| Contents | This volume contains eight short stories as follows: A’ Bhratach Dhealrach (pp. 7-23), Na h-Uird Mhora (pp. 23-41), Litir an Lagha (pp. 42-50), Ach ’na Dhuthaich Fhein (pp. 51-63), Bha Duilleagan air Chall (pp. 64-76), Adhaircean Mora (pp. 77-93), An Neochiontach (pp. 94-117), and Snathad Bheag an Uair Sin Snathad Mhor (p. 118-27).
The stories cover a number of subjects and are based both in the Highlands and in the city. For example, A’ Bhratach Dhealrach (pp. 7-23) centres around Sìne, an island girl who is now living in Edinburgh. While in Edinburgh, Sìne bumps into neighbours of hers from the island, and this chance meeting takes her back to her childhood and her relationship with the neighbouring family.
Litir an Lagha (pp. 42-50) tells of two boys, Aindrea and Torcul who win £10,000 on the pools. However, Aindrea’s father claims the money, as it was he who signed the form. Torcul’s father accepts this, as does Torcul, however the boys eventually drift apart. They come across each other again some time later. Torcul is working in the local garage, and Aindrea is dressed in a suit. The conversation centres round their childhood, and they part without discussing the £10,000 or what they are now doing with their lives. A short time later, Torcul receives a sum of money through the post, which he assumes was sent by Aindrea. Although he needs money to buy himself a car, he gives the money to his sister, saying ‘Bu ro dhaor an ceannach e’ (p. 50).
The last story, Snathad Bheag an Uair Sin Snathad Mhor (p. 118-27), centres around Tormod and Buntaidh, who attend school together. Buntaidh is a black girl who was adopted by the couple who have recently come to run the post office. She gets a reputation at the school for being a bit wild and not being very good at her lessons, and the one person who tries to help her is Tormod Crotach, who himself had been picked on when he started school. However, Buntaidh does not want his help. Tormod’s friend, Fearchar, stands up for him, but can’t understand what Tormod sees in Buntaidh, although Tormod tries to explain it to him. When twenty pounds is stolen from the school, Buntaidh is suspected, and there are rumours that she will be asked to leave. Tormod tells his parents that he is going to own up to the crime even though he did not steal the money. His parents decide to use their savings to give the money back to the school so that Tormod will not be branded a thief. |
| Language | This volume is a good example of Skye Gaelic from the mid-to-late twentieth century. The stories contain terminology relating to a variety of subjects, and are full of Gaelic idioms.
The first story alone contains the following varied terminology: cach-a-chéile (p. 7), dh’aithnich iad a cheile (p. 7), Dé chuir an rathad thu? (p. 7), dad a thìde (p. 7), Chionns nach robh móran cuir-seachad-tìde aig Sìne (p. 7), gus an d’ rinn iad réit air (p. 7), air sgrìob (p. 8), chun am bad de’n bhaile (p. 8), aghaidh ri aghaidh ri (p. 8), sràid aimhleathan (p. 8), bha a choltas cho aog is a bha e riamh (p. 8), anns an dol-seachad (p. 8), ann an lag ri taobh an rathaid (p. 8), sùil fhidreachail (p. 8), an àite mullach tughaidh no sgliat a bhith air, is e a bha air ach mullach felt air a thearradh (p. 9), Uair de ’n robh e (p. 9), an tobhta (p. 9), bha na tàirnean anns a’ mhullach air caitheamh is bha an t-uisge a’ ruith ’na shrulagan mheirgeach air an tobhta (p. 9), air a chuartachadh le eabar (p. 9), na cearcan ’gan clùmhadh fhéin anns an duslaich (p. 9), Aig a h-uile ám (p. 9), teine beag guail a bhlàthachadh air, coimheas ri làn na cagailt de mhòine is de fhiodh (p. 9), ge be air bith (p. 9), samh ceò a’ ghuail (p. 9), ann an uinneag bheag, mhughach (p. 9), na cùirteanan robach, dorch air an tarraing air am fiaradh (p. 9), poit de fhlùraichean scàrlaid dhèalrach (p. 9), latha Sàbaid (p. 9), a chagair (p. 9), aig na longan-cogaidh (p. 10), leigidh iad a’ bhratach bho àird a’ chruinn (p. 10), nach do chuir a màthair ’na aghaidh (p. 10), car tacan (p. 10), An dalladh (p. 10), Misgear (p. 11), Faic an t-slochd bhuntàta (p. 11), Geall gum b’ e’ (p. 11), fiach a bhuinn-a-sé (p. 11), ròd no dha (p. 11), claon, cearbach (p. 11), a’ mhèirle (p. 12), an dearbh àirc (p. 12), argamaid (p. 12), glé chruaidh-chridheach (p. 12), poca an t-aon aca (p. 12), dh’eibh i àrd a claiginn (p. 12), na thogras sibh (p. 12), ám cur-bhuntàta (p. 12), ath-aodach a brathar (p. 13), air nach robh leathach cosg (p. 13), neo-chiosnaichte is neo-bhuadhaichte (p. 13), air á dhol á fasan (p. 13), a thoirt seachad do na bana-cheardan (p. 13), le gnè de dh’uamhas (p. 13), O a chreutair gun mhothachadh (p. 13), gu doilleireach (p. 14), bha i ’na tosd (p. 14), choimhead a h-athair thairis air a’ phàipear-naidheachd (p. 14), le a fiosachd (p. 14), bùird le ’n tubhailtean de ’n lìon a b’ àille (p. 14), ’nan sreath ris a’ bhalla (p. 14), air na séirichean (p. 14), coinnleir air a dhealbh mar (p. 14), bha e car cùchaidh (p. 14), cha do mhill sin a càil (p. 15), thug i blaiseag ás (p. 15), gu freiceadanach (p. 15), dh’aontaich i gu h-ealamh (p. 15), tha mi le giorrad anail (p. 15), shuidh Sìne air furm àrd (pp. 15-16), aodann cho dearg ris a’ bhrathadair (p. 16), Ghabh Sìne balgam is chaidh e le h-anail (p. 16), mar ghealach mhór an abachaidh (p. 16), bha e a’ faileachainn oirre (p. 17), gun chiorram (p. 17), leig e mu chluais na thuirt i (p. 17), Cha robh an dà chabhag air a’ tilleadh (p. 17), dhrùigh i a h-uile drabhag a bha ’na glainne (p. 17), Seadh dìreach (p. 18), Cha robh droch chuimeis riamh agam (p. 18), Trobhad, bitheamaid a’ dol dachaidh (p. 18), Tiugainnimid (p. 18), fhuair e an teicead ás a baga (p. 18), air caol-shràid dhorcha (p. 19), air fionnarachd na h-oidhche (p. 19), chaidh i am feobhas (p. 19), tharraing e an dorus leis (p. 20), Chlisg i cho mhór is nach robh cothrom a céill aice (p. 20), a dhèanamh ainmheas dhith (p. 20), Bha am brath aca oirre (p. 20), dé am peanas a dhìoghladh iad bhuaipe (p. 20), do ’n eaglais a bu thinne oirre (p. 20), an searmon (p. 20), a shìn a lámh gu suilbhir (p. 21), Na toir guth air (p. 21), a’ teannachadh a còta-bian impe (p. 21), carbad-ola (p. 22), and na b’ aillidh (p. 22).
A number of the stories contain terminology relating to the weather and to nature, for example, fèath nan eun (p. 64), bha na neàmhan beò le teine-adhair (p. 65), fir chlis (p. 65), bha an àird an ear gu léir a’ plapadaich is a plosgairtich, mar gum bitheadh fàmhair a’ séideadh fùrneis le anail theth (p. 65), Tha ’n cuan cho balbh foiseil an diugh is gur gann a thulgadh e tunnag (p. 67), uiseag (p. 68), glumag bheag a bha aig bonn easan air a [sic] t-srulaig a bha a’ ruith chun na mara (p. 69), a’ cheud shòbhrag (p. 69), éibh na cuthaig (p. 69), an smeòrach (p. 69), dealan-dé ’ga shlaodadh fhéin ás a chochull (p. 75), air loinnearachd an tairbh-nathrach (p. 75), anns a’ chamhanaich (p. 75), aig breacadh an latha (p. 75), bha àile nan ròs is a’ mhionnd, is an spìosraidh ’na laighe trom ann an teas na maidne (p. 76), gogadaich a’ choilich-fhraoich no éibh na caillich-oidhche (p. 113), air dhath cnò na faibhile (p. 118), air dhath nan smeur-dhubha (p. 118), le gaoth chuairtlein (p. 119), and fras de chlacha-beaga (p. 119). |
| Orthography | The Skye dialect may be reflected in some of the above terminology and perhaps in phrases such as fada mun ruig mi idir (p. 10) and mun cuala i (p. 17), Chan fhac thu oidhche Shathurna e (p. 11), neach-eigin (p. 11) and ni-eigin (p. 22), an dara turus (p. 17), bhuinnig sibh (p. 42), a’ gàireachdaich (p. 66), a b’fhusa (e.g. p. 67), air bith (e.g. p. 64), chionns (e.g. p. 7) and also a chionns (e.g. p. 94), an reuson (p. 96), An-tà (p. 112), and an tacsa ris (p. 118).
The orthography is that of the early 1970s. Examples include air son (p. 7), a’ cheud (p. 7), an dràsda (p. 7), bhitheadh (p. 7), taobh-a-stigh (p. 7), air an dorus (p. 8), a mhàin (p. 8), chan eisdeadh (p. 11), meadhon (p. 12), an siud (p. 13) and seo (p. 18), gu leòir (p. 15), Bithidh tu (p. 20), ciamar no car son (p. 20), ag gucagadh (p. 68), ciod e bu bheachd dha a nis (p. 72), is toigh leum (p. 64), and mas e sin (p. 64).
There are a number of printing errors scattered throughout the text, though they do not, for the most part, disrupt the reading of the text. There are also many inconsistencies in spelling, for example, fuasgladh na ceisd (p. 10) and air a’ cheist (p. 73), ri feal-dhà (p. 10) and feala-dhà (p. 66), ge be (p. 9) and ge b’ e (p. 96). |
