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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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

Faclan na Litreach: Te脿rlach MacAoidh: Charles Mackay; e貌laichean c脿nain: language experts; Gearmailtis: German language; Fraingis: French language; mith-chainnteach: colloquial, slang; inc: ink; freumh: root; Alasdair MacBheathain: Alexander Macbain; d脿-fhillteach: compound, with two elements.

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

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: faodar t霉s an fhacail a lorg: the origin of the word can be found. Faodar is an example of a future passive 鈥 note that it is the auxiliary verb faod that goes into the passive, compared to the English in which the substantive verb (鈥渇ound鈥, given in Gaelic as the infinitive) is in a passive form. Faodar is a useful word to remember. Here are some other uses: faodar a r脿dh.. (it might be said); faodar gabhail ris gu .. (it might be accepted that); chan fhaodar smocadh ann an 脿ite poblach sam bith (smoking is not permitted in any public place).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Bha beachd aig Te脿rlach c貌ir air iomadach facal: Charles had an opinion on many words. Note the idiomatic use of c貌ir here 鈥 it might be translated idiomatically as 鈥済ood old (Charles)鈥 although it has a bit less of a sense of the slapping-on-the-back than the English. But it means you think kindly of the person, even if you don鈥檛 agree with his opinions 鈥 although it can also be used ironically. C貌ir is also used as a term of address in letters; eg for 鈥淒ear Duncan鈥 we might write 鈥淎 Dhonnchaidh ch貌ir鈥.

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