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31/05/2010

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

5 minutes

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Mon 31 May 2010 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 264

Bha mi ann an d霉thaich nan S脿mi ann an聽ceann a tuath na Suain. Bha sin aig 脿m聽na C脿isge am-bliadhna. Bha mi a鈥櫬爏githeadh tro dh霉thaich anns am bi S脿mi聽a鈥 cumail f猫idh-shneachda. Chunnaic mi聽d脿 fhiadh. Ach chunnaic mi grunn聽dhaoine S脿mi air sgutairean-sneachda.聽Thachair mi ri t猫 Sh脿mi. 鈥橲 e Lisa聽an t-ainm a tha oirre. Bha i a鈥櫬燾貌caireachd reindeerburgers! Bha iad聽blasta! Tha taigh-b矛dh aig an teaghlach聽aice. Bha bratach nan S脿mi os cionn an聽dorais.聽Bha c貌mhradh laghach agam le聽Lisa. Tha S脿mais aice. Dh鈥檌nnis i dhomh聽mun ch脿nan. Tha ceangal l脿idir aice don聽脿rainneachd. Chaidh d矛meas m貌r a聽dh猫anamh oirre. Bha i air a cumail a-mach聽脿 foghlam fad 霉ine mh貌r.聽Tha c霉isean air atharrachadh 鈥 gu聽矛re. Tha corra sgoil a-nise a鈥 teagasg tro聽mheadhan na S脿mais. Tha se貌rsa de聽ph脿rlamaid aca. Ach tha an c脿nan aig聽beag-chuid de Sh脿mi an-diugh. Tha sin聽f矛or eadhon ann an Nirribhidh far a bheil聽iad nas pailte. Tha cuid fhathast a鈥櫬燿猫anamh d矛meas air na S脿mi. Tha cuid聽de Sh脿mi, aig a bheil an c脿nan, nach聽bruidhinn i ris a鈥 chloinn aca. Tha e聽rudeigin coltach ri Alba. 鈥橲 e sin a thuirt聽mi rithe.聽鈥淭ha thu 脿 Alba?鈥 thuirt i.聽鈥淭ha. An robh thu ann?鈥澛燿h鈥檉haighnich mi.聽鈥淐ha robh,鈥 fhreagair i. 鈥淎ch 鈥檚 e聽uncail m鈥 athar a thug f猫idh-shneachda a聽dh鈥橝lba.鈥澛犫淭ha thu a鈥 ciallachadh Mikel聽Utzi,鈥 thuirt mi. Chuala mi mu聽dheidhinn ach cha robh mi e貌lach air.聽Thug e f猫idh-shneachda don Mhonadh聽Ruadh ann an naoi ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚聽a dh脿 (1952). Tha an treud ann fhathast.聽鈥淎n dearbh dhuine,鈥 fhreagair i, 鈥渁n聽dearbh dhuine.鈥澛燚h鈥櫭╥gh mi air bana-charaid 脿s an聽Aghaidh Mh貌ir a bha cuide rium.聽鈥淭robhad seo,鈥 thuirt mi rithe.聽鈥淔eumaidh tu coinneachadh ris a鈥 bhoireannach聽seo.鈥 Tha mo bhana-charaid聽p貌sta aig fear a bha ag obair do Mhikel聽Utzi. Bha sin aig toiseach nan seasgadan.聽B鈥 e an obair aige buachailleachd聽nam fiadh-sneachda anns a鈥 Mhonadh聽Ruadh. Th脿inig an dithis bhoireannach聽c貌mhla. Bha c貌mhradh laghach aca mu聽fh猫idh is sneachd is beanntan.

The Little Letter 264

I was in the country of the S谩mi in聽northern Sweden. That was at聽Easter time this year. I was skiing聽through country in which the S谩mi聽keep reindeer. I saw two deer. But聽I saw several S谩mi people on snow聽scooters.聽I met a S谩mi woman. Her聽name is Lisa. She was cooking聽reindeerburgers! They were tasty!聽Her family has a restaurant. The聽S谩mi flag was above the door.聽I had a nice conversation聽with Lisa. She speaks S谩mi. She聽told me about the language. It has聽strong links to the environment. It聽was treated with disrespect. It was聽kept out of education for a long聽time.聽Things have changed 鈥 to a聽degree. They have several schools聽now which teach through the聽medium of S谩mi. They have a sort聽of parliament. But [only] a minority聽of S谩mi speak the language聽today. That鈥檚 even true in Norway聽where they are more numerous.聽Some Swedes still show disrespect聽to the S谩mi. Some S谩mi, who speak聽the language, do not speak it to聽their children. It鈥檚 rather like聽Scotland. That鈥檚 what I said to her.聽鈥淵ou鈥檙e from Scotland?鈥 she聽said.聽鈥淵es. Were you there?鈥 I聽asked.聽鈥淣o,鈥 she replied. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚聽my father鈥檚 uncle who took聽reindeer to Scotland.鈥澛犫淵ou mean Mikel Utzi,鈥 I聽said. I heard about him but I didn鈥檛聽know him. He took reindeer to the聽Cairngorms in 1952. The herd is聽still there. 鈥淭he very man,鈥 she聽said, 鈥渢he very man.鈥澛營 shouted to a [female] friend聽from Aviemore who was with me.聽鈥淐ome here,鈥 I said to her. 鈥淵ou聽must meet this woman.鈥 My friend聽is married to a man who was聽working for Mikel Utzi. That was聽at the beginning of the sixties. His聽work was herding the reindeer on聽the Cairngorms. The two women聽came together. They had a nice聽conversation about deer and snow聽and mountains.

Broadcast

  • Mon 31 May 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)

Podcast