1291: Loch nan Dùbhrachan
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Loch nan Dùbhrachan
Ma tha sibh air a dhol gu cùrsa no tachartas aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig – ‘Colaiste na Gàidhlig’ anns an Eilean Sgitheanach – tha deagh sheans ann gum bi sibh eòlach air Loch nan Dùbhrachan. Tha an loch ri taobh rathad mòr Shlèite, an A851, aig ceann an rathaid bhig a tha a’ dol gu ruige An t-Òrd agus Tòcabhaig.
Bho àm gu àm, bidh oileanaich agus luchd-obrach an t-Sabhail Mhòir a’ snàmh anns an loch. Tha fhios gu bheil e blàth gu leòr as t-samhradh, ged a bhios a’ mheanbh-chuileag ann aig amannan.
Ach dè tha an t-ainm a’ ciallachadh – Loch nan Dùbhrachan? Tha an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais a’ cumail a-mach gu bheil e a’ ciallachadh – math dh’fhaodte – ‘the loch of dimness or dark shades or loch of gloom’. ’S dòcha gu bheil sin ceart ach ann an Slèite fhèin tha beachd ann gu bheil e a’ ciallachadh ‘the loch of the spirits’. Bidh cuid ga fhuaimneachadh mar Loch nan Dùraichean no Uairichean. Agus tha an t-ainm a’ dol le seann sgeul.
Tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh mar a fhuair M.E.M. Donaldson – Mary Ethel Muir Donaldson – an sgeul agus mar a dh’aithris i e anns an leabhar aice ‘Wandering in the Western Highlands and Islands’. Chaidh an leabhar fhoillseachadh o chionn ceud bliadhna ’s a h-aon. Tha i ag ràdh gun robh muinntir an àite dhen bheachd gun robh each-uisge a’ fuireach anns an loch. Tha i ag innse dhuinn gun robh gu leòr fhathast a’ creidsinn anns a leithid de chreutair o chionn ceud bliadhna.
Tha an t-ùghdar ag innse dhuinn mu chòmhradh a bh’ aice le seann duine. Dh’inns e dhi gun robh e an sàs, leth-cheud bliadhna roimhe, ann an oidhirp each-uisge Loch nan Dùbhrachan a ghlacadh. Ged as e ‘each-uisge’ a chanadh daoine ris, bha e na bu choltaiche ri bò le muing fhada. A bharrachd air sin, bhiodh e a’ dèanamh lorgan-coise a bh’ ann an cumadh botal-fìona.
Nuair a thàinig an latha airson an t-each-uisge a ghlacadh, bha e mar latha-fèille anns an sgìre. Cha deach na sgoilearan don sgoil agus thàinig sluagh mòr gu ruige Loch nan Dùbhrachan o fhad is farsaing. Bha feadhainn ann an cairtean a bh’ air an tarraing le eich. Bha gu leòr dhramaichean air an gabhail cuideachd – barrachd na bhiodh air an gabhail eadhon aig tiodhlacadh!
Bha dà bhàta bheag aca. Bha iad air an cur air bhog anns an loch agus bha lìon air a shìneadh eatarra. Dhragh iad an lìon bho cheann gu ceann dhen loch. Chaidh a ghlacadh le rudeigin air a’ ghrunnd – seann chraobh no clach no rudeigin dhen t-seòrsa. Leis nach robh e ann an comas nan daoine an lìon a tharraing tuilleadh, bha cuid de na daoine a’ smaoineachadh gun robh an t-each-uisge an sàs ann! Theich iad, agus an t-eagal orra!
Ge-tà, chan e an t-each-uisge a bh’ ann. Nuair a bha an obair seachad, cha robh dad anns an lìon ach dà gheadas. Mar sin, an robh an t-ùghdar – M.E.M. Donaldson – dhen bheachd gun robh iad air a bhith a’ ruith na gaoithe agus nach robh creutair dhen t-seòrsa sin ann an Loch nan Dùbhrachan? Cha robh! Bha i dhen bheachd gun do dh’fhàilnich orra an t-each-uisge a ghlacadh ach gun robh e fhathast beò anns an loch!
Faclan na Litreach: each-uisge: water-horse, kelpie; latha-fèille: holiday; dhragh iad: they dragged; grunnd: bottom [of loch]; theich: fled; dà gheadas: two pike (a species of fish).
Abairtean na Litreach: Ma tha sibh air a dhol gu cùrsa no tachartas: if you have been to a course or event; tha deagh sheans ann gum bi sibh eòlach air: there is a good chance you will know; rathad mòr Shlèite: the main Sleat road; ceann an rathaid bhig: the end of the minor road; bidh oileanaich agus luchd-obrach an t-Sabhail Mhòir a’ snàmh anns an loch: students and staff of Sabhal Mòr will go swimming in the loch; ged a bhios a’ mheanbh-chuileag ann aig amannan: although midges [‘the midge’] are present at times; bidh cuid ga fhuaimneachadh mar: some people pronounce it as; mar a dh’aithris i e: as she reported it; chaidh an leabhar fhoillseachadh o chionn ceud bliadhna ’s a h-aon: the book was published 101 years ago; mu chòmhradh a bh’ aice le seann duine: about a conversation she had with an elderly man; leth-cheud bliadhna roimhe: fifty years previously; bha e na bu choltaiche ri bò le muing fhada: it was more like a cow with a long mane; lorgan-coise a bh’ ann an cumadh botal-fìona: footprints that were in the shape of a wine bottle; o fhad is farsaing: from far and wide; bha feadhainn ann an cairtean a bh’ air an tarraing le eich: some people were in horse-drawn carts; bha gu leòr dhramaichean air an gabhail: plenty of drams were taken; barrachd na bhiodh air an gabhail eadhon aig tiodhlacadh: even more than would be taken at a funeral; bha iad air an cur air bhog anns an loch agus bha lìon air a shìneadh eatarra: they were set afloat on the loch and a net was stretched between them; gun robh an t-each-uisge an sàs ann: that the water-horse was tangled in it; gun do dh’fhàilnich orra: that they failed.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: a tha a’ dol gu ruige An t-Òrd agus Tòcabhaig: that goes to Ord and Tokavaig. Gu ruige might look like a compound preposition but it works like a simple preposition in that it commands a noun in the nominative case; thus we say gu ruige An t-Òrd. You might compare it to dhan Òrd (dative case) and chun an Ùird (genitive case).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gun robh iad air a bhith a’ ruith na gaoithe: that they had been chasing the wind (an equivalent to the English ‘they had been on a wild goose chase’).
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 987
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn