大象传媒

An cuala sibh riamh an abairt seo? Tha clab oirre mar Geodh鈥� na Faing. Lorg mi e anns an leabhar 鈥淕n脿thasan-Cainnt鈥� le D貌mhnall Greumach nach maireann. 鈥橲 ann 脿 Le貌dhas a bha D貌mhnall agus tha mi an d霉il gur e abairt Le貌dhasach a th鈥� innte.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha clab oirre mar Geodh鈥� na Faing. Chaidh a h-eadar-theangachadh le D貌mhnall mar 鈥渟he鈥檚 forever gossiping鈥�. Ach gu litreachail, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渟he鈥檚 got a mouth as wide as the geo of the sheep pen鈥�. Dh鈥檉heuch mi ri Geodh鈥� na Faing a lorg air a鈥� mhapa ach dh鈥檉hailnich orm, ged a lorg mi Ge貌dha an Fhaing, le str脿c air an 鈥渙鈥� agus 鈥渇ang鈥� na fhacal fireann ann an Uibhist a Tuath, faisg air Baile Mh脿rtainn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ma tha sibh e貌lach air costa Ghallaibh, bidh fios agaibh gu bheil am facal pailt an sin cuideachd. Tha eisimpleir no dh脿 ann de dh鈥檃inmean G脿idhlig, leithid Geodha nam Fitheach, ach tha dreach Albais no Lochlannach air a鈥� chuid as motha aca. Tha am facal a鈥� tighinn bhon t-Seann Lochlannais 驳箩谩. 鈥橲 iad eisimpleirean a tha furasta thuigsinn Red Geo, Castle Geo agus Broad Geo. Chan eil leithid Fullie Geo, Selly Geo no Skippie Geo cho soilleir dhuinn. Th脿inig iadsan gu d矛reach 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�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Do dhaoine aig a bheil G脿idhlig 脿s na h-eileanan no 脿 ceann a tuath t矛r-m貌r, cha leig mi leas am facal geodha a mh矛neachadh, co-dhi霉 tha dreach G脿idhlig, Albais no Lochlannach air. Seo na chanas Jim Miller anns an leabhar aige A Caithness Wordbook 鈥� 鈥済eo (g-e-o): narrow, usually cliff-bound, inlet of the sea, or chasm in a cliff.鈥� Cha mh貌r gun aithnichear am facal ann an ceann a deas na h-Alba, agus tha iad gann air cladaichean a chinn a deas co-dhi霉, an coimeas ris a鈥� cheann a tuath, far a bheil iad pailt.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha mi ann am bun-sgoiltean Ghallaibh o chionn ghoirid, a鈥� d猫anamh leasanan leis a鈥� chloinn air ainmean-脿ite. Cha robh duilgheadas sam bith agam ann a bhith ag iarraidh orra s霉il a thoirt air mapaichean na sg矛re. Ch貌rd e riutha gu m貌r. Carson nach eilear a鈥� d猫anamh barrachd de a leithid ann an sgoiltean na h-Alba?!

听听听听听听听听听听听 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, agus thuirt mi riutha gur e fuaimneachadh 霉r a tha sin nach bithinn a鈥� moladh. Bha cuid eile ag r脿dh 鈥済ee-o鈥� no 鈥済yo鈥� agus 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.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach mhothaich mi ann an Inbhir 脵ige gum biodh feadhainn ag r脿dh 鈥済oe鈥�. Agus, ceart gu le貌r, chithear sin ann an 脿iteachan far a bheil sluagh a鈥� fuireach, leithid Staxigoe is Papigoe. Thuirt mi ri clas a bha seo 鈥� 鈥淎n urrainn do dhuine sam bith smaoineachadh air 脿ite faisg air seo a tha a鈥� cr矛ochnachadh le 鈥榞oe鈥�?鈥� Chuir balach 貌g a l脿mh suas, ga crathadh le dealas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淵es, yes!鈥� thuirt e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 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 鈥済oe鈥�? Bha mi an d霉il gun canadh e 鈥淪taxigoe鈥� no 鈥淧apigoe鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕lasgow!鈥� ars esan le g脿ire. Agus rinn mi fh矛n g脿ire cuideachd!

tha mi an d霉il gur e abairt Le貌dhasach a th鈥� innte: I expect it鈥檚 a Lewis phrase; chaidh a h-eadar-theangachadh: it [fem] was translated; gu litreachail: literally; costa Ghallaibh: the coastline of Caithness; tha dreach Albais no Lochlannach air a鈥� chuid as motha aca: most of them have a Scots or Norse form; 脿s na h-eileanan no 脿 ceann a tuath t矛r-m貌r: from the islands or the northern mainland; cha leig mi leas am facal a mh矛neachadh: I don鈥檛 need to explain the word; tha iad gann air cladaichean a chinn a deas co-dhi霉: they are rare on the shorelines of the south anyway; an coimeas ris a鈥� cheann a tuath: in comparison with the north; far a bheil iad pailt: where they are plentiful; ch貌rd e riutha gu m貌r: they really enjoyed it; barrachd de a leithid: more of the like; chithear sin ann an 脿iteachan far a bheil sluagh a鈥� fuireach: that can be seen in places where people live; an urrainn do dhuine sam bith smaoineachadh air 脿ite faisg air seo: can anybody think of a place near here?; chuir balach 貌g a l脿mh suas, ga crathadh le dealas: a young lad put his hand up, shaking it eagerly; d猫 an t-脿ite a th鈥� agads鈥� a tha a鈥� cr矛ochnachadh le 鈥済oe鈥�?: what place do you have that ends in 鈥済oe鈥�?

The word geo/geodha, which originates in the Old Norse 驳箩谩, is wonderfully characteristic of northern Scotland, both in the type of landscape feature it represents (an short inlet in the coastline, often surrounded by cliffs) and in the word itself. There are vast numbers derived from Norse or Scots originals in Shetland, Orkney and Caithness but it is also common in the northern G脿idhealtachd. I鈥檝e been able to find 124 examples of place names on the OS 1:50,000 maps which contain geodha in its Gaelic form (it became an active part of the Gaelic language and remains so to this day), and there would be many more than that on more detailed maps. All but a handful are in Highland region and the Western Isles, and the exceptions are all in Argyll and Bute. Are there any in your locality?听

Cha mh貌r gun aithnichear am facal: the word is hardly known.

听

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