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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 286: Mairead Fay Sheathach

Uaireannan bidh daoine a鈥 faighneachd dhiom 鈥 鈥渁 bheil seanfhacal ann a tha co-ionann ri leithid de sheanfacal ann am Beurla?鈥 Uaireannan tha rudeigin ann, ach 鈥檚 ann tric nach eil co-ionannachd ann eadar an d脿 ch脿nan san d貌igh sin. Dh鈥檉haighnich cuideigin dhiom an robh fear ann a bha co-ionann ri 鈥渟ticks and stones will break my bones but names will never harm me鈥. Agus an t-seachdain seo lorg mi fear a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith a鈥 seasamh airson na h-aon smuain 鈥 cha d猫anar cron air a鈥 ghealaich na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe. Faodaidh na coin comhartaich mar a thogras iad 鈥 cha chuir iad dragh sam bith air a鈥 ghealaich. Cha d猫anar cron air a鈥 ghealaich na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe.

鈥橲 ann 脿 Uibhist a Deas a tha an seanfhacal sin, agus lorg mi e ann an leabhar a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le boireannach a chaochail o chionn ghoirid aig aois mh貌r. B鈥 ise Mairead Fay Sheathach, Margaret Fay Shaw, agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥 air an leabhar Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist. Leabhar f矛or mhath a th鈥 ann.

Bha Mairead a鈥 fuireach ann am baile beag air taobh a deas Loch Baghasdail eadar naoi ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a naoi (1929) agus naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1935). Ghabh i gr脿dh m貌r air na daoine ann a sin, agus dh鈥檌onnsaich i t貌rr bhuapa. Agus, ged a ph貌s i 鈥 Fear Chanaigh, Iain Latharna Caimbeul, agus ged a chaidh i a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Canaigh, cha do chaill i a gr脿dh do dh鈥橴ibhist a Deas. Agus 鈥檚 ann ann a sin a chaidh a tiodhlacadh a r猫ir a h-iarrtais fh猫in.

Is iomadh rud pr矛seil a th鈥 anns an leabhar 鈥 eadar 貌rain, seanfhaclan, st貌iridhean is fiosrachadh air biadh is air d脿thadh cl貌. Ach bu mhath leam s霉il a thoirt air seann leigheas no dh脿 a chruinnich Mairead am measg muinntir Uibhist. Mar eisimpleir, seo mar a bha cuid a鈥 d猫anamh leigheas air cluas ghoirt, ged a bu ch貌ir dhomh r脿dh nach eil mi a鈥 moladh gum feuch sibh seo aig an taigh: cuir b脿irneach air an teine agus thoir dheth i nuair a th貌isicheas an s霉gh innte air goil. Nuair a tha an s霉gh fionnar gu le貌r 鈥檚 nach loisg e an t-euslainteach, doirt na chluais e agus, airson a chumail ann, d霉in a鈥 chluas le p矛os cl貌imhe anns a bheil an ola n脿darrach fhathast.

Agus seo agaibh leigheas airson stopadh. Bidh cuid e貌lach air mar ceangailteachd-cuim no teannachadh 鈥 constipation ann am Beurla. Bha diofar leigheasan ann airson sin. Bhiodh feamainn 霉r bhon chladach, air a gearradh ann am p矛osan is air a h-ithe a鈥 d猫anamh a鈥 ghnothaich air an stopadh. Bhitheadh, agus freumhaichean lusa ris an canar lus nan laogh no an tr矛-bhileach. Sin lus air a bheil bogbean ann am Beurla a tha a鈥 f脿s ann am boglaichean. Bhiodh na daoine ga ghlanadh is ga ghoil ann an uisge fad l脿 gus am biodh an s霉gh dubh dorch is tiugh.

Bhiodh iad a鈥 s矛oladh an t-s霉gh鈥 agus d矛reach l脿n sp脿in bheag dheth a thoirt don euslainteach oir tha e gu math cumhachdach, a r猫ir choltais.

Mus fhalbh mi an-diugh, bidh fios agaibh gur e a-m脿ireach L脿 na Nollaige. Agus seo rann bho laoidh a bhiodh muinntir Uibhist a Deas is Eirisgeigh a鈥 gabhail air an oidhche seo fh猫in mar ph脿irt dhen aifreann aig meadhan-oidhche. F脿gaidh mi le sin sibh, agus mi a鈥 guidhe deagh Nollaig dhuibh uile:

鈥橲 tusa grian gheal an d貌chais

Chuireas dorchadas air f貌gairt;

Bheir thu clann-daoin鈥 bho staid bhr貌naich

Gu naomhachd, soilleireachd is e貌las.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: co-ionannachd: equivalence; Uibhist a Deas: South Uist; Fear Chanaigh: The Laird of Canna; cluas: ear; b脿irneach: limpet; leigheas: cure; an stopadh: constipation; boglaichean: bogs; L脿 na Nollaige: Christmas Day; aifreann: mass (church); a鈥 guidhe: wishing.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: mar a thogras iad: as they wish; a chaochail o chionn ghoirid: who died recently; aig aois mh貌r: at a great age; dh鈥檌onnsaich i t貌rr bhuapa: she learned a lot from them; cha do chaill i a gr脿dh do X: she never lost her love for X; a chaidh a tiodhlacadh: that she was buried; a r猫ir a h-iarrtais fh猫in: according to her own request; nuair a th貌isicheas an s霉gh innte air goil: when the juice in it begins to boil; fionnar gu le貌r 鈥檚 nach loisg e an t-euslainteach: cool enough not to burn the patient; d霉in a鈥 chluas le p矛os cl貌imhe: block the ear with a piece of wool; gus am biodh an s霉gh dubh dorch is tiugh: until the juice were dark and thick; bhiodh iad a鈥 s矛oladh an t-s霉gha: they would filter the juice; l脿n sp脿in bheag dheth: a small spoon (teaspoon) of it; seo rann bho laoidh: here is a verse from a hymn; [a] chuireas dorchadas air f貌gairt: who will banish darkness; bheir thu clann-daoin鈥 bho staid bhr貌naich: you will redeem mankind from sorrow; gu naomhachd, soilleireachd is e貌las: to sanctity, light and knowledge.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bhiodh feamainn 霉r, air a gearradh is air a h-ithe a鈥 d猫anamh a鈥 ghnothaich air an stopadh. Bhitheadh, agus freumhaichean lusa ris an canar 鈥渓us nan laogh鈥: fresh seaweed, cut up and eaten would cure constipation. So would the roots of a plant called 鈥渢he calves鈥 plant鈥 (bogbean). I want to make the point here of how we say 鈥渟o would鈥 鈥 it is by repetition of the conditional verb bhiodh, here in its emphatic form bhitheadh. This verbal repetition is commonly used for this purpose, whatever the tense or mood of the verb: eg chaidh X is Y don bhaile; chaidh, agus Z (X and Y went to town; so did Z); bha A agus B fada gun 猫irigh; bha, agus C (A and B were slow to rise; so was C); coimheadaidh sin am pr貌gram a-nochd; coimheadaidh, is a h-uile duine (we will watch the programme tonight; so will everybody)

Seanfhacal na seachdaine

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Cha d猫anar cron air a鈥 ghealaich na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe: the moon is not hurt [by] the dogs barking at her.

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