Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Clip

Litir 253: Loch ma N脿ire

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu thachartas annasach ann am Baile Dhubhthaich anns an naoidheamh linn deug, anns an do rinn boireannaich leigheas air fear a bha tinn, agus iad dhen bheachd gun do ghabh cuideigin s霉il air 鈥 鈥檚 e sin an droch-sh霉il. Agus chleachd iad 猫iteag, no clach bheag gheal, ann an uisge mar ph脿irt dhen leigheas.

Uill, gu tuath air Baile Dubhthaich, ann an Srath Nabhair ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh, tha loch ann air a bheil Loch ma N脿ire. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a tha e air na mapaichean 鈥 Loch ma N脿ire, ged a tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e Loch mo N脿ire a bu ch貌ir a bhith ann. Tha sgoilearan air ceangal a dh猫anamh eadar an t-ainm agus ban-dia ph脿ganach. Is d貌cha gun t脿inig ainm na h-aibhne 鈥 Nabhar 鈥 bhon bhan-dia seo, oir tha e gu math sean. Bha e air map Ptolemy mar Naberus.

Co-dhi霉, cha do chuir sgoilearachd stad a-riamh air a鈥 mh貌r-shluagh bho bhith a鈥 cruthachadh beul-aithris (a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith breugach) mu ainm 脿ite, agus tha st貌iridh ann mu dheidhinn an locha seo.

Bha cailleach ann o shean aig robh clach gheal dhraoidheil. Bha i gu math bochd ach a-mh脿in gu robh a鈥 chlach seo aice. Leis a鈥 chloich, bha i comasach air cobhair a dh猫anamh air daoine a bha tinn. Chuireadh i a鈥 chlach ann an uisge agus dh鈥櫭瞝adh na h-euslaintich an t-uisge.

L脿 a bha seo chaidh an seann bhoireannach gu ruige b脿illidh na h-oighreachd, Sir Raibeart G貌rdan, agus i a鈥 sireadh f脿bhar. 鈥橲 e duine cruaidh a bh鈥 anns a鈥 Gh貌rdanach, agus dhi霉lt e an t-iarrtas aice. Gu dearbh, dh鈥檉h脿s e feargach agus chuir e 脿s leth na caillich gu robh i na bana-bhuidseach.

Na bu mhiosa na sin, dh鈥檌arr e oirre a鈥 chlach aice a thoirt dha. Dhi霉lt i sin a-muigh no mach, agus rinn i a-mach 脿s an taigh na deann. Bha an caothach air a鈥 Gh貌rdanach, a r猫ir choltais, agus lean e oirre a-mach 脿s an taigh mh貌r. Ghlac e i air bruach an loch鈥 a bha seo.

Co-dhi霉, mus d鈥 fhuair an G貌rdanach cothrom greim fhaighinn air a鈥 chloich dhraoidheil, thilg a鈥 chailleach don loch i, agus i a鈥 toirt mallachd air na G貌rdanaich gu l猫ir. Nise, tha mi air d脿 chunntas eadar-dhealaichte a leughadh mu na thachair 脿s d猫idh sin. A r猫ir aona chunntais, mhuirt am b脿illidh a鈥 chailleach le bhith a鈥 tilgeil chlachan m貌ra oirre, agus i anns an loch. Anns a鈥 chunntas eile, chan eil guth air murt. Ach tha iad le ch猫ile ag aontachadh gun do dh鈥櫭╥gh i, 鈥淢o n脿ire, mo n脿ire!鈥, agus gur e sin as coireach gur e Loch mo N脿ire a th鈥 air an loch mar ainm an-diugh.

Co-dhi霉 tha sin f矛or gus nach eil, dh鈥檉h脿s an loch ainmeil air feadh a鈥 chinn a tuath, oir bhathar a鈥 creidsinn gun do chuir a鈥 chlach an t-uisge fo dheagh gheasaibh. Thigeadh daoine bho cho fad鈥 air falbh ri Inbhir Nis is Arcaibh airson ionnlaid a dh猫anamh anns an loch, agus is iomadh duine a bha dhen bheachd gun d鈥 fhuair e leigheas ann.

Agus tha e gu math iomchaidh gu bheil mi ag aithris air seo an-diugh oir air d脿 l脿 anns a鈥 bhliadhna, bha an leigheas gu s貌nraichte 猫ifeachdach. B鈥 e sin a鈥 chiad Dhiluain anns an L霉nastal agus a-m脿ireach 鈥 a鈥 chiad l脿 dhen Ch猫itean no mar a chanas na Gaidheil L脿 Buidhe Bealltainn. Chan eil mi ag r脿dh nach nochd duine air choreigin a-m脿ireach air bruach Loch mo N脿ire, agus e a鈥 sireadh deagh shl脿inte anns a鈥 bhliadhna romhainn.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: 猫iteag: white pebble; Srath Nabhair: Strathnaver; ban-dia ph脿ganach: a pagan goddess; draoidheil: magic (adj.); ghlac e: he caught; Inbhir Nis: Inverness; Arcaibh: Orkney; ionnlaid: washing, cleansing; iomchaidh: fitting; 猫ifeachdach: effective.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: mu thachartas annasach ann am Baile Dhubhthaich: about an unusual happening in Tain; anns an do rinn boireannaich leigheas air X: in which [some] women cured X; gun do ghabh cuideigin s霉il air: that somebody gave him the evil eye; cha do chuir sgoilearachd stad a-riamh air X: scholarship has never stopped X; beul-aithris (a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith breugach): oral tradition (which might be untruthful); ach a-mh脿in gu robh a鈥 chlach aice: except that she had the stone; bha i comasach air cobhair a dh猫anamh: she was able to help; gu ruige b脿illidh na h-oighreachd: to the estate factor; a鈥 sireadh f脿bhar: seeking a favour; dhi霉lt i sin a-muigh no mach: she absolutely refused that; rinn i a-mach 脿s an taigh na deann: she left the house in a hurry; bha an caothach air X: X was very angry: a鈥 toirt mallachd air na G貌rdanaich gu l猫ir: cursing all the Gordons; chan eil guth air murt: there is no mention of murder; mo n脿ire!: shame!; co-dhi霉 tha sin f矛or gus nach eil: whether that is true or not; fo dheagh gheasaibh: under a benevolent spell; nach nochd duine air choreigin a-m脿ireach: that somebody or other won鈥檛 appear tomorrow.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: dh鈥櫭瞝adh na h-euslaintich an t-uisge: the patients would drink the water. Do you know the difference between this and 貌ladh na h-euslaintich an t-uisge? The latter is an imperative and would mean 鈥渓et the patients drink the water鈥. The diagnostic difference is the presence of the dh鈥 at the beginning of the first form, which is the independent form of the conditional/past habitual, although there may be other clues in the sentence that tell you which verbal form is meant. Other examples are abradh iad na thogras iad (let them say what they want 鈥 imperative) and dh鈥檃bradh iad na thogradh iad (they would say what they wanted 鈥 conditional/past habitual); and itheadh iad a h-uile n矛 (let them eat everything 鈥 imperative) and dh鈥檌theadh iad a h-uile n矛 (they would eat everything 鈥 conditional/past habitual).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: chuir e 脿s leth na caillich gu robh i na bana-bhuidseach: he claimed that the old woman was a witch. Chuir X 脿s leth Y (genitive) gu robh e鈥: X attributed 鈥 to Y, or X charged Y with 鈥, or X claimed that Y was...

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic

Tha Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic (le PDFs)

All letters

Tha na litrichean uile an seo / The letters are available here

Podcast: Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

Letter To Gaelic Learners

Podcast