91Èȱ¬

Criomag: Calum MacNèill (‘Am Marloch’)

An Tuiseal Ginideach | The Genitive Case:
(1) dà ainmear còmhla | two linked nouns

Calum:
“Bha eòlas mòr aca air obair an sgadain is bha an t-àite a bha seo mar a chanadh iad na thrum toiseach a’ Chiad Chogaidh.”
“They were very experienced in the herring fishing (‘the work of the herring’), and this place was buzzing as they’d say, at the start of the First War (WW1).”
“Bha na sgothan a bh’ aca tron chogadh, bha iad a’ crìonadh fad àm a’ chogaidh.”
“The skiffs they had through the war, they were wasting away for the whole duration of the war.”
“Faodaidh tu ràdh gur e boomtown a bha seo ann am Bàgh a’ Chaisteil agus Bhatarsaigh.”
“You can say this place was a boomtown, in Castlebay and Vatersay.”

bàgh + an caisteal → bàgh a’ chaisteil - ‘the bay of the castle’ (Castlebay)
baile + am manach → Bail’ a’ Mhanaich - ‘the toun/farm of the monk’ (Balivanich)
baile + an caolas → Bail’ a’ Chaolais - ‘the township of the kyle’ (Ballachulish)

toiseach + am facal → toiseach an fhacail - ‘the start of the word’
deireadh + an saoghal → deireadh an t-saoghail - ‘the end of the world’
ainm + am boireannach → ainm a’ bhoireannaich - ‘the name of the woman, the woman’s name’
brògan + am balach → brògan a’ bhalaich - ‘the shoes of the boy, the boy’s shoes’

Vowel change in some short nouns | Atharrachadh fuaimreig ann an ainmearan goirid:
casan + am bòrd → casan a’ bhùird - ‘the legs of the table, the table legs’
teas + a’ ghrian → teas na grèine - ‘the heat of the sun, the sun’s heat’
taigh + an t-allt → taigh an uillt - ‘the house of the burn, Burn House’, Taynuilt (faic Prògram 3)
baile ùr + an sliabh → bail’ ùr an t-slèibh - ‘the new township of the moorland’, Newtonmore (faic Prògram 8)

‘of the’ + feminine noun (ainmear boireanta): NA

a’ ghealach → na gealaich - ‘of the moon’
solas na gealaich - ‘the light of the moon, moonlight’
a’ ghrian → na grèine - ‘of the sun’
soillse na grèine - ‘the radiance of the sun’
an eaglais → na h-eaglais - ‘of the church’
doras na h-eaglais - ‘the door of the church’
an uinneag → na h-uinneig - ‘of the window’
oir na h-uinneig - ‘the edge of the window’

An Tuiseal Ginideach | The Genitive Case:
(2) abairtean | prepositional phrases

Calum:
“An dèidh a’ chogaidh, feumaidh gun robh cùisean glè chruaidh aca.”
“After the war things must have been very hard for them.”

an dèidh / as dèidh (‘after’) + tuiseal ginideach

an dèidh + an cogadh → an dèidh a’ chogaidh - ‘after the war’
an dèidh + an còmhradh → an dèidh a’ chòmhraidh - ‘after the chat’
an dèidh + an t-seirbhis → an dèidh na seirbhis - ‘after the service’
an dèidh + a’ choinneamh → an dèidh na coinneimh - ‘after the meeting’

mu dhèidhinn - ‘about’ (faic Prògram 3)

’S ann mu dhèidhinn an iasgaich a bha am prògram. ‘The programme was on the subject of the fishing, about the fishing.’
mu dhèidhinn + an t-iasgach → mu dhèidhinn an iasgaich

Bha sinn ag ionnsachadh mu dhèidhinn na grèine ’s na gealaich. ‘We were learning about the sun and the moon.’
mu dhèidhinn + a’ ghrian / a’ ghealach → mu dhèidhinn na grèine / na gealaich

mu choinneamh - ‘opposite from, across from’ (faic Prògram 3)

Bha mi nam shuidhe mu choinneamh a’ bhalaich. ‘I was sitting across from the boy.’
mu choinneamh + am balach → mu choinneamh a’ bhalaich

ri taobh - ‘beside, at the side of’

Shìn an cuilean ri taobh a’ chait. ‘The puppy stretched out beside the cat.’
ri taobh + an cat → ri taobh a’ chait

air beulaibh - ‘in front of’

Bha càr mòr gleansach air beulaibh an taighe. ‘There was a shiny new car in front of the house.’
air beulaibh + an taigh → air beulaibh an taighe

air cùl - ‘behind, at the back of’

Bha mi cinnteach gu robh cuideigin air cùl a’ chùirteir. ‘I was sure there was somebody behind the curtain.’
air cùl + an cùirtear → air cùl a’ chùirteir