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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 412: F猫ith nan Ceann

Bha sinn ann an Gleann S矛dh an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Agus tha sinn ann fhathast. Tha 脿ite ann air a bheil Finegand ann am Beurla. 鈥橲 e sin F猫ith nan Ceann. Seo mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich an t-ainm.

Bha oifigearan siorraim anns an sg矛re airson c矛sean a thogail bho na daoine. Chaidh iad gu taigh aig banntrach. Bha am boireannach gu math bochd. Ach cha robh co-fhaireachdainn aig na h-oifigearan siorraim dhi. Bha gl猫 bheag de dh鈥檃irgead aig a鈥 bhoireannach ri l脿imh. Mar sin, thug na h-oifigearan leotha an spr猫idh gu l猫ir aice, agus t貌rr rudan luachmhor eile. Bha am boireannach troimh-ch猫ile.

Chuir i fios gu ceann-cinnidh Chlann 鈥檌c Thomaidh. Tha esan air a chuimhneachadh mar MacThomaidh M貌r. Chuir esan feachd ri ch猫ile, agus chaidh iad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh taigh a鈥 bhoireannaich. Chan eil fhios agam d猫 an t-ainm a bh鈥 air an fh猫ith ris an canar F猫ith nan Ceann an-diugh. Ach bha drochaid thairis oirre. Agus 鈥檚 ann aig an drochaid a thachair an d脿 bhuidhinn ri ch猫ile.

Th貌isich argamaid eatarra. Lean sabaid air an argamaid. Chaidh fear de luchd-togail nan c矛sean a mharbhadh, chaidh feadhainn eile a le貌n agus gh猫ill c脿ch. Ach rinn fear dhiubh mearachd. 鈥淎 MhicThomaidh Mh貌ir,鈥 thuirt e, 鈥渋s sinne muinntir an R矛gh agus bheir sinn fianais nad aghaidh.鈥

Fhreagair MacThomaidh M貌r, 鈥淐ha bhi luchd-fianais ann.鈥 Thug e 貌rdugh do na daoine aige na h-oifigearan siorraim gu l猫ir a mharbhadh. An uair sin, dh鈥檌arr e orra cinn nam marbh a ghearradh dhiubh. Thug e 貌rdugh an uair sin na cinn a thilgeil don fh猫ith. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do dh鈥櫭╥gh e, 鈥淪n脿mhaibh air ais dur maighstirean ann an D霉n 脠ideann agus innsibh dhaibh d猫 thachras do na m猫irlich a chuireas iad a Ghleann S矛dh.鈥 Bhon uair sin, 鈥檚 e F猫ith nan Ceann a bha daoine a鈥 gabhail air an fh猫ith sin.

Thathar ag r脿dh gun do sheachainn luchd-togail nan c矛sean Gleann S矛dh airson 霉ine mh貌r 脿s d猫idh sin. Ach bha droch bheachd aig an riaghaltas air Clann 鈥檌c Thomaidh. Aig a鈥 cheann thall, fhuair iad d矛oghaltas. Chaill Clann 鈥檌c Thomaidh am fearann aca sa ghleann. Agus dh鈥檃tharraich m貌ran an ainmean, a r猫ir beul-aithris co-dhi霉. Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e MacCombie a chanadh iad riutha. Chan eil an t-ainm sin cho cumanta an-diugh. 鈥橲 e MacThomas, Thomson, Thoms is Thomas a chanadh m貌ran riutha fh猫in ann am Beurla gus nach biodh daoine ag aithneachadh c貌 脿s a th脿inig iad.

Ceithir m矛le gu tuath air F猫ith nan Ceann tha 脿ite air a bheil, ann am Beurla, Spittal of Glenshee. Ann an G脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e sin Spideal Ghlinn S矛dh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum faca sibh an t-ainm sin ann an 脿iteachan eile 鈥 Spideal. Tha Dalsnapidal faisg air Dail Chuinnidh. 鈥橲 e sin Dail na Spideil. Tha Spideal a鈥 ciallachadh 脿ite far am faigheadh luchd-siubhail cuid na h-oidhche. Agus sin far an robh mi fh矛n a鈥 fuireach na h-oidhche nuair a bha mi sa ghleann. Tha e na spideal fhathast.

Cha chreid mi nach eil am facal a鈥 tighinn bho th霉s bhon Laidinn hospitium. 鈥橲 ann 脿s a sin a th脿inig am facal ospadal cuideachd agus, ann am Beurla, hospital is hospice. Faisg air an Spideal ann an Gleann S矛dh tha beinn a tha gu math ainmeil ann an eachdraidh is dualchas na G脿idhealtachd. Is ise Beinn Ghulbain. Tha i co-cheangailte ri t猫 de na sgeulachdan as ainmeile a th鈥 againn. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn sin an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach

Gleann S矛dh: Glenshee; banntrach: widow; 迟谤辞颈尘丑-肠丑猫颈濒别: extremely upset; ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; MacThomaidh M貌r: MacCombie Mor; Beinn Ghulbain: Ben Gulabin.

Abairtean na Litreach

F猫ith nan Ceann: [lit.] the bog-stream of the heads; oifigearan siorraim: sheriff鈥檚 officers; bha gl猫 bheag de dh鈥檃irgead aig a鈥 bhoireannach ri l脿imh: the woman had very little money to hand; thug na h-oifigearan leotha an spr猫idh gu l猫ir aice: the officers took with them her entire livestock; 鈥檚 ann aig an drochaid a thachair an d脿 bhuidhinn ri ch猫ile: it鈥檚 at the bridge the two groups met each other; th貌isich argamaid eatarra: an argument started between them; lean sabaid: a fight followed; chaidh feadhainn eile a le貌n: others were wounded; gh猫ill c脿ch: the rest surrendered; is sinne muinntir an R矛gh: we are the King鈥檚 men; bheir sinn fianais nad aghaidh: we鈥檒l give evidence against you; cha bhi luchd-fianais ann: there will be no witnesses; thug e 貌rdugh na h-oifigearan siorraim gu l猫ir a mharbhadh: he gave an order to kill all the sheriff鈥檚 officers; dh鈥檌arr e orra cinn nam marbh a ghearradh dhiubh: he asked them to cut off the heads of the dead men; na cinn a thilgeil don fh猫ith: to throw the heads into the bog-stream; thathar ag r脿dh gun do dh鈥櫭╥gh e: it is said that he shouted; innsibh dhaibh d猫 thachras do na m猫irlich: tell them what happens to the thieves; gun do sheachainn luchd-togail nan c矛sean Gleann S矛dh: that tax-collectors avoided Glenshee; fhuair iad d矛oghaltas: they got revenge; dh鈥檃tharraich m貌ran an ainmean: many changed their names; gus nach biodh daoine ag aithneachadh c貌 脿s a th脿inig iad: so that people wouldn鈥檛 recognise where they came from; far am faigheadh luchd-siubhail cuid na h-oidhche: where travellers would get a night鈥檚 lodging; cha chreid mi nach eil am facal a鈥 tighinn bho th霉s: I reckon the word originally comes.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Sn脿mhaibh air ais dur maighstirean ann an D霉n 脠ideann: swim back to your masters in Edinburgh. To many people the word dur will look rather strange. It is an abbreviation of do ur (to your [plural]) and is permitted under the latest revision of Gaelic orthography (Gaelic Orthographic Conventions 2005). An alternative is dhur (if you use dha instead of do). Note that do ar 鈥渢o our鈥 [or alternatively dha ar] can be abbreviated as dor, dar or dhar.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

cha robh co-fhaireachdainn aig na h-oifigearan siorraim dhi: the sheriff鈥檚 officers had no sympathy for her.

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