Listen to this recording.
In this recording from the BBC programme Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh (Letter for Learners) Ruairidh MacIlleathain tells this story about Seumas (James) and Iain (John).
Remember: you can change the speed in the settings.
The text of the letter is available on the same page as well as language notes.
📕 If you don’t understand any words, try looking them up in your dictionary or the LearnGaelic faclair. 📕
Listen to the recording again and answer these questions:
A bheil a’ Ghàidhlig cho math ris a’ Bheurla airson cainnt-chluich? Carson?
Is Gaelic as good as English for puns? Why?
Ged a bhitheadh airgead aig Iain mac Fhearchair air an Fhèinn, carson nach ruigeadh e leas iarraidh a-nis?
Although John MacCodrum had money on the Fianna, why wouldn’t he be able to ask for it now?
Ciamar a ghabh Seumas MacMhuirich ris an spòrs aig Iain?
How did James Macpherson react to John’s joke?
A bheil a’ Ghàidhlig cho math ris a’ Bheurla airson cainnt-chluich? Carson?
Thuirt Ruairidh, ‘Chan eil fhios agam a bheil cànan sam bith eile cho math ris a’ Bheurla Shasannaich airson a leithid a dhèanamh.’ Tha seo ri linn ‘s ‘gu bheil uiread de dh’fhuaimean ann an Gàidhlig a tha rud beag eadar-dhealaichte o chèile.’
‘I don’t know if there is any other language as good as the English language for doing such a thing.’ This is because ‘there are so many sounds in Gaelic which are slightly different from one another.’
Ged a bhitheadh airgead aig Iain mac Fhearchair air an Fhèinn, carson nach ruigeadh e leas iarraidh a-nis?
Mar a thuirt Ruairidh, ‘leis gu robh iad air a bhith marbh airson timcheall air dà mhìle bliadhna’
As Ruairidh said: ‘because they’ve been dead for about two thousand years.’
Ciamar a ghabh Seumas MacMhuirich ris an spòrs aig Iain?
Mar a tha Ruairidh ag radh san earrainn dheireannach, cha robh ‘MacMhuirich idir toilichte … agus e dhen bheachd gu robh e a’ magadh air. Thug e an còmhradh gu crìch agus dh’fhalbh e ann an cabhaig thar na mòintich gu ruige Beinn a’ Bhaoghla.’
As Ruairidh says in the final section, MacPherson was ‘not at all happy … and thought he was making fun of him. He brought the conversation to an end and left in a hurry across the moors to Benbecula.’