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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 277: Gn矛omhairean neo-riaghailteach

A bheil gn矛omhairean neo-riaghailteach a鈥 cur dragh oirbh? Nise, bithibh onarach! Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil. Uill, tha deagh naidheachd agam dhuibh 鈥 chan e gu bheil iad a鈥 dol 脿 bith, ach nach eil ann ach deich dhiubh! Ach 鈥檚 e an droch naidheachd a th鈥 agam - nach eil c脿il air a shon ach an ionnsachadh!

Tha e na thrioblaid do luchd-ionnsachaidh, gun teagamh, gu bheil sinn ag r脿dh, 鈥渃hunnaic sibh鈥 rudeigin ach 鈥渁m faca sibh鈥 no 鈥渃han fhaca sibh鈥 rudeigin. Agus mar a tha sinn ag r脿dh, 鈥済heibh mi鈥 rudeigin ach 鈥渁m faigh mi鈥 no 鈥渃han fhaigh mi鈥 rudeigin. Chan eil coltas sam bith ann gu bheil chunnaic co-cheangailte ri faca no gu bheil gheibh co-cheangailte ri faigh.

Ach tha gn矛omhairean neo-riaghailteach gu le貌r ann an c脿nanan eile cuideachd. Ann am Beurla, mar eisimpleir, c貌 shaoileadh gu robh thought agus think co-cheangailte ri ch猫ile no gu robh c脿irdeas dl霉th ann eadar went agus go?

Dhaibhsan a tha ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig, cha chreid mi gu bheil fuasgladh ann airson a leithid, ach le bhith a鈥 cleachdadh a鈥 ch脿nain cho tric 鈥檚 as urrainn, agus le daoine aig a bheil i gu math. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil abairtean is rannan is seanfhaclan feumail airson a bhith a鈥 daingneachadh chleachdaidhean ceart ann an ceann duine. Seo seanfhacal anns a bheil an d脿 dhreach dhen ghn矛omhair faic a鈥 nochdadh: Chunnaic mise fear a chuala fear a chunnaic fear a bha ag r脿dh gum fac鈥 e fear a chunnaic an r矛gh.

Canaidh mi sin a-rithist. Chunnaic mise fear a chuala fear a chunnaic fear a bha ag r脿dh gum fac鈥 e fear a chunnaic an r矛gh. Chanainn gur e a th鈥 ann rudeigin a chanadh tu ri duine eile a bha ag innse naidheachd dhut nach cuala esan idir bhon duine leis an robh an naidheachd an toiseach 鈥 third or fourth-hand information mar a chanar ann am Beurla. Chunnaic mise fear a chuala fear a chunnaic fear a bha ag r脿dh gum fac鈥 e fear a chunnaic an r矛gh.

Agus seo seanfhacal eile a bhios cuideachail ann a bhith a鈥 daingneachadh na chanas sinn leis a鈥 ghniomhair neo-riaghailteach 鈥渇aigh鈥. Gheibh cearc an sgr矛obain rudeigin, 鈥檚 chan fhaigh cearc a鈥 chr霉bain dad idir. Gheibh 鈥 agus chan fhaigh. An do thuig sibh an seanfhacal? Feumaidh a鈥 chearc a bhith a鈥 sgr矛obadh airson biadh a lorg 鈥 chan fhaigh i rud sam bith d矛reach le bhith a鈥 d猫anamh cr霉bain. Gheibh cearc an sgr矛obain rudeigin, 鈥檚 chan fhaigh cearc a鈥 chr霉bain dad idir. Ma tha sibh airson rudeigin a dh猫anamh gu soirbheachail, feumaidh sibh a dhol an s脿s ann gu ceart. Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil sin a鈥 gabhail a-steach ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig!

Mus fhalbh mi, tha ceist agam dhuibh. Ma bhios sibh a鈥 leantainn teacs na Litreach fhad 鈥檚 a dh鈥櫭╥steas sibh rithe gach seachdain, tha mi airson 鈥檚 gun cuir sibh an teacs air falbh an-dr脿sta. Tha mi airson 鈥檚 gum bi sibh d矛reach ag 猫isteachd ris an Litir airson leth-mhionaid. Is tha mi a鈥 dol a chur ceist oirbh. Tha mi airson 鈥檚 gum freagair sibh a鈥 cheist.

Seo i: Bha balach 貌g ann am Muile turas agus chaidh e a dh鈥櫭. Carson nach robh dragh air a ph脿rantan? Canaidh mi a-rithist e: Bha balach 貌g ann am Muile turas agus chaidh e a dh鈥櫭. Carson nach robh dragh air a ph脿rantan? Uill, tha fuasgladh car s矛mplidh ann. Chaidh a ph脿rantan a dh鈥櫭 c貌mhla ris, agus thill iad a Mhuile air a鈥 bh脿t-aiseig 脿s d猫idh l脿imh! Mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: gn矛omhairean: verbs; neo-riaghailteach: irregular; onarach: honest; chunnaic: saw; cuideachail: helpful; gheibh: will get; soirbheachail: successful.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: gu bheil iad a鈥 dol 脿 bith: that they are going out of existence; nach eil c脿il air a shon ach an ionnsachadh: that there is nothing for it but to learn them; tha e na thrioblaid do X: it is a difficulty fo X; c貌 shaoileadh gu robh c脿irdeas dl霉th eadar X agus Y: who would have thought that there was a close relationship between X and Y; dhaibhsan a tha ag ionnsachadh: for those who are learning; cha chreid mi gu bheil fuasgladh ann: I don鈥檛 think there is a solution; airson a bhith a鈥 daingneachadh chleachdaidhean ceart: for consolidating correct usages; nach cuala esan: which he didn鈥檛 hear; an do thuig sibh?: did you understand?; feumaidh a鈥 chearc a bhith a鈥 sgr矛obadh airson biadh a lorg: the hen must be scratching in order to find food; d矛reach le bhith a鈥 d猫anamh cr霉bain: simply by crouching [alone]; feumaidh sibh a dhol an s脿s ann: you must get involved; gu bheil sin a鈥 gabhail a-steach: that that includes; fhad 鈥檚 a dh鈥櫭╥steas sibh rithe: at the same time as you listen to it (fem.); thill iad a Mhuile air a鈥 bh脿t-aiseig: they returned to Mull on the ferry; 脿s d猫idh l脿imh: afterwards; mar sin leibh: cheerio.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: The final paragraph is a play on the ear, which is why I asked you to listen to the broadcast version without looking at the text. What is written is bha balach 貌g ann am Muile turas agus chaidh e a dh鈥櫭: there was a young boy in Mull one time and he went to Iona. Then I asked, 鈥淐arson nach robh dragh air a ph脿rantan?鈥 (why were his parents not upset?) Of course, this makes no sense in the written form. But, to the ear, the first sentence might (and probably would) have been is 鈥渂ha balach 貌g ann am Muile turas agus chaidh e a dh矛th鈥 (there was a young boy in Mull one time and he went missing). In fact a dh矛th can even mean that the boy was dead or possibly dead 鈥 so his parents should have been concerned! If you can think of another good play on words like that, why not send it to me?

Seanfhaclan na seachdaine

Seanfhaclan na seachdaine: 1. Chunnaic mise fear a chuala fear a chunnaic fear a bha ag r脿dh gum fac鈥 e fear a chunnaic an r矛gh: I saw a man that heard a man that saw a man that was saying that he saw a man who saw the king. ie 鈥渢his sounds like third or fourth-hand information to me and I am not sure I should accept it at face value!鈥2. Gheibh cearc an sgr矛obain rudeigin, 鈥檚 chan fhaigh cearc a鈥 chr霉bain dad idir: the scratching hen will get something, but the crouching hen will get nothing 鈥 ie get involved!

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