大象传媒

Anns a鈥� cheala-deug a dh鈥檉halbh, bha sinn ann an Sg矛re an R貌id ann an D霉n 脠ideann, a鈥� coimhead air na h-ainmean-脿ite Arthur鈥檚 Seat agus Piper鈥檚 Walk. An t-seachdain seo, mus fh脿g mi an sg矛re sin, bu mhath leam s霉il a thoirt air ainm G脿idhlig 鈥� no an 矛re mhath G脿idhlig, co-dhi霉. 鈥橲 e sin Croft-an-Righ. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a tha e a鈥� nochdadh air na soidhnichean. Croft-an-Righ. Chan e Croit an R矛gh mar a bhiodh d霉il, ach Croft-an-Righ.

Tha an t-脿ite gu math faisg air L霉chairt an R貌id 鈥� dachaigh oifigeil na Banrigh ann an Alba. Nuair a chunnaic mi an soidhne, shaoil mi gur d貌cha gur e seann ainm G脿idhlig a bh鈥� ann 鈥� a bhuineadh don linn, ochd ceud gu m矛le bliadhna air ais, nuair a bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig be貌 mar ch脿nan coimhearsnachd ann an Lodainn. Ach, nuair a dh鈥檉haighnich mi de Gh脿idheil ionnsaichte, cha robh iad e貌lach air an ainm. Agus bha e ne貌nach dhomh gun robh an dreach G脿idhlig air a ghl猫idheadh cho fada ann an 脿itemar Dh霉n 脠ideann.

Choisich mi s矛os an rathad far an robh an soidhne gam sti霉ireadh. Agus chan fhaca mi croit. Leis an fh矛rinn innse, cha robh mi 鈥檔 d霉il coinneachadh ri croitear le b貌tannan air, agus caoraich is crodh ag ionaltradh taobh a-muigh an taigh aige. 鈥橲 e croit R矛gh a bh鈥� ann! Bhiodh e na bu spaideile na croit air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd! Ach cha robh eadhon croit r矛oghail spaideil ann. Bha seann taigh ann, ge-t脿. Agus air a鈥� bhalla bha an soidhne 鈥� Croft-an-Righ. Buinidh an taigh don t-siathamh linn deug. Tha e gu math sean.

Chaidh mi don leabhar le Sti霉bhart Harris nach maireann 鈥� The Place Names of Edinburgh. Agus tha e coltach nach e ainm G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann idir. Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach feumar cuimhneachadh gun t脿inig am facal G脿idhlig croit bhon Bheurla croft. Agus anns an ochdamh is naoidheamh linn deug bha an t-ainm cl脿raichte mar Croftangry. Tha Harris ag innse dhuinn gur e ainm Beurla a bh鈥� ann a th脿inig bho croftangr. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh p脿irc ionaltraidh le feansa mu a timcheall, a tha suidhichte taobh a-staigh fearann a鈥� bhaile 鈥� seach 脿ite ionaltraidh taobh a-muigh a鈥� bhaile air a鈥檆h霉l-cinn.

Ciamar, ma tha, a fhuair e ainm G脿idhlig? Uill, tha Harris ag r脿dh, tron naoidheamh linn deug, gun do dh鈥檃tharraich an t-ainm bho Croftangry gu Croftanry gu Croft an Rhi le r-h-i, agus mu dheireadh r-i-g-h. Tha e coltach gun deach an ceangal a dh猫anamh eadar an t-脿ite agus R矛gh na h-Alba leis gu bheil e cho faisg air an l霉chairt. Ach cha robh l霉chairt aig na r矛ghrean an sin ro dheireadh a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug. Agus bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air a bhith marbh fada ann an Lodainn aig an 脿m sin.

Chan eil Harris ag r脿dh c貌 a bu choireach ri dreach G脿idhlig an ainm. Ach tha e ag r脿dh gur e 鈥淐roft an Rye鈥� an d貌igh 鈥檚 a bheil m貌ran ga r脿dh. Agus chuala mi sin bho neach ann an D霉n 脠ideann cuideachd. Tha Harris a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e as coireach ris an fhuaimneachadh 鈥渞ye鈥� gun robh feadhainn a鈥� cur an aghaidh dreach fuadain G脿idhlig a chur air seann ainm a th脿inig bhon Bheurla.

Co-dhi霉 no co-dheth, sin Croft-an-Righ. Gu math tric, bidh sinn a鈥� gearain gun deach dreach Beurla a chur air seann ainmean G脿idhlig. Uill, seo eisimpleir de dhreach G脿idhlig a鈥� dol air seann ainm Beurla 鈥� rud nach fhaicear cho tric.

Sg矛re an R貌id: Holyrood; L霉chairt an R貌id: Holyrood Palace;croit: croft; fuaimneachadh: pronunciation.

anns a鈥� cheala-deug a dh鈥檉halbh: in the last fortnight; no an聽矛re mhath G脿idhlig, co-dhi霉: or pretty much Gaelic, anyway; 鈥檚 ann mar sin a tha e a鈥櫬爊ochdadh air na soidhnichean: that鈥檚 how it appears on the signs; mar a bhiodh d霉il:聽as would be expected; shaoil mi gur d貌cha: I thought that perhaps; mar ch脿nan聽coimhearsnachd ann an Lodainn: as a community language in Lothian; nuair a聽dh鈥檉haighnich mi de Gh脿idheil ionnsaichte: when I asked educated Gaels; gun robh an聽dreach G脿idhlig air a ghl猫idheadh cho fada: that the Gaelic version was retained so聽long; far an robh an soidhne gam sti霉ireadh: where the sign was directing me; croitear聽le b貌tannan air: a crofter with wellies on; agus caoraich is crodh ag ionaltradh: with sheep and cattle grazing; na bu spaideile: smarter; buinidh an taigh don t-siathamh聽linn deug: the house belongs to the 16th Century; feumar cuimhneachadh: it should be聽remembered; p脿irc ionaltraidh le feansa mu a timcheall: fenced grazing; suidhichte聽taobh a-staigh fearann a鈥� bhaile: situated within the inbye land; air a鈥� ch霉l-cinn: in the聽common grazing ground outside the township; cha robh l霉chairt aig na r矛ghrean an sin:聽the kings didn鈥檛 have a palace there; marbh fada ann an Lodainn: dead for a long time聽in Lothian; c貌 a bu choireach ri dreach G脿idhlig an ainm: who is responsible for the聽Gaelic appearance of the name; a鈥� cur an aghaidh dreach fuadain G脿idhlig a chur air聽seann ainm: rejecting giving an old name a false Gaelic appearance; co-dhi霉 no co-dheth:聽anyway; bidh sinn a鈥� gearain: we complain; nach fhaicear cho tric: that鈥檚 not聽seen too often.

ro dheireadh a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug: before the end of聽the fifteenth century. Have you noticed that we don鈥檛 slenderise the ordinal numerical聽adjectives even in grammatical situations where (other) inflection occurs. So we say聽and write an c貌igeamh linn deug but deireadh a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug, not deireadh a鈥櫬燾h貌igeimh linn deug. There is lenition but no slenderization. Similarly an seachdamh聽linn, but toiseach an t-seachdamh linn. The start of the word inflects, but not the end.聽The reason is that the adjective always precedes the noun. Other adjectives which聽precede the noun work similarly eg c貌ta a鈥� phr矛omh fhir, lachanaich an droch isein,聽linn nan deagh shamhraidhean 鈥� the end of the word does not inflect even if its聽qualified noun inflects, such as by slenderization.

bha e ne貌nach dhomh: it was strange to me.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA