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29/08/2005

Letter for those at an early stage in learning Gaelic.

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An Litir Bheag 16

Seo seanfhacal a tha f矛or annasach: D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt. D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt. Seo a鈥 Bheurla air a shon. Whatever you see or hear, keep the cat turning. D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt.

D猫 tha e a鈥 ciallachadh? Cuin a tha duine a鈥 tionndadh cat? Uill, tha mi a鈥 dol a dh鈥檌nnse dhuibh, agus chan eil e snog. Anns na seann l脿ithean bha cleachdadh p脿ganach ann. Bha daoine airson an Donas fhaicinn. Bha an Donas a鈥 leigeil leotha rudan m矛-laghail a dh猫anamh. No bha e a鈥 freagairt ceist.

Canaidh sinn taghairm ris a鈥 chleachdadh. Tha e ann am faclair Dwelly, air a mh矛neachadh ann am Beurla. Bha na daoine a鈥 r貌stadh chat. Bha iad a鈥 r貌stadh nan cat air bior-r貌staidh. Bha am bior os cionn teine. Bha fear a鈥 tionndadh a鈥 bhiora. Ach seo an rud a bha f矛or dhona 鈥 cha robh na cait marbh nuair a chaidh iad air a鈥 bhior-r貌staidh. Bha iad be貌.

Bha cait dhubha a鈥 tighinn ann. Bha iad uile a鈥 sgreuchail. Bha iad a鈥 d猫anamh fuaim uabhasach. Bha an Donas ann cuideachd, ann an cruth cat dubh. Bha na cait dhubha a鈥 feuchainn ri stad a chur air na daoine. Bha fear de na daoine ag 猫igheachd air an fhear a bha a鈥 tionndadh a鈥 bhior-r貌staidh, 鈥淒猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt.鈥

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽Rinn M脿rtainn Mac Ille Mh脿rtainn aithris air a鈥 ghnothach seo. Bha sin anns an leabhar aige A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. Nochd an leabhar sin ann an seachd ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1703). Sgr矛obh Mac Ille Mh脿rtainn gu robh fear de na cait gu math m貌r. Bha na cait eile beag. Bha am fear m貌r a鈥 freagairt na ceist a bh鈥 aig na daoine. B鈥 esan an Donas.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cuin鈥 a tha daoine a鈥 cleachdadh an t-seanfhacail? Tha nuair a tha iad ag r脿dh ri duine eile, 鈥淐um a鈥 dol leis an obair agad. Ge bith de thachras, d猫an thusa an obair agad!鈥 D猫 sam bith a ch矛 no chluinneas tu, cum an cat mun cuairt.

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: seo seanfhacal a tha f矛or annasach: here is a really unusual proverb; seo a鈥 Bheurla air a shon: here is the English for it; a鈥 tionndadh: turning; chan eil e snog: it鈥檚 not nice; cleachdadh p脿ganach: a pagan custom; bha an Donas a鈥 leigeil leotha rudan m矛-laghail a dh猫anamh: the Devil was letting them do unlawful things; air a mh矛neachadh: explained; bha iad a鈥 r貌stadh nan cat air bior-r貌staidh: they were roasting the cats on a roasting-spit; seo an rud a bha f矛or dhona: here is the thing that was terrible; bha iad be貌: they were alive; cait dhubha: black cats; bha iad uile a鈥 sgreuchail: they were all screeching; ann an cruth cat dubh: in the form of a black cat; a鈥 feuchainn ri stad a chur air na daoine: trying to stop the people; ag 猫igheachd air an fhear a bha a鈥 tionndadh a鈥 bhior-rostaidh: shouting to the man who was turning the roasting-spit; M脿rtainn Mac Ille Mh脿rtainn: Martin Martin; bha am fear m貌r a鈥 freagairt na ceist: the large one was answering the question; b鈥 esan an Donas: it was the Devil; cuin鈥 a tha daoine a鈥 cleachdadh an t-seanfhacail?: when do people use the proverb?; cum a鈥 dol leis an obair agad: keep going with your work; ge bith de thachras, d猫an thusa an obair agad: whatever happens, do your work.

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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