大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu eilean beag ann an Innis T矛le air a bheil Bjarnarey mar ainm 鈥� an aon rud ri Be脿rnaraigh an seo. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆ilean Bhj酶rn鈥�. 鈥橲 e Bj酶rn (Bj枚rn) ainm duine. Chunnaic mi ainmean-脿ite gu le貌r ann an Innis T矛le a chuir ainmean ann an Alba nam cheann. Gu tric, 鈥檚 ann air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gu bheil ainmean-脿ite Lochlannach an seo, gu s貌nraichte ann an Arcaibh, Sealtainn, ceann a tuath na G脿idhealtachd agus air cladaichean is eileanan an taoibh an iar. Ach uaireannan chunnaic mi ainmean a bha a鈥� cur faclan G脿idhlig no Albais nam cheann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach 鈥� am pr矛omh bhaile, Reykjavik. Tha sin a鈥� cur nam chuimhne c貌mhradh a bh鈥� agam le boireannach ann an Sealan Nuadh. 鈥淢y father taught me some Gaelic,鈥� ars ise. 鈥淥h, and what was that?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich mi, agus an t-eagal orm gum biodh e m矛-mhodhail. 鈥�Lang may yer lum reek!鈥� ars ise le g脿ire. 鈥淥, uill,鈥� thuirt mise, 鈥渢ha sin Albannach, ceart gu le貌r, ach chan e G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann!鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, tha sinn uile e貌lach air an fhacal reek. Agus 鈥檚 e sin a tha Reykja-v铆k a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥� 鈥渞eeky bay鈥� no 鈥渂脿gh na toite鈥�. Tha grunn 脿iteachan ann an Innis T矛le le reykja- aig toiseach an ainm. Chan eil sin na iongnadh. Tha grunn 脿iteachan far a bheil toit ag 猫irigh 脿s an talamh an sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnse dhuibh cuid de dh鈥檃inmean-脿ite Innis T矛le. Agus cuiridh mi geall gun tuig sibh feadhainn aca sa mhionaid. An toiseach Barnafoss. Barnafoss. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh fors no eas na cloinne, the waterfall of the bairns. Barnafoss. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do thuit dithis bhalach dom b脿s anns an eas sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Seo fear eile 鈥� 叠濒谩蹿别濒濒. 叠濒谩蹿别濒濒. Smaoinichibh air Bl脿bheinn anns an Eilean Sgitheanach a tha leth-Lochlannach is leth-Gh脿idhlig. Beinn ghorm, blue mountain, 叠濒谩蹿别濒濒. Agus 叠谤别颈冒补惫铆办. 叠谤别颈冒补惫铆办. Mar Br猫ibhig ann an Le貌dhas. Bagh leathann, broad bay, 叠谤别颈冒补惫铆办. Agus Dj煤pav铆k. 鈥橲 e sin an t-ainm t霉sail air Diabaig ann an Toirbheartan. B脿gh domhainn, deep bay, Dj煤pav铆k.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air pike? Tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh an 猫isg. Geadas. Tha tr矛 脿iteachan ann an Alba air a bheil Loch no Lochan nan Geadas. Th脿inig am facal bhon t-Seann Lochlannais gedda. Agus tha d脿 loch ann an Innis T矛le air a bheil Gedduvatn 鈥� loch nan geadas 鈥� ged a tha na T矛lich ag r脿dh gun robh am facal cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh se貌rsaichean eile de dh鈥櫭╥sg, leithid bric, anns an t-seann aimsir.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus H茅ra冒sv枚tn. Seo fiosrachadh a fhuair mi ann am Beurla: 鈥淗茅ra冒sv枚tn 鈥� 鈥榙istrict rivers鈥� from 丑茅谤补冒 鈥� district and vatn 鈥� water/lake, in this instance meaning river鈥�. Tha cuid de dh鈥檈貌laichean dhen bheachd gun t脿inig Hearadh 鈥� Na Hearadh 鈥� bho 丑茅谤补冒. Tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gur ann bho fhacal a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢alamh 脿rd鈥� a th脿inig e.

听 听听Mu dheireadh, seo fear a tha furasta 鈥� Rif. Tha 脿ite ann an Le貌dhas air a bheil Riof. Th脿inig am facal a-steach don Gh脿idhlig (tha e ann am faclair Dwelly). Agus tha e a鈥� ciallachadh, ann am Beurla, reef. Chan ann tric a gheibhear fear a ghabhas tuigsinn gu furasta mar sin eadar na tr矛 c脿nanan.

鈥檚 ann air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gu bheil ainmean-脿ite Lochlannach an seo: it鈥檚 because there are Norse place-names here; cladaichean is eileanan an taoibh an iar: the shores and islands of the west; tha sin a鈥� cur nam chuimhne c貌mhradh a bh鈥� agam le boireannach ann an Sealan Nuadh: that reminds me of a conversation I had with a woman in New Zealand; agus an t-eagal orm gum biodh e m矛-mhodhail: fearing that it would be rude; chan eil sin na iongnadh: that鈥檚 not a surprise; far a bheil toit ag 猫irigh 脿s an talamh: where smoke comes out of the ground; cuiridh mi geall gun tuig sibh feadhainn aca sa mhionaid: I bet you鈥檒l immediately understand some of them; leth-Lochlannach is leth-Gh脿idhlig: half Norse and half Gaelic; an t-ainm t霉sail air Diabaig: the original name for Diabaig; ged a tha na T矛lich ag r脿dh: although the Icelanders say; se貌rsaichean eile de dh鈥櫭╥sg, leithid bric: other types of fish, such as trout; anns an t-seann aimsir: in olden times; tha cuid de dh鈥檈貌laichean dhen bheachd: some experts are of the opinion; chan ann tric a gheibhear fear a ghabhas tuigsinn gu furasta mar sin eadar na tr矛 c脿nanan: it鈥檚 not often that one is obtained that can be understood easily like that between the three languages.

If you鈥檙e a teacher in the northern or western parts of the G脿idhealtachd, particularly Skye or the Western Isles, I can recommend a holiday or study trip to Iceland, because you will see place-names that immediately remind you of home. It will help you interpret your own landscape. Not only should every child in the G脿idhealtachd be getting Gaelic as part of their education (without it you听 can鈥檛 read the map of Scotland), they should also be exposed to the Norse heritage of the country, which is important in understanding the environment. They could do worse than learn some basic Icelandic which is as close you can get in a living tongue to the Old Norse once spoken in Scotland.听

Lang may yer lum reek: there is a reason for including a Scots saying this week 鈥� there is a direct Gaelic equivalent to this one 鈥� Guma fada be貌 thu agus ce貌 脿s do shimileir (long may you live with smoke coming from your chimney). Or, in the plural/formal, guma fada be貌 sibh agus ce貌 脿s ur simileir.

听

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