大象传媒

D猫 tha anns a鈥� chumantas eadar Kebnekaise agus Beinn Nibheis? Uill, rud no dh脿. 鈥橲 i Kebnekaise a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde anns an t-Suain. Ruigidh i d脿 mh矛le, ceud is aon-deug (2,111) meatair de dh鈥櫭爄rde os cionn na mara. Agus bidh fios agaibh gur i Beinn Nibheis a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde ann an Alba, ged a tha i nas 矛sle na Kebnekaise.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha an d脿 bheinn ann an sg矛rean air leth br猫agha, l脿n bheanntan. Aig 脿m na C脿isge chaidh mi air sgithichean seachad air Kebnekaise. Bha ise, agus na beanntan mun cuairt oirre, l脿n sneachda. Tha i gu math fada tuath, anns an Artaig.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha rudeigin eile a tha inntinneach nuair a nithear coimeas eadar an d脿 脿ite. 鈥橲 e c脿nan na t矛re anns gach c霉is mion-ch脿nan 鈥� a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann an Alba agus S脿mais anns an t-Suain.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha mi a鈥� sgitheadh airson sia latha air slighe ainmeil ris an canar Kungsleden 鈥� Slighe an R矛gh. 鈥橲 e ainm Suaineis a tha sin. Ach, air an t矛r agus air a鈥� mhapa, tha a鈥� mh貌r-chuid de na h-ainmean ann an S脿mais. Sg矛th mi thairis air lochan re貌ite air a bheil 脕besko箩谩惫谤颈 agus Alis箩谩惫谤颈. Thog mi facal no dh脿 dhen ch脿nan; tha 箩谩惫谤颈 a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och鈥�. Tha 惫谩驳驳颈 a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済leann鈥�; tha 膷辞丑办办补 a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕ullach beinne鈥�; tha jeaggi a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂oglach鈥�. Ma tha S脿mais agaibh, an gabh sibh mo leisgeul ma fhuair mi ce脿rr iad.

Ach cha b鈥� urrainn do na Suainich, ris an do thachair mi, dad innse dhomh mu na h-ainmean-脿ite. A bharrachd air sin, bha e coltach nach robh m貌ran 霉idh aca. Cha b鈥� ionann e do Gh脿idheal!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha aon rud inntinneach mu na mapaichean Suaineach a tha a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri d霉thaich nan S脿mi. Tha d脿 ainm air gach t猫 de na beanntan 脿rda ainmeil. Mar eisimpleir chithear Kebnekaise agus, fodha, 骋颈别产尘别驳谩颈蝉颈. 鈥橲 e Kebnekaise an riochd Suaineis air an ainm 鈥� ged as e ainm S脿mais bho th霉s 鈥� agus 鈥檚 e 骋颈别产尘别驳谩颈蝉颈 an riochd S脿mais. Tha e coltach ri Ben Nevis agus Beinn Nibheis. Tha an d脿 chuid a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig ach 鈥檚 e dreach Beurla a th鈥� air fear dhiubh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Gu o chionn beagan is trithead bliadhna, bha S脿mais anns an t-Suain air a sgr矛obhadh a r猫ir n貌san Suaineis. A-nise tha d貌igh sgr矛obhaidh aca fh猫in. Ach tha Kungsleden a鈥� dol tro thr矛 dhiofar sg矛rean c脿nain, far a bheil an S脿mais eadar-dhealaichte. Agus tha d貌ighean eadar-dhealaichte aig gach c脿nan airson fuaimean a riochdachadh air p脿ipear.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach seo agaibh rud cudromach a tha a鈥� bualadh oirnn ann an Alba. Tha na Suainich a鈥� cur riochd S脿mais an latha an-diugh air na mapaichean a-nise, a bharrachd air seann riochd st猫idhichte air Suaineis, oir tha iad a鈥� leantainn aonta a rinn na D霉thchannan Aonaichte. 鈥橲 e sin, far a bheil mion-ch脿nan ann, gum bu ch貌ir an litreachadh acasan a bhith air a riochdachadh air mapaichean na d霉thcha.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nise, coimheadaibh air mapa na h-Alba agus d猫anaibh coimeas le mapaichean na Suain. Air mapaichean an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais far a bheil am mullach as 脿irde ann an Alba, chan eil ann ach 鈥淏en Nevis鈥�. Tha an t-脿m againn sin atharrachadh, agus 鈥淏einn Nibheis鈥� a bhith ann a bharrachd.

d猫 tha anns a鈥� chumantas eadar: what is there in common between; de dh鈥櫭爄rde os cionn na mara: of height above the sea; nas 矛sle: lower; gu math fada tuath, anns an Artaig: very far north, in the Arctic; nuair a nithear coimeas: when a comparison is made; 鈥檚 e c脿nan na t矛re anns gach c霉is mion-ch脿nan: the land language in each case is a minority language; sg矛th mi thairis air lochan re貌ite: I skied over frozen lochs; an gabh sibh mo leisgeul ma fhuair mi ce脿rr iad: will you excuse me if I got them incorrect; cha b鈥� ionann e do Gh脿idheal: it wasn鈥檛 the same [story] for a Gael; air a sgr矛obhadh a r猫ir n貌san Suaineis: written according to Swedish linguistic norms; tro thr矛 dhiofar sg矛rean c脿nain: through three different language areas; airson fuaimean a riochdachadh air p脿ipear: for representing sounds on paper; a tha a鈥� bualadh oirnn: which affects us; aonta a rinn na D霉thchannan Aonaichte: an agreement the United Nations made; gum bu ch貌ir an litreachadh acasan a bhith air a riochdachadh air mapaichean na d霉thcha: that their spelling should be represented on the country鈥檚 maps; tha an t-脿m againn sin atharrachadh: it鈥檚 time we changed that.

There is a serious point to this week鈥檚 Litir. The S谩mi language, following modern spelling conventions, is now used for landscape features on Swedish maps of the country鈥檚 north, even for famous mountain names which also carry a well-recognised and well-established Swedish form (based on original S谩mi). The contrast with OS maps of Scotland where Ben Nevis is given, but not Beinn Nibheis, should cause us to ask why we should not see a similar development here. Gaelic has just as strong a link with the landscape of the G脿idhealtachd as does S谩mi with S谩pmi (the S谩mi country) and it boasts more speakers than S谩mi. Such has been done for some mountains in the Cairngorms but it should be rolled out across Gaelic Scotland. Among other mountains that could, and should, carry bilingual names are Ben Alder/Beinn Eallair, Ben Vorlich/Beinn Mh霉rlaig, Ben Starav/Beinn Starbh, Mount Keen/Am Monadh Caoin and Quinag/A鈥� Chuinneag.