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Alba Nuadh

B1
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Complete for 2 points

'S fhada bhon a chaidh sinn thall thairis

It's a long time since we went abroad

Let’s have a look at this discussion. By the end of this section, you will have learned some valuable phrases that you can use in lots of different conversations.

‘S fhada bhon a chaidh sinn a-null thairis. Dè mu dheidhinn cuairt dhan Iar am-bliadhna? It’s a long time since we went abroad. What about a trip to the West this year?
Deagh bheachd! An tèid sinn dha na Stàitean Aonaichte no a Chanada? Good idea! Will/Shall we go to the United States or Canada?
Thèid! Tha fios agamsa! Gu tric a bha mi a’ miannachadh a dhol ann: an dùthaich ùr! We will (go)! I know! Often I have wished to go there: the new country!
Dè tha thu a’ ciallachadh: an dùthaich ùr? What do you mean: the new country?
Alba Nuadh. ‘S e an dùthaich ùr a bhios na Gàidheil ann an Canada a’ gabhail air Alba Nuadh. Nova Scotia. It’s the new country that the Gaels in Canada call Nova Scotia.
A bheil Gàidheil ann an Canada? Are there Gaels in Canada?
Tha Gàidheil ann an Canada. ‘S e an t-seann dùthaich a bhios iad a’ toirt air Alba. There are Gaels in Canada. It’s the old country that they call Scotland.
Mar sin, ‘s iad muinntir na dùthcha ùire, nach iad? So, they are the people of the new country, aren’t they?
‘S iad! Sin agad e! Agus is sinne, muinntir na seann dùthcha, Alba, anns an t-seann dùthaich a’ bruidhinn air a dhol dhan dùthaich ùir air saor-làithean! Agus anns an dùthaich ùir, ma thèid sinn ann, coinnichidh sinn ri muinntir na dùthcha ùire. They are! That’s it, exactly! And we, the people of the old country, are in the old country talking about going to the new country on holiday. And in the new country, if we go there, we’ll meet the people of the new country.
Agus bruidhnidh sinn Gàidhlig na seann dùthcha riutha, beò an dòchas gun tuig sinn Gàidhlig na dùthcha ùire. And we’ll speak the Gaelic of the old country to them, ever hopeful that we will understand the Gaelic of the new country.
Ged a tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil i nas coltaiche ri Gàidhlig na seann dùthcha mar a bha i sna seann làithean! Even though I think it’s more akin to the Gaelic of the old country as it was in the old days!