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05/09/2005

Letter for those at an early stage in learning Gaelic.

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An Litir Bheag 17

Chaidh buidheann Cheilteach a chur air chois ann an California o chionn ceud bliadhna. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥 oirre The Celtic Club of Los Angeles.

鈥橲 e dithis a st猫idhich an cluba 鈥 fear 脿 Alba agus fear 脿 脠irinn. Thuirt iad gur e a鈥 chiad bhuidheann phan-Cheilteach air an t-saoghal a bh鈥 ann. Bha iad a鈥 cur f脿ilte air daoine bho Alba, 脠irinn, A鈥 Chuimrigh, A鈥 Ch貌rn, Eilean Mhanainn agus A鈥 Bhreatainn Bheag.

Chan eil fhios agam a bheil sin f矛or, no a bheil an cluba fhathast a鈥 dol. Ach chuala mi naidheachd 猫ibhinn mu fhear 脠ireannach ann an California. Cha robh e ann an Los Angeles, ge-t脿. Bha e ann an San Francisco. Bha am fear seo aig ceann buidheann de luchd-turais. Bha iad a鈥 siubhal ann am bus.

L脿 a bha seo, chuir fear dhen luchd-turais ceist air an 脠ireannach: 鈥淎 bheil Gaeilge agaibh?鈥

Fhreagair an t-脠ireannach, 鈥淭ha gu le貌r.鈥 Ach chan e an fh矛rinn a bha aige. 鈥橲 e breug a bha ann. Dh鈥檌onnsaich e G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann san sgoil, ach cha robh m貌ran aige. D矛reach 霉rnaigh no dh脿.

R脿inig iad San Francisco. Chaidh iad gu taigh-seinnse. Fhuair fear dhen luchd-turais a-mach gu robh fear dhen luchd-obrach 脿 脠irinn. 鈥淎 bheil Gaeilge agaibh?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich e dhen 脠ireannach.

鈥淭ha gu le貌r,鈥 fhreagair an t-脠ireannach. Agus 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a bh鈥 aigesan. Bha e fileanta.

鈥淭hig don bh貌rd againn,鈥 thuirt am fear-turais. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh c貌mhradh ann an G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann a chluinntinn.鈥

Chaidh am fear 脠ireannach a-null. Bha am fear 脠ireannach eile aig a鈥 bh貌rd. Am fear breugach. 鈥淪iuthadaibh!鈥 thuirt am fear-turais. 鈥淏ruidhnibh ri ch猫ile ann an Gaeilge.鈥

Mus tuirt fear an taigh-sheinnse dad, thuirt fear a鈥 bhus, 鈥淎r n-Athair a tha air n猫amh, gun naomhaichear d' ainm.鈥 Choimhead am fear fileanta air mar gur e amadan a bh鈥 ann. Ach an uair sin, thuig e d猫 bha a鈥 dol. Bha pl貌igh aig an duine eile. 鈥淕un tigeadh do r矛oghachd,鈥 fhreagair e. 鈥淕un d猫anar do thoil air thalamh, mar a nithear air n猫amh.鈥

鈥淭hoir dhuinn an-diugh ar n-aran l脿itheil,鈥 thuirt a鈥 chiad fhear.

鈥淎gus math dhuinn ar fiachan,鈥 fhreagair am fear eile. Lean an c貌mhradh mar sin. Bha an luchd-turais toilichte. Chuala iad c貌mhradh ann an G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann. Cha robh fios aca gur e d矛reach 脵rnaigh an Tighearna a chuala iad!

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: Chaidh buidheann Cheilteach a chur air chois: a Celtic group was established; 鈥檚 e dithis a st猫idhich an cluba: it is two people that set up the club; gur e a鈥 chiad bhuidheann phan-Cheilteach air an t-saoghal a bh鈥 ann: that it was the first pan-Celtic group in the world; A鈥 Chuimrigh: Wales; A鈥 Ch貌rn: Cornwall; Eilean Mhanainn: The Isle of Man; A鈥 Bhreatainn Bheag: Brittany; no a bheil an cluba fhathast a鈥 dol: or if the club is still going; chuala mi naidheachd 猫ibhinn: I heard a funny story; aig ceann buidheann de luchd-turais: in charge of a group of tourists; bha iad a鈥 siubhal ann am bus: they were travelling in a bus; chan e an fh矛rinn a bha aige: he was not speaking the truth; 鈥檚 e breug a bh鈥 ann: it was a lie; dh鈥檌onnsaich e G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann san sgoil: he learned Irish Gaelic in school; d矛reach 霉rnaigh no dh脿: just a prayer or two; taigh-seinnse: pub; 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a bh鈥 aigesan: he was telling the truth; tha mi ag iarraidh c貌mhradh ann an G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann a chluinntinn: I want to hear a conversation in Irish Gaelic; Siuthadaibh!: Go on!; bruidhnibh ri ch猫ile: speak to each other; ar n-Athair a tha air n猫amh: our Father who art in Heaven; gun naomhaichear d' ainm: hallowed be Thy name; amadan: idiot; bha pl貌igh aig an duine eile: the other man was up to something; gun tigeadh do r矛oghachd: Thy kingdom come; gun d猫anar do thoil: Thy will be done; mar a nithear air n猫amh: as it is [done] in Heaven; thoir dhuinn an-diugh ar n-aran l脿itheil: give us this day our daily bread; agus math dhuinn ar fiachan: and forgive us our debts; lean an c貌mhradh mar sin: the conversation followed like that; bha an luchd-turais toilichte: the tourists were pleased; cha robh fios aca gur e d矛reach 脵rnaigh an Tighearna a chuala iad: they didn鈥檛 know they had only heard The Lord鈥檚 Prayer.

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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