大象传媒

Cuin a bha an lioncs be貌 mu dheireadh ann an Alba? Bidh sibh e貌lach air an lioncs, tha mi cinnteach 鈥� cat m貌r fiadhaich a tha a鈥� fuireach anns na coilltean ann am m貌ran脿iteachan ann an 脌isia agus san Roinn E貌rpa. Bha e uaireigin be貌 ann an Alba. Ach聽cuin 鈥� agus carson 鈥� a dh鈥檉halbh e mu dheireadh thall?

Uill, chan eil fios le cinnt. Gu o chionn ghoirid bhathar dhen bheachd gun deach an lioncs 脿 bith ann an Alba anns na linntean ro-eachdraidheil, na m矛lteanbhliadhnaichean air ais. Ach tha e coltach nach eil sin f矛or. Bha iad ann am Breatainn ri linn nan G脿idheal.
Agus carson a tha a鈥� cheist seo cudromach? Tha a chionn 鈥檚 mura robh an 脿rainneachd freagarrach air an son nach biodh adhbhar ann an toirt air ais a Bhreatainn. Ach mas e mac an duine a chuir 脿s dhaibh, dh鈥檉haodadh mac an duine an toirt air ais.

Tha sreath uamhan ann an Asainte faisg air Innis nan Damh. Tha iad ri taobhallt ris an canar Allt nan Uamh. Chaidh claigeann lioncs a lorg ann an t猫 de na h-uamhan ann an naoi ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a seachd (1927). Aig an 脿m ud, bha na h-e貌laichean dhen bheachd gun robh an claigeann ceithir m矛le bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. Bha iad dhen bheachd gun deach an lioncs 脿 bith mun 脿m sin ann am Breatainn air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gun do dh鈥檉h脿s an aimsir na bu fhliche. Mar sin, cha bhiodh e ceart eadhon a鈥� smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn a thoirt air ais a Bhreatainn. 鈥橲 e b脿s n脿darrach a fhuair an cat fiadhaich sin.

Uill, chan eil an sgeul cho s矛mplidh sin. Nuair a rinneadh tomhas ceart air aois a鈥� chlaiginn, le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh teicne貌las r猫idio-charboin, fhuaireadh a-mach nach robh e cho sean sin idir. Bha e d矛reach m矛le is ochd ceud bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. Bha sin fada 脿s d猫idh don aimsir ann am Breatainn f脿s na bu fhliche.

Agus, a bharrachd air sin, chaidh cn脿mh lioncs a lorg ann an Siorrachd Iorg ann an Sasainn. Chaidh aois a sgr霉dadh agus fhuaireadh a-mach gun d鈥� fhuair am beathach b脿s eadar a鈥� bhliadhna ceithir cheud, fichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (425) agus sia ceud (600) AC. Agus tha seann d脿n ann am Breatannais 鈥� no seann Chuimris 鈥� 脿 sg矛re a tha an-diugh ann an ceann a tuath Shasainn a thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh a tha ag ainmeachadh an lioncs.

Ged as e lioncs a chanas sinn ris a鈥� chreutair sin an-diugh 鈥� ainm a th脿inig bhon Bheurla 鈥� anns an t-seann Gh脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e lug no lugh a chanadh na daoine. Ann an seann fhaclair 脠ireannach tha an abairt lug-l茅imnech; tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓ynx-like leaping鈥�. Bha na G脿idheil e貌lach air na beathaichean sin o shean.

脌s d猫idh na bliadhna d脿 cheud dheug (1200) chan eil sgeul air an fhacal lughann an l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean G脿idhlig. Chan eil seann sgeulachdan againn dhen lugh no lioncs mar a th鈥� againn dhen torc. 鈥橲 iomadh st貌iridh a th鈥� againn de thuirc nimhe ged a chaidh iadsan 脿 bith ann an Alba o chionn ceudan bhliadhnaichean.

Ach tha aithris ann am Beurla gun robh 鈥渓ions鈥� uaireigin pailt ann an ceann atuath na h-Alba. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Chuimris air 鈥渓ion鈥� llew 鈥� facal a tha c脿irdeach do lugh ann anG脿idhlig agus, is cinnteach, do leo ann an Laideann. Nam biodh 鈥渓ions鈥� ann an Alba, d猫 bhiodh annta ach lioncsaichean?

lioncs, lugh: lynx; uaireigin: at one time; uamhan: caves; Asainte; Assynt; Innis nan Damh: Inchnadamph; claigeann: skull; Siorrachd Iorg:Yorkshire; l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean: manuscripts.

cat m貌r fiadhaich: a large wild cat; m貌ran 脿iteachan ann an 脌isia agus san Roinn E貌rpa: many places in Asia and [in] Europe; mu dheireadh thall: in the end; bhathar dhen bheachd gun deach an lioncs 脿 bith: it was thought that thelynx became extinct; ann am Breatainn ri linn nan G脿idheal: in Britain at the time ofthe Gaels; mura robh an 脿rainneachd freagarrach air an son: if the environment were not suitable for them; nach biodh adhbhar ann an toirt air ais a Bhreatainn: there would be no reason to return them to Britain; mas e mac an duine a chuir 脿s dhaibh: if it鈥檚humans that caused their extinction; aig an 脿m ud: at that time; air s脿illibh 鈥檚:because; cha bhiodh e ceart eadhon a鈥� smaoineachadh: it wouldn鈥檛 be right even to think; chan eil an sgeul cho s矛mplidh sin: the story鈥檚 not as simple as that; nuair a rinneadh tomhas ceart air aois a鈥� chlaiginn: when the skull鈥檚 age was accurately assessed; teicne貌las r猫idio-charboin: radiocarbon technology; chaidh aois a sgr霉dadh: its age was analysed; fhuaireadh a-mach gun d鈥� fhuair am beathach b脿s: it was foundout that the animal died; mar a th鈥� againn dhen torc: as we do of the wild boar; 鈥檚iomadh st貌iridh a th鈥� againn de thuirc nimhe: it鈥檚 many stories we have of wild boar; ochionn ceudan bhliadhnaichean: hundreds of years ago; uaireigin pailt ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba: at one plentiful in the north of Scotland; 鈥檚 e a鈥� Chuimris air X: the Welsh for X is; d猫 bhiodh annta ach lioncsaichean?: what would they be but lynxes?

gun do dh鈥檉h脿s an aimsir na bu fhliche: that the weathergot wetter. There are alternative forms of the comparative of fliuch 鈥� either fliuiche(na bu fhliuiche) or fliche (na bu fhliche). Both are universally understood and thedifference in pronunciation is minor. This is not entirely unique. For example, thecomparative of doirbh (difficult) can be doirbhe or dorra. As duilich can have a similarmeaning to doirbh (bha sin duilich dha = 鈥渢hat was difficult for him鈥�), it shares one ofthese comparatives 鈥� it can be duilghe or dorra.

anns na linntean ro-eachdraidheil: in [the]prehistoric times.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA