged a tha sin gu math eucoltach, chan urrainn dhut beul-aithris fh矛rinneachadh no a bhreugnachadh!)

Ochd bliadhn鈥 deug 脿s d猫igh Bl脿r na L猫ine bha fear 霉r na cheann-cinnidh do Chlann 鈥檌c Shimidh. B鈥 esan 脵isdean 鈥 脵isdean eile 鈥 mac br脿thair an fhir a chaidh a mharbhadh aig Ceann Loch L貌chaidh. Bha e d矛reach seachd bliadhn鈥 deug a dh鈥檃ois. Agus chuir e f脿ilte sa bhliadhna sin air a鈥 Bh脿nrigh 鈥 M脿iri Sti霉bhart 鈥 nuair a thadhail i air Inbhir Nis.

Nuair a chaochail 脵isdean, bhathar ag r脿dh gu robh naoi ceud gaisgeach de Chlann 鈥檌c Shimidh aig a thiodhlacadh. A dh鈥檃indeoin na sgrios aig Bl脿r na L猫ine, dh鈥櫭╥rich na Frisealaich 脿s 霉r. Agus tha gu le貌r dhiubh ann an-diugh 鈥 air feadh an t-saoghail, gu dearbh.

Tha rud inntinneach mu na Frisealaich 鈥 agus 鈥檚 e sin an lus a nochdas air an t-suaicheantas aca. 鈥橲 e s霉bh-l脿ir a th鈥 ann 鈥 strawberry. Tha e air a bhith air an t-suaicheantas aca bhon treas linn deug. Tha beul-aithris a鈥 d猫anamh ceangal eadar an s霉bh-l脿ir agus an cinneadh seo 鈥 agus cuimhnichibh gur e Fraser a th鈥 orra ann am Beurla. 鈥橲 e fraise an Fhraingis airson s霉bh-l脿ir. Tha cuimhne agam gl猫 mhath cho blasta 鈥檚 a bha na tartes aux fraises nuair a bha mi anns a鈥 Bhreatainn Bhig.

A r猫ir na sge貌il, bha fear Frangach ann air an robh Julius de Berry (seadh, de Berry). Bha e a鈥 toileachadh an r矛gh le bhith a鈥 cur thuige bobhlaichean de sh霉bhaichean-l脿ir. Dh鈥櫭瞨daich an r矛gh dha ainm atharrachadh gu Fraise agus s霉bhaichean-l脿ir a chur air suaicheantas a theaghlaich. A r猫ir cuid, 鈥檚 e Fraissier an t-ainm a thagh an r矛gh air a shon. Tha sin a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渇ear a bhios a鈥 gi霉lain s霉bhaichean-l脿ir.鈥 Uaireigin 脿s d猫idh sin, dh鈥檉halbh feadhainn dhen teaghlach a dh鈥橝lba. Agus thug iad an t-ainm 霉r leotha.

Uill, 鈥檚 e st貌iridh laghach a th鈥 ann. Ach a bheil sibh ga chreidsinn? Chan eil? Chan eil, no mise. Uill, tha mi amharasach mu dheidhinn co-dhi霉. Tha an st貌iridh st猫idhichte a-mh脿in air coltas is fuaimneachadh an ainm ann am Beurla. Ach ciamar a dh猫anamaid ceangal eadar fraise agus Friseal 鈥 dreach an ainm ann an G脿idhlig?

Tha cuid eile a鈥 d猫anamh dheth gum b鈥 e de Freselieres an t-ainm a bh鈥 air na Frangaich a th脿inig a dh鈥橝lba. Bha feadhainn dhen aon ainm a鈥 fuireach ann an Sasainn aig an 脿m. Chuir na G脿idheil Friseal air an ainm, is chuir luchd na Beurla Fraser air.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh: the Frasers of Lovat; ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; Mac Shimidh: the clan chief of the Frasers of Lovat; Loch L貌chaidh: Loch Lochy; s霉bh-l脿ir: strawberry.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: nochd a mhac aig a鈥 bhl脿r: his son appeared at the battle; bha X air 貌rdugh a thoirt dha fuireach aig an taigh: X had ordered him to stay at home; chaochail e beagan l脿ithean 脿s a dh猫idh: he died a few days later; cha b鈥 fhada gus an robh: it wasn鈥檛 long until; bha ochdad boireannach a bhuineadh dhaibh trom: 80 women who belonged to them [the clan] were pregnant; na daoine c猫ile aca: their spouses; gillean uile gun sgeul air nighean: all boys without a single girl; chan urrainn dhut beul-aithris fh矛rinneachadh no a bhreugnachadh: you can鈥檛 prove or disprove oral tradition; nuair a thadhail i air: when she visited; bhathar ag r脿dh: it was said; aig a thiodhlacadh: at his funeral; dh鈥櫭╥rich na Frisealaich 脿s 霉r: the Frasers recovered; an lus a nochdas air an t-suaicheantas aca: the plant that appears on their [clan] badge; cho blasta 鈥檚 a bha na tartes aux fraises: how tasty the strawberry tarts were; anns a鈥 Bhreatainn Bhig: in Brittany; bha fear Frangach ann air an robh X: there was a Frenchman called X; le bhith a鈥 cur thuige bobhlaichean de: by sending him bowls of; dh鈥櫭瞨daich an r矛gh dha ainm atharrachadh: the king ordered him to change his name; ciamar a dh猫anamaid ceangal?: how would we make a link?; tha cuid eile a鈥 d猫anamh dheth: others maintain (say); bha feadhainn dhen aon ainm a鈥 fuireach ann an Sasainn: some people of the same name were living in England.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: chaidh a mharbhadh-san cuideachd: he was killed as well. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I am still more comfortable with the traditional mode of forming an emphatic passive using 鈥渞ach鈥 (the verb 鈥渢o go鈥). Many speakers today, and the vast majority of young people, would change the structure of the passive from chaidh a mharbhadh (he was killed, with no personal pronoun) to chaidh esan a mharbhadh (he was killed, emphatic), with the emphatic pronoun esan suddenly making an appearance. The traditional mode is to retain the same grammatical structure as the non-emphatic example, but to employ the relevant emphatic suffix following the verbal infinitive. It鈥檚 much more elegant! Contrast the following: chaidh mo bhreabadh (I was kicked) can become, in its emphatic form, either chaidh mise a bhreabadh (modern) or chaidh mo bhreabadh-sa (traditional).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: chan e sin a-mh脿in (ach): not only that (but).

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