大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun bhrisgean, no silverweed, lus a tha pailt ann an 脿iteachan far a bheil gainmheach, leithid air machraichean nan eilean. Cha do lorg mi m貌ran ainmean-脿ite anns a bheil 鈥渂risgean鈥�. Tha rubha ann an R貌naigh Beag faisg air Griomasaigh air a bheil Rubha nam Brisgean. Ach鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an lus ro phailt airson a bhith air ainmeachadh gu m貌r.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉heuch mi am brisgean turas agus cha do shaoil mi cus dhen bhlas. Bha e rud beag coltach ris a鈥� churran-gheal, gun a bhith cho mhath ris. Tha na freumhan beag. Agus tha iad uaireann doirbh a bhuain, oir bidh iad a鈥� dol am measg freumhan lusan eile. Tha cunntas ann de dhaoine ann an Tiriodh is Colla, agus sna h-Eileanan A-muigh 鈥� a bhith a鈥� cur a leithid gu feum aig 脿m gorta, no as t-Earrach nuair a bha biadh gann. Ach cha bhiodh iad a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� bhrisgein aig amannan eile, am bitheadh?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Uill, bha mi a鈥� leughadh mu na treubhan d霉thchasach ann am Ameireagaidh a Tuath, air an taobh an iar, eadar Washington is Alasga. Bhiodh iad a鈥� f脿s lus a tha dl霉th-ch脿irdeach don bhrisgean againne. Bhiodh iad a鈥� cumail luibhean eile a-mach 脿s an 脿ite, agus bhiodh freumhan a鈥� bhrisgein a鈥� f脿s an 矛re mhath m貌r. Bhiodh iad a鈥� buain a鈥� bhrisgein as t-fhoghar agus ga st貌radh thairis air a鈥� gheamhradh. A r猫ir choltais, 鈥檚 ann as t-fhoghar as fhe脿rr a tha am blas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Saoil an robh an aon rud f矛or ann an Alba? Am biodh ar sinnsearan a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein a dh鈥檃ona-ghnothach, seach a bhith d矛reach a鈥� sp矛onadh na bha a鈥� f脿s gu n脿darrach? Agus 鈥檚 e an fhreagairt 鈥� bhitheadh. Ann an Carmina Gadelica, tha Alasdair MacIlleMh矛cheil ag innse dhuinn, mus do nochd am bunt脿ta air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, gum biodh daoine a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein agus gum biodh an lus a鈥� ruigsinn meudachd mh貌r ann an suidheachadh mar sin. Seo mar a chuir e ann am Beurla e: 鈥淎s certain places are noted for the cultivation of the potato, so certain places are remembered for the cultivation of silverweed鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha e ag ainmeachadh 脿ite ann am Paibeil ann an Uibhist a Tuath air an robh Lag nan Tanchasg. Anns an 脿ite sin, b鈥� urrainn fear a chumail fh猫in be貌 le bhith ag 脿iteachadh p矛os beag fearainn ann an cumadh ce脿rnaig, agus na taobhan cho fada ri 脿ird an duine fh猫in. Agus bha e be貌 air a鈥� bhrisgean! Uill, chan eil mi cinnteach mu dheidhinn sin. Saoilidh mi nach eil e uabhasach coltach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, tha MacIlleMh矛cheil a鈥� dearbhadh gun robh na G脿idheil ga fh脿s, d矛reach mar a bha na t霉sanaich Ameireaganach. Bha mi a鈥� coimhead air a鈥� mhapa airson Lag nan Tanchasg, agus cha do lorg mi e. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun inns cuideigin 脿 Uibhist a Tuath dhomh a bheilear ag aithneachadh an 脿ite fhathast. Agus d猫 a鈥� chiall a th鈥� air Tanchasg? A bheil e a鈥� seasamh airson a鈥� bhrisgein fh猫in 鈥� air a bheil uaireannan, ann am Beurla, tansy?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha sin gam thoirt gu d脿 ainm eile airson a鈥� bhrisgein 鈥� curran-earraich, ainm a tha follaiseach gu le貌r, agus an seachdamh aran. 鈥淏risgean beannaichte an Earraich, seachdamh aran a鈥� Gh脿idheil鈥�. Nam b鈥� e am brisgean an seachdamh aran, ge-t脿, d猫 na sia eile a bh鈥� ann? Bheir sinn s霉il air sin anns an ath Litir.

brisgean: silverweed; gainmheach: sand; rubha: point, promontory; 诲濒霉迟丑-肠丑脿颈谤诲别补肠丑: closely related; Alasdair MacIlleMh矛cheil: Alexander Carmichael.

leithid air machraichean nan eilean: such as on the island machairs; ro phailt airson a bhith air ainmeachadh gu m貌r: too plentiful to be named much; coltach ris a鈥� churran-gheal, gun a bhith cho mhath ris: like the parsnip but not as good as it; doirbh a bhuain: difficult to harvest; am measg freumhan lusan eile: among the roots of other plants; ann an Tiriodh is Colla, agus sna h-Eileanan A-muigh: in Tiree and Coll, and in the Outer Isles; a bhith a鈥� cur a leithid gu feum aig 脿m gorta: using such things in time[s] of famine; a鈥� leughadh mu na treubhan d霉thchasach ann am Ameireagaidh a Tuath: reading about the native tribes in North America; ga st貌radh thairis air a鈥� gheamhradh: storing it over the winter; am biodh ar sinnsearan a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein a dh鈥檃ona-ghnothach?: would our ancestors deliberately grow the silverweed?; a鈥� ruigsinn meudachd mh貌r: reaching a good size; b鈥� urrainn fear a chumail fh猫in be貌: a man could keep himself alive; ag 脿iteachadh p矛os beag fearainn ann an cumadh ce脿rnaig: cultivating a small piece of land in the shape of a square; agus na taobhan cho fada ri 脿ird an duine fh猫in: with the sides as long as the man鈥檚 own height; a bheilear ag aithneachadh an 脿ite fhathast: is the place still recognised; tha sin gam thoirt gu d脿 ainm eile airson a鈥� bhrisgein: that brings me to two other names for the silverweed; brisgean beannaichte an Earraich, seachdamh aran a鈥� Gh脿idheil: blessed silverweed of the spring, the seventh bread of the Gael; nam b鈥� e am brisgean an seachdamh aran, ge-t脿: if the silverweed were the seventh bread, however.

A r猫ir choltais, 鈥檚 ann as t-fhoghar as fhe脿rr a tha am blas: apparently, it鈥檚 in autumn that the flavour is best. Note the placing of as fhe脿rr in this construction. Here are some other examples. 鈥橲 e Iain Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn as motha air a bheil an t-uallach (it鈥檚 John Smith who has the greatest responsibility; 鈥檚 e Iseabail an t猫 as coltaiche a th猫id a thaghadh (Ishbel is the most likely woman to be chosen); 鈥檚 ann anns an fhicheadamh linn a bu mhotha a dh鈥櫭爎daich te貌thachd na Cruinne (it鈥檚 in the twentieth century that the Earth鈥檚 temperature rose the most).

Saoilidh mi nach eil e uabhasach coltach: I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 very likely [to be true].

听

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