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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 268: Iomain

An toigh leibh iomain? Tha mi an d貌chas gun toigh l鈥, oir tha ceangal l脿idir l脿idir ann eadar sp貌rs nan Gaidheal agus an c脿nan. Eadhon an l脿 an-diugh 鈥檚 i a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd fhathast an sg矛re as m貌 far a bheilear a鈥 cluich iomain. Ach tha e iongantach mar a bha i air a cluich ann am m貌ran 脿iteachan eile ann am Breatainn, agus thall thairis, far an robh G脿idheil a鈥 tighinn cruinn.

Ann an Astr脿ilia is Canada, ann an New York is Cape Town, a bharrachd air Birmingham, Manchester, Lunnainn is m貌ran 脿iteachan eile, bhiodh muinntir na camanachd a鈥 dol air a鈥 ph脿irc len camain. An l脿 eile, th脿inig mi tarsainn air aithris mu gheam a chaidh a chluich ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas, air p脿irc mh貌r aig bonn na beinne ann am Montevideo, pr矛omh bhaile Uruguay. Bha seo ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug.

Thachair e air a鈥 cheathramh l脿 dhen Ghiblean oir b鈥 e sin l脿 f猫ille sa bhaile. Chuir na G脿idheil a bha a鈥 fuireach ann romhpa geama iomain a chumail. Bha droch choltas air an t-s矛de ach tha fhios nach do chuir sin stad air muinntir na camanachd a-riamh. Chaidh na cluicheadairean a-null ann am b脿taichean bhon bhaile gu ruige b脿gh air an taobh thall. Bha sin faisg air a鈥 ph脿irc. Eadar am port agus a鈥 ph脿irc, choisich iad mar ch貌mhlan, agus p矛obaire aig an ceann. 鈥橲 e am fonn a bh鈥 aig a鈥 ph矛obaire 鈥淭he Campbells are Coming鈥. Bha m貌ran thall mu thr脿th, a鈥 feitheamh riutha.

Mus do th貌isich an cluich, chaidh na sgiobannan a thaghadh. Bhiodh sin a鈥 t貌iseachadh le ainmeachadh sgiobair airson gach taobh. Chanadh fear dhen dithis a tha sin, 鈥淏uaileam ort鈥 agus bhiodh e a鈥 tilgeil a chamain don fhear eile, a ghlacadh e. Chuireadh an dithis an lamhan, t猫 ma seach, suas an caman, agus 鈥檚 e am fear mu dheireadh aig an robh gr猫im fhathast air a鈥 chaman a gheibheadh a鈥 chiad taghadh de chluicheadair. Chanadh e an uairsin, 鈥淟eigeam leat鈥, agus bhiodh cothrom aig an sgiobair eile a鈥 chiad chluicheadair aigesan a thaghadh.

Chan eil an aithris ag innse cuin鈥 a th貌isich an geama, ach lean e gu ceithir uairean feasgar. Nuair a sguir e, shuidh na cluicheadairean air an fheur agus bha cuirm mh貌r aca. 鈥橲 ann nuair a leughas tu na dh鈥 ith iad a thuigeas tu gur ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas a bha iad. Fhuair iad asado de carvo con cuero 鈥 鈥檚 e sin mairtfhe貌il r貌sta leis a鈥 bhian oirre. Ach 鈥檚 ann Albannach a bha an deoch 鈥 uisge-beatha.

As d猫idh na d矛nnearach bha an t-脿m ann airson dannsadh. Bha measgachadh ann de dhannsa G脿idhealach agus ruidhleachan. Tha e coltach gur e rud Albannach a bh鈥 ann air fad, ged a bha cuid nach robh nan Albannaich an l脿thair cuideachd. Aig leth-uair an d猫idh seachd, thill na se貌id do na b脿taichean is rinn iad aiseag a-null don bhaile a-rithist. Ach cha robh an gnothach deiseil. Chaidh na G脿idheil airson an suipearach ann an taigh-貌sta far an do ghabh iad deoch-sl脿inte don Teaghlach R矛oghail agus do Cheann-suidhe Poblachd Uruguay.

An uair sin rinn an cathraiche 貌raid a bha a鈥 dol eadar Beurla is G脿idhlig. Agus bha deoch-sl脿inte eile aca 鈥 agus rud gu math iomchaidh 鈥 gu 鈥淭矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach.鈥 鈥橲 e sin rud nach cluinnear ach gl猫 ainneamh an l脿 an-diugh 鈥 T矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach. Bhiodh e math sin a chluinntinn na bu trice. Co-dhi霉, tha mi an d貌chas gu bheil e f矛or is gu bheil gaisgich againn fhathast air a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: An Giblean: April; l脿-f猫ille: holiday; mu thr脿th: already; cuimr: feast; ruidhleachan: reels; ceann-suidhe: president; poblachd: republic; nas trice: more often.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: eadhon an l脿 an-diugh: even today; an sg矛re as m貌 far a bheilear a鈥 cluich iomain: the region in which shinty is mostly played; air a鈥 ph脿irc len camain: on the field with their camans (shinty sticks); aig bonn na beinne: at the bottom of the mountain; chuir na G脿idheil romhpa: the Gaels decided; bha droch choltas air an t-s矛de: the weather looked threatening; nach do chuir sinn stad air X a-riamh: that that never stopped X; gu ruige b脿gh air an taobh thall: to a bay on the far side; choisich iad mar ch貌mhlan: they walked as a group; agus p矛obaire aig an ceann: with a piper at their head; chanadh fear dhen dithis: one of the pair would say; 鈥檚 e am fear mu dheireadh aig an robh gr猫im fhathast: it is the last one who still gripped; lean e gu: it continued until; 鈥檚 ann nuair a leughas tu na dh鈥檌th iad: it鈥檚 when you read what they ate; a thuigeas tu gur ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas a bha iad; that you understand they were in South America; cuid nach robh nan Albannaich: some who were not Scots; thill na se貌id: the heroes returned; rinn iad aiseag: they crossed (by ferry); airson an suipearach: for their supper; T矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach: Land of the Mountains, the Glens and the Heroes; bhiodh e math sin a chluinntinn na bu trice: it would be good to hear that more often; gu bheil gaisgich againn fhathast: that we still have heroes.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Buaileam ort: let me hit you (said at the very start of a shinty game). Do you recognise this grammatical construction? It is the first person singular imperative (of buail). This is the equivalent for the first person to 鈥渂uail!鈥 (鈥渉it!鈥, the second person singular) and 鈥渂uailibh!鈥 (鈥渉it!鈥, the second person plural). The 鈥揳m or 鈥揺am ending is the giveaway for this. It occurs again in the Litir in 鈥淟eigeam leat鈥 which is what the captain who had the first choice of a player would say to allow the opposing captain to make his first choice. This is also the first person singular imperative (of leig) and means 鈥渓et me permit you鈥.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: ghabh iad deoch-sl脿inte: they had a toast (a drink with a toast).

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