大象传媒

鈥橲 i Kebnekaise a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde anns聽an t-Suain. Tha i ann an sg矛re聽bhr猫agha. Tha i anns a鈥� cheann a tuath,聽anns an Artaig. Bha mi anns an sg矛re聽sin aig 脿m na C脿isge. Bha mi a鈥櫬爏githeadh thar na d霉thcha.聽Is e sin d霉thaich nan S脿mi. Air聽an t矛r agus air a鈥� mhapa, tha a鈥� mh貌r-chuid聽de na h-ainmean-脿ite ann an聽S脿mais. Thog mi facal no dh脿 dhen聽ch脿nan; tha j谩vri a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och鈥�.聽Tha v谩ggi a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済leann鈥�; tha聽膷ohkka a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕ullach聽beinne鈥�. Tha mi an d貌chas gun tuirt mi聽ceart iad.聽Tha rud inntinneach mu na聽mapaichean anns an t-Suain, co-dhi霉聽anns a鈥� cheann a tuath. Tha d脿 ainm air聽gach t猫 de na beanntan 脿rda ainmeil.聽Mar eisimpleir tha Kebnekaise ann.聽Cuideachd, fon ainm sin, tha聽Giebmeg谩isi ann. 鈥橲 e Kebnekaise an聽riochd Suaineis air an ainm (ged as e聽ainm S脿mais a tha ann). 鈥橲 e聽Giebmeg谩isi an riochd S脿mais. Tha e聽coltach ri Ben Nevis agus Beinn聽Nibheis. Tha an d脿 chuid a鈥� tighinn聽bhon Gh脿idhlig. Ach tha dreach Beurla聽air fear dhiubh.聽Gu trithead bliadhna air ais, bha聽S脿mais air a sgr矛obhadh a r猫ir n貌san聽Suaineis. A-nise tha d貌igh sgr矛obhaidh聽aca fh猫in. Tha sin eadar-dhealaichte聽bho dh貌igh-sgr矛obhaidh Suaineis.聽Ach seo agaibh rud cudromach.聽Tha e a鈥� bualadh oirnn ann an Alba.聽Tha na Suainich a鈥� cur riochdan聽S脿mais an latha an-diugh air na聽mapaichean a-nise. Tha sin a聽bharrachd air seann riochd st猫idhichte聽air Suaineis (far a bheil an seann聽riochd ainmeil). Tha na Suainich a鈥櫬爈eantainn aonta a rinn na D霉thchannan聽Aonaichte. 鈥橲 e sin, far a bheil mion-ch脿nan聽ann, gum bi an litreachadh聽acasan air mapaichean na d霉thcha.聽Nise, coimheadaibh air mapa na聽h-Alba. D猫anaibh coimeas le聽mapaichean na Suain. Air mapaichean聽an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais far a bheil am聽mullach as 脿irde ann an Alba, chan eil聽ann ach 鈥淏en Nevis鈥�. Dreach na Beurla聽a-mh脿in. Chan eil sgeul air dreach聽na G脿idhlig. Tha an t-脿m againn sin聽atharrachadh. Bu ch貌ir 鈥淏einn聽Nibheis鈥� a bhith ann cuideachd.

Kebnekaise is the highest聽mountain in Sweden. It鈥檚 in a聽beautiful area. It鈥檚 in the north, in聽the Arctic. I was in that area at聽Easter time. I was skiing across聽[the] country.聽That is the country of the聽S谩mi. On the land and on the map,聽most of the place names are in聽S谩mi. I picked up a word or two of聽the language. J谩vri means 鈥渓och鈥�.聽V谩ggi means 鈥済len鈥�; 膶ohkka聽means 鈥渕ountain top鈥�. I hope I聽said them correctly.聽There is an interesting thing聽about the maps in Sweden, at least聽in the north. There are two names聽on each of the famous high聽mountains. For example, there is聽Kebnekaise. Also, under that聽name, there is Giebmeg谩isi.聽Kebnekaise is the Swedish language聽form of the name (although it聽is a S谩mi name). It鈥檚 like Ben聽Nevis and Beinn Nibheis. Both聽come from Gaelic. But one of them聽has an anglicised form.聽Until thirty years ago, S谩mi聽was written according to Swedish聽language norms. Now they have聽their own way of writing. That is聽different from the Swedish writing聽system.聽But here鈥檚 an important聽thing. It affects us in Scotland. The聽Swedes now put modern S谩mi聽forms on their maps. That鈥檚 in聽addition to an old form based on聽Swedish (where the old form is聽well known). The Swedes are聽following an agreement the United聽Nations made. That is, where there聽is a minority language, that their聽spelling will be on the maps.聽Now, look at the map of聽Scotland. Compare [it] with the聽maps of Sweden. On the Ordnance聽Survey maps, where there is the聽highest summit in Scotland, there聽is only 鈥淏en Nevis鈥�. The聽anglicised form only. There鈥檚 no聽sign of the Gaelic form. It鈥檚 time聽we changed that. 鈥淏einn Nibheis鈥澛爏hould also be there.