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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 163: Suiteis, si霉cairean agus carbhaidhean

Tha diofar fhaclan ann am Beurla airson sweets. Confectionery, candies, sweeties鈥 Is tha an aon rud f矛or ann an G脿idhlig. Bidh cuid a鈥 cleachdadh facal a th脿inig bhon Bheurla 鈥 suiteis. Ann an 脿iteachan eile, canaidh iad si霉cairean. Ann an sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch, canaidh iad carbhaidhean. Canaidh daoine 鈥 鈥渁n gabh thu carbhaidh?鈥

A-rithist, 鈥檚 e a th鈥 ann an carbhaidh facal a th脿inig bhon Bheurla 鈥 bho carroway. Bhiodh s矛l a鈥 charbhaidh mar shi霉cairean do mhuinntir na sg矛re o shean. Nach eil sin na chomharra air an atharrachadh mh貌r a th脿inig air an t-saoghal!

Tha e furasta gu le貌r tuigsinn mar a th脿inig am facal si霉car air sweetie, oir tha iad milis. O shean, bhiodh daoine air a鈥 Ghaidhealtachd uaireannan ag 貌rdachadh si霉cairean bho na bailtean m貌ra aig deas. 鈥橲 e sin a rinn ministear a bha seo turas. Dh鈥櫭瞨daich e si霉cairean 脿 Glaschu tro fhear de muinntir a choitheanail, aig an robh b霉th bheag anns an sg矛re, ach nuair a dh鈥檉heuch am ministear na nochd ann am poca aig an doras aige, cha b鈥 e si霉cairean a bh鈥 annta idir ach p矛osan de dh鈥檃lum! Chan eil blas math sam bith air alum, agus cha robh am ministear toilichte.

Bha fear na b霉tha air a n脿rachadh agus bha e airson tiodhlac a thoirt don mhinistear. Airson comhairle, chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh br脿thair a鈥 mhinisteir. Nise, bhiodh am br脿thair a bha seo ri 脿bhachd, agus thuirt e ri fear na b霉tha gur e a bu ch貌ir dha dh猫anamh botal de dh鈥檜isge-beatha a thoirt don mhinistear. 鈥橲 e uisge-beatha gun dath a bhiodh ann, stuth a chaidh a dh猫anamh sa mhonadh gun fhiosta do na g猫idsearan.

鈥橲 e sin a rinn fear na b霉tha. Chaidh e a ch猫ilidh air a鈥 mhinistear aig a鈥 mhansa. Ach leis gu robh e rudeigin di霉id agus m矛-chinnteach mu shunnd a鈥 mhinisteir, dh鈥檉h脿g e am botal air an stairsnich. Bha am ministear d貌igheil gu le貌r agus thill fear na b霉tha don stairsnich airson am botal fhaighinn. Thug e a-staigh e, agus l矛on e gloinne airson a鈥 mhinisteir.

Ge-t脿, gun fhiosta dha, bha am br脿thair air a bhith aig an d貌ras fhad 鈥檚 a bha esan a-staigh. Dh鈥檉halamhaich e am botal agus l矛on e le s脿l e. Agus nuair a chuir am ministear a鈥 ghloinne gu bhilean .. uill .. cha do ch貌rd e ris! Dh鈥櫭╥gh e na faclan seo, a chaidh a chuimhneachadh mar sheanfhacal 鈥 Is miosa seo nan t-alum! Is miosa seo nan t-alum. Ma dh鈥檌theas sibh rudeigin m矛-bhlasta, faodaidh sibh sin a r脿dh!

鈥橲 e sin suiteis, si霉cairean is carbhaidhean. Ach d猫 a鈥 Gh脿idhlig a th鈥 air confectioner is confectionery? Uill, airson sin, feumaidh sinn smaoineachadh air a鈥 Gh脿idhlig airson a鈥 bhuadhair, sweet. Tha sin st猫idhichte air an fhacal airson honey. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi fios agaibh gur e mel a th鈥 air honey ann an Laideann. Tha faclan Beurla mar mellifluous agus melliferous a鈥 tighinn bhon Laidinn.

Ann an Ros an Iar, 鈥檚 e mel a th鈥 air honey cuideachd ann an G脿idhlig. Canaidh daoine meileis airson sweet. Ach, anns a鈥 chuid mh貌ir dhen Ghaidhealtachd, 鈥檚 e mil a chanas daoine, agus milis. Agus tha na faclan airson confectionery is confectioner a鈥 tighinn 脿s a sin 鈥 m矛lseanachd airson confectionery agus m矛lseanaiche airson confectioner.

An l脿 an-diugh, ma chanas sibh gun toigh leibh m矛lsean, tuigidh daoine gu bheil sibh a鈥 bruidhinn mu dessert no pudding, na rudan milis a ghabhas daoine mar ph脿irt de dhiathad. Uill, tha a h-uile c脿il a tha seo gam fh脿gail acrach. Tha mi a鈥 falbh airson p矛os te貌claid fhaighinn. Mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: Ge脿rrloch: Gairloch; dh鈥櫭瞨daich e: he ordered; tiodhlac: present; dh鈥檉halamhaich e: he emptied; s脿l: salt water; m矛-bhlasta: of bad flavour; buadhair: adjective; Laideann: Latin; Ros an Iar: Wester Ross; diathad: meal; acrach: hungry; te貌claid: chocolate.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: an gabh thu carbhaidh?: will you take a sweet? (Gairloch dialect); bhiodh s矛l a鈥 charbhaidh mar shi霉cairean do mhuinntir na sg矛re o shean: carroway seed would be like sweeties to the people of the area in the old days; nach eil sin na chomharra air an atharrachadh mh貌r a th脿inig air an t-saoghal?: isn鈥檛 that a mark of how the world has changed?; bho na bailtean m貌ra aig deas: from the cities down south; bha fear na b霉tha air a n脿rachadh: the shopkeeper was ashamed; airson comhairle, chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh br脿thair a鈥 mhinisteir: for advice, he went to the minister鈥檚 brother; bhiodh am br脿thair a bha seo ri 脿bhachd: this brother was a bit of a joker; gur e a bu ch貌ir dha dh猫anamh: what he ought to do; stuth a chaidh a dh猫anamh sa mhonadh gun fhiosta do na g猫idsearan: stuff that was made on the hill without the knowledge of the excisemen; chaidh e a ch猫ilidh air X: he went to visit X; di霉id agus m矛-chinnteach mu shunnd a鈥 mhinisteir: shy and uncertain of the minister鈥檚 disposition; dh鈥檉h脿g e am botal air an stairsnich: he left the bottle on the doorstep; cha do ch貌rd e ris: he didn鈥檛 enjoy it; an l脿 an-diugh, ma chanas sibh gun toigh leibh m矛lsean: these days, if you say that you like 鈥渕矛lsean鈥 (ie dessert); mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta: cheerio just now.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Nuair a dh鈥檉heuch am ministear na nochd ann am poca aig an doras aige, cha b鈥 e si霉cairean a bh鈥 annta: when the minister tried what appeared in a bag at his door, they were not sweets. The relative pronoun na is an extremely useful device in Gaelic. It means 鈥(all) that which鈥 or 鈥(all) those which鈥 and can therefore be used when one is talking about the contents of something eg thug e dhomh na bha aige de shuiteis anns a鈥 phoca (he gave me all the sweets he had in the bag); bha mi toilichte leis na bh鈥 agam de luchd-taic anns a鈥 bhaile sin (I was pleased with what I had of supporters in that town); leis na th鈥 ann de dh鈥檜isge air Mars, tha d貌chas ann gun t猫id daoine a dh鈥檉huireach ann (given what exists of water on Mars, there is hope that people will go and live there); leis na th鈥 aice de dh鈥檃irgead anns a鈥 bhanca, cha shaoileadh tu gum i cho sp矛ocach (given what she has of money in the bank, you wouldn鈥檛 think she would be so mean); leis na chosgas peatral a-nise, 鈥檚 e c脿r beag a cheannaicheas mi an ath-thuras (given what petrol now costs, it鈥檚 a small car I鈥檒l buy next time).

Seanfhacal na seachdaine

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Is miosa seo nan t-alum!: this is worse than the alum (said of a food or drink with an exceptionally bad flavour).

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