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Ionmhas

B2
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Complete for 2 points

Cainnt-chluich

A play on words

Listen to this recording.

00:00—02:37

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).

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The text of the letter is available on the same page as well as language notes.

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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?

Agus seo dhut na freagairtean!

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.’