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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 271: Naomh P脿draig

Tha mi a鈥 dol a chantainn rudeigin connspaideach. Cha do chuir Naomh P脿draig 脿s do nathraichean ann an 脠irinn. Nise, chan eil mi a鈥 ciallachadh gu bheil adhbhar saidheansail airson a r脿dh nach e Naomh P脿draig a bu choireach nach eil nathraichean anns an eilean sin. Chan e sin a tha mi ag r脿dh idir. Tha mi ag r脿dh gu bheil nathraichean fhathast ann an 脠irinn. Tha fhios agam air a sin, oir bha mi ann o chionn ghoirid agus sheas mi air t猫. Dh鈥檉h脿g i a puinnsean ann am fe貌il mo choise. Agus dh鈥檉hairich mi cr脿dh cho dona 鈥檚 a dh鈥檉hairich mi a-riamh air a s脿illeamh.

Tha cuid dhen bheachd gu bheil na st貌iridhean mu dheidhinn Naoimh Ph脿draig is na nathraichean a鈥 riochdachadh na str矛 eadar Cr矛osdachd agus an seann chreideamh a bh鈥 ann roimhpe. Co-dhi霉 tha sin f矛or gus nach eil, thathar ag r脿dh nach eil nathair sam bith ann an 脠irinn an-diugh. Agus bha mi a鈥 creidsinn sin gus an robh mi ann an Contae Chiarra铆 air tr脿igh ghainmhich. Bha seo ann an G脿idhealtachd Chorca Dhuibhne, gu siar air An Daingean.

Bha mi air a bhith a鈥 sn脿mh sa mhuir air l脿 br猫agha, agus mi casruisgte. Bha mi a鈥 coiseachd a-mach 脿s an t-s脿l, agus tr脿igh mh貌r ann aig an 脿m, nuair a dh鈥檉hairich mi rudeigin air bonn mo choise. Cha robh e dona an toiseach ach taobh a-staigh leth-mhionaid bha pian mh貌r ann.

鈥淢uir-t猫achd鈥, thuirt a鈥 chlann rium, ach chaidh mi 脿s 脿icheadh sin. Bha fios agam, gu m矛-fhortanach, gu robh mi air mo chas a chur air iasg ris an canar ann am Beurla the lesser weever fish. Bidh an t-iasg seo na laighe fon ghainmhich le direach na dealgan droma aige, a tha co-cheangailte ri poca de phuinnsean, a鈥 stobadh an 脿irde. Tha e rudeigin pailt, a r猫ir choltais, ann an Sasainn is 脠irinn, agus tha e ann an Alba cuideachd.

Bha fios agam mu dheidhinn, oir nuair a bha mi 貌g bha mi air l脿ithean-saora ann an Norfolk c貌mhla ri teaghlach eile. Chaidh caraid dhomh, a bha na ghille 貌g, a sgobadh le fear de na h-猫isg sin, agus bha e ann an droch staid airson beagan uairean a th矛de.

Ach cha robh fios agam de an leigheas a bh鈥 ann dha. Chuir sinn f貌n gu ospadal ann an Tr谩 L铆. Bha an dotair 霉r don d霉thaich is cha robh fios aige gu robh a leithid de rud ann mar iasg puinnseanta ann an 脠irinn. Bha an dearbh rud f矛or mun d脿rna dotair. Mu dheireadh bhruidhinn sinn ri nurs a bhios a鈥 surfadh, is cha robh m貌ran fiosrachaidh aicese na bu mh貌. Tha sin na iongnadh dhomh oir nuair a thill mi dhachaigh lorg mi duilleag air an eadar-l矛on a chuir buidheann 脠ireannach 鈥 Cumann S谩bh谩ilteacht Uisce 鈥 a-mach, a鈥 toirt rabhadh do shn脿mhadairean mun 鈥渧enomous weever fish鈥.

Ach fuirich ort, Ruairidh, bidh sibh ag r脿dh 鈥 nach tuirt thu aig an toiseach gun do sheas thu air nathair? Uill, thuirt, agus thuirt airson d脿 adhbhar. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm saidheansail a th鈥 air an iasg 鈥 Echiichthys vipera 鈥 鈥渁n t-iasg le dealgan a tha coltach ri nathair鈥. Agus 鈥檚 e ainm ann an G脿idhlig 鈥 nathair-ghainmhich. Nathair-ghainmhich.

Mar sin, ma chuir Naomh P脿draig 脿s do na nathraichean ann an 脠irinn, bha e soirbheachail d矛reach air talamh tioram s矛os gu 矛re an l脿in 脿ird. Ach fon 矛re sin, tha nathraichean gu le貌r ann an 脠irinn fhathast. Is tha aon rud eile cinnteach 鈥 cha t猫id mise a shn脿mh a-rithist air tr脿igh ghainmhich ann an Alba no 脠irinn, agus mi casruisgte.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: connspaideach: controversial; puinnsean: poison; roimhpe: before it (fem.); Contae Chiarra铆: County Kerry; tr脿igh ghainmhich: sandy beach; casruisgte: barefoot; s脿l: sea water; muir-t猫achd: jellyfish; leigheas: cure; sn脿mhadairean: swimmers; nathair-ghainmhich: (lit. 鈥渟and-snake鈥) the lesser weever fish (Echiichthys vipera) 鈥 it might also be the fish referred to as 鈥渟tangaram鈥 in some places..

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: gu bheil adhbhar saidheansail airson a r脿dh: that there is a scientific reason for saying; chan e sin a tha mi ag r脿dh idir: it is not that which I am saying at all; sheas mi air t猫: I stood on one (nathair is feminine); ann am fe貌il mo choise: in the flesh of my foot; dh鈥檉hairich mi cr脿dh: I felt pain; air a s脿illeamh: because of it (fem.); a鈥 riochdachadh na str矛 eadar X agus Y: representing the struggle between X and Y; co-dhi霉 tha sin f矛or gus nach eil: whether that is true or not; thathar ag r脿dh: it is said; agus tr脿igh mh貌r ann aig an 脿m: the tide being low at the time (ie there was a big beach); chaidh mi 脿s 脿icheadh sin: I denied that; le d矛reach na dealgan droma aige a鈥 stobadh an 脿irde: with only its dorsal spines sticking up; tha e rudeigin pailt: it is somewhat common; chaidh X a sgobadh: X was stung; bha e ann an droch staid; he was in a bad way; gu robh a leithid de rud ann: that such a thing existed; cha robh m貌ran fiosrachaidh aicese na bu mh貌: she didn鈥檛 have much information either; tha sin na iongnadh dhomh: that surprises me; bha e soirbheachail d矛reach air talamh tioram: he was only successful on dry land; cha t猫id mise a shn脿mh a-rithist: I won鈥檛 go swimming again.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Can you explain why I said 鈥渂ha an dotair 霉r don d霉thaich鈥 (the doctor was new to the country) and not 鈥渂ha an d貌tair 霉r don dh霉thaich鈥? I ask the question because d霉thaich is here in the (singular) dative case following the preposition do (or it might have been its dialectal equivalent, dha ie ... dhan d霉thaich), and in the dative a lenitable consonant following the article is generally lenited ie don chaora (not don caora), don mhullach (not don mullach). I hope you twigged (from the Gaelic tuig, by the way) that it is because of the juxtaposition of the n and the d. A terminal n tends to act as a lenition-blocker on d (and on t and s). See if you can find another example in the Litir where a terminal n on one word blocks lenition of a d at the start of the following word. And are there any instances where n is followed by a lenited d? (all good rules are broken somewhere or other!)

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Cha do chuir Naomh P脿draig 脿s do nathraichean ann an 脠irinn: St. Patrick did not eliminate snakes in Ireland. Tha X a鈥 cur 脿s do Y: X is doing away with, eliminating, killing Y.

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