大象传媒

Ann an ceann a tuath Eilean H貌dhaigh ann an Arcaibh tha 脿ite air a bheil Glens of Kinnaird. Tha an t-ainm sin a鈥� coimhead rudeigin G脿idhealach, nach eil? Ach a bheil e? Chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach. Thug an sgoilear 脵isdean Marwick s霉il air a鈥� ch霉is tr脿th san fhicheadamh linn agus cha b鈥� urrainn dh脿san a bhith cinnteach nas motha. Ann an grunn 脿iteachan ann an Arcaibh, lorgar glen no glens, agus loch 鈥� is eadhon lochan. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e as coireach nach eil na h-ainmean sin uabhasach sean, no gun deach na faclan fh猫in a-null mar fhaclan-iasaid don Bheurla Arcaich.

Thug Marwick s霉il air ainmean-脿ite ann an Arcaibh a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith Ceilteach 鈥� bho ch脿nan nan Cruithneach a bha a鈥� fuireach ann ro na Lochlannaich 鈥� no eadhon bhon Gh脿idhlig. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gun robh G脿idhlig aig na manaich a lorg na Lochlannaich ann 鈥� tha ainmean mar Papa Westray, Papa Stronsay is Papdale a鈥� comharrachadh nam manach sin.

Bha Marwick dhen bheachd gu robh bailtean-fearainn air a bheil Airy a鈥� faighinn an ainmean bhon fhacal G脿idhlig 脿irigh 鈥� a shieling. Tha fios againn gun deach am facal sin a-null do ch脿nan nan Lochlannach ann an Alba. Tha 脿iteachan air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd air a bheil ainmean Lochlannach, le a-r-y 鈥揳ry aig an deireadh. 鈥橲 e sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig 脿irigh 鈥� ach ann an Lochlannais. 鈥橲 e Kernsary ann an Ros an Iar eisimpleir dhiubh.

Chan urrainn dhomh m矛neachadh carson a ghabh na Lochlannaich gr猫im air an fhacal Gh脿idhlig sin oir bha facal acasan a bha a鈥� ciallachadh an aon rud 鈥� setr ann an seann Lochlannais. Tha ainmean-脿ite ann an Le貌dhas a鈥� tighinn bho setr 鈥� leithid Siadair, Ungasiadair is Cairisiadair. Ach bha am facal a th脿inig bhon Gh脿idhlig air a chleachdadh ann an Lochlannais anns an t-seann l脿mh-sgr矛obhainn mu Arcaibh 鈥� an Orkneyinga Saga.

鈥橲 e facal eile a nochdas ann an ainmean Arcach a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith bhon Gh脿idhlig 鈥� br脿ighe. Tha e c脿irdeach don fhacal brae ann an Albais ach tha e a鈥� nochdadh ann an co-dhi霉 d脿 ainm Arcach ann an riochd car G脿idhealach 鈥� Braemore faisg air Stenness air T矛r-m貌r Arcaibh, agus ann am Faraclett ann an Rousay far a bheil leathad air a bheil Brae-an-finyan. A-rithist, chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh d猫 cho sean 鈥檚 a tha fear seach fear de na h-ainmean sin.

Ann an Eilean Shanndaigh 鈥� no Sanday 鈥� tha 脿ite ann air a bheil the Kirk and Kill o鈥� Howe 鈥� d脿 chnoc le ceud meatair eatarra. Bha 脵isdean Marwick dhen bheachd gum b鈥� e an Kill 鈥� ceall no cille ann an G脿idhlig, is gun robh seann eaglais ann ri linn nan Ceilteach.

An uair sin th脿inig na Lochlannaich agus thog iad kirk no eaglais aca fh猫in p矛os beag air falbh bhon t-seann eaglais Cheiltich.

Tha feadhainn cuideachd dhen bheachd gu bheil egil anns an ainm Egilsay 鈥� eilean eile ann an Arcaibh 鈥� a鈥� tighinn bho eaglais. Agus gu bheil Kili Holm, eilean beag d矛reach gu tuath air Egilsay, a鈥� ciallachadh eilean na cille 鈥� le Kili a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig.

Chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh le cinnt cia mheud facal G脿idhlig, no Cruithneach, a tha be貌 an-diugh ann an ainmean-脿ite Arcaibh. Gl猫 bheag, chanainn. Tha a鈥� mh貌r-chuid de na h-ainmean Lochlannach, ged a chaidh an atharrachadh gu dreach 霉r st猫idhichte air a鈥� Bheurla Arcaich. Ach tha iad gu math inntinneach, agus tha iad mar ph脿irt de dh矛leab l脿idir nan Lochlannach anns na h-Eileanan mu Thuath.

Faclan na Litreach: H貌dhaigh: Hoy; Arcaibh: Orkney; bailtean-fearainn: farms, fermtouns; 脿irigh: shieling (equivalent to the Old Norse setr, modern Norwegian setter); leithid: such as; leathad: slope; Cruithneach: Pictish.

Abairtean na Litreach: tr脿th san fhicheadamh linn: early in the 20th Century; cha b鈥� urrainn dh脿san a bhith cinnteach nas motha: he couldn鈥檛 be certain either; lorgar X: X is found; 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e as coireach nach eil na h-ainmean sin uabhasach sean: perhaps the reason is that those names are not terribly old; mar fhaclan-iasaid don Bheurla Arcaich: as loanwords into the Orkney dialect; bho ch脿nan nan Cruithneach: from the language of the Picts; a鈥� comharrachadh nam manach: commemorating the monks; aig an deireadh: at the end; 鈥檚 e X ann an Ros an Iar eisimpleir dhiubh: X in Wester Ross is an example of them; a bha a鈥� ciallachadh an aon rud: which meant the same thing; c脿irdeach do X ann an Albais: related to X in Scots; co-dhi霉 d脿 ainm Arcach ann an riochd car G脿idhealach: at least two Orkney names in a rather Gaelic form; d脿 chnoc le ceud meatair eatarra: two hills a hundred metres apart; ri linn nan Ceilteach: at the time of the Celts; d矛reach gu tuath air X: just to the north of X; chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh le cinnt: I can鈥檛 say for certain; chaidh an atharrachadh gu dreach 霉r st猫idhichte air a鈥� Bheurla Arcaich: they became changed to a new form based on the Orkney dialect; d矛leab l脿idir nan Lochlannach anns na h-Eileanan mu Thuath: the strong legacy of the Norse in the Northern Isles.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Here鈥檚 a few more Orkney place-names which might contain Gaelic elements 鈥� whether as pre-Norse nomenclature or as Norse or Scots elements derived as loanwords from Gaelic: Partan Taing (Crab Spit) on Linga Holm, Cairn Head on Holm of Papa, Point of Tobar (possibly Well Point) on Faray, and Strathore and Rosecraigie on Shapinsay. One of the highest hills on Hoy is called Cuilags. It ought to be Norse (given the surrounding nomenclature) but I haven鈥檛 been able to locate a derivation, and Peter Drummond鈥檚 鈥淪cottish Hill Names鈥� doesn鈥檛 contain any suggestions. WJ Watson gives a Gaelic derivation for Coulags in Wester Ross (Na C霉ileagan). But the Hoy Cuilags appears to be the hill itself. Can a reader help?

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: fear seach fear de na h-ainmean sin: one or other of those names. With a feminine noun (ainm is masculine) we would say t猫 seach t猫 (dhiubh).