| Language | This text is an excellent example of early to late twentieth century Gaelic and is full of vocabulary and expressions prevalent in the Barra dialect of this time. A wide range of topics are covered, including life on Barra in the early twentieth century, life in Glasgow during the Second World War, Vatersay, and life on Barra during the mid-to-late twentieth century with the introduction of motor cars, electricity, modern housing, and modern conveniences.
There are a number of poems in the text, including Cumha Barrach by Vatersay bard, Dòmhnall Iain Mhóir (pp. 12-14), written about the families leaving to go to Canada in 1923, and three verses relating to Mingulay: Turas Nèill a Mhiughalaidh (pp. 46-47), Soraidh Mhic a’ Phì do Mhiughalaigh (pp. 50-51), and Urnaigh a thàinig a Eilean Mhiughalaigh (p. 52). There are also a number of short extracts of verses throughout the book, often of local songs. Page 84, for example, contains a verse of Òran an Tàibh, which was popular in the taigh-céilidh when the author was about nine years old: ‘Ma phronnas mi urchar san t-slugaig \ ’S gun éirich e chluich ann am bàrr, \ Gum bi mi fo iomagain ’s fo mhulad \ Nach toir mi le dubhan as tràth. \ Ach nam bithinn mun skimmer, \ Ged chosgainn ris iongag de shnàth, \ Gu faighinn na ’s leòr dhith sa ghlumaig \ ’S gu rachadh an dubhan dhan phàn’ (p. 84).
The author’s language is often quite descriptive, for example ‘Tha gach doras is uinneag aig gach taigh sa bhaile sraointe fosgailte, agus na h-eoin bhuchainn a’ ceilearadh gu ceòlmhor air gach taobh agus cuthag ghorm a’ sìor toirt “gug-gù” aiste los nach dèan sin dìochuimhn’ air an astar air an tàinig ise a chur flàth is fàilt’ an t-samhraidh oirnn’ (p. 86), ‘agus am fitheach a’ cur a-mach a theanga’ (p. 1), ‘Cleas an fhir a mharbhadh an coileach dha’ (p. 26), ‘Bha maighstir-sgoil againn cho seang ri easgainn, agus e mar an dealanach’ (p. 26), ‘Nach iomadh ceann a chaidh an currac bhon uair sin’ (p. 74).
The text contains many examples of Gaelic terms and idioms, some of which may be representative of the Barra dialect. Examples include ’S coma dé cho math ’s a chòrdadh seo rinn (p. 16), an impis a dhol a cochall a’ chridhe (p. 1), a’ toirt sùrd air (p. 1), am Freasdal (p. 4), an Sealbh (p. 6), bha ceannach agamsa air a’ chùis (p. 4), bheireadh i duiseal air an aon iorram (p. 5), thuit mo ghudan ’s mo ghadan orm (p. 5), ged nach robh fhios agam bho thalamh ge dé bu chiall dhaibh (p. 5), san treasdaidh (p. 9), iomair (p. 9), le iris air na h-eich (p. 9), a thuiteadh a chridhe am bonn a chasan (p. 9), deannan cuibheasach (p. 9), a’ dubh-fhairtleachadh orra (p. 9), duibh-leam (p. 9), leis na dubhla-bhreugan (p. 14), an dubhla-fhìrinn (p. 40), do thaigh na h-airc (p. 15), cachaileith (p. 15), ri chur air aghaidh (p. 15), Air uairean (p. 16), siud an gnothach a rachadh gu ceòl do mhuinntir a’ bhaile (p. 16), a’ dol thar a chéile (p. 16), a làmhan an tacsa a cruachain (p. 16), Bhitheamaid sinne an sgairte falaich (p. 16), a bhòcadaich (p. 17), caran ùine (p. 18), Tròbhasaich (p. 24), na h-iasgairean a’ dol a-mach dhan a thabh (p. 27), mun canadh tu “A h-aon” (p. 27), bha smàig ro mhòr oirnn (p. 31), cha do dhùraig mise riamh a dhol faisg a’ mhìle air (p. 31), ullamh-ionnsaichte (p. 31), a bhlàth ’s a bhuil (p. 31), Bheil sibh math gu màirnealachadh? (p. 33), Mo nàire is mo leaghadh (p. 35), ach a dh’aindeoin sin ’s ’na dhà dhéidh (p. 38), Taghaidh bò a h-ath-bhuaile (p. 39), an cuid taighean air a dhol bho dhòigh (p. 43), os ìosal (p. 43), chaidh mo dhùbhlanachadh gu m’ fhiaclan (p. 43), Eigeanntach (p. 43), aiceid (p. 43), is geobadh gealaich ann (p. 61), chum sin air aghaidh (p. 63), chàirich mi orm a-null dhan bhaile (p. 63), B’ olc an airidh (p. 64), a dhlùth is a dh’uachdar (p. 65), cha bu ruith ach leum siud leamsa (p. 67), Cha robh latha gun dà latha! (p. 67), air mo mhùgan ’s air mo mhàgan (p. 70), gur ann a bha sinn as ar beachd (p. 74), amaiseach (p. 74), eagal mo ghonaidh orm (p. 75), ach co-dhiubh bha ’s gu nach robh (p. 75), tha thu buailteach air a dhol am mullach an torra (p. 77), chan ann den t-seann cholmadh (p. 77), a’ gabhail iolla ris (p, 80), gu beagnaich (p. 80), a’ toirt barr-urraim air (p. 82), and theid mi fhìn an urras (p. 86).
The following words and phrases may also be of interest: a’ tulgadh na creathlach (p. 1), bu bhuidhe cridhe leat a bhith air an aon réir ri … (p. 5), gan cur air thodhar (p. 16), cho còrdte ri dà cheann eich (p. 16), a’ cur fàilte is furan oirnn (p. 16), an luidhear for the hole above the central hearth in a thatched house (p. 17), a ghabhail ‘fuaraig’ (p. 17), Mo bheannachd ort (p. 17), roimhn (p. 17), chan urrainn nach robh e a’ dèanamh a-mach (p. 24), each iarainn (p. 26), aimlisg (p. 26), gu sìorraidh (p. 26), teileagram (p. 29), ’s dall gach aineolach (p. 31), cailin (p. 34), teis-meadhon (p. 42), air an làn-dòigh (p. 42), soitheach-adhair (p. 61), am pufair guail (p. 62), Fóghnaidh na dh’fhóghnas (p. 62), taigh-eiridinn (p. 63), suas nam (= ann am) bliadhnaichean (p. 64), Bha a-nis an seachd leòr aca (p. 65), eadar a h-uile ulla-thruis a bh’ ann (p. 67), feuch an robh … (p. 68), sìneadas (p. 69), togail a’ pheinnsein (p. 73), Cairt na seann fheadhainn (p. 73), Ochoin! Ochoin! (p. 73), B’ e fhéin am balach (p. 79), mo ghoistidh (p. 85), caol (p. 86) meaning a television channel, neo-ar-thaing (p. 86), and ag adbhansadh (p. 86). |
