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Tha Ruairidh MacIlleathain air ais le Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh na seachdain sa. Litir Ă ireamh 974.

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Wed 21 Mar 2018 23:00

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Litir 974: Na Ceiltich (5)

Yan, tyan, tethera, methera, pimp, sethera, lethera, hovera, dovera, dick. Bha mi a’ cunntadh gu deich – ach dù an cànan a bh’ ann? Canaidh mi a-rithist e, ach leanaidh mi an uair sin gu ceithir-deug. Yan, tyan, tethera, methera, pimp, sethera, lethera, hovera, dovera, dick, yanadick, tyanadick, tetheradick, metheradick.

            Tha e car coltach ri Cuimris ÊŒs dĂČcha. Co-dhiĂč, tha pimp a’ ciallachadh ‘cĂČig’ ann an Cuimris agus sa chĂ nan seo. Agus chan eil e gu tur eucoltach ris a’ GhĂ idhlig – yan, a h-aon, yanadick, a h-aon-deug. ÊŒS e seo an dĂČigh anns am biodh tuathanaich gu traidiseanta a’ cunntadh an cuid chaorach ann am Cumbria.

            Tha daoine ag argamaid mu thĂčs an t-siostaim-chunntaidh seo. Tha cuid ag rĂ dh gun tĂ inig e bho Sheann Lochlannais no bhon t-Seann Bheurla. Ach tha feadhainn eile ag rĂ dh gun robh e air a bhonntachadh nuair a bha Seann Bhreatannais – cĂ nan Ceilteach – aig na daoine. Gu cinnteach, bha an cĂ nan sin aig na daoine fad Ăčine mus d’ fhuair na h-Anglaich lĂ mh-an-uachdair orra.

            Co-dhiĂč, fĂ gaidh mi aon phĂŹos fiosrachaidh eile agaibh an-drĂ sta. Bha mi ag Ăšisteachd ri tĂš a’ cunntadh chaorach ann am bhidio air an eadar-lĂŹon. Bha i a’ cunntadh gu fichead, a’ cur sgĂČr na maide, agus a’ tĂČiseachadh a-rithist is a’ dol gu fichead a-rithist. ÊŒS e siostam ficheadach a bh’ ann. Agus dĂš am facal a bh’ aice airson fichead? Seadh – figgit! Nise tha sin cho coltach ris na cĂ nanan GĂ idhealach! Agus bha i Ă  Lincolnshire, seach iar-thuath Shasainn.

            Tha e a’ cur nar cuimhne gu bheil dualchas Ceilteach aig Sasainn cuideachd, ged nach eil e cho follaiseach an-diugh. Agus tha sin gam thoirt gu Rheged. Taobh a-muigh na CĂčirn, na Cuimrigh, agus Shrath Chluaidh, b’ e Rheged an rĂŹoghachd Bhreatannach mu dheireadh ann am Breatainn. Tha mi a’ ciallachadh le sin Breatannach Ceilteach.

            Bha Rheged timcheall far a bheil Cumbria an-diugh. Cumbria – dĂčthaich nan Cuimreach. Chan eil sinn buileach cinnteach cà’ robh crĂŹochan na dĂčthcha, ach faodaidh sinn a bhith cinnteach gun robh i ann, oir tha i clĂ raichte aig sgrĂŹobhadairean Cuimreach. Tha dĂčil gun robh i a’ dol a-steach gu ceann a deas na h-Alba anns a’ cheann a tuath, agus gu ruige Siorrachd Iorc anns a’ cheann a deas.

            Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun d’ fhuair an rĂŹoghachd a h-ainm bhon treubh Cheilteach – na Brigantes. Dh’atharraich Brigant gu Breged gu Rheged. ThĂ inig i gu bith Ă s dĂšidh do na RĂČmanaich falbh, timcheall na bliadhna ceithir cheud is caogad (450). B’ e a’ chiad rĂŹgh aca fear Gwrast.

            Bha Gwrast air a leantainn le a mhac a bu shine – Meirchion. An dĂšidh bĂ s Mheirchion, anns a’ bhliadhna cĂČig ceud, trithead ÊŒs a cĂČig (535), chaidh an rĂŹoghachd a dhĂšanamh na dhĂ  leth – Rheged a’ Chinn a Tuath agus Rheged a’ Chinn a Deas. B’ e Cathair Luail prĂŹomh bhaile na rĂŹoghachd mu thuath.

            Goirid an dùidh sin, tha sinn a’ cluinntinn mun rìgh a b’ ainmeile aig Rheged – fear Urien. Bha esan na rìgh anns a’ cheann a tuath. Ach bha nàimhdean air gach taobh dheth, gu h-àraidh na Berniciaich air an taobh sear, ach cuideachd Rìgh Shrath Chluaidh – Breatannach eile – anns a’ cheann a tuath. Tuilleadh air seo an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Cuimris: Welsh; Seann Lochlannais: Old Norse; Berniciaich: Bernicians.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: dĂš an cĂ nan a bh’ ann?: what language was it?; canaidh mi a-rithist e: I’ll say it again; leanaidh mi an uair sin gu ceithir-deug: then I’ll continue to fourteen; tha daoine ag argamaid mu thĂčs an t-siostaim-chunntaidh seo: people argue about this counting system; air a bhonntachadh: established; mus d’ fhuair na h-Anglaich lĂ mh-an-uachdair orra: before the Angles came to dominate them; a’ cur sgĂČr na maide: putting a notch in her stick; seach iar-thuath Shasainn: rather than the north-west of England; taobh a-muigh na CĂčirn, na Cuimrigh, agus Shrath Chluaidh: outside Cornwall, Wales and Strathclyde; faodaidh sinn a bhith cinnteach gun robh i ann: we can be sure that it existed; clĂ raichte aig sgrĂŹobhadairean Cuimreach: recorded by Welsh writers; gu ruige Siorrachd Iorc anns a’ cheann a deas: to Yorkshire in the south; thĂ inig i gu bith Ă s dĂšidh do na RĂČmanaich falbh: it came into being after the Romans left; thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun d’ fhuair an rĂŹoghachd a h-ainm: it’s thought that the kingdom got its name; air a leantainn le a mhac a bu shine: followed by his eldest son; chaidh an rĂŹoghachd a dhĂšanamh na dhĂ  leth: the kingdom was split in two; b’ e Cathair Luail prĂŹomh bhaile na rĂŹoghachd mu thuath: Carlisle was the capital of the northern kingdom; tha sinn a’ cluinntinn mun rĂŹgh a b’ ainmeile aig Rheged: we hear about Rheged’s most famous king.

Puing-chĂ nain na Litreach

Puing-chànain na Litreach: In her book ‘The Inner Hebrides and their Legends’, Otta Swire writes of ‘a Broadford man, a shepherd at Skeabost in my mother’s childhood, who used to count sheep by “fairy counting”, or so he told the children.’ And his counting system was ‘yan, tan, tethera, pethera, pimp ...’ ie almost identical to the system I gave in the Litir. I do not know if this man was a native of Skye and a Gael, or whether he or his family had originated in the south. Can anyone out there enlighten me? You can email me on rmac@uags.scot.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: bha nĂ imhdean air gach taobh dheth: there were enemies on all sides of him.

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