大象传媒

An cuala sibh riamh am facal Beurla 鈥� graddaning? G-R-A-D-D-A-N-I-N-G. Graddaning. Tha e a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig, agus tha e a鈥� ciallachadh d貌igh airson min-fhl霉ir a dh猫anamh. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh mu dheidhinn ann an leabhar mun Eilean Sgitheanach o chionn ghoirid 鈥� iris 霉r de History of Skye le Alasdair MacNeacail. 鈥淭his ruinous method of making meal,鈥� sgr矛obh MacNeacail, 鈥減revailed in Skye until the very end of the nineteenth century.鈥� Ach d猫 bh鈥� ann?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha graddaning 鈥� ann am Beurla nan Sasannach agus ann an Albais 鈥� a鈥� tighinn bhon fhacal Gh脿idhlig gradan. 鈥橲 e gradan d貌igh airson arbhar a dheasachadh. Ma tha sibh e貌lach air seann d貌ighean airson min-fhl霉ir a dh猫anamh, bidh fios agaibh gum bite a鈥� s霉isteadh no a鈥� bualadh an arbhair. An uair sin, bhite ga ch脿thadh no ga fhasgnadh. A bharrachd air a鈥� ghr脿n, gheibhte moll no c脿th, agus connlach 脿s a鈥� ghnothach. Bhiodh iad sin feumail mar bhiadh do chrodh, airson stuth-leapa agus airson tughadh-taighe.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach le gradan, cha bhitheadh moll no connlach ann. Carson? Uill, chuirte teine ris an arbhar. Seo mar a bha e ag obair, a r猫ir an sgr矛obhadair Sgitheanaich, M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn: Bidh boireannach, a tha na suidhe, a鈥� gabhail l脿n a d霉irn de dh鈥檃rbhar, ga ghreimeachadh air na coinnleanan na l脿imh chl矛 agus bidh i a鈥� cur teine ris na diasan a th猫id an sm脿l gu luath; tha slat aice na l脿imh dheis, a chleachdas i gu sgileil, a鈥� bualadh a鈥� ghr脿in dheth aig an dearbh 脿m 鈥檚 a tha an cochall d矛reach loisgte. Sgr矛obh MacIlleMh脿rtainn gun robh na G脿idheil gu math measail air a鈥� ghradan oir bha am blas a鈥� c貌rdadh riutha.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bhiodh daoine a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghradain ann am m貌ran sg矛rean fhathast anns an ochdamh linn deug. Cha robh muilnean-uisge no 脿than pailt agus dh鈥檉haodadh gach teaghlach an cuid arbhair fh猫in a dheasachadh anns an d貌igh sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha do dh鈥檕braich e gu math fad na h-霉ine, agus gu tric bhiodh cochaill dhubha loisgte am measg na mine 鈥� agus bhiodh bonnaich nan G脿idheal uaireannan an 矛re mhath dubh. Bhiodh luchd-turais don Gh脿idhealtachd a鈥� cur s矛os air muinntir an 脿ite airson a bhith a鈥� leantainn leis a鈥� chleachdadh shean-fhasanta seo, agus chuir cuid de chinn-chinnidh stad air. Bhathar ag r脿dh gun robh crodh a鈥� b脿sachadh le cion b矛dh anns a鈥� gheamhradh nuair a bhiodh connlach air an cumail be貌.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn dhen bheachd gun t脿inig am facal gradan bhon fhacal Gh脿idhlig grad, a ciallachadh 鈥榣uath鈥�. 鈥橲 e d貌igh luath a bh鈥� ann airson arbhar a dheasachadh. Ach tha e coltach gu bheil gradan co-cheangailte ri greadan no gread a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榮corch鈥� no 鈥榖urn鈥�. Anns an t-seann aimsir bha greadan cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh duilleagan tiormaichte tombaca a bh鈥� air am pronnadh ann am poit-phronnaidh airson snaoisean a dh猫anamh. Snaoisean 鈥� sin cleachdadh eile a th鈥� air a dhol 脿 bith.

d貌igh airson min-fhl霉ir a dh猫anamh: a way of making flour; gum bite a鈥� s霉isteadh no a鈥� bualadh an arbhair: that the corn would be flailed; bhite ga ch脿thadh no ga fhasgnadh: it would be winnowed; gheibhte moll no c脿th, agus connlach 脿s a鈥� ghnothach: chaff and straw would be obtained from the process; feumail mar bhiadh do chrodh: useful as cattle food; airson stuth-leapa agus airson tughadh-taighe: for bedding and for house thatch; chuirte teine ris an arbhar: the corn would be burned; a r猫ir an sgr矛obhadair Sgitheanaich, M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn: according to the Skye writer, Martin Martin; ga ghreimeachadh air na coinnleanan na l脿imh chl矛: holding it by the stalks in her left hand; bidh i a鈥� cur teine ris na diasan a th猫id an sm脿l gu luath: she sets fire to the ears which are presently in a flame; a鈥� bualadh a鈥� ghr脿in dheth aig an dearbh 脿m nuair a tha an cochall d矛reach loisgte: beating off the grain at the very time the husk is quite burnt; bha am blas a鈥� c貌rdadh riutha: they liked the flavour; cha robh muilnean-uisge no 脿than pailt: neither watermills nor kilns were plentiful; dh鈥檉haodadh gach teaghlach an cuid arbhair fh猫in a dheasachadh: each family could prepare its own corn; gu tric bhiodh cochaill dhubha loisgte am measg na mine: often there would be burnt, black husks amongst the meal; bhiodh luchd-turais a鈥� cur s矛os air muinntir an 脿ite: tourists would criticise local people; airson a bhith a鈥� leantainn leis a鈥� chleachdadh shean-fhasanta seo: for maintaining this old-fashioned habit; gun robh crodh a鈥� b脿sachadh le cion b矛dh: that cattle were dying of a lack of food; duilleagan tiormaichte tombaca a bh鈥� air am pronnadh ann am poit-phronnaidh: dried leaves of tobacco that were ground in a mortar; sin cleachdadh eile a th鈥� air a dhol 脿 bith: that鈥檚 another habit that鈥檚 disappeared.

It would be interesting to make a list of loanwords in Scots and English, which originated in Gaelic, but which have largely or completely gone out of usage in recent times, often because of a change in technology or lifestyle, or because another word has supplanted the original. In addition to graddaning, examples would include philabeg 鈥渟mall kilt鈥� (from f猫ileadh beag), usqueba 鈥渨ater of life鈥� (although 鈥渨hisky鈥� has been retained) and ingle 鈥渇ire鈥� (from aingeal, and retained today only in the architectural term 鈥渋nglenook鈥�). Can you add to the list?

a鈥� gabhail l脿n a d霉irn de 诲丑鈥檃谤产丑补谤: taking a handful (a fill of her fist) of corn.

听

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