大象传媒

A bheil sibh e貌lach air an fhacal geodha no geo? Geodha ann an G脿idhlig, geo ann an Albais.Tha e pailt ann an ainmean-脿ite air costaichean ceann a tuath na h-Alba. Tha e gu s貌nraichte pailt ann an Gallaibh. Tha eisimpleir no dh脿 ann de dh鈥檃inmean G脿idhlig ann an Gallaibh, leithid Geodha nam Fitheach. Ach tha dreach Albais no Lochlannach air a鈥� chuid as motha aca.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha am facal a鈥� tighinn bhon t-Seann Lochlannais 驳箩谩. Tha feadhainn furasta a thuigsinn, leithid Red Geo, Castle Geo agus Broad Geo. Chan eil leithid Fullie Geo, Selly Geo no Skippie Geo cho soilleir. Th脿inig iadsan bhon t-Seann Lochlannais. Tha Fullie Geo a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済eodha nan eun鈥�. Tha Selly Geo a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済eodha nan r貌n鈥�. Agus tha Skippie Geo a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済eodha nan long鈥�.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Seo na chanas Jim Miller anns an leabhar aige A Caithness Wordbook 鈥� 鈥済eo: narrow, usually cliff-bound, inlet of the sea, or chasm in a cliff.鈥� Bha mi ann am bun-sgoiltean Ghallaibh o chionn ghoirid. Bha mi a鈥� d猫anamh leasanan leis a鈥� chloinn air ainmean-脿ite. Ch貌rd e riutha gu m貌r.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha mi a鈥� faighneachd dhen chloinn ciamar a chanadh iad am facal 鈥済-e-o鈥�. Bha cuid ag r脿dh 鈥済eo鈥� mar ann an geology no geography.Cha chreid mi nach e sin fuaimneachadh 霉r. Bha cuid eile ag r脿dh 鈥済ee-o鈥� no 鈥済yo鈥�. Thuirt mi riutha gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leam 鈥済yo鈥�, ged a tha an d脿 chuid ceart gu le貌r.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach bha cuid de sgoilearan ann an Inbhir 脵ige ag r脿dh 鈥済oe鈥�. Agus, ceart gu le貌r, tha sin ri fhaicinn ann an Whaligoe agus Girnigoe. Tha cuideachd d脿 bhaile bheag faisg air Inbhir 脵ige air a bheil Staxigoe agus Papigoe. Thuirt mi ri clas a bha seo ann an Inbhir 脵ige 鈥� 鈥淎n urrainn do dhuine sam bith smaoineachadh air ainm-脿ite faisg air seo a tha a鈥� cr矛ochnachadh le 鈥済oe鈥�? Chuir balach 貌g a l脿mh suas.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵es, yes!鈥� thuirt e.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪eadh?鈥� thuirt mise. 鈥淒猫 an t-脿ite a th鈥� agads鈥� a tha a鈥� cr矛ochnachadh le 鈥榞oe鈥�?鈥� Bha mi an d霉il gun canadh e 鈥淪taxigoe鈥� no 鈥淧apigoe鈥�. No 鈥檚 d貌cha 鈥淕irnigoe鈥�.

Do you know the word geodha or geo? Geodha in Gaelic, geo in Scots. It鈥檚 plentiful in place-names in the north of Scotland. It鈥檚 especially plentiful in Caithness. There are a few examples of Gaelic names in Caithness, such as Geodha nam Fitheach. But most of them have a Scots or Scandinavian form.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The word comes from the Old Norse 驳箩谩. Some are easy to understand, such as Red Geo, Castle Geo and Broad geo. Examples like Fullie Geo, Selly Geo and Skippie Geo are not as clear. They came from Old Norse. Fullie Geo means 鈥渢he geo of the birds鈥�. Selly Geo means 鈥渢he geo of the seals鈥�. And Skippie Geo means 鈥渢he geo of the ships鈥�.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This is what Jim Miller says in his book A Caithness Wordbook - 鈥済eo: narrow, usually cliff-bound, inlet of the sea, or chasm in a cliff.鈥� I was in Caithness primary schools recently. I was doing lessons with the children on place-names. They really enjoyed it.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I was asking the children how they would pronounce the word 鈥済-e-o鈥�. Some were saying 鈥済eo鈥� as in geology or geography. I think that鈥檚 a modern pronuncation. Some others were saying 鈥済ee-o鈥� or 鈥済yo鈥�. I said I鈥檇 prefer 鈥済yo鈥�, but that both are okay.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But some pupils in Wick were saying 鈥済oe鈥�. And, indeeed, that can be seen in Whaligoe and Girnigoe. There are also two villages near Wick which are called Staxigoe and Papigoe. I said to a particular class in Wick 鈥� 鈥淐an anybody think of a place-name near here that ends in 鈥榞oe鈥�?鈥� A young lad put his hand up.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵es, yes!鈥� he said.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd?鈥� I said, 鈥淲hat is your place that ends in 鈥榞oe鈥�?鈥� I was expecting him to say 鈥淭axigoe鈥� or 鈥淧apigoe鈥�. Or perhaps 鈥淕irnigoe鈥�.