大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi a鈥� toirt s霉il air mapaichean na h-Alba aig an D霉itseach Joan Blaeu. Chuir Blaeu an Atlas Maior aige ann an cl貌 anns na seasgadan dhen t-seachdamh linn deug. Ach bha e air atlas na h-Alba fhoillseachadh anns na leth-cheudan.

Bha a mhapaichean de dh鈥橝lba gu m貌r st猫idhichte air an rannsachadh a rinn Timothy Pont leth-cheud bliadhna roimhe. 鈥橲 e obair mh貌r a rinn an dithis.Tha sinn cleachdte ri dreach na Beurla a bhith air m貌ran ainmean-脿ite aig a bheil t霉s G脿idhlig no Lochlannach.聽
Mar sin bha e inntinneach dhomh a bhith a鈥� coimhead air mapaichean Bhlaeu airson faicinn an robh sin f矛or anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. Uill, bha gu 矛re. Ach seo ainm no dh脿 a tha car inntinneach. Far am faic sinn Stornoway is Ste貌rnabhagh c貌mhla an-diugh, chithear air map Bhlaeu, Steornava. Agus, ann an Uibhist a Tuath, far am faic sinn Lochmaddy is Loch nam Madadhc貌mhla an-diugh, tha Loch na Maddy aig Blaeu.

Agus tha e inntinneach gun do roghnaich Blaeu cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan a shealltainn gu d脿-ch脿nanach. Tha an roghainn sin st猫idhichte air an fhiosrachadh a dh鈥檉h脿g Pont aige agus chan eil e soilleir carson a roghnaich Pont fh猫in cuid de dh鈥檃inmean a riochdachadh anns an d脿 ch脿nan. Air mapa Le貌dhais chithear Lewes or Lodhus. Ge-t脿, air mapa Na Hearadh, tha d矛reach Harry ann. Tha ceithir eileanan eileair an riochdachadh gu d脿-ch脿nanach 鈥� Skye [or] Skianach, Mula or Mul, Di霉ra or Iiura agus Ila or Il.

Tha notaichean anns an Atlas Mhaoir cuideachd, ag innse beagan mu dhiofar 脿iteachan. Seo na sgr矛obh e mu Na Hearadh: 鈥�..tha ionaltradh math ann do chaoraich,gu s貌nraichte beinn 脿rd a tha c貌mhdaichte gu l猫ir le feur bho a bonn gu a mullach. Tha D貌mhnall Rothach, fear naomh air leth ionnsaichte, ag r脿dh nuair a bha e anns na h-eileanan聽seo, gum fac鈥� e seann chaoraich air seachran, agus iad gun a bhith le duinesam bith. Tha 脿ireamh nan caorach a鈥� dol am meud fad na h-霉ine a chionn 鈥檚 nach eil madaidhean-allaidh, madaidhean-ruadha no nathraichean ann.鈥� Uill, f脿gaidh miagaibh fh猫in e tomhas a dh猫anamh air an tuairisgeul sin de Na Hearadh!

Agus tha tuairisgeul inntinneach 鈥� is annasach 鈥� aig Blaeu dhen Tr脿igh Mh貌irann am Barraigh agus mar a fhuair an tr脿igh a cuid choilleagan no shr霉ban: 鈥淎ir costatuath Bharraigh tha cnoc ag 猫iridh, a tha gorm bho a mhullach gu a bhonn, agus fuaran f矛or-uisge air a鈥� mhullach dhith; tha seo a鈥� d猫anamh allt a tha a鈥� ruith chun na mara, agus e a鈥� gi霉lain na uisgeachan an t-uabhas de chreutairean beaga gun chumadh a tha gu math coltach ris na seilcheagan againne. Tha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cur 鈥榯he widesands鈥� air a鈥� ph脿irt dhen chladach far a bheil an t-allt a鈥� ruigsinn na mara oir tha tr脿igh mh貌r ghainmhich ann nuair a tha a鈥� mhuir air tr脿ghadh. An seo bithear a鈥� cladhach-maorach, a thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth a dh鈥檉h脿s bho na creutairean a chaidh a ghi霉lain s矛os anns an allt, a th脿inig gu 矛re anns a鈥� mhuir.鈥� Uill, sin agaibh e. An robh fios aig na Barraich gun t脿inig an cuid shr霉ban bho fhuaran air mullach an eilein?!

Agus, mus fhalbh mi, air mapa Bhlaeu far a bheil an t-脪ban an-diugh, chan eil ann ach Soirbe air cladach 貌ba. Agus 鈥檚 e ainm an 貌ba Loch en na Ouillin. Tha mi an d霉il gur e sin Lochan na h-Uilinn. Ma tha fiosrachadh sam bith agaibhse mun ainm sin, b鈥� fh矛or thoigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh. Mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta.

D霉itseach: Dutchman; D貌mhnall Rothach: Donald Munro (Dean of the Isles); gorm: green (in landscape); seilcheagan: snails.

anns na seasgadan dhen t-seachdamh linn deug: in the 60s of the 17th Century (ie 1660s); anns na leth-cheudan: in the fifties; cleachdte ri: used to;bha e inntinneach dhomh: it was interesting for me; bha gu 矛re: it was to an extent; gun do roghnaich Blaeu X a shealltainn gu d脿-ch脿nanach: that Blaeu chose to show X bilingually; air an riochdachadh: represented; tha ionaltradh math ann do chaoraich: there is excellent pasture for sheep; c貌mhdaichte gu l猫ir le feur: entirely covered with grass; fear naomh air leth ionnsaichte: a saintly man of great erudition; air seach ran:wandering; gun a bhith le duine sam bith: [that] belonged to no one; a chionn 鈥檚 nach eil madaidhean-allaidh, madaidhean-ruadha no nathraichean ann: because there are no wolves, foxes or snakes; mar a fhuair an tr脿igh a cuid choilleagan no shr霉ban: how the beach got its cockles; fuaran f矛or-uisge air a鈥� mhullach dhith: a freshwater spring on its summit; agus e a鈥� gi霉lain na uisgeachan an t-uabhas de chreutairean beaga gun chumadh: which carries in its waters innumerable shapeless little creatures; nuair a tha a鈥� mhuir air tr脿ghadh: when the tide is out [has ebbed]; a th脿inig gu 矛re: which have grown to maturity; air cladach 貌ba: on the shore of an enclosed bay.

bithear a鈥� cladhach maorach: shellfish are dug up. The聽noun maorach, while grammatically singular, has collective import 鈥� rather like clann聽and feadhainn. It is important to remember that and not pluralise it as might be聽expected from the English. A good way of remembering it, if you ever catch the聽Ullapool-Stornoway ferry, is that the last point of the mainland, on the port side聽(leaving Ullapool) is Rubha Camas a鈥� Mhaoraich. Lots of shellfish would have been聽gathered in Camas a鈥� Mhaoraich (the bay of the shellfish) but the word maorach is clearly singular. In the Litir I did not slenderise maorach following the verbal noun as it is indefinite ie does not carry an article. You would however say bithear a鈥� cladhacha鈥� mhaoraich (the shellfish are/will be dug up) with the article causing the noun to adopt its genitive (singular) form.

f脿gaidh mi agaibh fh猫in e tomhas a dh猫anamh air an tuairisgeul sin de Na Hearadh: I鈥檒l leave it [up] to you to assess that description of Harris.