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12/11/2012

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

3 minutes

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Mon 12 Nov 2012 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 392

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu leabhar beag 霉r mu dh脿 eilean Gh脿idhealach. 鈥橲 iad sin 脕rainn Mh贸r ann an 脠irinn agus Barraigh ann an Alba. Tha an leabhar tr矛-ch脿nanach. 鈥橲 e a thiotal ann an G脿idhlig 顿霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 na Mara. 鈥橲 e a thiotal ann an Gaeilge D煤chas na Mara. Tha am facal 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 be貌 fhathast anns an d脿 Gh脿idhlig.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach d猫 a鈥 Bheurla a tha air 顿霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 na Mara? 鈥橲 e an tiotal Beurla a thagh na h-霉ghdaran Belonging to the Sea.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha na h-霉ghdaran, Iain MacFhionghain agus Ruth N铆 Bhraon谩in a鈥 m矛neachadh gun t脿inig 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 on fhacal 诲霉迟丑. Tha 诲霉迟丑 a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥榯alamh鈥 no 鈥榝earann鈥. Ach tha iad ag r脿dh gu bheil 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 a鈥 buntainn ris a鈥 mhuir, a cheart cho math ris an t矛r.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach d猫 d矛reach a tha ann an 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉? Airson a mh矛neachadh, tha iad a鈥 tionndadh don sgoilear Gh脿idhlig, Iain MacAonghuis. 鈥橲 e na tha ann an 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 raon-tuigse l脿n anns a bheil,鈥 tha e ag r脿dh, 鈥榖arrachd na uachdar na 诲霉迟丑cha no cruinn-e貌las leotha fh猫in, no faireachdainn d矛reach mun eachdraidh, ach rian-fiosrachaidh foirmeil san tig iad seo uile c貌mhla.鈥

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha e a鈥 leantainn le bhith ag r脿dh gu bheil sealladh s貌nraichte aig 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉aich air an 诲霉迟丑aich aca. Bidh coigrich uaireannan a鈥 tomhas na G脿idhealtachd mar fh脿sach falamh. Don 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉ach, 鈥檚 e fearann beothail a tha ann. Tha e eadhon gaisgeil agus a鈥 cur thairis le pearsaichean eachdraidheil.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bidh mi a鈥 d猫anamh t貌rr bh霉than-obrach le muinntir na Beurla. Chan eil c脿irdeas aig a鈥 chuid mh貌ir dhiubh don t矛r mar luchd-诲霉迟丑chais. Ach nuair a chluinneas iad mu dh霉thchas nan G脿idheal, tha farmad orra.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach 鈥檚 e rud duilich a tha ann nach eil 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 nan G脿idheal fh猫in cho l脿idir 鈥檚 a bha. Feumaidh sinn a neartachadh. Bu ch貌ir dhuinn a bhith moiteil gur e luchd-诲霉迟丑chais a tha annainn.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha MacFhionghain agus N铆 Bhraon谩in ag r脿dh gu bheil 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 mara fhathast be貌 ann an 脕rainn Mh贸r agus Barraigh. Tha sin f矛or air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu bheil a鈥 Gh脿idhlig fhathast be貌 anns na h-eileanan sin. Guma fada be貌 a mhaireas i, agus a 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 leatha

The Little Letter 392

I was telling you about a small new book about two Gaelic islands. Those are Aranmore in Ireland and Barra in Scotland. The book is trilingual. Its title in Scottish Gaelic is 顿霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 na Mara. Its title in Irish Gaelic is D煤chas na Mara. The word 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 is still alive in both Gaelic languages.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But what is the English for 顿霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 na Mara? The English title the authors chose is Belonging to the Sea.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The authors, Iain Mackinnon and Ruth Brennan, explain that the word 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 came from 诲霉迟丑. D霉th means 鈥榣and鈥. But they say that 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 is just as meaningful in relation to the sea as it is to the land.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But what exactly is 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉? To explain it, they turn to the Gaelic scholar, John MacInnes. 顿霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 is a total field of understanding encompassing,鈥 he says, 鈥榥ot so much a landscape, not a sense of geography alone, nor of history alone, but a formal order of experience in which all these are merged.鈥

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He continues by saying that indigenous people have a unique view of their country. Strangers sometimes characterize the Highlands as an empty wilderness. To the person with a native sensibility, it is a dynamic land. It is even heroic, heavily populated by historical figures.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I do many workshops with English speaking people. Most of them do not relate to the land as native people. But when they hear about the 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 of the Gael, they are envious.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But it is a sorry thing that the 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 of the Gael is not as strong as it was. We must strengthen it. We should be proud that we are an indigenous people.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mackinnon and Brennan say that 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 of the sea is still alive in Aranmore and Barra. That is the case because the Gaelic language is still alive in those islands. May she survive a long time, and her 诲霉迟丑肠丑补蝉 along with her.

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  • Mon 12 Nov 2012 19:00

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