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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 298: Sgeualchd Morachan is Mionachan, P脿irt 1

Bu toigh leam sp貌rs a ghabhail an t-seachdain seo le bhith ag aithris sgeulachd thraidiseanta air a bheil 鈥淢orachan is Mionachan鈥. Bidh cuid e貌lach air na pr矛omh charactaran mar 鈥淏iorachan M貌r is Biorachan Beag鈥 ach tha mise a鈥 dol a chleachdadh nan ainmean a th鈥 aca orra ann an Cataibh 鈥 Morachan is Mionachan.

Chaidh Morachan is Mionachan a-mach don choillidh, a dh鈥檌arraidh chnothan. Ach bha Mionachan ag ithe cus dhiubh is cha robh gu le貌r ann do Mhorachan. Chaidh Morachan a dh鈥檌arraidh slat airson gabhail air Mionachan, airson stad a chur air.

Chaidh e far an robh slat. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an t-slat. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh slat,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渁irson gabhail air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an t-slat, 鈥渕ura faigh thu tuagh a bhuaineas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh tuagh. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an tuagh. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh tuagh,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渢uagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an tuagh, 鈥渕ura faigh thu clach a bhleitheas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh clach. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich a鈥 chlach. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh clach,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渃lach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 a鈥 chlach, 鈥渕ura faigh thu uisge a fhliuchas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh uisge. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an t-uisge. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh uisge,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渦isge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an t-uisge, 鈥渕ura faigh thu fiadh a shn脿mhas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh fiadh. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich am fiadh. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh fiadh,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渇iadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 am fiadh, 鈥渕ura faigh thu gadhar a ruitheas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh gadhar. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an gadhar. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh gadhar,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥済adhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an gadhar, 鈥渕ura faigh thu 矛m a shuathas mi air mo chasan.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh 矛m. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an t-矛m. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh 矛m,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥溍琺 chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an t-矛m, 鈥渕ura faigh thu luch a sgr貌bas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh luch. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an luch. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh luch,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渓uch a sgr貌bas 矛m, 矛m chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

Nise, tha an 霉ine air ruith orm agus chan urrainn dhomh mo sgeulachd a thoirt gu cr矛ch an-dr脿sta. Cluinnidh sibh tuilleadh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na seachdaine: caractaran: characters; arsa: said; clach: stone; dh鈥檉haighnich: asked.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mise a鈥 dol a chleachdadh nan ainmean a th鈥 aca orra ann an Cataibh: I am going to use the names they have for them in Sutherland; a-mach don choillidh: out to the wood (coillidh is an alternative dative singular of coille); chaidh e far an robh slat: he went to where there was a rod, stick; chan fhaigh thu mise: you won鈥檛 get me; gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan: so that he won鈥檛 eat too many of the nuts; mura faigh thu uisge a fhliuchas mi: if you don鈥檛 get water that will wet me; fiadh a shn脿mhas mi: a deer which will swim me; mura faigh thu gadhar a ruitheas mi: if you don鈥檛 get a hunting dog (gadhar is an ancient word, no longer current in the language and is probaly used in this story because of the unusual inflexion of c霉 鈥 it also suggests the story, of which there are forms in other European languages, is very old); 矛m a shuathas mi air mo chasan: butter I can wipe on my legs/feet; 矛m chasan gadhair: butter of a hunting dog鈥檚 legs/feet; luch a sgr貌bas mi: a mouse which will scrape me; tha an 霉ine air ruith orm: I am running short of time; chan urrainn dhomh mo sgeulachd a thoirt gu cr矛ch an-dr脿sta: I can鈥檛 finish my story just now.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat: a stone that will grind [ie sharpen] an axe, an axe that will cut a rod. You will notice the abundance of 鈥揳s endings in the verbs in the sequences in this story. They translate into English as 鈥渨ill鈥 ie they represent the future tense, but they are not the normal future form (such as bleithidh, will grind; buainidh: will cut). The 鈥揳s form is known as the relative future and we have looked at it in past Litrichean. It is employed here as it comes after the particle a. Here are some other examples of its use: 鈥橲 e Murdigan a chanas iad ris (they call him Murdigan); gheibh thu rud sam bith a dh鈥檌arras tu (you will get anything you request); is esan am fear a chruinnicheas an t-airgead (he is the one who collects the money); 鈥檚 e ise a bhios toilichte nuair a thilleas tu (it is herself will be happy when you return).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich X: 鈥渨here are you going?鈥 asked X. Be aware of contractions like this, particularly in speech. In informal situations, this is more common than the full 鈥渃脿ite a bheil thu a鈥 dol?鈥

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