大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� coimhead air seann ph脿ipearan-naidheachd air an eadar-l矛on an latha eile. Chunnaic mi seo bhon Derby Mercury anns an t-Samhain, seachd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1755). 鈥橲 e aithris a bh鈥� ann 脿 Amsterdam anns an 脪laind: 鈥淟ast Saturday about Eleven in the Forenoon, the Air being quite calm, the Water in our Canals was all of a sudden so violently agitated, that several Boats broke loose. [It] is supposed to have been occasioned by a Shock of an Earthquake; but no Person observed the Ground or any House to shake.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha an aithris inntinneach dhomh oir bha mi air a bhith aig 貌raid an oidhche roimhe mu chrithean-talmhainn ann an Inbhir Nis. B鈥� e a鈥� cheist mu dheireadh don 貌raidiche a th脿inig bhon luchd-amhairc aig deireadh gnothaich: 鈥淎n can sibh rudeigin mun bhuaidh a thug Crith-thalmhainn Mh貌r Lisbon ann an seachd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1755) air Loch Nis agus Inbhir Nis?鈥� Thuirt an t-貌raidiche nach tug a鈥� chrith sin buaidh aithriste air baile Inbhir Nis fh猫in, ach gun robh aithris ann mu thuinn mh貌ra ann an Loch Nis. B鈥� e sin an aon chrith a thug buaidh air an uisge ann an can脿laichean na h-脪laind. Thachair i air a鈥� chiad latha dhen t-Samhain.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thug mi s霉il tro na p脿ipearan-naidheachd air an l脿raich-l矛n sin agus cha do lorg mi aithris sam bith mu dheidhinn Loch Nis. Ach lorg mi t猫 mu Loch Laomainn: 鈥淔rom Edinburgh they write that they had Advice from the West, that Loch Lomond was agitated in a very surprising Manner on the first Instant.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus, ann an 脠irinn, bha tsunami air cladaichean a鈥� chinn a deas. Bha aithris 脿 Ceann S谩ile air cladach Contae Chorcaigh gun do rinneadh sgrios air a鈥� chala. Chaidh b脿taichean a sguabadh timcheall. Chaidh feadhainn a chur fodha. Chaidh cuid eile a chur air t矛r. Ach seo rud inntinneach anns an aithris anns an Derby Mercury: 鈥淭he sudden and surprizing Fluxes and Refluxes of the Sea continued from Three o鈥機lock in the Afternoon until Ten at Night, seldom more than a quarter of an hour between each Return, to the infinite Amazement and Terror of the Inhabitants, who feared Doomsday was at hand鈥�. the Waters rose six or seven feet in a Minute, and as suddenly subsided.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha na h-aithrisean sin uile mun aon tachartas 鈥� Crith-thalmhainn Mh貌r Lisbon. Thachair i air a鈥� chiad latha dhen t-Samhain, seachd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1755) mu fhichead mionaid gu deich sa mhadainn. Rinn i sgrios air pr矛omh bhaile Phortagail, a bharrachd air m貌ran 脿iteachan eile anns an d霉thaich sin. Chaidh na m矛ltean m貌ra 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha na ficheadan mh矛ltean 鈥� a mharbhadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a th貌isich a鈥� chrith, sg脿in an talamh ann an Lisbon ann an grunn 脿iteachan, a鈥� f脿gail chlaisean m貌ra agus togalaichean a鈥� tuiteam 脿s a ch猫ile. Rinn an sluagh air a鈥� chala far an robh iad a鈥� smaoineachadh gum biodh iad s脿bhailte. Thr脿gh a鈥� mhuir gu luath, a鈥� f脿gail tr脿igh mh貌r mh貌r ann air an t脿inig seann longan-briste don fhollais. Mu cheathrad mionaid 脿s d猫idh don chrith a th貌iseachadh, thill a鈥� mhuir gu t矛r mar tsunami. Rinn i sgrios do-chreidsinneach air a鈥� bhaile, agus air an t-sluagh a bha an cois a鈥� chala.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus tha e coltach gun do dh鈥檃dhbharaich i seiche ann an Loch Nis. Tillidh mi don fhacal sin 鈥� seiche 鈥揳n-ath-sheachdain.

貌谤补颈诲颈肠丑别: lecturer, speaker; luchd-amhairc: audience; Loch Nis: Loch Ness.

anns an t-Samhain: in November; bha an aithris inntinneach dhomh: the report was interesting to me; nach tug a鈥� chrith sin buaidh aithriste air: that that quake didn鈥檛 have a reported effect on; mu thuinn mh貌ra: about large waves; ann an can脿laichean na h-脪laind: in the canals of the Netherlands; lorg mi t猫 mu Loch Laomainn: I found one about Loch Lomond; air cladaichean a鈥� chinn a deas: on the south coast; 脿 Ceann S谩ile air cladach Contae Chorcaigh: in Kinsale on the shore of County Cork; chaidh b脿taichean a sguabadh timcheall: boats were thrown around; chaidh feadhainn a chur fodha: some were sunk; chaidh cuid eile a chur air t矛r: others were thrown onto land; mu fhichead mionaid gu deich sa mhadainn: about twenty to ten in the morning; pr矛omh bhaile Phortagail: the capital city of Portugal; chaidh na m矛ltean m貌ra 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha na ficheadan mh矛ltean 鈥� a mharbhadh: many thousands 鈥� perhaps scores of thousands 鈥� were killed; sg脿in an talamh: the ground split; a鈥� f脿gail chlaisean m貌ra agus togalaichean a鈥� tuiteam 脿s a ch猫ile: leaving large rents [in the ground] and buildings collapsing; rinn an sluagh air a鈥� chala: the populace made for the harbour; far an robh iad a鈥� smaoineachadh gum biodh iad s脿bhailte: where they were thinking they would be safe; thr脿gh a鈥� mhuir gu luath: the sea ebbed quickly; a鈥� f脿gail tr脿igh mh貌r mh貌r ann air an t脿inig seann longan-briste don fhollais: leaving a very large beach on which old shipwrecks became visible; mu cheathrad mionaid 脿s d猫idh don chrith a th貌iseachadh: about forty minutes after the quake began; rinn i sgrios do-chreidsinneach air a鈥� bhaile: it caused incredible damage to the city; an cois a鈥� chala: adjacent to the harbour.

I have chosen to use the international word tsunami which originates in the Japanese meaning 鈥渉arbour wave鈥�, but Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary supplies an interesting word 鈥� one, however, I鈥檝e never heard in conversation. It鈥檚 濒脿驳补谤补颈诲, a feminine noun meaning 鈥渇lood, tidal wave, especially in a narrow estuary or loch of the sea鈥�. Dwelly鈥檚 source was Malcolm MacDonald, Stornoway. Do any of you know the word? If you can supply any more information on 濒脿驳补谤补颈诲, or any other word for a tidal wave, tsunami or similar phenomenon, I鈥檇 be very pleased to hear from you (roddy.maclean@bbc.co.uk).

aig deireadh gnothaich: at the end [of the occasion].

听

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