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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 142: Gleann Truim

Bidh m貌ran agaibh e貌lach air Gleann Truim. 鈥橲 e sin an gleann anns a bheil an rathad m貌r eadar Inbhir Nis is Peairt, an A9, faisg air Dail Chuinnidh. Tha Abhainn Truim a鈥 ruith s矛os bhon Druim Uachdair gu ruige Abhainn Sp猫, no Uisge Sp猫 mar a chanas muinntir an 脿ite, faisg air Bail鈥 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh.

Fada mus robh guth air an A9 bha rathad tron ghleann. Tha fhios gu robh daoine a鈥 coiseachd air thairis air ceudan bhliadhnaichean, a鈥 toirt crodh gu margaidh air a鈥 Mhachair Ghallda. Agus thog an Seanailear Wade rathad ceart ann san ochdamh linn deug. Tha p脿irt dheth sin comasach air carbadan a ghabhail fhathast.

Ann am badeigin air an rathad sin, faisg air seann drochaid, bha craobh-chaorainn ann uaireigin. Bha i ainmeil airson seilleanan agus rachadh muinntir an 脿ite ga h-ionnsaigh airson mil. Dh鈥檉halbh a鈥 chraobh o chionn fhada air s脿illeamh seann aois. Faodaidh mi a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin, oir cha bhiodh na Gaidheil a鈥 leigeal craobh-chaorainn uair sam bith. Canaidh feadhainn gur e d矛reach saobh-chr脿bhadh a th鈥 ann a sin, ach tha m貌ran ann a chumas ris fhathast.

A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha droch fhaireachdainn co-cheangailte ris an drochaid. Nuair a bhiodh a鈥 ghealach l脿n, cha d鈥檙achadh muinntir an 脿ite tarsainn oirre. Rachadh iad s矛os an abhainn agus bhiodh iad a鈥 lorg ath airson a dhol a-null. Dh猫anadh na h-eich aca an dearbh rud! Agus bhiodh coin a chunnaic an drochaid a鈥 comhartaich. Chitheadh iad rudeigin nach fhaiceadh daoine. No a鈥 chuid a bu mh貌 de dhaoine, oir bha feadhainn ann a chanadh gum fac鈥 iad pearsa air choreigin ann an aodach geal faisg air clach mh貌r ri taobh na drochaid.

Uill, oidhche a bha seo, thug fear de mhuinntir an 脿ite geall gun d鈥檙achadh aige air a dhol a-null, thar na drochaid, gun dragh sam bith, air an oidhche. 鈥楽 d貌cha nach robh misneachd gu le貌r aige, ge-t脿, oir dh鈥櫭瞝 e uiread de dh鈥檜isge-beatha ro l脿imh. Chuir sin misneachd na chuislean!

Co-dhi霉, chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid air muin-eich. Ach cha robh an t-each air mhisg agus dhi霉lt esan a-muigh no mach dhol ro fhaisg air an drochaid. Mar sin, dh鈥檉h脿g ar caraid an t-each faisg air a鈥 chraoibh-chaorainn, agus chum e a dol leis fh猫in, air cois, a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid. Agus ann a sin, aig bonn na cloiche m貌ire, tha e coltach gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich boireannach geal mu a choinneimh. No 鈥檚 e sin a bha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥 cumail a-mach as d猫idh l脿imh, oir chan fhaca duine aca gu d猫 a thachair.

Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, leis nach do nochd an duine, chaidh feadhainn a-mach, ann an solas an l脿, airson a lorg. Fhuair iad e ann an d矛g ri taobh an rathaid, mu chairteal mh矛le air falbh bhon drochaid agus aodann ann an glumag. Bha e marbh. Bha an t-each aige ag ionaltradh gu s矛theil faisg air l脿imh.

Chuir sin eagal air a鈥 mh貌r-shluagh agus cha d鈥檙achadh gin aca faisg air an drochaid air an oidhche bho sin a-mach. Ach a-mh脿in aon duine. Chaidh esan a-mach gu s脿mhach agus chum e am falach faisg air an drochaid. As d猫idh greis, dh鈥櫭╥rich solas br猫agha geal air c霉l na cloiche m貌ire agus, na chois, boireannach geal le a g脿irdeanan air an s矛neadh a-mach. Bha eagal a bheatha air, ach choimhead e air a鈥 bhoireannach airson c貌ig mionaidean mus do dh鈥檉halbh i agus an solas leatha. Rinn e air an taigh aige agus dh鈥檌nnis e mu na chunnaic e. Is tha a naidheachd againn fhathast an-diugh ged nach fhacas am boireannach geal airson 霉ine mh貌ir.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: Dail Chuinnidh: Dalwhinnie; Druim Uachdair: Drumochter; Bail鈥 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh: Newtonmore; saobh-chr脿bhadh: superstition; rachadh iad: they would go; coin: dogs; a鈥 comhartaich: barking; air cois: on foot; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the morrow, next day; d矛g: ditch.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: fada mus robh guth air an A9: long before the A9 was in existence; a鈥 toirt crodh gu margaidh air a鈥 Mhachair Ghallda: taking cattle to market in the Lowlands; tha p脿irt dheth sin comasach air carbadan a ghabhail fhathast: part of that is still able to carry vehicles; ann am badeigin air an rathad, bha craobh-chaorainn ann uaireigin: somewhere on the road, there was at one time a rowan tree; tha m貌ran ann a chumas ris fhathast: there are many who adhere to it yet; bhiodh iad a鈥 lorg ath airson a dhol a-null: they would look for a ford to go over; dh猫anadh na h-eich aca an dearbh rud: their horses would do the very same thing; chitheadh iad rudeigin nach fhaiceadh daoine: they would see something that people would not see; thug X geall gun d鈥檙achadh aige air a dhol a-null: X bet that he would manage to get across; chuir sin misneachd na chuislean: that put courage in his veins; cha robh an t-each air mhisg: the horse was not drunk; dhi霉lt esan a-muigh no mach: he absolutely refused; aig bonn na cloiche m貌ire: at the base of the big stone; agus aodann ann an glumag: with his face in a puddle, pool; ach a-mh脿in aon duine: except for one man; chum e am falach: he hid; air c霉l na cloiche m貌ire: behind the big stone; ged nach fhacas am boireannach geal airson 霉ine mh貌ir: although the white woman has not been seen for a long time..

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid air muin-eich. He went towards the bridge on horseback. Do you understand why it is a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid and not a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an drochaid? A dh鈥檌onnsaigh is a compound preposition so it commands nouns in the genitive case. Drochaid is a feminine noun so it is unlenited and has the article 鈥渘a鈥 in the genitive singular. Ri taobh na drochaid is exactly the same type of construction as is thar na drochaid, even though thar looks like a simple preposition. Note that traditionally 鈥渙f the bridge鈥 would have been na drochaide with a terminal 鈥渆鈥. In modern Gaelic the terminal 鈥渆鈥 in the genitive singular of feminine words is tending to disappear and can be considered optional by a learner. Can you think of a place name in the Highlands which should remind Gaelic learners of the genitive of drochaid? Close to Loch Ness is Drumnadrochit, in Gaelic Druim na Drochaid. There is a ridge there and a bridge 鈥 the name does not only sounds nice, it makes perfect sense.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Faodaidh mi a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin: I can be certain of that.

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