大象传媒

Bliadhna Mhath 脵r dhuibh uile, 鈥檚 gum bi s矛th is sonas agaibh anns na m矛osan romhainn. Anns an Litir mu dheireadh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun leabhar aig Se貌samh Watson 鈥� Saoghal Bana-mharaiche 鈥� agus mun bheul-aithris Gh脿idhlig a chruinnich e anns na bailtean beaga ann am Machair Rois. Is iad sin Baile a鈥� Chnuic, Baile an Todhair agus Seannduaig.

Faisg air Seannduaig tha baile air a bheil Broomton ann am Beurla. Nise, d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a bhiodh air sin? Baile nan Sguab 鈥檚 d貌cha? Uill, chan e, oir tha ainm a鈥� bhaile a鈥� d猫anamh luaidh air an lus broom, seach air an rud a bhios daoine a鈥� d猫anamh airson sguabadh. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air broom bealaidh. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Broomton Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh.

A bheil sibh math air amalaidhean-cainnt, no tongue-twisters? Chruinnich Se貌samh Watson amaladh-cainnt anns an sg矛re sin, co-cheangailte ri Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh. Tha e a鈥� dol mar seo: Caoraich Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh ag ithe bealaidh aig beulaibh Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh. Chan eil sin ro dhoirbh, a bheil? Feuchaibh e. Caoraich Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh ag ithe bealaidh aig beulaibh Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh. Bidh na diofar l鈥檚 a鈥� dol an l霉ib a ch猫ile beagan. Nise nas luaithe 鈥� uill 鈥檚 d貌cha gum f脿g mi sin agaibh fh猫in.

Mus lean mi orm, tha e inntinneach nach eil am facal bealaidh aig na h-脠ireannaich no na Manainnich. Tha iadsan a鈥� gabhail giolcach shl茅ibhe agus giucklagh air an lus, Agus, gu dearbh, tha giolcach-sl猫ibhe aig Dwelly, ged as e bealaidh as cumanta ann an Alba. Ach bha MacBheathain dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gun t脿inig bealaidh don Gh脿idhlig bho sheann ch脿nan nan Cruithneach.

Bha mi ann am Machair Rois o chionn ghoirid airson feasgar de sgeulachdan is naidheachdan. Bha seann luchd-e貌lais agam an l脿thair, leithid Essie Sti霉bhart is Ailig Iain MacUilleim, agus Tom Muir 脿 Arcaibh is Lawrence Tulloch 脿 Sealtainn. Le t脿lant mar sin ann, tuigidh sibh gun do ch貌rd e rium gu m貌r. Ach bha mi air a dhol ann gu s貌nraichte airson 猫isteachd ri t猫 a bhuineas do Mhachair Rois fh猫in, oir tha i suas ann am bliadhnaichean agus tha l脿n chlaigeann de bheul-aithris aice bhon sg矛re sin. Is ise Doilidh NicDh貌mhnaill.

B鈥� i m脿thair Doilidh Isbeil Anna (bean Uilleim MhicAonghais), nach maireann. B鈥� i Isbeil an neach as motha a thug beul-aithris na sg矛re do She貌samh Watson. Agus, ged nach eil Doilidh fh猫in buileach fileanta ann an G脿idhlig, tha beagan aice, agus tha i uabhasach fiosrachail mu dhualchas na sg矛re.

Thug i rann Gh脿idhlig seachad mun Linnet Mh貌r 鈥� soitheach a chaidh fodha ann an stoirm anns an naoidheamh linn deug:

Linnet Mh貌r bha siubhal a鈥� chuain

Th脿inig i steach air oidhche ghruaim

Is thilg an stoirm a Chadabol i.

鈥橲 e Cadabol baile beag l脿imh ri Baile a鈥� Chnuic 鈥� agus an cois a鈥� chladaich. Tha beul-aithris aig an t-sluagh fhathast mun oidhche stoirmeil sin anns an Fhaoilleach, ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1843). Chan e d矛reach soitheach a chaidh a chall, ach cuid de mhuinntir an 脿ite a bharrachd.

Uill, b鈥� e oidhche mhath a bh鈥� againn airson oidhche nan sgeulachdan, gu h-脿raidh airson 猫isteachd ri a leithid de bheul-aithris, oir bha i gu math stoirmeil. Agus bha sinn faisg air a鈥� chladach agus faisg air an 脿ite far an t脿inig an Linnet Mh貌r gu t矛r.

Linnet Mh貌r bha siubhal a鈥� chuain

Th脿inig i steach air oidhche ghruaim

Is thilg an stoirm a Chadabol i.

An ath-sheachdain innsidh mi tuilleadh dhuibh mun Linnet Mh貌r agus mar a chuimhnich na G脿idheil ann am b脿rdachd i.

Faclan na Litreach: Machair Rois: the flat country of Easter Ross; sguab: broom (brush); bealaidh: broom (plant); amaladh-cainnt: tongue-twister; Arcaibh: Orkney; Sealtainn: Shetland; Doilidh NicDh貌mhnaill: Dolly MacDonald; stoirmeil: stormy.

Abairtean na Litreach: gum bi s矛th is sonas agaibh: may you have peace and contentment; mun bheul-aithris a chruinnich e: about the oral tradition he collected; Baile a鈥� Chnuic, Baile an Todhair agus Seannduaig: Hilton, Balintore and Shandwick; a鈥� d猫anamh luaidh air an lus: making mention of the plant; seach air an rud a bhios daoine a鈥� d猫anamh airson sguabadh: rather than of the thing that people make for sweeping; mus lean mi orm: before I continue; na h-脠ireannaich no na Manainnich: the Irish or the Manx; bha MacBheathain dhen bheachd: [Alexander] Macbain thought; seann ch脿nan nan Cruithneach: the old language of the Picts; feasgar de sgeulachdan is naidheachdan: an afternoon of stories and anecdotes; seann luchd-e貌lais: old acquaintances; tuigidh sibh gun do ch貌rd e rium gu m貌r: you can see that I really enjoyed it ; airson 猫isteachd ri t猫 a bhuineas do: to listen to a woman who belongs to; tha i suas ann am bliadhnaichean: she鈥檚 getting on in years; tha l脿n chlaigeann de bheul-aithris aice: she is extremely knowledgeable regarding oral tradition; nach maireann: deceased; an neach as motha a thug beul-aithris do X: the major contributor to X of oral tradition; soitheach a chaidh fodha: a vessel that sank; air oidhche ghruaim: on a dark gloomy night; thilg an stoirm a Chadabol i: the storm threw her onto [the shore at] Cadboll; an cois a鈥� chladaich: next to the shore; cuid de mhuinntir an 脿ite a bharrachd: some of the local people also.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: It鈥檚 interesting to entertain the possibility that bealaidh is a borrowing from Pictish. The Irish, and alternative Gaelic giolcach-sl猫ibhe, mean 鈥渉ill reed鈥� 鈥� the long narrow branches are a little reminiscent of reeds or rushes. But bealaidh doesn鈥檛 appear to have a cognate in the other two Q-Celtic languages. Are any of you familiar with any study done into Gaelic plant or animal names which might have originated in Pictish or Brittonic? If so, I鈥檇 be pleased to hear from you (roddy.maclean@bbc.co.uk).

Amaladh-cainnt na Litreach: Caoraich Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh ag ithe bealaidh aig beulaibh Baile a鈥� Bhealaidh: Broomton sheep eating broom in front of Broomton (it鈥檚 easier to say in English!)