Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

01/08/2005

Letter for those at an early stage in learning Gaelic.

Clip

An Litir Bheag 12

Tha am facal 鈥淪pion鈥 a鈥 nochdadh gu tric ann an ainmean-脿ite. C脿ite? Uill, air feadh an t-saoghail. Tha am facal G脿idhlig 蝉辫矛辞苍 a鈥 ciallachadh pluck no tug. Ma tha sibh a鈥 toirt iteagan 脿 cearc, tha thu 鈥渁鈥 蝉辫矛辞苍adh na circe鈥. Agus bidh daoine a鈥 蝉辫矛辞苍adh luibhean 鈥 lusan nach eil iad ag iarraidh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Anns a鈥 Mhonadh Ruadh tha cnoc ann air a bheil Spion Rocks. 鈥橲 e ainm Beurla a th鈥 ann. Agus tha e am measg ainmean G脿idhlig. Ach an ann 脿s a鈥 Gh脿idhlig a tha an Spion ann an Spion Rocks? Tha mi a鈥 smaoineachadh nach ann. Tha mi a鈥 smaoineachadh gur ann 脿 Afrikaans a tha e.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nuair a th脿inig daoine dhachaigh 脿 Afraga a Deas, thug iad ainmean leotha. Ainmean mar Spion Kop. Tha baile air a bheil Spion Kop mar ainm ann an meadhan Shasainn. Tha fear eile ann an Astr脿ilia. Tha toll anns an raon-ghoilf ann an 脌rasaig air a bheil Spion Kop. 鈥橲 e Spion Kop a bh鈥 air an 鈥淜op鈥 ann an Liverpool an toiseach. Sin pairt dhen stadium aig sgioba ball-coise Liverpool.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Agus c貌 na daoine a thug an t-ainm sin dhachaigh 脿 Afraga a Deas? Saighdearan. Bha batail air Spion Kop eadar na Boers agus na Breatannaich. Bhuannaich na Boers. Bha sin anns a鈥 bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900).

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ann an Afrikaans tha Spion Kop a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渃noc-faire鈥.鈥橲 e sin 脿ite far a bheil sealladh ann. Cnoc-faire. Dh鈥檃inmich na voortrekkers e ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1835).

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chan eil mi cinnteach a bheil le貌mhainn anns an sg矛re sin an-diugh. No an robh le貌mhainn anns an sg矛re sin nuair a bha na voortrekkers ann. Ach tha le貌mhainn gu le貌r ann an Afraga a Deas. Agus, a鈥 bruidhinn air le貌mhainn, a bheil cuimhne agaibh air an t-seann sgeulachd mu dheidhinn le貌mhann agus tr脿ill? Sin a鈥 Gh脿idhlig air slave. 罢谤脿颈濒濒.

Bha an le貌mhann agus an tr脿ill c貌mhla. Bha iad ann airson sabaid. Bha na daoine an d貌chas gun robh an le貌mhann a鈥 dol a mharbhadh an tr脿ill. Ach cha do mharbh. Dh鈥檌mlich an le貌mhann l脿mhan an tr脿ill!

Carson? Uill, bha an le貌mhann ag aithneachadh an duine. Chuidich an duine an le貌mhann l脿 roimhe. 鈥橲 e Androcles an t-ainm a bh鈥 air an duine. Agus d猫 rinn e? Thug e droigheann a-mach 脿 spog an le貌mhainn. 厂辫矛辞苍 e an droigheann.

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: a鈥 nochdadh gu tric ann an ainmean-脿ite: appears often in place names; air feadh an t-saoghail: throughout the world; ma tha sibh a鈥 toirt iteagan 脿 cearc: if you are taking feathers from a hen; a鈥 蝉辫矛辞苍adh na circe: plucking the hen; luibhean 鈥 lusan nach eil iad ag iarraidh: weeds 鈥 plants they don鈥檛 want; anns a鈥 Mhonadh Ruadh tha cnoc ann: in the Cairngorms there is a hill; tha mi a鈥 smaoineachadh gur ann 脿 Afrikaans a tha e: I think it is from Afrikaans; thug iad ainmean leotha: they took/brought names with them; tha fear eile ann an Astr脿ilia: there is another in Australia; tha toll anns an raon-ghoilf ann an 脌rasaig: there is a hole on the golf-course in Arisaig; an toiseach: to begin with; c貌 na daoine a thug an t-ainm sin dhachaigh: who [were] the people who took that name home ; bhuannaich na Boers: the Boers won; cnoc-faire: lookout-hill; 脿ite far a bheil sealladh ann: a place where there is a view; dh鈥檃inmich X e: X named it; a bheil le貌mhainn anns an sg矛re sin an-diugh: are there lions in that area today; tha le貌mhainn gu le貌r ann an Afraga a Deas: there are plenty of lions in South Africa; a bheil cuimhne agaibh air an t-seann sgeulachd?: do you remember the old story?; mu dheidhinn le貌mhann agus tr脿ill: about a lion and a slave; bha na daoine an d貌chas: the people were hoping; gun robh an le貌mhann a鈥 dol a mharbhadh an tr脿ill: that the lion was going to kill the slave; ach cha do mharbh: but he didn鈥檛 [kill]; dh鈥檌mlich an le貌mhann l脿mhan an tr脿ill: the lion licked the hands of the slave; ag aithneachadh: recognising; chuidich an duine an le貌mhann l脿 roimhe: the man helped the lion on a previous occasion [a day before]; 鈥檚 e Androcles an t-ainm a bh鈥 air an duine: Androcles was the man鈥檚 name; d猫 rinn e?: what did he do?; thug e droigheann a-mach 脿 spog an le貌mhainn: he took a thorn out of the lion鈥檚 paw; 蝉辫矛辞苍 e an droigheann: he plucked the thorn.

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)

Podcast