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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 280: BĂ  bhreaca

HalĂČ a-rithist. Anns an litir seo tha mi airson a dhol an sĂ s ann an dubh-fhaclan. TrĂŹ dubh-fhaclan a tha car annasach, ach aig a bheil rudeigin anns a’ chumantas eatarra. Tha iad uile a-mach air bĂ  bhreaca. BĂ  bhreaca. DĂš a’ Bheurla a chuireadh sibh air sin? “Mottled cows”, ’s dĂČcha? BĂ  bhreaca. Uill, nuair a chluinneas sibh na dubh-fhaclan, bidh sibh mothachail, tha mi an dĂčil, nach e “beathaichean cruidh” a thathar a’ ciallachadh. ’S e an obair agaibhse, ma-thĂ , faighinn a-mach dĂš dĂŹreach a tha na “bà” a’ riochdachadh anns na dubh-fhaclan.

Seo agaibh a’ chiad fhear: TrĂŹ bĂ  bhreaca an cois na leacainne, nach do bhleoghainneadh deur de am bainne riamh. A bheil sibh eĂČlach air an fhacal leacann? ’S e facal boireann a th’ ann, is tha i a’ ciallachadh “the broad slope of a hill”. Agus bleoghainn? Tha sin a’ ciallachadh na bhios daoine a’ dĂšanamh airson bainne a thoirt Ă  bĂČ. Mar sin, cha d’ fhuair duine bainne a-riamh bho na bĂ  seo. TrĂŹ bĂ  bhreaca an cois na leacainne, nach do bhleoghainneadh deur de am bainne riamh.

Seo agaibh a-nise an dàrna dubh-fhacal agus tha am facal leacann a’ nochdadh a-rithist. Feumaidh gu bheil na bà seo air nàdar de leacann, ach an ann air cliathaich cnuic a tha iad? Trì bà bhreaca a’ ruith le leacainn, cha chuir banachag buarach orra is cha chuir buachaille stad orra. A bheil am facal banachag agaibh? Tha sin a’ ciallachadh “boireannach a bhios a’ bleoghainn”. Tha buarach a’ ciallachadh rud a chuireas banachag air casan na bà fhad ’s a tha i ris a’ bhleoghainn. Agus buachaille? Tha sin a’ ciallachadh “fear a bhios a’ trusadh cruidh”. Seo an dubh-fhacal a-rithist: Trì bà bhreaca a’ ruith le leacainn, cha chuir banachag buarach orra is cha chuir buachaille stad orra.

Tha sin gar toirt don treas dubh-fhacal. Seo e: TrĂŹ bĂ  bhreaca a’ leum le leacainn, cha nighear iad, ’s cha bhlighear iad; is Ă irde an geum na geum na buaile, trĂŹ bĂ  uallach aigeannach. Tuigidh sibh a’ chiad phĂ irt dheth – trĂŹ bĂ  bhreaca a’ leum le leacainn. Tha an dĂ rna pĂ irt – cha nighear iad, ’s cha bhlighear iad – a’ ciallachadh “they will not be washed and will not be milked”. Tha an treas pĂ irt – is Ă irde an geum na geum na buaile – ag innse dhuinn gu bheil iad a’ dĂšanamh fuaim mĂČr, barrachd fuaim na dhĂšanadh crodh ann am buaile. Agus mu dheireadh trĂŹ bĂ  uallach aigeannach. Tha uallach a’ ciallachadh “lively” agus tha aigeannach a’ ciallachadh “boisterous” no “sprightly”, ach tha dĂ rna ciall air, co-cheangailte ri aigeann, a tha a’ ciallachadh “doimhneachd a’ chuain”. Aha – ’s dĂČcha gu bheil bĂ  aigeannach a’ ciallachadh “cows of the deep ocean” seach “sprightly cows”. Èistibh gu dlĂčth ris an treas dubh-fhacal a-rithist: TrĂŹ bĂ  bhreaca a’ leum le leacainn, cha nighear iad, ’s cha bhlighear iad; is Ă irde an geum na geum na buaile, trĂŹ bĂ  uallach aigeannach.

Seadh – a bheil e agaibh a-nise? Tha na bĂ  a’ riochdachadh tuinn na fairge – na trĂŹ tuinn mhĂČra a thig aig Ă mannan aig muir nuair a tha stoirm ann. Tha iad a’ dol le leacainn – ach ’s e leacann mara a th’ ann, seach leacann talmhainn. Cha ghabh na bĂ  bleoghainn no smachdachadh, nĂŹ iad fuaim mĂČr agus, gun teagamh, tha iad aigeannach. SlĂ n leibh an-drĂ sta.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: dubh-fhacal: riddle, enigma; a’ bleoghainn: milking; banachag: milkmaid; buarach: fetter; buachaille: cowherd; aigeannach: sprightly; also, of the deep.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mi airson a dhol an sĂ s ann an X: I want to get involved in X: aig a bheil rudeigin anns a’ chumantas eatarra: which have something in common; bĂ  bhreaca: mottled cows; nach e “beathaichean cruidh” a thathar a’ ciallachadh: that it is not “cattle” that is meant; dĂš dĂŹreach a tha na “bà” a’ riochdachadh: just exactly what the “cows” represent; an cois na leacainne: accompanying the slope; nach do bhleoghainneadh deur de am bainne: were not milked of a drop of their milk; an ann air cliathaich cnuic a tha iad?: are they on the side of a hill?; fhad ’s a tha i ris a’ bhleoghainn: while she is involved in milking; fear a bhios a’ trusadh cruidh: a man who gathers cattle; cha chuir X stad orra: X will not stop them; seo am fear as mĂČ as toigh leam: this is the one I like best; cha nighear iad, ’s cha bhlighear iad: they won’t be washed, and they won’t be milked; is Ă irde an geum na geum na buaile: their bellow is louder than the bellow of the cattlefold; tuinn na fairge: the waves of the sea; a thig aig Ă mannan nuair a tha stoirm ann: which come sometimes during a storm; ’s e leacann mara a th’ ann, seach leacan talmhainn: it’s a sea slope, rather than a land slope; cha ghabh na bĂ  bleoghainn no smachdachadh: the cows can’t be milked or controlled; slĂ n leibh an-drĂ sta: cheerio just now.

Puing-chĂ nain na seachdaine

Puing-chĂ nain na seachdaine: Firstly, I asked you to ponder a question last week: in the phrase de chunnaic i ach an t-aon bhoireannach a bu bhrĂšagha a chunnaic i riamh (what did she see but the [one] most beautiful woman she had ever seen), why is there a t- in front of “aon”? The reason is that boireannach is a masculine noun and is here in the nominative case. If it were feminine, there would be no t- (cf an t-eilean, masc.; an earrann, fem.) In this week’s Litir did you notice the lenition of the adjective in agreement with bĂ  (nominative plural) ie bĂ  bhreaca? The declension of bĂČ is irregular, but it is usually only nouns whose plural nominative is slender which lenite an attributive adjective when in that case eg bodaich bheaga, boireannaich mhĂČra, caoraich bhĂ na, coin fhiadhaich and, as in the Litir, tuinn mhĂČra. BĂČ/bĂ  is an exception to the rule.

GnĂ ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: a’ ruith le leacainn: running down a slope.

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