Episode 10

Litir gu Lance Corporal Malcolm Campbell, Seaforth Highlanders

An ceathramh latha fichead dhen Chèitean, naoi ceud deug agus a còig deug

A Chaluim chòir,

Nach ann oirnn a thàinig an èiginn!

Tha mi duilich innse dhut gun d’ fhuair sinn fios an t-seachdain seo gun deach Aonghas ar bràthair a chall aig blàr Ypres air an naoidheamh latha dhen a’ mhìos seo. Am balach bochd is gun e ach fichead bliadhna a dh’aois.

Bha e annasach gun robh sinn dìreach air cairt-puist fhaighinn a sgrìobh thu fhèin an latha mus deach Aonghas a mharbhadh, agus tu ag innse gun robh na Gearmailtich a-nis a’ cleachdadh puinnsean. Nach iongantach nach deach na sgrìobh thu a sheansoradh is iad cho faiceallach dè fiosrachadh a thig a-mach?

Tha saoghal ann a seo air a dhol bun-os-cionn. Cha dhìochuimhnich mi a-chaoidh an latha mus do rugadh Murchadh mo mhac - an dàrna latha dhen Lùnastal an-uiridh - Murdaig aig an iasgach air an taobh sear. Catriona an nighean againn nach robh ach bliadhna sa Ghearran ann an uchd a seanmhair, agus am post a’ dol tron bhaile - Latha na Sàbaid - a’ sèideadh feadaig is iad a’ “callaigeadh” suas nam balach airson falbh dhan chogadh.

Bu daor a bha agus a bhitheas tastan an Rìgh dha mòran dhan fheadhainn a dh’fhalbh às an sgìre seo. Ged a rinn mi toileachas gun do rugadh mac dhuinn a bha slàn fallain, bha uabhaltas eagallach air feadh an àite, is chan eil càil a dh’fhios am faic an leanabh seo athair a-chaoidh.

ATHARRACHADH FUAIMREIG SAN IOLRA (Vowel change in the plural)

Mar as trice le ainmearan aona-lideach (one-syllable).

Mar eisimpleir:

bòrd → bùird na bùird ‘the tables’
òrd → ùird na h-ùird ‘the hammers’

An càraich thu na trì bùird sin?
‘Will you mend those three tables?’
Ann am piàna, buailidh na h-ùird air na teudan.
‘In a piano, the hammers hit the strings’.

port → puirt na puirt ‘the tunes’
cnoc → cnuic na cnuic ‘the hills’

Chan aithne dhomh gin dhe na puirt sin. 
‘I don’t know any of those tunes.’
Chì mi na cnuic bhom uinneag.
‘I can see the hills from my window.’

toll → tuill na tuill ‘the holes’
tonn → tuinn na tuinn ‘the waves’
fonn → fuinn na fuinn ‘the tunes, melodies’
bonn → buinn na buinn ‘the coins/medals’; ‘the heels’

Thoir an aire dha na tuill air an rathad seo!
Watch out for the potholes on this road!’
Bha na tuinn a’ sluaisreadh air a’ chladach.
‘The waves were washing up / lapping up on the shore.’
Chòrd na fuinn rium air fad, ged nach robh mi a’ tuigsinn facal.
‘I enjoyed all the melodies, even though I couldn’t understand a word.’
Dè na buinn a th’ agad an sin?
‘What coins (/medals) have you got there?’
Thug mi na buinn asam.
‘I took to my heels, I scampered’ (literally: ‘I took the heels out of me’).

eun → eòin na h-eòin ‘the birds’
gèadh → geòidh na geòidh ‘the geese’
beul → beòil am beòil ‘their mouths’
neul → neòil na neòil ‘the clouds’

Bha na h-eòin a’ seinn sna craobhan.
‘The birds were singing in the trees.’
geòidh ghlasa Thirìodh ‘Tiree’s greylag geese’
Cuir biadh nam beòil. ‘Put food in their mouths.’
caistealan anns na neòil ‘castles in the clouds’ (i.e. ‘castles in the air’)

mac → mic na mic ‘the sons’
each → eich na h-eich ‘the horses’
Sin Màiri san dealbh, còmhla ri a mic.
‘That’s Màiri in the photo, with her sons.’
Chunnaic sinn trì eich air fàire.
‘We saw three horses on the horizon.’

cù → coin na coin ‘the dogs’
Nuair a dh’fhosgail mi an doras, thug na coin na buinn asta.
‘When I opened the door, the dogs scampered.’ (literally: ‘took the heels out of them’)

bò → bà na bà ‘the cows’
Tha fichead caora, còig mucan agus seachd bà aca.
‘They have twenty sheep, five pigs and seven cows.’

fiadh → fèidh na fèidh ‘the deer’ (plural)
Am faca tu na fèidh shìos aig an loch? 
‘Did you see the deer down by the loch?’

bean → mnathan na mnathan ‘the ladies, the wives’
Bidh mnathan-glùine a’ faighinn trèanadh trì bliadhna.
‘Midwives get three years’ training.’

piuthar → peathraichean na peathraichean ‘the sisters’.
Seo dealbh eile de Mhàiri, còmhla ri a peathraichean.
‘Here’s another photo of Màiri, with her sisters.’

duine → daoine na daoine ‘the people, the persons’
Bruidhnidh mo dhaoine-sa ri ur daoine-se.
‘My people will speak to your people.’