大象传媒

O chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean chaidh mi a champachadh ann an Cn貌ideart, air cladach Loch Shubhairne. Choisich mi a-mach gu eilean a bha an 矛re math ceangailte ri t矛r-m貌r 鈥� le muineal de mhorghan. Agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥� Eilean a鈥� Mhuineil.

Chan eil duine a鈥� fuireach anns an 脿ite sin an-diugh ach bha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh dhomh fh矛n aig an 脿m gur iongantach mura b鈥� e sin t矛r ghaisgeach uaireigin. 鈥橲 e sin an se貌rsa 脿ite a th鈥� ann 鈥� eadar beinn is muir 鈥� mar a tha m貌ran de thaobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd. T矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach.

Uill, fhuair mi a-mach nach robh mi fada ce脿rr, oir rugadh an gaisgeach G脿idhealach, Finan MacDonald, anns an dearbh 脿ite. Bha tuathanas ann am 鈥淢uineal鈥� agus bha athair Fhinan na thuathanach ann. Agus c貌 bh鈥� ann am Finan MacDonald? Uill, bha e ainmeil, am measg eile, airson sabaid le tarbh-allaidh, no bison, le a l脿mhan a-mh脿in, agus a bhith fhathast be貌 aig an deireadh.

Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach d猫 an dreach G脿idhlig a bh鈥� air ainm oir 鈥檚 ann ann am Beurla a bha a h-uile cunntas a leugh mi air. Canaidh mi Fionghan MacDh貌mhnaill ris ach dh鈥檉haodainn a bhith ce脿rr, is ma tha fiosrachadh air a鈥� ghnothach aig duine sam bith agaibh, bu mhath leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.

Rugadh Fionghan ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1782). Dh鈥檉h脿g e Alba, cuide ri a theaghlach, nuair a bha e na bhalach 貌g, agus chaidh e a dh鈥橝meireagaidh a Tuath. Nuair a th脿inig e gu 矛re, bha e sia troighean is ceithir 貌irlich a dh鈥櫭爄rde, le falt fada ruadh agus feusag mh貌r. Timcheall air ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a ceithir (1804), fhuair e obair aig Companaidh an Iar-thuath a bha an s脿s ann am malairt nam bian.

Mar a thachair le m貌ran Gh脿idheal eile, fhuair e a-steach air treubh de dh霉thchasaich Ameireaganach, agus ph貌s e t猫 dhiubh. Uaireannan bhiodh e a鈥� taobhadh le aon treubh de th霉sanaich an aghaidh treubh eile, agus a鈥� sabaid 脿s an leth.

Rinn e obair le cuid de luchd-rannsachaidh, leithid Dhaibhidh MhicTh貌mais, a bha a鈥� d猫anamh mhapaichean, agus thathar ag r脿dh gum b鈥� e Fionghan a鈥� chiad duine 鈥� co-dhi霉 duine E貌rpach 鈥� a chaidh tarsainn nam beanntan m貌ra Creagach 鈥� na Rockies 鈥� tr矛 tursan. Bha cuid dhen bheachd nach e sgoilear a bh鈥� ann agus gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leis obair chunnartach 鈥� a鈥� gabhail a-steach sabaid 鈥� seach obair p脿ipeir. Ach tha e coltach gun robh tr矛 c脿nanan aige gu fileanta 鈥� G脿idhlig, Beurla is Fraingis 鈥� agus gun robh comas aige ann an cuid de na c脿nanan d霉thchasach a bharrachd.

Rinn Fionghan obair rannsachaidh anns na beanntan is aibhnichean airson an lus-e貌laiche Albannaich, Daibhidh D霉bhghlas. Chruinnich D霉bhghlas t貌rr lusan nach robh aithnichte anns an Roinn E貌rpa. Bha Giuthas an D霉bhghlasaich am measg sin. Fhuair Daibhidh b脿s ann an Hawaii. Thuit e do shloc anns an robhar a鈥� glacadh crodh fiadhaich. Chaidh a mharbhadh le tarbh a bh鈥� anns an t-sloc.

Ach cha b鈥� ionann e do Fhionghan MacDh貌mhnaill. Nuair a bha e ceathrad 鈥檚 a c貌ig bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, chaidh a thilgeil far eich. Bha tarbh-allaidh m貌r an t貌ir air. Thionndaidh Fionghan. Rinn an tarbh is Fionghan carachd le ch猫ile. Chaidh an dithis a ghoirteachadh ach mhair iad be貌. Gu dearbh, bha Fionghan be貌 airson fichead 鈥檚 a ceithir bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin. Tha cuid ag r脿dh nach robh duine eile 鈥� roimhe no 脿s a dh猫idh 鈥� air tighinn be貌 tro shabaid le tarbh-allaidh m貌r dhen t-se貌rsa sin.

Faclan na Litreach: Loch Shubhairne: Loch Hourn; tarbh-allaidh: bison (bull); lus-e貌laiche: botanist.

Abairtean na Litreach: chaidh mi a champachadh ann an Cn貌ideart: I went camping in Knoydart; ceangailte ri t矛r-m貌r: linked to the mainland; muineal de mhorghan: a neck of shingle; gur iongantach mura b鈥� e sin t矛r ghaisgeach uaireigin: that it would be surprising if that weren鈥檛 a land of heroes at one time; anns an dearbh 脿ite: in the very place; le a l脿mhan a-mh脿in: with his bare hands; a h-uile cunntas a leugh mi air: every account I read of [on] him; dh鈥檉haodainn a bhith ce脿rr: I might be wrong; bu mhath leam cluinntinn bhuaibh: I鈥檇 like to hear from you; cuide ri a theaghlach: along with his family; Companaidh an Iar-thuath: The North-west Company; malairt nam bian: the fur trade; fhuair e a-steach air treubh de dh霉thchasaich Ameireaganach: he got friendly with a tribe of native Americans; ph貌s e t猫 dhiubh: he married one of them; a鈥� sabaid 脿s an leth: fighting on their behalf; thathar ag r脿dh: it is said; gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leis obair chunnartach: that he preferred dangerous work; nach robh aithnichte anns an Roinn E貌rpa: which weren鈥檛 known in Europe; Giuthas an D霉bhghlasaich: The Douglas Fir (species); thuit e do shloc anns an robhar a鈥� glacadh crodh fiadhaich: he fell into a pit in which wild cattle were being caught; chaidh a mharbhadh le tarbh: he was killed by a bull; chaidh a thilgeil far eich: he was thrown from his horse; bha tarbh-allaidh m貌r an t貌ir air: a large bull bison was pursuing him; rinn X is Y carachd le ch猫ile: X and Y wrestled with each other; chaidh an dithis a ghoirteachadh ach mhair iad be貌: both were injured but they survived.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: T矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach: the land of the mountains, the glens and the heroes. Old sayings like this preserve the traditional grammatical forms, in this case the genitive plurals of beinn, gleann and gaisgeach which, with a slight variation in beinn, are the same as the nominative singular. But notice tarsainn nam beanntan m貌ra Creagach (the genitive plural following tarsainn). Here the adjectives have their effect on the situation, at least in modern Gaelic, with beanntan being the same as the nominative plural form. It would seem a bit old-fashioned to say tarsainn nam beann m貌ra Creagach, although it wouldn鈥檛 be wrong. But we would still say tarsainn nam beann (across the mountains), without the adjective being present.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: cha b鈥� ionann e: it was not the same. The present tense (it is not the same) would be chan ionann e.