| Reference Number | 251 |
| Title | Bùth Ailig |
| Author | MacGillEathain, Dòmhnall Iain |
| Editor | N/A |
| Date Of Edition | 1988 |
| Date Of Language | 20c |
| Date Of Language Ed | 20th c. |
| DateMacro | Late 20th c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | Clò Ostaig |
| Place Published | An Teanga, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | National, academic, and local libraries |
| Geographical Origins | Berneray, Harris |
| Geographical Origins Ed | Harris |
| GeoMacro | Harris and N Uist |
| GeoX | -7.1179 |
| GeoY | 58.2303 |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Literature, Prose (Biography) |
| Register Ed | Literature, Prose |
| Genre | Literature |
| Medium | Prose |
| Rating | B (TBC) An autobiography written by Donald John MacLean, a native of Berneray (Harris) looking back at his childhood and formative years and then career which he followed. The text covers a wide range of subject matters such as commerce, warfare, hunting, education, crofting, seaweed harvesting, animal husbandry, creel fishing, superstitions, customs, foodstuffs, emigration, peat-cutting, Sabbath observance, illicit stilling, food preparation and cooking, games, fowling, weaving and yacht racing. A good example of Berneray Gaelic from the early to the mid-twentieth century. |
| Alternative Author Name | Donald John MacLean; Dòmhnall Iain Seonaidh Aonghais |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 21cm x 15.5cm |
| Short Title | Bùth Ailig |
| Reference Details | NLS: HP2.88.3058 |
| Number Of Pages | x, 66 |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | N/A |
| Social Context | Donald John MacLean (Dòmhnall Iain Seonaidh Aonghais, 1918-1997) was born in Berneray, Harris, in 1918, the youngest son of John MacLean and Marion MacKillop. His father died when MacLean was only two years age. Between 1924 and 1931, he attended Berneray School. On leaving Berneray he then attended Inverness Royal Academy. His autobiography centres around the shop known locally as Buth Ailig (who later married MacLean’s sister) and focuses upon the social life and the livelihood of the local populace in the years before the outbreak of the Second World War. From a young age he became interested in Gaelic and was an active member of An Comann Gàidhealach. In 1937 MacLean entered the University of Glasgow but at the outbreak of war he enlisted in the British Army. On being demobbed, he became a lobster fisherman and then he undertook teacher training. MacLean was the writer-in-residence at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig between 1983 and 1985 when, at this juncture, he began to write his autobiography. He and his wife had three children and stayed in Plockton. MacLean passed away in 1997. |
| Contents | The text opens with an untitled biographical sketch of the author; ‘Taing’ (p. v); ‘Clàr-innse’ (p. vii); followed by the main text which consists of 27 brief chapters usually covering between one to five pages for each section. Occasionally a chapter begins with a proverbial saying or a quote. The text is also supplemented by fourteen photographic portraits. |
| Sources | |
| Language | In general the text has an informal and clear style with use of direct speech and often as not the anecdotes tend to be humorous. It is not clear whether the text is presented in a strict chronological order as dates are not mentioned too frequently in any of the chapters. There are indications of a story-telling register, e.g.: Turas dhe na tursan seo (p. 3), An latha a bha seo (p. 13), bha iad cho sona ’s a bha an latha cho fada (p. 17). Contractions occasionally occur e.g. a’m (p. 1) for agam. Occasionally an intrusive apostrophe occurs, e.g. air a’ dhol (p. 38). The copula is realised as follows: ’s ann (p. 1), ’s e (p. 5), gur e (p. 12). The possessive determiner retains an apostrophe, e.g.: ’na iasgair (p. 1), ’na bantraich (p. 1) and also ’nam measg (p. 3). Other spellings may be noted as follows: ga-rìribh (p. 1), an dràsda (p. 1), h-uile h-oidhche (p. 5), h-uile h-earrach (p. 7), làn phort (p. 7), ga gearradh (p. 6), ’na chabhaig (p. 9), ga h-èisdeachd (p. 10), nàdurra (p. 11), Cha dubhairt e (p. 13), Mun duirt (p. 17). Occasionally a hyphen is absent, e.g. beòshlaint (p. 65). Dialectical forms of words occasionally appear, e.g.: sùileachdainn (p. 8), a’ chluinninn (p. 8), bana-bhuisreach (p. 11), àraid (p. 11), bhàsaicheadh (p. 11), iomadach (p. 15), iomadh (p. 24), deich dusain fhichead (p. 16), chon an d’fhuair (p. 16), ’Na mo bheachd-sa (p. 17), ’Nam bheachd-sa (p. 46), deidheamaid (p. 19), croglach (p. 21), rudeigineach (p. 21), gibeagan (p. 22), ge b’e dè (p. 24), ga bhlaiseagraich (p. 28), air tàilleamh (p. 32), sainnseal (p. 34), a’ chunntas (p. 35), air choinneal (p. 41), uairean (p. 47), gu h-àraidh (p. 47), difirichte (p. 47), troidht (p. 49), a bhuinnig (p. 49), sgealltair (p. 57), muir-titheachd (p. 57), aona-rud (p. 61), gleochaichean (p. 61), sneic (p. 63), cnotag (p. 63), cleapsach (p. 63), maide an doichill (p. 63). There is occasional use of the passive form, e.g.: d’fhuaras (p. 7), cha chluinnte (p. 7), dh’fheumte (p. 8), gun do rinneadh (p. 13), Cha robhas (p. 20), bhithiste (p. 41), dh’fheumanaiste (p. 58). Occasional typographical errors, e.g.: beo (p. 27), brath (p. 38), seorsa (p. 39), a-mhain (p. 63), comhla (p. 63). Other idiomatic usages may be noted as follows: snaidhm an rathaid mhòir (p. 2), gu dubh bheul na h-oidhche (p. 2), Bha e air beul an t-sluaigh (p. 3), mo mhionnan air a’ Bhìoball (p. 5), leig mo chridhe plap as (p. 6), Chuireadh an rud bu lugha far a dhòghach e (p. 9), “Dia eadar mi ’s thu.” (p. 11), do thaigh a’ bhròin aig tràth-suipearach airson na leabhraichean a ghabhail (p. 11), dròbh bhalach (p. 13), gun d’fhuair Alasdair a chàineach gu bhrògan (p. 13), “Siuthad a-nis, a dhallag na galladh, na fàg thusa bàirneach air sgeir eadar seo is Beàrnaraigh.” (p. 19), air an deò a thoirt suas (p. 25), “Na bi thusa a dol dhan Fhìrinn le cathadh deoch” (p. 29), imlich a’ tighinn gu itheanaich (p. 32), “dèan muileann no eaglais dheth” (p. 48), “An deamhan nach deachaidh dha na mucan, chaidh e cinnteach annadsa.” (p. 62). English words usually appear in italics and are not Gaelicised, e.g.: condensed (p. 2), mouth organ (p. 6), rickets (p. 16) dumpling (p. 21), rounders (p. 32), Pitch and toss (p. 33), almond drops (p. 34), pneumonia (p. 43), hero-worship (p. 43), hair cream (p. 46); whereas others are e.g.: lòraidh (p. 2), parabhain (p. 3), peataichean (p. 13), baidhsagal (p. 15), cèidsichean (p. 16), sòbhaichean (p. 21), bunc (p. 29), sloighdeadh (p. 31), a’ phrothaid (p. 42), air a bhruisigeadh (p. 46), bursaraidh (p. 47), dotair (p. 47), hostail (p. 47), marmalaid (p. 48), dìosail (p. 55), balùnaichean (p. 59), preseantadh (p. 60), lampa (p. 61). Throughout the text there is frequent use of patronymics, e.g. Dòmhnall Iain a’ Chùbair (p. 2), Aonghas Mac Alasdair Bhàin (p. 3), Ceanaidh Choinnich Phàdraig (p. 30). The text may reflect the Gaelic dialect of Berneray, Harris. |
| Orthography | The orthography conforms to the late-twentieth century whereby the acute and grave accents have been subsumed using only the grave. No accents are shown on capital letters. |
| Edition | First edition. |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | Donald John MacLean: https://www.hebrideanconnections.com/people/76795. The author interviewed by Cailein Maclean in 1988 talking about his book Buth Ailig: http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/58965/1. |
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| Link Label | |
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| Download File | |
| NumWords | 25988 |
