大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh gun do rinneadh oidhirp, anns an naoidheamh linn deug, ainm baile Ste貌rnabhaigh atharrachadh. Cha robh Fear-casaid a鈥� Chr霉in ann an 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑 aig an 脿m, T貌mas Druimeanach, s脿saichte le Stornoway. Chan eil fhios agam an robh beachd aige air dreach G脿idhlig an ainm 鈥� 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e coma mu dheidhinn sin. Ach bha e a鈥� cumail a-mach gun canadh cuid Stormaway agus nach robh fuaimneachadh an ainm tarraingeach idir do chlaisneachd nan Gall.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach d猫 an t-ainm a bha an Druimeanach ag iarraidh an 脿ite Stornoway? Uill 鈥� Port Royal. Seadh, Port Royal. Carson? Uill mar chuimhneachan air an R矛gh 鈥� Uilleam IV 鈥� a thadhail air a鈥� bhaile ann an seachd ceud deug naochad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1793) 鈥� fada mus robh e na R矛gh. Bhruidhinn an Druimeanach ri marsantaich ann an 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑 agus bha e dhen bheachd gum biodh an sluagh toilichte mun atharrachadh. Sgr矛obh e don uachdaran a bha cuideachd na bhall-parlamaid, Seumas Sti霉bhart-MacCoinnich: 鈥�..it is you,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥渢hat has best right to claim the change from His Majesty though I hope you will do me the justice in intimating to His Majesty ... that it was I, humble individual, that suggested it as a mark of my respect to his Majesty...鈥� Seadh. Saoil an robh muinntir Ste貌rnabhaigh air an sgreamhachadh mar a bhiodh m貌ran an-diugh?!

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh T貌mas Druimeanach a鈥� coimhead le farmad thar a鈥� chuain, oir tha Port R矛oghail 鈥� uill Port R矛gh co-dhi霉 鈥� anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha sin air ainmeachadh airson an R矛gh Seumas V a thadhail air a鈥� bhaile ann an c貌ig ceud deug is d脿 fhichead (1540). Nan robh e math gu le貌r do Phort R矛gh a bhith a鈥� gabhail ainm air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gun robh an R矛gh ann triop, nach biodh e math gu le貌r do 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑 a bhith a鈥� gabhail Port R矛oghail air fh猫in?

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e an duilgheadas a th鈥� ann gu bheil cuid dhen bheachd gun t脿inig atharrachadh air an ainm Sgitheanach. Cluinnear fhathast seann Sgitheanaich a鈥� gabhail Port Ruigheadh air a鈥� bhaile, seach Port R矛gh. Mas e Port Ruigheadh a bh鈥� ann bho th霉s, tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渟lope harbour鈥� seach 鈥渒ing鈥檚 harbour鈥�. Ach chan eil sin cho romansach!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, cha robh an Druimeanach soirbheachail agus mhair seann ainm Lochlannach Ste貌rnabhaigh chun an latha an-diugh 鈥� anns an d脿 ch脿nan. Ach chan e a-mh脿in ainm a鈥� bhaile a bha air aire Fear-casaid a鈥� Chr霉in. Bha e cuideachd dhen bheachd gum bu ch貌ir crathadh a dh猫anamh air riaghladh ionadail. 鈥橲 d貌cha, anns an d貌igh sin, gun robh e air thoiseach air m貌ran eile.

Bha e airson 鈥檚 gun tigeadh riaghladh nan Eilean Siar, le 霉ghdarrasan st猫idhichte ann an Inbhir Nis is Inbhir Pheofharain, gu ceann. Bha e ag iarraidh gum biodh siorrachd 霉r air a cruthachadh, air a riaghladh le 霉ghdarras st猫idhichte ann an 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bhiodh air an t-siorrachd sin 鈥� Lewis-shire. Siorrachd Le貌dhais. Smaoinich! Ach chan eil mi cinnteach am biodh sin a鈥� gabhail a-steach Na Hearadh. Tha fhios nach biodh na Hearaich riaraichte a bhith mar ph脿irt de Lewis-shire!

gun do rinneadh oidhirp: that an attempt was made; ainm baile Ste貌rnabhaigh atharrachadh: to change the name of the town of Stornoway; 鈥檚 d貌cha gun robh e coma mu dheidhinn sin: perhaps he was indifferent about that; nach robh fuaimneachadh an ainm tarraingeach idir do chlaisneachd nan Gall: that the sound of the name wasn鈥檛 at all attractive to the hearing of [the] Lowlanders; a thadhail air a鈥� bhaile: who visited the town; gum biodh an sluagh toilichte mun atharrachadh: that the populace would be happy about the change; sgr矛obh e don uachdaran a bha cuideachd na bhall-parlamaid: he wrote to the landlord who was also a member of parliament; air an sgreamhachadh: sickened; a鈥� coimhead le farmad thar a鈥� chuain: looking with envy across the sea; nan robh e math gu le貌r do X a bhith a鈥� gabhail ainm: if it was good enough for X to take a name; gu bheil cuid dhen bheachd gun t脿inig atharrachadh air an ainm Sgitheanach: that some people think the Skye name was changed; cha robh an Druimeanach soirbheachail: Drummond wasn鈥檛 successful; mhair seann ainm Lochlannach Ste貌rnabhaigh: the old Norse name of Stornoway [has] lasted; chan e a-mh脿in ainm a鈥� bhaile a bha air aire X: it wasn鈥檛 just the name of the town that was a subject of X鈥檚 attention; gum bu ch貌ir crathadh a dh猫anamh air riaghladh ionadail: that local government ought to be shaken up; gun tigeadh riaghladh nan Eilean Siar, le 霉ghdarrasan st猫idhichte ann an Inbhir Nis is Inbhir Pheofharain, gu ceann: that the government of the Western Isles, by authorities based in Inverness and Dingwall, would come to an end; 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a bhiodh air an t-siorrachd sin: that county would be called; a鈥� gabhail a-steach Na Hearadh: taking in Harris; tha fhios nach biodh na Hearaich riaraichte: I鈥檇 say [lit. it鈥檚 known] that the Harris folk wouldn鈥檛 be satisfied.

air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gun robh an R矛gh ann triop: because the king was there on one occasion.

听

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