Predicting the weather
Breithneachadh na sìde
Listen to this recording from the radio program Dealan-Dè, where Mòr NicLeòid (Marion MacLeod) can be heard talking about the weather forecast (03:06-08:40). A transcript can be found on the same page.
Read the introductory section from the programme about weather signs first ( 00:00—00:46 )
Gaelic
Jo NicDhòmhnaill: Madainn mhath dhuibh.
Dà ghrian, cearcall mu ghealach làn, an t-seann ghealach an glaic na tè ùir, brag reòthaidh aig an fhairge, caoraich a' cruinneachadh còmhla air talamh ìosal ri fasgadh.
Sin seann chomharraidhean aimsir air nach eil guth againne an-diugh.
Tha sinne aig Radio nan Gàidheal ann an Steòrnabhagh air a bhith a' feuchainn bho chionn ghoirid ri cruinneachadh a dhèanamh air na dòighean anns am biodh na seann daoine a' fàidheadaireachd mun aimsir a bha ri tighinn.
Tha sinn air a bhith a' feuchainn ri lorg a-mach dè na lathaichean sònraichte, mar Diluain Traoighte, no Latha a' Chuilein, air am biodh iad gu h-àraid a' gabhail ealla ris an t-sìde.
Cuideachd, tha mòran sheanfhacail co-cheangailte ris a seo, mar eisimpleir: Tha an seillean fo dhìon, thig gailleann 's sian .
English
Jo Macdonald: Good morning to you.
Two suns, a circle around a full moon, the old moon is brighter than the new one, an icy blast at the sea, sheep gathering together on low ground for shelter.
Those are old weather signs that we just don't have today.
We at Radio nan Gàidheal in Stornoway have recently been trying to collect the ways in which the old folk used to forecast the weather to come.
We have been trying to find out which special days, such as DiLuain Traoighte (Handsel Monday—first Monday of the year), or Latha a' Chuilein (Cub's Day—3 February), on which they would particularly keep an eye on/observe weather.
Also, there are many proverbs related to this, for example: The bee is sheltering, storms are coming .
Do you know what any of these signs would tell us about the weather?
Listen to the recording again to find out what these signs mean.
Ciamar a chaidh dhut?
How did you get on?
| dà ghrian | two suns | atharrachadh sìde | change of weather |
| cearcall mu ghealach làn | circle about a full moon | garbh-shìon gaoithe agus uisge | rough weather, wind and rain |
| an t-seann ghealach an glaic na tè ùir | the old moon wrapped in the new (moon) | chan e comharra math a tha seo | this is not a good sign |
| brag reòthaidh aig an fhairge | the frosty crack [sound] of the sea/ocean | cha bhi turadh ann gus an till na siùil-mhara | it won't clear up (no dry spell) until the tide turns |
| caoraich a' cruinneachadh còmhla air talamh ìosal ri fasgadh | sheep gathering together on low ground to shelter | sìde gharbh | rough weather |
Sentences with verbs in the tràth theachdail/làthaireach fhulangach (future/present passive tense) were heard throughout this recording.
And we have seen the tràth theachdail/làthaireach fhulangach (future/present passive tense) many times at level B2 until now.
Listen to two short clips from the recording and write what you hear in the following two sentences:
04:12—04:26
05:31—05:38
| bho thoiseach gu deireadh an fhoghair, agus tha i seo gu bhith na rìgh air na seachd a tha a' tighinn às a dèidh. |
| is comharra cinnteach air uisge a th' ann. |
Two irregular verbs in the future/present passive tense were heard in these clips: theirear (it will be said/it is said) and chithear (it will be seen/it is seen).
A complete list of the irregular passive verbs can be found in 23A Duilleag Mìneachaidh.
Regular verbs (gnìomhairean riaghailteach) in the future/present passive tense were also seen in Cuspair 4 and Cuspair 10: cuirear (will be added), lùghdaichear (will be reduced) and pàighear (will be paid).
Don't worry if you didn't understand every word of the recording.
It wasn't easy!
You can come back to it after a while, and try to
work on pieces of it, bit by bit.
You're doing really well!
😊
📚
Can you translate the words in bold into the future/present passive?
| Lùghdaichidh am pàrtaidh riaghlaidh cìsean ron ath thaghadh choitcheann. | The ruling party will reduce taxes before the next general election. |
| Seinnidh iad port air a' phìob aig toiseach an tachartais. | They will sing a tune on the bagpipes at the beginning of the event. |
| Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gun can iad 'Eilean na h-Òige' ri Èirisgeigh. | I think that they will call Eriskay 'Eilean na h-Òige ('the 'Island of Youth'). |
| Lùghdaichidh am pàrtaidh riaghlaidh cìsean ron ath thaghadh choitcheann. | The ruling party will reduce taxes before the next general election. |
| Lùghdaichear cìsean (leis a’ phàrtaidh riaghlaidh) ron ath thaghadh choitcheann. | Taxes will be reduced before the next general election |
Seinnidh iad port air a' phìob aig toiseach an tachartais. | They will play a tune on the bagpipes at the beginning of the event. |
| Seinnear port air a' phìob aig toiseach an tachartais. | A tune on the bagpipes will be played at the beginning of the event. |
Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gun can iad 'Eilean na h-Òige' ri Èirisgeigh. | I think that they call Eriskay 'Eilean na h-Òige ('the 'Island of Youth'). |
| Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gun canar 'Eilean na h-Òige' ri Èirisgeigh. | I think that Eriskay is called 'Eilean na h-Òige ('the 'Island of Youth'). |