大象传媒

Tha d霉bhlan agam dhuibh aig toiseach na Litreach. Seo faclan 脿 seann fhaclairean G脿idhlig agus tha iad uile a鈥� ciallachadh an aon rud: ailp, ailpe, boir, borr agus fil. Chan eil sibh e貌lach orra? Na gabhaibh dragh 鈥� cha robh no mise. Tha iad uile a鈥� seasamh airson beathach f矛or mh貌r. Seo feadhainn eile a tha a鈥� ciallachadh an aon rud: oileabhan, oilleabhaint, albhan dubh, elebhean agus elephant. Tuigidh sibh a-nise gu bheil iad uile a鈥� ciallachadh ailbhean. Nach iongantach na th鈥� againn de dh鈥檉haclan G脿idhlig airson a鈥� chreutair seo!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha am facal Beurla elephant a鈥� tighinn bhon Laidinn elephantus a tha e fh猫in a鈥� tighinn bhon Ghreugais elephas. Ach tha cuid de na faclan co-cheangailte ri ailbheanan ann am Beurla a鈥� tighinn bho Hindi. Mar eisimpleir mahout 鈥� fear a bhios na shuidhe air c霉l ceann ailbhein agus ga sti霉ireadh. 鈥橲 ann bhon aon ch脿nan a tha howdah a鈥� tighinn; 鈥檚 e sin an suidheachan m貌r air muin ailbhein.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Uill, chuir mi seachad d脿 uair a th矛de gu leth aig toiseach na bliadhna ann an howdah air muin ailbhein. Bha sin fada gu le貌r! Bha mi ann an ceann a deas Neapail agus bha mi fh矛n is tri霉ir eile anns a鈥� choille mh貌ir no jungle (facal Hindi eile) air muin ailbhein. 鈥橲 e sin an d貌igh as fhe脿rr airson beathaichean fiadhaich fhaicinn oir leigidh iadsan le ailbhean a dhol gu math faisg orra. Tha e an 矛re mhath s脿bhailte cuideachd oir cha bhi beathaichean eile, mar as trice, a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh air ailbhean 鈥� ach a-mh脿in t矛gear corra uair. Tha t矛gearan gu le貌r ann far an robh mi, agus sr貌n-adharcaich, mathain is cr貌gallan, agus mar sin bha mi toilichte a bhith gu h-脿rd air muin ailbhein, eadhon ged nach robh e uabhasach cofhurtail.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Leis na th鈥� againn de dh鈥檉haclan G脿idhlig airson ailbhean, bha mi a鈥� me貌rachadh air cho e貌lach 鈥檚 a bha na seann Cheiltich air na creutairean sin. Agus an latha eile, th脿inig mi tarsainn air seann ph脿ipear ann am Fraingis air an robh Les Celtes et Les 脡l茅phants le H Gaidoz, 脌rd-ollamh a鈥� Chruinn-e貌lais agus Sluagh-e貌lais anns an 脡cole des Sciences Politiques ann am Paris. Chaidh a sgr矛obhadh ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1873).

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha am Proif. Gaidoz dhen bheachd gur e a鈥� chiad turas a chunnaic m貌ran Cheilteach ailbheanan nuair a nochd an ceannard Carthaginianach, Hannibal, le arm ann an ceann a deas na Gaille. Bha sin anns a鈥� bhliadhna d脿 cheud is ochd-deug (218) RC. Dh鈥檉heuch na Ceiltich ri stad a chur air Hannibal aig Abhainn Rh么ne ach dh鈥檉hailnich orra. A bharrachd air leth-cheud m矛le saighdear, bha faisg air ceathrad ailbhean-cogaidh aig Hannibal. Tha d霉il gun do chuir e an s脿s iad anns a鈥� chath an aghaidh nan Ceilteach. Bidh sibh e貌lach air a鈥� ch貌rr de dh鈥檈achdraidh Hannibal is mar a thug e arm thar nan Ailpean gu ruige t矛r na R貌imhe.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chan iad na treubhan anns a鈥� Ghaill an aon fheadhainn Cheilteach a fhuair e貌las air an ailbhean air s脿illibh Hannibal. Bha Ceiltich eile a鈥� fuireach anns na beanntan, agus air taobh thall nam beann gu tuath air an R貌imh 鈥� far a bheil ceann a tuath na h-Eadailt an-diugh. Tha e inntinneach gur e ailp fear de na seann fhaclan G脿idhlig airson ailbhean; tha e a鈥� ciallachadh protuberance, any gross lump, mountain agus elephant. Bha na h-ailpean anns na h-Ailpean, gu dearbh.

co-cheangailte ri: linked to; 迟谤颈霉颈谤: three people; 蝉脿产丑补颈濒迟别: safe; Ceilteach: Celt; ailbhean-cogaidh: war-elephant; air s脿illibh: because of.

Tha d霉bhlan agam dhuibh: I have a challenge for you; a鈥� seasamh airson beathach f矛or mh貌r: standing for a really big animal; nach iongantach na th鈥� againn de dh鈥檉haclan G脿idhlig airson a鈥� chreutair seo: isn鈥檛 it amazing how many Gaelic words we have for this creature; a bhios na shuidhe air c霉l ceann ailbhein agus ga sti霉ireadh: who sits behind an elephant鈥檚 head and controls it; an suidheachan m貌r air muin ailbhein: the big seat on the back of an elephant; an d貌igh as fhe脿rr airson beathaichean fiadhaich fhaicinn: the best way to see wild elephants; cha bhi beathaichean eile, mar as trice, a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh air: other animals won鈥檛 normally attack; ach a-mh脿in t矛gear corra uair: except for a tiger occasionally; sr貌n-adharcaich, mathain is cr貌gallan: rhinoceroses, beers and crocodiles; eadhon ged nach robh e uabhasach cofhurtail: even though it was not very comfortable; 脌rd-ollamh a鈥� Chruinn-e貌lais agus Sluagh-e貌lais: Professor of Geography and Ethnology; Dh鈥檉heuch na Ceiltich ri stad a chur air: the Celts tried to stop; dh鈥檉hailnich orra: they failed; mar a thug e arm thar nan Ailpean gu ruige t矛r na R貌imhe: how he took an army across the Alps to the territory of Rome; air taobh thall nam beann: on the far side of the mountains.

Na gabhaibh dragh 鈥� cha robh no mise: don鈥檛 be upset 鈥� I wasn鈥檛 either.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA