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23/05/2005

Letter for those at an early stage in learning Gaelic.

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An Litir Bheag 2

Bha Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain a鈥 fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia. Bha e a鈥 fuireach ann am Brisbane. Ach chaidh e fh猫in is a bhean air turas a dh鈥橝lba. Chaidh iad gu sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch. Bha buinteanas aca do sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch.

Nuair a bha iad ann an Ge脿rrloch, fhuair iad cuireadh fuireach c貌mhla ri c脿raid anns an sg矛re. B鈥 iad sin Coinneach Cemp agus a bhean, Ceit Eilidh.

Air a鈥 chiad oidhche ann an taigh Mhic Chemp, ge-t脿, dh鈥檉h脿s Iain tinn. Th脿inig fuachd air. Droch fhuachd. Cha robh e gu math idir. Cha robh an t-acras air. Cha robh c脿il aige airson bracaist. Cha robh e sona. Chuir Ceit Eilidh gu leabaidh e. Chuir i plangaidean air, agus thug i brochan dha. Bobhla m貌r de bhrochan.

A bheil fios agaibh d猫 tha ann am brochan? Ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan tha e a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥減orridge鈥. Ach, anns a鈥 cheann a tuath, mar as trice, 鈥檚 e lite no 濒颈迟鈥 a chanas daoine ri porridge. Ann an Ge脿rrloch, canaidh iad 濒颈迟鈥. Tha brochan a鈥 ciallachadh d矛reach min-choirce le uisge teth ann. No thin gruel ann am Beurla.

Ach 鈥檚 e brochan math a bh鈥 ann. Oir, an ath-mhadainn, bha Iain sl脿n fallain a-rithist. Thuirt e gur e am brochan a rinn an leigheas air. Agus sgr矛obh e 貌ran mu dheidhinn. Seo an t-s猫ist:

Brochan bean Mhic Chemp, a鈥 bhean 脿lainn ch貌ir,

Chuir e fuachd gun d脿il 诲丑矛辞尘, 鈥檚 tha mi sl脿n gu le貌r,

Brochan bean Mhic Chemp, a鈥 bhean 脿lainn ch貌ir.

Canaidh mi a-rithist e,

Brochan bean Mhic Chemp, a鈥 bhean 脿lainn ch貌ir,

Chuir e fuachd gun d脿il 诲丑矛辞尘, 鈥檚 tha mi sl脿n gu le貌r,

Brochan bean Mhic Chemp, a鈥 bhean 脿lainn ch貌ir.

Ged a tha brochan a鈥 ciallachadh gruel, no porridge, tha e cuideachd a鈥 ciallachadh rudeigin nach bi sibh ag ithe. Tha brochan cuideachd a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渕ess鈥. Canaidh daoine 鈥渞inn e brochan dheth鈥 airson 鈥渉e made a mess of it鈥. Ach cha do rinn bean Mhic Chemp brochan dhen bhrochan! Agus cha do rinn Iain Dubh brochan dhen 貌ran!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ann an Ge脿rrloch ma tha talamh uabhasach fliuch, canaidh na daoine,鈥渢ha e cho fliuch, tha e coltach ri poit 濒颈迟鈥.鈥 Tha e cho fliuch, tha e coltach ri poit 濒颈迟鈥. 鈥橲 e stuth math a th鈥 ann an lite, nach e? Ach feumaidh e a bhith fliuch. Feumaidh sibh uisge gu le貌r a chur ann. Feumaidh sibh salann gu le貌r a chur ann. Agus feumaidh sibh a chur mun cuairt le sp脿in fiodha. Mura d猫an sibh sin, 鈥檚 d貌cha gun d猫an sibh brochan dheth!

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain: black (haired) John, son of Donald, son of John; bha X a鈥 fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia: X was living in Australia; chaidh e fh猫in is a bhean air turas: he and his wife went on a journey; bha buinteanas aca do sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch: they belonged to the Gairloch area; fhuair iad cuireadh: they got an invitation; fuireach c貌mhla ri c脿raid: to stay with a couple; Coinneach Cemp agus a bhean, Ceit Eilidh: Kenneth Kemp and his wife Kate Eilidh; dh鈥檉h脿s Iain tinn: John got (grew) sick; th脿inig fuachd air: he developed a cold; cha robh c脿il aige airson bracaist: he had nothing for breakfast; chuir X gu leabaidh e: X put him to bed; plangaidean: blankets; bobhla m貌r de bhrochan: a big bowl of thin gruel; anns a鈥 cheann a tuath, mar as trice: in the north, usually; ann an Ge脿rrloch, canaidh iad: in Gairloch, they say; min-choirce le uisge teth: oatmeal with hot water; an ath-mhadainn, bha Iain sl脿n fallain a-rithist: the next morning, John was fit and healthy again; a鈥 bhean 脿lainn ch貌ir: the beautiful and generous woman; chuir e fuachd gun d脿il 诲丑矛辞尘: it put the cold from me without delay (诲丑矛辞尘 is the prepositional pronoun formed from de and mi); canaidh mi a-rithist e: I will say it again; tha e cuideachd a鈥 ciallachadh: it also means; rudeigin nach bi sibh ag ithe: something you will not [be] eat[ing]; cha do rinn X brochan dhen bhrochan: X didn鈥檛 make a mess of the brochan; tha e coltach ri poit 濒颈迟鈥: it is like a pot of porridge; 鈥檚 e stuth math a th鈥 ann an lite: porridge is good stuff; feumaidh sibh uisge gu le貌r a chur ann: you must put enough water in it; feumaidh sibh a chur mun cuairt le sp脿in fiodha: you must stir [put around] it with a wooden spoon; 鈥檚 d貌cha gun d猫an sibh brochan dheth: perhaps you will make a mess of it.

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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