30/04/2012
Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain.
This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.
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An Litir Bheag 364
Duration: 03:32
An Litir Bheag 364
Sgrìobh Tòmas Garnett an leabhar Observations on a Tour Through the Highlands and Part of the Western Isles of Scotland. Bha e air chuairt air a’ Ghà idhealtachd ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad ’s a h-ochd (1798).
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Tha Garnett ag innse mun turas deas air Inbhir Nis. Bha e sgìtheil. Ach bha aon rud math mu dheidhinn. Bha clachan-mìle ann. Bha na clachan ag innse dhaibh dè cho fada ’s a bha e don ath bhaile.
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Nuair nach robh clachan-mìle ann, bha iad a’ faighneachd de mhuinntir an Ă ite, “Dè cho fada ’s a tha e gu [leithid de dh’à ite]?” Bha na daoine ag rĂ dh ’s dòcha “sia mìle”. Bha Garnett is Watts a’ marcachd mìle no dhĂ a bharrachd. Bha iad a’ faighneachd de chuideigin eile dè cho fada ’s a bha e. Bha esan no ise ag rĂ dh, “Sia no seachd mìle”! Bha sin a’ sĂ rachadh Gharnett, a rèir choltais.
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Bha sin nuair a bha Beurla – no beagan co-dhiĂą – aig na daoine. Ach thachair iad ri mòran nach robh deònach – no comasach – Beurla a bhruidhinn riutha. Bha a chompanach Mgr Watts, am fear-ealain, air beagan GĂ idhlig ionnsachadh mus do thòisich iad. “An Ă ite a bhith feumail,” sgrìobh Garnett, “chuir am beagan dhen chĂ nan a bh’ aig mo charaid troimh-a-chèile sinn…”
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Carson? Uill, ged a chuir Watts na ceistean ann an GĂ idhlig, cha do thuig e na freagairtean! Agus, nuair a chuala na GĂ idheil gun robh GĂ idhlig – gu ìre air choreigin – aig Watts, cha robh iad deònach Beurla a labhairt. Bha iad ag iarraidh cumail a dol ann an GĂ idhlig! B’ iad sin na lĂ ithean!
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Agus an co-dhĂąnadh aig Garnett? – …we literally experienced the truth of the adage, “a little learning is a dangerous thing”!
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Ach cha robh Garnett gu tur an aghaidh na GĂ idhlig. Sgrìobh e “[that Gaelic has] a particularly expressive energy.” Sin thu, a bhalaich.
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Mu dheireadh, seo ceist dhuibh. Tha ìomhaigh de Dhòmhnall Mac an Deòir, a’ chiad Phrìomh Mhinistear aig Alba, aig ceann shuas SrĂ id Bhochanain ann an Glaschu. Ach còrr is dĂ cheud bliadhna air ais, cha mhòr nach deach carragh-cuimhne a chur suas do chuid-eigin eile anns an aon Ă ite. Cò bha ann? Innsidh mi dhuibh an-ath-sheachdain.The Little Letter 364
Thomas Garnett wrote the book Observations on a Tour Through the Highlands and Part of the Western Isles of Scotland. He was on a journey in the Highlands in 1798.
       Garnett tells about his journey south of Inverness. It was tiring. But there was one good thing about it. There were milestones. The stones were telling them how far it was to the next settlement.
       When there were no milestones, they were asking local people, “How far is it to [such and such a place]?” The people were saying perhaps “six miles”. Garnett and Watts were riding another mile or two. They were asking another person how far it was. He or she was saying, “Six or seven miles”! That really got under Garnett’s skin, apparently.
       That was when people spoke English – or a little, at least. But they met many people who were not willing – or able – to speak English to them. His companion Mr Watts, the artist, had learned a little Gaelic before they started. “Instead of being useful,” Garnett wrote, “my friend’s knowledge of this language seemed to perplex us...”
      Why? Well, although Watts asked the questions in Gaelic, he didn’t understand the answers. And, when the Gaels heard that Watts spoke Gaelic – to some degree or other – they weren’t willing to speak English. They wanted to keep going in Gaelic! Those were the days!
       And Garnett’s conclusion? – …we literally experienced the truth of the adage, “a little learning is a dangerous thing”!
       But Garnett wasn’t entirely anti-gaelic. He wrote “[that Gaelic has] a particularly expressive energy.” Good on him.
       Finally, here’s a question for you. There is a likeness of Donald Dewar, Scotland’s first First Minister, at the top end of Buchanan Street in Glasgow. But more than two hundred years ago, a memorial to somebody else was nearly erected in the same place. Who was it? I’ll tell you that next week.Broadcast
- Mon 30 Apr 2012 19:00±«Óătv Radio nan GĂ idheal
All the letters
Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.
Podcast: An Litir Bheag
The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners
An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic
An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)
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An Litir Bheag
Litirichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh ura. Letters in Gaelic for beginners.
