07/04/2006
A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.
Clips
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 353
Duration: 05:33
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 353
Duration: 05:51
Litir 353: Te脿rlach MacAoidh
C貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal beagle ann am Beurla? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi cuimhne agaibh gu robh sinn a鈥 toirt s霉il an t-seachdain sa chaidh air an leabhar le Te脿rlach MacAoidh 鈥 The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe. Bha beachd aig Te脿rlach c貌ir air iomadach facal 鈥 agus beagle nam measg. Ach d猫 tha na faclairean ag r脿dh? Leis an fh矛rinn innse, chan eil iad cinnteach c貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gun t脿inig e don Bheurla bhon Fhraingis. Ach tha MacAoidh ag r脿dh gun t脿inig e bhon Gh脿idhlig 鈥 beag agus s霉il 鈥 beag-sh霉il 鈥 beagle, 鈥渁 dog with small eyes鈥.
Agus d猫 mu dheidhinn begin? Tha a鈥 chuid as motha de e貌laichean c脿nain ga cheangal ri biginnan anns an t-seann Ghearmailtis. A r猫ir MhicAoidh, faodar t霉s an fhacail a lorg ann an G脿idhlig 鈥 bith (鈥渓ife鈥) agus gin (鈥渢o procreate, produce鈥). Bith-gin.
鈥橲 e facal eile ann an leabhar MhicAoidh 鈥 belfry. Tha sin a鈥 tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig beachd (鈥渨atch, observe鈥) agus frith (鈥渟mall, little鈥) 鈥 chaidh e don Bheurla, ge-t脿, bhon Fhraingis beffroi.
Agus tha am facal mith-chainnteach bin aige cuideachd. Tha sin a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥減貌caid le airgead ann鈥. Nise, tha mi a鈥 dol a chur seo ann am Beurla mar a sgr矛obh MacAoidh e oir tha e iongantach. Tha bin a鈥 tighinn bhon fhacal Gh脿idhlig 鈥渂inn, melodious; whence by metaphor, money that chinks in the pocket with a sound melodious to the ears of the thief who wants to appropriate it.鈥 Uill, d猫 chanas mi?
Agus bidh fios agaibh gur e a鈥 Gh脿idhlig airson black 鈥 dubh. Mar sin, am biodh d霉il againn gun t脿inig am facal Beurla black bhon Gh脿idhlig? Uill, tha Te脿rlach MacAoidh ag r脿dh nach eil black idir coltach ri a leithid ann an c脿nanan E貌rpach eile 鈥 schwartz, noir, negro is mar sin air adhart 鈥 ged a bha facal blak ann an seann Bheurla nan Sagsannach, a bha a鈥 ciallachadh inc. C貌 脿s a th脿inig e, ma-th脿? 鈥橲 e freumh an fhacail, a r猫ir an leabhair 鈥 鈥渂l脿thaich, to warm, make hot; bl脿ths, warmth, heat; bl脿thaichte, warmed, heated, whence blackened by the heat.鈥
Tha mi air a bhith a鈥 gabhail beagan sp貌rs le beachdan The脿rlaich MhicAoidh. Saoilidh mi gu robh e cho measail air a鈥 Gh脿idhlig 鈥檚 gun robh e airson 鈥渄earbhadh鈥 gu robh buaidh mh貌r aice air c脿nanan E貌rpach eile, eadhon ged a tha cuid de na beachdan aige annasach dha-r矛ribh. Ach le cuid de na faclan, bha e d矛reach a鈥 sealltainn gu robh rudeigin sa chumantas eadar a鈥 Gh脿idhlig agus c脿nanan eile 鈥 mar a rinn Alasdair MacBheathain anns an fhaclair aige, An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language. Chaidh sin fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a sia, (1896), naoi bliadhn鈥 deug 脿s d猫idh foillseachadh leabhar MhicAoidh.
Bu mhath leam cr矛ochnachadh le bhith a鈥 toirt s霉il air an fhacal Gh脿idhlig bleigeard, no blaigeard. Gu m矛-fhortanach, chan eil sin ann am faclair MhicBheathain ach tha daoine dhen bheachd gun t脿inig e bhon fhacal Bheurla blackguard 鈥 air a sgr矛obhadh mar 鈥渂lack-guard鈥. Ach an e sin a bh鈥 ann am blackguard bho th霉s 鈥 black guard?
Uill, tha MacAoidh ag r脿dh nach e facal d脿-fhillteach a th鈥 ann idir, ach facal Ceilteach aon-fhillteach. Anns a鈥 Gh脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e 鈥渂lagair, a boaster, an impudent boaster鈥. Tha e a鈥 cumail a-mach gun do ghabh luchd na Beurla a-staigh e mar mhith-chainnt agus gun do chruthaich iad t霉s Beurla dha, le bhith ga litreachadh mar 鈥渂lack-guard鈥. Chan eil mi cinnteach, ach tha sin nas coltaiche, chanainn, na bin no begin鈥
Faclan na Litreach
Abairtean na Litreach
Abairtean na Litreach: leis an fh矛rinn innse: to tell the truth; tha cuid dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gun t脿inig e: some are of the opinion that perhaps it came; d猫 chanas mi?: what can [do] I say?; am biodh d霉il againn?: would we expect?; nach eil X coltach ri a leithid ann an c脿nanan E貌rpach eile: that X is not like its equivalents in other European languages; seann Bheurla nan Sagsannach: the old Saxon language; saoilidh mi: I reckon; gu robh e cho measail air a鈥 Gh脿idhlig: that he was so keen on Gaelic; gu robh buaidh mh貌r aice air: that she had a great effect on; tha cuid de na beachdan aige annasach dha-r矛ribh: some of his opinions are extremely strange; gu robh rudeigin sa chumantas: that there was something in common; chaidh sin fhoillseachadh: that was published; 脿s d猫idh foillseachadh leabhar MhicAoidh: after the publication of Mackay鈥檚 book; bu mhath leam cr矛ochnachadh: I would like to finish; facal Ceilteach aon-fhillteach: a simple [single-element] Celtic word; gun do chruthaich iad t霉s Beurla dha: that they created an English origin for it.
Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach
Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach
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
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
Litrichean Gaidhlig do luchd-ionnsachaidh. Gaelic letters for students of the language.