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04/01/2010

Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 4 Jan 2010 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 243

Tha sinn fhathast ann an Gallaibh an聽t-seachdain sa. Tha sinn a鈥 toirt s霉il air聽dualchas G脿idhlig na sg矛re sin. Seo聽comhairle 脿 Gallaibh air deoch l脿idir.聽Tha i ag innse mun bhuaidh a bheir聽aon ghlainne, d脿 ghlainne agus tr矛聽glainneachan air duine. Tha mi a鈥櫬燾iallachadh glainneachan de dh鈥檜isge-beatha.聽Mus toir mi a鈥 chomhairle聽dhuibh, seo agaibh abairt no dh脿: Is聽miste mi sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 the worse for聽that鈥. Is fhe脿irrde mi sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 the聽better for that鈥. Cha mhiste mi sin 鈥撀犫淚鈥檓 not the worse for that鈥. Chan聽fhe脿irrde mi sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 not the better聽for that鈥.聽Seo a鈥 chomhairle, ma-th脿: Aon聽ghlainne, chan fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste.聽D脿 ghlainne, 鈥檚 fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste.聽Tr矛 glainneachan, 鈥檚 miste 鈥檚 chan聽fhe脿irrde. An do thuig sibh a鈥櫬燾homhairle? One glass, not the better聽of it and not the worse of it. Two聽glasses, the better of it and not the聽worse of it. Three glasses, the worse of聽it and not the better of it. Aon聽ghlainne, chan fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste.聽D脿 ghlainne, 鈥檚 fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste.聽Tr矛 glainneachan, 鈥檚 miste 鈥檚 chan聽fhe脿irrde.聽chionn ghoirid. Chunnaic mi seann聽tobar. Tha e ri taobh an rathaid mh貌ir聽eadar An t-脪rd Gallach agus聽Bearghdal. Tha feansa timcheall air.聽Agus tha clach ann air a bheil seo:聽鈥淭he Grey Hen鈥檚 Well. Erected by the聽Duke of Portland 1934鈥. The Grey聽Hen. A鈥 Chearc Ghlas, 鈥檚 d貌cha? C貌聽bha innte?聽Uill, seo agaibh aon st貌iridh mu聽dheidhinn an ainm. Bha banntrach a鈥櫬爁uireach faisg air l脿imh. Bha seo o聽chionn fhada. Bha an duine aice air a聽mharbhadh aig Bl脿r Bhatairli霉. Bha a鈥櫬燽hanntrach a鈥 faighinn uisge an taighe聽脿s an tobar. B鈥 e far-ainm na banntraich聽鈥淭he Grey Hen鈥 ann an聽G脿idhlig. Tha mi an d霉il gum b鈥 e sin聽a鈥 Chearc Ghlas.聽脌s d猫idh b脿s a鈥 bhoireannaich,聽thuit an taigh aice 脿s a ch猫ile. Ach聽chaidh stairsneach an taighe a chur gu聽feum a-rithist. Ciamar? Uill, mar leac聽an tobair. Sin an leac far an cuir neach聽a ghl霉inean fhad 鈥檚 a tha e a鈥 tarraing聽uisge. 脵ine mh貌r 脿s d猫idh sin, chuir聽Di霉c Phortland a鈥 chlach ann. Tha sin聽mar chuimhneachan air a鈥 bhanntraich.

The Little Letter 243

We鈥檙e still in Caithness this week.聽We鈥檙e looking at the Gaelic heritage聽of that area. Here is advice from聽Caithness about alcoholic drink. It聽tells about the influence one glass,聽two glasses and three glasses have聽on a person. I mean glasses of聽whisky.聽Before I give you the advice,聽here is a phrase or two. Is miste mi聽sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 the worse for that鈥. Is 聽fhe脿irrde mi sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 the better for聽that鈥. Cha mhiste mi sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 not聽the worse for that鈥. Chan fhe脿irrde聽mi sin 鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 not the better for聽that鈥.聽Here is the advice, then. One聽glass, not the better of it and not the聽worse of it. Two glasses, the better聽of it and not the worse of it. Three聽glasses, the worse of it and not the聽better of it. Did you understand the聽advice? One glass, not the better of it and聽not the worse of it. Two glasses, the聽better of it and not the worse of it.聽Three glasses, the worse of it and聽not the better of it.聽I was in Caithness recently. I聽saw an old well. It鈥檚 beside the main聽road between the Ord of Caithness聽and Berriedale. There is a fence聽around it. And there is a stone there聽on which this is [written]: 鈥淭he聽Grey Hen鈥檚 Well. Erected by the聽Duke of Portland 1934鈥. The Grey聽Hen. A鈥 Chearc Ghlas, perhaps?聽Who was she? 聽Well, here is one story about聽the name. A widow lived close by.聽This was a long time ago. Her husband聽was killed at the Battle of聽Waterloo. The widow got the聽house鈥檚 water from the well. The聽widow鈥檚 nickname was 鈥淭he Grey聽Hen鈥 in Gaelic. I imagine that was聽鈥淎鈥 Chearc Ghlas鈥.聽After the woman鈥檚 death, the聽house fell to pieces. The house鈥檚聽doorstep was used again. How?聽Well, as the well鈥檚 slab. That鈥檚 the聽slab where a person puts his knees聽while he鈥檚 drawing water. A long聽time after that, the Duke of Portland聽put the stone there. That serves as a聽memorial to the widow.

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  • Mon 4 Jan 2010 19:00

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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