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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 363: Lusan Albannach

Tha an samhradh ann a-nise. Leis an fh矛rinn innse, bha an samhradh ann o chionn ceala-deug. Ciamar a tha mi a鈥 tomhas sin? A bheil mi a鈥 gabhail ris gur e a鈥 chiad latha dhen 脪gmhios a鈥 chiad latha dhen t-samhradh? Uill, chan eil, oir tha e follaiseach dhomh nach eil an samhradh a鈥 nochdadh air an aon latha a h-uile bliadhna. Uaireannan nochdaidh e tr脿th. Uaireannan, bidh e anmoch.

Ach tha mi ag r脿dh gu robh an samhradh ann o chionn ceala-deug leis gun do chuir mi seachad deireadh-sheachdain ann an Srath Sp猫. Agus 鈥檚 e an rud as motha a chomharraicheas gu bheil an samhradh ann, ann an Srath Sp猫, gu bheil a鈥 Chuithe Chrom briste.

Nise, 鈥檚 e a鈥 Chuithe Chrom an sneachd aig ceann shuas a鈥 Choire Chais air a鈥 Ch脿rn Ghorm 鈥 sneachd a th鈥 air fh脿gail bhon gheamhradh nuair a tha a leithid air leaghadh ann an 脿iteachan eile. Tha i ann an cumadh cromaig 鈥 an aon chumadh a h-uile bliadhna. Bidh i a鈥 briseadh anns a鈥 mheadhan timcheall air deireadh a鈥 Ch猫itein no toiseach an 脪gmhios. Agus nuair a bhriseas i, 鈥檚 e sin toiseach an t-samhraidh. No co-dhi霉 鈥檚 e sin a chanadh na seann Gh脿idheil anns an sg矛re. Air an d脿rna latha dhen 脪gmhios am-bliadhna, bha i briste, mura robh i briste roimhe sin.

鈥橲 e aon de na rudan eile a chomharraicheas an samhradh ann an Srath Sp猫 鈥 no co-dhi霉 anns a鈥 Mhonadh Ruadh 鈥 gu bheil an Lusan Albannach fo bhl脿th. An Lusan Albannach: 鈥檚 e sin a鈥 Gh脿idhlig a th鈥 air an Trailing Azalea no Loiseleuria procumbens. 鈥橲 e a th鈥 ann lus beag 矛osal a tha a鈥 f脿s faisg air an talamh 鈥 air talamh gu math 脿rd far a bheil a鈥 ghaoth l脿idir. Tha d矛theanan beaga pionca air aig an 脿m seo dhen bhliadhna. Tha e gu math snog a鈥 coimhead.

鈥橲 e am Monadh Ruadh fear de na h-脿iteachan far am faicear an Lusan Albannach gu n脿darrach. Ann am Breatainn, 鈥檚 ann ann an Alba a-mh脿in a nochdas e agus tha mi a鈥 d猫anamh dheth gur e sin as coireach ri ainm ann an G脿idhlig. Ach ma choimheadas tu air na h-脿iteachan feadh an t-saoghail far an nochd e, tha iomadh d霉thaich ann. Tha iad uile timcheall a鈥 Ph貌la mu Thuath.

Airson a bhith mionaideach mun 脿ite far am faca mi an Lusan Albannach, bha mi air Creag Ghobharaidh. Tha sin gu tuath air Loch Mh霉rlaig a tha eadar an Aghaidh Mh貌r agus an C脿rn Gorm. Air an druim eadar Creag Ghobharaidh agus Meall a鈥 Bhuachaille, th脿inig mi tarsainn air clach mh貌r. Tha i air a d猫anamh de chlach-ghr脿in ruadh 鈥 a鈥 chlach a dh鈥檉h脿gas gur e 鈥淎m Monadh Ruadh鈥 a chanas daoine ris na beanntan sin. Tha a鈥 chlach seo gu math m貌r. Tha i a鈥 stobadh suas os cionn an droma agus, gu dearbh, tha i cho m貌r 鈥檚 gum faicear i bho bhonn a鈥 ghlinne.

Tha sgeulachd co-cheangailte ris a鈥 chloich. Bha t猫 脿s an Aghaidh Mh貌ir c貌mhla rium, is beagan G脿idhlig aice. 鈥淐lach an Iutharnaich鈥, thuirt i. 鈥淐lach an Iutharnaich 鈥 the stone of the hellish man.鈥 A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha fear cruaidh an-iochdmhor ann air an robh 鈥淎n t-Iutharnach鈥. Bha bothan aige faisg air l脿imh oir cha b鈥 urrainn dha fuireach c貌mhla ri c脿ch anns a鈥 ghleann. Tha an t-Iutharnach air falbh, ach tha ainm fhathast co-cheangailte ris an 脿ite, ged nach eil e cl脿raichte air a鈥 mhapa. Tha an t-脿m aig an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais sin atharrachadh.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Srath Sp猫: Strathspey; A鈥 Chuithe Chrom: the bent snow-wreath; leaghadh: melting; An Lusan Albannach: Trailing Azalea; Creag Ghobharaidh: Craiggowrie; Loch Mh霉rlaig: Loch Morlich.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: bha an samhradh ann o chionn ceala-deug: summer was here a fortnight ago; a bheil mi a鈥 gabhail ris?: do I accept?; 鈥檚 e an rud as motha a chomharraicheas gu bheil an samhradh ann: the thing that most confirms summer鈥檚 presence; nuair a bhriseas i: when she breaks; mura robh i briste roimhe sin: if she was not broken before that; d矛theanan beaga pionca: little pink flowers; far am faicear [e] gu n脿darrach: where [it] is seen naturally; tha mi a鈥 d猫anamh dheth gur e sin as coireach: I reckon that is the reason; tha iad uile timcheall a鈥 Ph貌la mu Thuath: they are all around the North Pole; eadar an Aghaidh Mh貌r agus an C脿rn Gorm: between Aviemore and Cairn Gorm; th脿inig mi tarsainn air clach mh貌r: I came upon a big stone (rock); tha i a鈥 stobadh suas os cionn an droma: she sticks up above the ridge; tha sgeulachd co-cheangailte ris a鈥 chloich: there is a story attached to the stone; bha bothan aige faisg air l脿imh: he had a bothy close by; cha b鈥 urrainn dha fuireach c貌mhla ri c脿ch anns a鈥 ghleann: he couldn鈥檛 live with the others in the glen; tha an t-脿m aig an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais sin atharrachadh: it鈥檚 time for the Ordnance Survey to change that.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha t猫 脿s an Aghaidh Mh貌ir c貌mhla rium, is beagan G脿idhlig aice: there was a woman from Aviemore with me who has/had a little Gaelic. You will notice the phraseology here does not mirror the English. Is stands for agus (the two are interchangeable here). I might have said Bha t猫 脿s an Aghaidh Mh貌ir c貌mhla rium, aig an robh beagan G脿idhlig. This would have been closer to the structure of the English translation and perfectly acceptable. But, of course, for a learner at your relatively advanced stage, it is important to use Gaelic idiom and Gaelic construction where possible and not simply translate from English to Gaelic in your head. Try to use Gaelic idiom and structure where possible in your writing and conversation.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: tha i cho m貌r 鈥檚 gum faicear i bho bhonn a鈥 ghlinne: it is so big that it can be seen from the base of the glen. Gum faicear means 鈥渨ill be seen鈥 or 鈥渃an be seen鈥.

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