大象传媒

Fhuair mi post-d bho fhear a bhuineas do dh鈥橧nbhir Nis, agus a tha ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 ann 脿 Marc-Innis a bha a mh脿thair 鈥� an sg矛re de dh鈥橧nbhir Nis as fhaide a chum a鈥� Gh脿idhlig be貌 mar chainnt coimhearsnachd. Tha cuimhne aig mo charaid air a mh脿thair a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh fhaclan 脿raidh a bhuineadh do dhualchainnt sh貌nraichte.Tha e ag innse dhomh gur ann nuair a bha e air tighinn gu 矛re a thuig e gur e faclan G脿idhlig a bh鈥� annta.

Latha a bha seo, bha e a鈥� tadhal air a mh脿thair agus mhothaich i gun robh rudeigin air amhaich - rud ris an canar cyst ann am Beurla. Nise, bu mhath leam faighneachd d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� agaibh fh猫in air cyst. 鈥橲 aithne dhomh na faclan a leanas: fluth, balgan-iongrach, balgan-b猫iste agus guc. Na dualchainnt Bheurla fh猫in,chleachd m脿thair mo charaid am facal farach. Farach.

Bha e a鈥� cuimhneachadh an fhacail sin o chionn ghoirid agus chuir e roimhe faighinn a-mach an e facal G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann. Uill, chan eil e anns na faclairean. Ach ann am fear Dwelly tha farach-donn agus farach-dubh ann. Tha iad le ch猫ile a鈥� ciallachadh Lus nan Cnapan. 鈥橲 e Lus nan Cnapan a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Common Figwort, Scrophularia nodosa, lus a tha a鈥� f脿s ann an 脿iteachan fliucha. 鈥橲 iad na cnapan ann an ainm an luis atan air a fhreumhaichean. 鈥橲 ann air an sg脿th a tha luchd-saidheans a鈥� gabhail nodosa air an lus 鈥� tha nodules air.

Tha am facal Scrophularia co-cheangailte ris an tinneas air a bheil scrofula ann am Beurla agus tinneas an r矛gh ann an G脿idhlig. Aig aon 脿m, ann am Breatainn agus san Fhraing, bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gur e an leigheas airson tinneas an r矛gh nam biodh r矛gh a鈥� cur a l脿imh air an euslainteach.
Nise, tha a h-uile c脿il a tha seo inntinneach oir bidh cuimhne agaibh gur ann air amhaich mo charaid a bha am balgan no cyst 鈥� no farach. 鈥橲 e tinneas amhaich a th鈥� ann an tinneas an r矛gh. Bidh cnapan a鈥� nochdadh air amhaich an euslaintich. Aig aon 脿m bhathar a鈥� creidsinn ann an rud ris an canar ann am Beurla TheDoctrine of Signatures. Nan robh rudeigin air luibh a鈥� coimhead coltach ri ball-bodhaigduine, bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gum biodh an luibh fh猫in co-cheangailte ris a鈥� bhall-bhodhaigsin, agus gun d猫anadh e leigheas airson tinneas a bha a鈥� bualadh air a鈥� bhal-bhodhaig.

Chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 cho l脿idir 鈥檚 a bha an Doctrine of Signatures ann an e貌las is feallsanachd luibh-e貌laichean na G脿idhlig. Ach bha mi a鈥� me貌rachadh air a鈥� cheist seo agus shaoil mi gur d貌cha gur iad na cnapan air na freumhaichean a bha a鈥檆omharrachadh comas an luis leigheas a dh猫anamh air cnapan air an amhaich. Chaidhmi gu The Gaelic Names of Plants le Iain Camshron agus seo na sgr矛obh e fh猫in muLus nan Cnapan: 鈥�..from the resemblance of its roots to tumours ... it was esteemed aremedy for all scrofulous diseases.鈥� Bha Lus nan Cnapan na leigheas airson tinneas anr矛gh 鈥� tinneas a tha a鈥� f脿gail chnapan air an amhaich.

Tha e a鈥� coimhead coltach, ma-th脿, gur e facal G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann am farach, agus gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃nap鈥� no eadhon 鈥渃nap air an amhaich鈥�. Ma tha smuainsam bith agaibh air sin b鈥� fh矛or thoigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.

post-d: email; Marc-Innis: Merkinch; dualchainnt: dialect; Lusnan Cnapan: Common Figwort [lit. plant of the lumps]; amhaich: neck; a鈥� me貌rachadh: contemplating; Iain Camshron: John Cameron.

a bhuineas do: who belongs to; as fhaide a chum a鈥� Gh脿idhligbe貌 mar chainnt coimhearsnachd: which kept the language alive as a community tongue longest; gur ann nuair a bha e air tighinn gu 矛re: that it was when he had reached maturity; a thuig e gur e faclan G脿idhlig a bh鈥� annta: that he understood that they were Gaelic words; bha e a鈥� tadhal air a mh脿thair: he was visiting his mother; 鈥檚 aithnedhomh na faclan a leanas: I know the following words; chuir e roimhe faighinn a-mach:he decided to find out; atan air a fhreumhaichean: swellings on its roots; air an sg脿th:on their account; tinneas an r矛gh: scrofula [lit. the king鈥檚 disease 鈥� it was also known inEnglish as 鈥渒ing鈥檚 evil鈥漖; bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gur e an leigheas: it was believed thatthe cure was; nam biodh r矛gh a鈥� cur a l脿imh air an euslainteach: if the king would puthis hand on the patient; coltach ri ball-bodhaig duine: like a human organ; e貌las is feallsanachd luibh-e貌laichean na G脿idhlig: the body of knowledge and philosophy of theGaelic botanists; shaoil mi gur d貌cha: I thought that perhaps; a bha a鈥� comharrachadh comas an luis leigheas a dh猫anamh: which indicated the plant鈥檚 ability to effect a cure;seo na sgr矛obh e: here鈥檚 what he wrote; bha Lus nan Cnapan na leigheas airson tinneasan r矛gh: Common Figwort (鈥減lant of the lumps鈥� was a cure for scrofula (a lumpydisease of the neck); b鈥� fh矛or thoigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh: I鈥檇 really like to hear from you.

It鈥檚 interesting how Gaelic words persisted in certain聽Highland English dialects for some time. The Merkinch dialect in Inverness is one聽example. My informant tells me of another Gaelic word his Merkinch-raised mother聽would use when she had overboiled potatoes. She would say 鈥渢he tatties are away to聽smurach鈥�. If you don鈥檛 know the word, look up sm霉rach in a Gaelic dictionary. As聽regards farach meaning a lump in the neck, there is another candidate for a Gaelic聽origin. F脿ireag means a 鈥済land, swollen gland, hard lump between flesh and skin.鈥� It鈥檚possible the two words are related. If you use either word in Gaelic or English, I鈥檇 be聽pleased to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Tha iad le ch猫ile a鈥� ciallachadh: they both mean.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA