大象传媒

C貌 an reuladair G脿idhealach a b鈥� ainmeile a bh鈥� ann riamh? Abair ceist airson toiseach na Litreach an t-seachdain seo! 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi feadhainn agaibh ag r脿dh 鈥� 鈥淎n robh reuladair ainmeil ann riamh a bha cuideachd na Gh脿idheal?鈥� Uill, tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gun robh. Co-dhi霉, bha e ainmeil mar reuladair. B鈥� e fear de na reuladairean a b鈥� ainmeile a bh鈥� ann san t-saoghal ri linn. Agus chuireadh e iongnadh orm mura robh G脿idhlig aige 鈥� ged nach d鈥� fhuair mi dearbhadh air sin le cinnt.

Tha mi a-mach air Johann von Lamont nach maireann. Chan eil ainm a鈥� coimhead ro Gh脿idhealach air a鈥� chiad shealladh, a bheil? Tha e a鈥� coimhead Gearmailteach 鈥� Johann von Lamont. Tha sinn e貌lach air m貌ran Ghearmailteach san latha an-diugh a th鈥� air G脿idhlig ionnsachadh gu fileantachd 鈥� agus tha iad a鈥� toirt toileachas m貌r dh貌mhsa, feumaidh mi r脿dh. Ach cha b鈥� e Gearmailteach a bh鈥� ann an Johann von Lamont, a dh鈥檃indeoin ainm. 鈥橲 e Albannach a bh鈥� ann. Seo agaibh ge脿rr-chunntas de bheatha.

Rugadh e ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1805) ann an Coire Mhuillidh ann an Br脿igh Mh脿rr ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain. Tha Coire Mhuillidh eadar Baile a鈥� Chaisteil 鈥� no Braemar 鈥� agus Inbhir 脠idh 鈥� no Inverey. Aig toiseach an naoidheamh linn deug, bha na daoine anns an sg矛re sin cho G脿idhealach ris na garragan. Eadhon aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug, bha G脿idhlig aig ochdad 鈥檚 a sia 脿s a鈥� cheud (86%) dhen t-sluagh ann an Inbhir 脠idh. Chanainn, mar sin, gun robh e gu math coltach gur e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a bh鈥� aig Johann von Lamont mar chiad ch脿nan. Johann von Lamont? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an t-脿m ann ainm t霉sail a thoirt dhuibh.

Ann am Beurla, b鈥� e John Lamont. B鈥� e an aon ph脿iste aig Raibeart is Ealasaid Lamont. Bha Raibeart na choilltear air oighreachd Iarla F矛obha. Gu tric, 鈥檚 e 鈥淢ac Laomainn鈥� a chanamaid ri 鈥淟amont鈥� ann an G脿idhlig, ach tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e MacIlleDhuibh a bh鈥� orra ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr. Bha iad a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gum b鈥� e fear air an robh 鈥淎n Gille Dubh鈥� a鈥� chiad cheann-cinnidh aca. Mar sin, 鈥檚 e 鈥淚ain MacIlleDhuibh鈥� a tha mi a鈥� dol a ghabhail air John Lamont 鈥� gus an ruig ar st貌iridh a鈥� Ghearmailt, co-dhi霉. Ach feumaidh mi r脿dh nach eil mi cinnteach nach e 鈥淪eonaidh鈥� a bh鈥� air, seach 鈥淚ain鈥�.

Chan eil mi cinnteach nas motha an robh falt dubh air. 鈥橲 e 鈥淎m Fear 脪g Buidhe鈥� a chanadh iad ri sheanair 鈥� Iain eile. Agus bha a shinn-sheanair, Iain eile a bharrachd, aithnichte mar 鈥淎n Seanair Buidhe鈥�. Bha 鈥渟eanair鈥� anns an fhrith-ainm aige a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥溍╥ldear anns an Eaglais Chl猫irich鈥�. Ge-t脿, cha do mhair e na Chl猫ireach. Chaidh e a-null don Eaglais Chaitligich ann an seachd ceud deug 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1705). B鈥� e an creideamh Caitligeach am fear a bu l脿idire ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr.

Bha Iain 鈥� an reuladair 鈥� na Chaitligeach cuideachd. 鈥橲 e s脿r-sgoilear a bh鈥� ann. Chaidh e gu sgoil bheag mu dh脿 mh矛le bhon taigh aige. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do sheall e 霉idh anns na speuran aig aois gu math 貌g. Bhiodh e a鈥� coimhead air na rionnagan air an oidhche. Chanainn gun robh e a鈥� fuireach ann an 脿ite math airson sin. Air oidhche shoilleir gheamhraidh, gheibhear sealladh math de Shlighe Chlann Uisnich agus na rionnagan eile.

Ach tha sinn fhathast fada bhon Ghearmailt. Bidh sinn a鈥� gabhail sgr矛ob ann an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: reuladair: astronomer; dearbhadh: proof; Coire Mhuillidh: Corriemulzie; Inbhir 脠idh: Inverey; rionnagan: stars; chanainn: I would say.

Abairtean na Litreach: a bha cuideachd na Gh脿idheal: who was also a Gael; tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth: I reckon; san t-saoghal ri linn: in the world in his day; chuireadh e iongnadh orm mura robh G脿idhlig aige: it would surprise if he hadn鈥檛 spoken Gaelic; air a鈥� chiad shealladh: at first sight; a dh鈥檃indeoin ainm: despite his name; ge脿rr-chunntas de bheatha: a short account of his life; 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an t-脿m ann ainm t霉sail a thoirt dhuibh: perhaps it鈥檚 now time to give you his original name; bha Raibeart na choilltear air oighreachd Iarla F矛obha: Robert was a forester on the Earl of Fife鈥檚 estate; gus an ruig ar st貌iridh a鈥� Ghearmailt: until our story reaches Germany; a chanadh iad ri sheanair: that they called his grandfather; bha a shinn-sheanair, Iain eile a bharrachd, aithnichte mar 鈥淎n Seanair Buidhe鈥�: his great-grandfather, yet another John, was known as 鈥渢he yellow-haired elder鈥�; cha do mhair e na Chl猫ireach: he didn鈥檛 remain a Presbyterian; chaidh e a-null don Eaglais Chaitligich: he went over to the Catholic Church; 鈥檚 e s脿r-sgoilear a bh鈥� ann: he was a terrific student; gun do sheall e 霉idh anns na speuran aig aois gu math 貌g: that he showed an interest in the heavens (ie the stars) at a young age; air oidhche shoilleir gheamhraidh: on a clear winter night; gheibhear sealladh math de Shlighe Chlann Uisnich: a good view is obtained of the Milky Way.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Just a small point this week about a place name. There is a tendency for Gaels of the modern era to re-Gaelicise place names which were originally Gaelic and went into English with a different nuance. A classic example is how the Monadh Ruadh became named 鈥淭he Cairngorms鈥� by English-speakers after one mountain, An C脿rn Gorm; there was a tendency for island Gaels of the 20th Century to call that range of mountains 鈥淎n C脿rn Gorm鈥� in Gaelic, after the English form. Thankfully, the traditional Gaelic form has now prevailed. Braemar in this Litir is another example. It is originally a district name Br脿igh Mh脿rr (鈥渢he upland area of Mar鈥�). Braemar (the village) was originally Baile a鈥� Chaisteil or Castleton (Castleton of Braemar, to give it its full English name). Again, referring to the town as 鈥淏r脿igh Mh脿rr鈥� (effectively retranslated from the English) seems a trifle strange, given the meaning of 鈥渂r脿igh鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: cho G脿idhealach ris na garragan: as G脿idhealach (Gaelic in character) as the rooks (see also Litir 180 29.11.02).