大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn mun fhacal samh 鈥� the common sorrel no sourock 鈥� agus mar a th脿inig e gu bith 鈥� bho Ph貌lainnis gu Iuidis gu Beurla gu G脿idhlig. Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar pr矛seil an latha eile 鈥� am faclair beag G脿idhlig a rinn Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1741). Agus cha robh guth aige air samh am measg ainmean lusan. Ach seo na bh鈥� aige airson 鈥淪owrocks or Sorrels鈥�: Sealbhagin, Puinneogin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha mi an d霉il gu bheil a鈥� chiad ainm a鈥� tighinn bho searbhag oir tha blas searbh air an duilleig. Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn puinneag? Tha sin aig MacBheathain anns an fhaclair aigesan ceud gu leth bliadhna 脿s d猫idh Mhic Mhaighstir Alasdair ach chan eil e a鈥� cur beachd air adhart air t霉s an fhacail.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Iain Camshron anns an leabhar aige Gaelic Names of Plants (ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a tr矛, 1883) ag r脿dh seo mu puinneag: Name given possibly for its efficacy in healing sores and bruises (a pugilist, puinneanach). Mmm. Uill, dh鈥檉haodadh gu bheil rudeigin aige. Ach saoilidh mi gu bheil e nas coltaiche gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich puinneag bho buinneag, 鈥渢wig鈥� no 鈥渟prout鈥�. Agus, gu dearbh, tha Dwelly a鈥� toirt dhuinn 鈥渟orrel shoot鈥� airson buinneag, am measg eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, sin gu le貌r de dh鈥檃inmean airson Rumex acetosa. Ciamar a bhiodh 鈥� no a bhitheas 鈥� daoine ga chleachdadh? Uill, uaireannan, bhiodh iad a鈥� cur p矛osan beaga dhen duilleig ann an sailead no ann an sabhs. No bhiodh iad a鈥� goil na duilleig airson ithe mar ghlasraich. Bhathar a鈥� cumail a-mach gun robh e ag obair an aghaidh an tachais-thioraim, no scurvy. Tha gu le貌r de bheothaman C sna duilleagan.

Nuair a bhiodh daoine a鈥� buain bunt脿ta, agus am pathadh orra, 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh iad a鈥� 蝉霉驳adh an t-s霉igh bho na duilleagan. Oir bidh an samh a鈥� f脿s gu tric am measg bunt脿ta. B鈥� e 蝉霉驳adh 蝉霉驳h an t-saimh cleachdadh a bh鈥� aig na R貌manaich. Tha an t-ainm rumex a鈥� tighinn bhon Laidinn rumo, a鈥� ciallachadh 蝉霉驳.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Seo cunntas inntinneach mu chleachdadh saimh aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn deug air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Tha an Sgitheanach, M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn, a鈥� sgr矛obhadh mu a thuras gu Hiort anns an leabhar aige A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. Tha e ag innse mu dhuine a bha a鈥� fulang leis an luibhre no leprosy. Bha e air f脿s uabhasach reamhar agus cha mh貌r nach robh a sg貌rnan air d霉nadh. Thug MacIlleMh脿rtainn comhairle dha mu bhiadh agus eacarsaich. Dh鈥檌arr e air salann a ghabhail le fe貌il, gun a bhith a鈥� gabhail cus geire, agus a bhith ag ithe samh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cha robh an Hiortach ro dhe貌nach samh ithe, a r猫ir an 霉ghdair. Ach thuirt MacIlleMh脿rtainn ris 鈥� seall air mar a bhios am fulmair ga ithe. Mhe貌raich an duine air sin. Mar a bhiodh na Hiortaich gu l猫ir, bha e measail air an fhulmair. Agus ghabh e comhairle an Sgitheanaich, agus an samh leis. Taobh a-staigh beagan l脿ithean bha a ghuth m貌ran na bu l脿idire agus bha e a鈥� dol am feabhas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nise, mus ruith sibh a-mach don mhachair no p脿irc, a鈥� sireadh samh, seo rabhadh beag. Feuchaibh d矛reach beagan dheth anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach, oir faodaidh e droch bhuaidh a thoirt air cuid. Beannachd leibh.

samh: common sorrel, sourock; 笔貌濒补颈苍苍颈蝉: Polish (language); Iuidis: Yiddish; 辫谤矛蝉别颈濒: valuable; puinneag, sealbhag: sorrel, MacBheathain: [Alexr.] MacBain; Iain Camshron: John Cameron; [an] tachas-tioram: scurvy; beothaman C: vitamin C; pathadh: thirst; Sgitheanach: Skyeman; M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn: Martin Martin; Hiort: St Kilda; [an] luibhre: leprosy; eacarsaich: exercise; 诲别貌苍补肠丑: willing; rabhadh: warning.

cha robh guth aige air samh am measg ainmean lusan: he didn鈥檛 mention samh among plant names; chan eil e a鈥� cur beachd air adhart air t霉s an fhacail: he doesn鈥檛 put forward an opinion on the origin of the word; dh鈥檉haodadh gu bheil rudeigin aige: perhaps he has something; ciamar a bhiodh 鈥� no a bhitheas 鈥� daoine ga chleachdadh?: how did 鈥� or do 鈥� people use it?; bhiodh iad a鈥� goil na duilleig airson ithe mar ghlasraich: they would boil the leaf to eat it as a vegetable; bhathar a鈥� cumail a-mach gun robh e ag obair an aghaidh: it was maintained that it worked against; 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh iad a鈥� 蝉霉驳adh an t-s霉igh: often they would suck the juice; bha e air f脿s uabhasach reamhar: he had grown corpulent; cha mh貌r nach robh a sg貌rnan air d霉nadh: his throat had almost closed; dh鈥檌arr e air salann a ghabhail le fe貌il: he asked him to take salt with meat; gun a bhith a鈥� gabhail cus geire: not to eat too much fat; seall air mar a bhios am fulmair ga ithe: look at how the fulmar eats it; bha e a鈥� dol am feabhas: he was getting better; mus ruith sibh a-mach don mhachair no p脿irc: before you run out to the machair or grassy field; feuchaibh d矛reach beagan dheth anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach: just try a small amount of it to begin with; faodaidh e droch bhuaidh a thoirt air cuid: it can have a bad effect on some people.

I can鈥檛 be sure what Gaelic name Martin Martin used for 鈥淪orrel鈥� as his account is in English (although the St Kildans at the time spoke only Gaelic) and I鈥檓 not certain it was samh (Rumex acetosa). It might have been the very similar sealbhag nan caorach (sheep鈥檚 sorrel, Rumex acetosella) which certainly grows on St Kilda. Or it might have been a closely related docken such as the curled dock or copag chamagach (Rumex crispus) which is recorded as having been used as a treatment for leprosy. The Gaels used several of the sorrel and docken species in herbal medicine and for food, as did peoples throughout Europe.

b鈥� e 蝉霉驳adh 蝉霉驳h an t-saimh cleachdadh a bh鈥� aig na R貌manaich: sucking the juice of the sorrel was a practice of the Romans.

听

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