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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Litir 221: A chaoidh, gu br脿th, agus riamh no riamh

Fhuair mi teachdaireachd tron phost-dealain an l脿 eile bho fhear anns na St脿itean Aonaichte mu na d貌ighean a th鈥 againn ann an G脿idhlig airson never a r脿dh. Bu mhath leam sin a dh猫anamh mar chuspair na Litreach seo.

Ma tha sibh ag iarraidh faighinn a-mach mar a chanas sibh never, mholainn anns a鈥 chiad dol-a-mach gun coimhead sibh ann am faclair Beurla gu G脿idhlig no anns an leabhar a chaidh a dh猫anamh le Sabhal M貌r Ostaig air a bheil 鈥淎n St貌r-D脿ta Briathrachais G脿idhlig鈥. Tha tr矛 rudan acasan fo 鈥渘ever鈥: a chaoidh, gu br脿th, agus riamh no (a-)riamh.

Chan e sin deireadh na sge貌il, ge-t脿. Tha c貌ig d貌ighean eile ann airson 鈥渘ever鈥 a r脿dh a tha a鈥 tighinn gu m鈥 inntinn an-dr脿sta. Gu s矛orraidh, tuilleadh, am feasd, gu suthainn agus uair sam bith. Sin ochd d貌ighean uile gu l猫ir agus chan 脿ichinn gu bheil barrachd na sin ann.

Bu mhath leam aon rud cudromach a r脿dh mu dheidhinn riamh no a-riamh. Tha e an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥 seasamh airson rudeigin a thachair anns an 霉ine a chaidh seachad. Bidh an fheadhainn eile mar as trice a-mach air rudan a thachras anns an 霉ine a tha romhainn.

Faodaidh a-riamh a bhith a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渆ver鈥 cuideachd. Mar eisimpleir, tha e cho math 鈥檚 a bha e a-riamh, 鈥渉e鈥檚 as good as he ever was.鈥 Ach le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, tha e a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渘ever鈥. Cha do dh鈥檉heuch mi sin a-riamh. 鈥淚 never tried that鈥 no 鈥淚 have never tried that.鈥 Uaireannan, bidh daoine ag r脿dh riamh-roimhe, 鈥渘ever before.鈥 Cha robh mi an seo riamh-roimhe 鈥 鈥淚 was never here before now.鈥

Canaidh sinn a-chaoidh cuideachd airson 鈥渘ever鈥, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, agus a鈥 coimhead air adhart. Mar eisimpleir, cha till e a-chaoidh, 鈥渉e will never return.鈥

Tha am facal br脿th a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渏udgement鈥 agus tha gu l脿 a鈥 bhr脿th a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渦ntil judgement day鈥. Tha sin air a ghiorrachadh gu gu br脿th 鈥 鈥渇or ever鈥. Agus, mar as trice, canaidh daoine 鈥済u br脿ch鈥 mar gu robh 鈥渃h鈥 aig an deireadh, seach 鈥渢h鈥. Alba gu Br脿th! 鈥 鈥淪cotland for Ever!鈥 Ach, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, tha gu br脿th a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渘ever鈥. Cha till mi gu br脿th, 鈥淚 will never return鈥.

Tha gu s矛orraidh br脿th a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渇or ever and ever鈥 ach, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil, a-rithist, faodaidh gu s矛orraidh seasamh airson 鈥渘ever鈥. Mar eisimpleir, cha nochd iad gu s矛orraidh, 鈥渢hey will never appear鈥. Tha ciall car coltach air gu suthainn, ged nach cluinnear gu tric e. Cha till iad gu suthainn is gu s矛orraidh, 鈥渢hey will never ever return鈥.

Tha am feasd a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渇or ever鈥, agus dh鈥檉haodadh tu r脿dh cha tig e am feasd 鈥 鈥渉e will never come鈥. Agus tha tuilleadh a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渕ore鈥 no 鈥渁ny more鈥. A-rithist, le gn矛omhair 脿icheil teachdail, tha e a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渘ever鈥; cha till e tuilleadh, 鈥渉e will never return鈥. Ach a鈥 coimhead air ais, tha e a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渁ny more鈥, leithid cha t脿inig i tuilleadh, 鈥渟he didn鈥檛 come any more鈥.

Agus tha uair sam bith ann. Tha sin a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渁ny time鈥 ach dh鈥檉haodadh e bhith air eadar-theangachadh mar 鈥渘ever鈥 cuideachd. Mar eisimpleir, chan 貌ladh e deoch l脿idir uair sam bith 鈥 鈥渉e would never drink alcohol.鈥

Thog mo charaid anns na St脿itean ceist. Am bi am facal idir air a chleachdadh airson 鈥渘ever鈥? Uill, chanainn gu bheil idir a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渁t all鈥. Canaidh an duine aig a bheil toll na ph貌caid, 鈥淐han eil airgead agam idir鈥. Ach chan eil sin a鈥 ciallachadh nach bi airgead aige uaireigin. 鈥橲 e nas miosa dheth buileach am fear a chanas, 鈥淐ha bhi airgead agam gu br脿th鈥 oir bidh e bochd airson a鈥 ch貌rr de bheatha.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: na St脿itean Aonaichte: The United States; Sabhal M貌r Ostaig: Gaelic College in the south of Skye; teachdail: future (tense of verb).

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: teachdaireachd tron phost-dealain: a message by (through) e-mail; mholainn anns a鈥 chiad dol-a-mach: I would recommend in the first instance; sin ochd d貌ighean uile gu l猫ir: that鈥檚 8 ways altogether; an 霉ine a chaidh seachad: the past; an 霉ine a tha romhainn: the future (lit. the time that is in front of us); tha ciall car coltach air X: X means something similar; an duine aig a bheil toll na ph貌caid: the man who has a hole in his pocket; chan eil airgead agam idir: I have no money at all; nach bi airgead aige uaireigin: that he will not have money sometime; cha bhi airgead agam gu br脿th: I will never have money; bidh e bochd airson a鈥 ch貌rr de bheatha: he will be poor for the rest of his life.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥橲 e nas miosa dheth buileach am fear a chanas鈥: he is much the worse off the man who says鈥 Two points here: The comparative nas miosa dheth is a modern Gaelic idiom, derived from the English 鈥渨orse off鈥, but now well established in the language. People also say tha e nas fhe脿rr dheth as an equivalent of 鈥渉e is better off鈥, both in terms of money and other aspects of life. And note that I started the sentence with the assertive verb 鈥渋s鈥 rather than the verb 鈥渢o be鈥, ie by saying Tha am fear a chanas X nas miosa dheth buileach. There is no difference in the meanings of the two sentences, but there is a difference in emphasis. We often use 鈥渋s鈥 at the beginning simply to be emphatic. 鈥橲 e nas miosa dheth buileach is a stronger form of wording which emphasises the point. Here are two other examples, and note how the second verb is in the relative future: 鈥檚 e as beartaiche am fear a sh脿bhalas a chuid airgid (it鈥檚 the man that saves his money that is the richest); 鈥檚 e as fhe脿rr don 脿rainneachd an carbad a ruitheas air h脿idraidean (the vehicle which runs on hydrogen is best for the environment). Now here is a more complicated example with two verbs, both in the relative future: 鈥檚 iad as fhaide a mhaireas be貌 an fheadhainn a dh鈥檌theas am biadh ceart (those who survive longest are those who eat the right food).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chan 脿ichinn gu bheil barrachd na sin ann: I wouldn鈥檛 deny there are more than that. An equivalent to this would be cha d鈥檙achainn as 脿icheadh gu bheil鈥 Note that the verb and noun 脿icheadh and the adjective 脿icheil (鈥渘egative鈥), which appears in the Litir several times, come from the same root. Gn矛omhair 脿icheil means a 鈥渘egative verb鈥 ie a verb in its negative form.

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