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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 362: Leabhar Mhata anns an Tiomnadh Nuadh

Tha mo sh霉il air a鈥 Bh矛oball an-dr脿sta 鈥 air Leabhar Mhata anns an Tiomnadh Nuadh. Bidh feadhainn agaibh e貌lach air mar a tha luchd-togail na c矛se ann an Capernaum ag iarraidh air Peadar airgead c矛se a thoirt dhaibh. 鈥淣ach bi ur maighstir a鈥 p脿igheadh na c矛se?鈥 tha iad a鈥 faighneachd. Tha iad a鈥 ciallachadh 脤osa. Tha Peadar ag r脿dh gum bi, ach seo mar a tha an gnothach a鈥 leantainn:

Nuair a chaidh e a-steach don taigh, labhair 脤osa ris, ag r脿dh, 鈥淐iod i do bharail-sa a Shimoin? Co bhuaithe a tha r矛ghrean na talmhainn a鈥 togail c脿ine no c矛se? An ann bhon cloinn fh猫in no bho choigrich?鈥 Thuirt Peadar ris, 鈥淏ho choigrich.鈥 Thuirt 脤osa ris-san, 鈥淎ir an adhbhar sin tha a鈥 chlann saor.鈥

鈥淕idheadh, gus nach toireamaid oilbheum dhaibh, imich thusa chun na fairge, agus tilg dubhan innte, agus tog a鈥 chiad iasg a thig a-n矛os. Agus 脿s d猫idh dhut a bheul fhosgladh, gheibh thu bonn airgid. Gabh sin agus thoir dhaibh e air mo shon-sa agus air do shon fh猫in.鈥

Bha seann chleachdadh air a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd co-cheangailte ris an st貌iridh sin. Gheibhear fiosrachadh air ann an Carmina Gadelica. Air Latha na Nollaige, bhiodh na fir 貌ga ann an Uibhist ag iomradh a-mach bhon chladach seachd ceud buille r脿mh 鈥檚 a seachd. Bhiodh iad a鈥 cur an dubhan s矛os, mar a rinn Peadar anns a鈥 Bh矛oball, agus iasg sam bith a gheibheadh iad, bhiodh iad a鈥 toirt sin gu daoine bochda. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥 air sin D猫irce Pheadair. D猫irce Pheadair.

Tillidh mi do na seachd ceud buille r脿mh 鈥檚 a seachd ann am mionaid. Ach tha beul-aithris inntinneach co-cheangailte ri iasg a gheibhear ann an Alba agus an st貌iridh mu Pheadar. Chuala mi fh矛n an dearbh sgeul aig seann bhoireannach air a鈥 Chomraich nuair a bha mi 貌g. 鈥橲 e an t-iasg an adag. Bha 脿ite ann far am bithinn fh矛n a鈥 glacadh m貌ran 猫isg, air an robh 鈥淐lach na h-Adaig鈥. Ach bha sinn a鈥 glacadh iasg eile ann cuideachd 鈥 a鈥 chaoiteag.

Tha an d脿 iasg sin car coltach ri ch猫ile ach gu bheil ceann nas fhaide air a鈥 chaoiteig agus gu bheil d脿 bhall dhubh air cliathaich na h-adaig. 鈥淏all dubh air an adaig, gob fad鈥 air a鈥 chaoiteig,鈥 chanadh na seann daoine. Ball dubh air an adaig, gob fad鈥 air a鈥 chaoiteig. Bhiodh na seann Gh脿idheil a鈥 cantainn 鈥渋asg Pheadair鈥 ris an adaig oir bhathar ag r脿dh gur e corragan Pheadair a dh鈥檉h脿g an d脿 bhall dhubh air. Sin nuair a thog Peadar an t-iasg airson an t-airgead a thoirt a-mach 脿s a鈥 bheul aige.

Ach carson a bha D猫irce Pheadair co-cheangailte ris an 脿ireamh seachd ceud 鈥檚 a seachd? Dh鈥檉haodainn a bhith ce脿rr ach chan aithne dhomh gu bheilear ag ainmeachadh na h-脿ireimh sin anns a鈥 Bh矛oball. Ach tha i ri lorg ann am beul-aithris na h-脠ireann.

Bha d脿 threubh ann a bha a鈥 sabaid an aghaidh a ch猫ile 鈥 na Fomorianaich agus na Milesianaich. 鈥橲 iad na Milesianaich a bh鈥 air a bhith ann na b鈥 fhaide. Dh鈥檉h脿s iad uile sg矛th dhen t-sabaid agus dh鈥檃ontaich iad gum biodh deuchainn air na Fomorianaich. Bhiodh iad ag iomradh seachd ceud buille r脿mh 鈥檚 a seachd a-mach bhon chladach. Agus, bhiodh iad an uair sin a鈥 feuchainn ri faighinn air ais gu t矛r.

Shoirbhich leotha. Rinn iad tuineachadh ann an ceann a deas na h-脠ireann. Agus feumaidh gun deach an 脿ireamh sin 鈥 seachd ceud 鈥檚 a seachd 鈥 a-steach gu cleachdaidhean Cr矛osdail nuair a thug Cr矛osdachd buaidh air na G脿idheil.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: dubhan: hook; bonn: coin; A鈥 Chomraich: Applecross; treubh: tribe; Fomorianaich: Fomorians; Milesianaich: Milesians.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: Leabhar Mhata anns an Tiomnadh Nuadh: The Book of Matthew in the New Testament; luchd-togail na c矛se: the tax collectors; nach bi ur maighstir a鈥 p脿igheadh na c矛se?: doesn鈥檛 your master pay the tax?; tha iad a鈥 ciallachadh 脤osa: they mean Jesus; ciod i do bharail-sa a Shimoin?: what is your opinion, Simon?; co bhuaithe a tha r矛ghrean na talmhainn a鈥 togail c矛se?: from whom do the kings of the earth collect tax?; bhon cloinn fh猫in no bho choigrich?: from their own children or from strangers?; gus nach toireamaid oilbheum dhaibh: so that we do not offend them; imich thusa chun na fairge: you go to the sea; a鈥 chiad iasg a thig a-n矛os: the first fish that comes up; thoir dhaibh e air mo shon-sa agus air do shon fh猫in: give it to them on my behalf and on yours; Latha na Nollaige: Christmas Day; bhiodh na fir 貌ga ag iomradh a-mach seachd ceud buille r脿mh 鈥檚 a seachd: the young men would row out 707 oar strokes; D猫irce Pheadair: Peter鈥檚 Charity; ball dubh air an adaig, gob fad鈥 air a鈥 chaoiteig: black spot on the haddock, long snout on the whiting; chan aithne dhomh gu bheilear ag ainmeachadh na h-脿ireimh sin: I don鈥檛 know that that number is named [given]; dh鈥檃ontaich iad gum biodh deuchainn air X: they agreed that X would be tested; shoirbhich leotha: they succeeded; rinn iad tuineachadh: they created a colony; cleachdaidhean Cr矛osdail: Christian practices; nuair a thug Cr矛osdachd buaidh air na G脿idheil: when Christianity came to dominate the Gaels.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: gu bheil d脿 bhall dhubh air cliathaich na h-adaig: that there are two black spots on the side of the haddock. Did you notice that I lenited the adjective, even though the phrase is in the nominative case and that the noun ball is masculine? This is a good rule to remember (and note that the adjective has its singular form). We say d脿 ch霉 dhubh (two black dogs), d脿 bhonnach bheag (two small cakes) and d脿 chat bh脿n (two fair cats), and there is a reference in the Bible to d脿 iasg bheag (two little fish). D脿 commands the old dual case in Gaelic. Where the entire phrase is nominative, the form of the noun is equivalent to the lenited dative singular (and thus traditionally slenderised if feminine 鈥 at least where slenderisation is possible). But the adjective, although lenited, is not slenderised. Here are examples with feminine nouns: d脿 chluais bheag (two small ears), d脿 sh霉il dhubh (two black eyes), d脿 ghalla bh脿n (two fair bitches), mo dh脿 l脿imh shalach (my two dirty hands).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: dh鈥檉haodainn a bhith ce脿rr: I could be wrong [I might be mistaken].

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