大象传媒

Bha mi anns a鈥� Chuimrigh o chionn ghoirid. Bha mi anns a鈥� cheann a tuath, ann an Snowdonia no Eryri, mar a chanar ris ann an Cuimris. Tha an sg矛re sin br猫agha, le beanntan car coltach ris an fheadhainn againn fh猫in, agus eachdraidh mh貌r. Bha mi a鈥� fuireach ann an ionad a bhuineas don ph脿irc n脿iseanta an sin agus bha Cuimris aig a h-uile duine a bha ag obair ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chunnaic mi rudan a bha furasta a thuigsinn do Gh脿idheal. Bha sanas ann airson pont isel 鈥� drochaid 矛osal. Bha mi air traeth 鈥� tr脿igh. Agus air glastraeth 鈥� no glas-mhagh mar a bhiodh againn fh猫in air 鈥� talamh c貌mhnard gorm aig beul-aibhne, air c霉l na tr脿ghad. Agus, ann an ainmean-脿ite, chunnaic mi faclan mar mynydd, moel, allt, ynys agus afon 鈥� coltach ri monadh, maol, allt, innis agus abhainn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus ch貌rd e rium dha-r矛ribh nuair a chuir mi ceist air fear a bhuineas don sg矛re. Dh鈥檉haighnich mi dheth d猫 tha a鈥� Chuimris airson na beinne ris an canar Snowdon ann am Beurla 鈥� Yr Wyddfa 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh. 鈥淏arpa,鈥� fhreagair e. 鈥淭om far am bite a鈥� tiodhlacadh dhaoine.鈥� Agus, mus do chuir mi an ath cheist air 鈥� ciamar a fhuair i a h-ainm 鈥� th貌isich e air a mh矛neachadh. Coltach rinn fh猫in, tha t貌rr st貌iridhean aca co-cheangailte ris an t矛r.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha uaireigin famhair ann a bha a鈥� fuireach ann an ceann a tuath na Cuimrigh. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air Rhita Gawr. Bha dithis r矛ghrean anns an d霉thaich a bha a鈥� str矛 le ch猫ile airson ceannas. Chuir Rhita Gawr armailt ri ch猫ile agus thug e an aghaidh air na r矛ghrean. Rinn e a鈥� ch霉is orra agus bhe脿rr e na feusagan far nan r矛ghrean. Rinn e ad leis na feusagan.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuala sia r矛ghrean fichead eile ann am Breatainn mu dhol a-mach an Fhamhair agus cha robh iad toilichte. Chuir iad armailt ri ch猫ile. Chaidh iad gu ruige Eryri airson Rhita Gawr a cheannsachadh. Ach rinn am Famhair a鈥� ch霉is orra, agus bhe脿rr e feusagan nan r矛ghrean dhiubh. Leis na feusagan 霉ra seo, rinn e c貌ta dha fh猫in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha robh Rhita Gawr riaraichte. Chuir e teachdaireachd gu Artair, r矛gh nan r矛ghrean, ag iarraidh fheusaig airson br猫id a chur air a鈥� ch貌ta aige. Dhi霉lt Artair agus bha e cho feargach 鈥檚 gun deach e fh猫in gu ruige Eryri le feachd. Bha sabaid ann eadar an dithis agus bha buaidh aig Artair. Thog e a chlaidheamh agus thug e s矛os e le uiread neirt 鈥檚 gun do bhris e tro chlogaid an Fhamhair agus gun do sg脿in e a cheann ann an d脿 ph矛os.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Far an do l脿igh am Famhair marbh, cha robh beinn ann aig an 脿m. Thug Artair 貌rdugh seachad gun togte 肠脿谤苍 thairis air a chorp le bhith a鈥� tilgeil chlachan air. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a th脿inig a鈥� bheinn air a bheil Yr Wyddfa an-diugh gu bith. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre aig an 脿m sin Gwyddfa Rhita Gawr, a鈥� ciallachadh Barpa no Tuam Rhita Gawr. Thairis air na ceudan bhon uair sin, chaidh an t-ainm ceart air d矛ochuimhne agus dh鈥檃tharraich Gwyddfa Rhita gu Yr Wyddfa. Uill, mas breug bhuam e 鈥檚 breug thugam e!

mar a chanar ris ann an Cuimris: as it is called in Welsh; ionad a bhuineas don ph脿irc n脿iseanta: a centre that belongs to the national park; talamh c貌mhnard gorm aig beul-aibhne, air c霉l na tr脿ghad: flat green ground at a river-mouth, behind the beach; tom far am bite a鈥� tiodhlacadh dhaoine: a mound where people would be buried; a鈥� str矛 le ch猫ile airson ceannas: struggling with each other for primacy; thug e an aghaidh air na r矛ghrean: he attacked the kings; rinn e a鈥� ch霉is orra: he defeated them; bhe脿rr e na feusagan far nan r矛ghrean: he cut the beards off the kings; rinn e c貌ta: he made a coat; ag iarraidh fheusaig airson br猫id a chur air a鈥� ch貌ta aige: wanting his beard in order to patch his coat; thug e s矛os e le uiread neirt: he brought it down with such strength; 鈥檚 gun do bhris e tro chlogaid X: that it broke through X鈥檚 helmet; gun do sg脿in e a cheann ann an d脿 ph矛os: that it split his head in two pieces; thug Artair 貌rdugh seachad: Arthur ordered; gun togte 肠脿谤苍 thairis air a chorp: that a cairn would be built over his body; a鈥� tilgeil chlachan: throwing stones; thairis air na ceudan bhon uair sin: over the centuries since then; mas breug bhuam e 鈥檚 breug thugam e: if I鈥檓 telling you a lie, I heard it as a lie.

In Wales, bilingual signs and place name elements highlight, for the Gaelic-speaking visitor, the common Celtic origins of the Gaelic and Welsh languages, and make the experience different from that of a monoglot English-speaking tourist. For example, Moel Ddu is Maol Dubh, Llan Fair is Lann Mhoire and Afon Gafr is Abhainn (Allt) Goibhre. And I noticed a lot of other words which are similar between our two languages (in addition to those mentioned in the text). Carreg is our carragh, craig is our creag, mawr is m貌r, carn is 肠脿谤苍 and cam is cam. Slate is llech (our leac), bwlch is bealach and cleddyf is claidheamh. But there are also a few 鈥榝alse friends鈥�, which are only similar because they commonly originate in another language, notably Latin. Examples are eglwys and eaglais (from ecclesia), capel and caibeal (from capella) and castell and caisteal which both originate in the Latin castellum (as does English castle).

chaidh an t-ainm ceart air d矛ochuimhne: the correct name became forgotten.

听

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