大象传媒

D猫 th鈥� anns a鈥� chumantas eadar Tannochbrae, Balamory agus Glendarroch? Uill, airson sin a fhreagairt, feumaidh sibh a bhith e貌lach air pr貌graman telebhisein ann an Alba, cuid dhiubh rudeigin sean a-nise. Chan e d矛reach pr貌graman a chaidh fhaicinn ann an Alba, ach a chaidh a dh猫anamh agus a bha st猫idhichte ann an Alba.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha na h-ainmean uile Albannach don cridhe, ach chan e 脿ite f矛or a th鈥� ann an gin dhiubh. Chan fhaigh thu lorg air Tannochbrae, Balamory no Glendarroch, ged a rachadh tu timcheall Alba le mapaichean nad mh脿ileid. Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach eil sin buileach f矛or. Ma tha sibh ag 猫isteachd ann an Rubha 脌ird Driseig ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal, tha teans ann gum bi sibh ag 猫igheachd air an r猫idio, 鈥淗aidh, Ruairidh, tha Glendarroch an seo aig iomall a鈥� bhaile againn!鈥� Agus tha sin f矛or.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach chan eil fhios agam an robh an fheadhainn a chruthaich Glendarroch airson an telebhisein mothachail don 脿ite faisg air Rubha 脌ird Driseig. Dh鈥檉haodamaid a r脿dh gun deach na h-ainmean sin uile a chruthachadh 脿s a鈥� mhacmeanmna. Agus tha e inntinneach gu bheil, anns gach ainm, co-dhi霉 aon eileamaid Gh脿idhlig, mura h-eil na dh脿 ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e Tannochbrae am baile anns an robh an sreath phr貌graman Dr Finlay鈥檚 Casebook st猫idhichte. Chaidh an t-ainm (agus an t-脿ite) a chruthachadh leis an 霉ghdar A J Cronin, a thogadh ann an Siorrachd Dh霉n Breatann. Nuair a chruthaich e an t-ainm, chaidh e gu eileamaid Gh脿idhlig 鈥� tamhnach 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁chadh torrach, gorm, gu h-脿raidh am measg talamh garbh鈥�. Ris a sin, chuir e eileamaid Albais 鈥� brae 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓eathad鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn tamhnach? Chan eil sin ri chluinntinn ann an cainnt an t-sluaigh an-diugh, a bheil? Uill, chan eil ann an Alba. Ach tha ann an 脠irinn. A r猫ir Faclair 脫 D贸naill, tha tamhnach ann an Gaeilge a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済rassy upland, arable place in mountain鈥�. Agus tha e cumanta gu le貌r ann an ainmean-脿ite, an d脿 chuid ann an 脠irinn agus Alba.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mar eisimpleir, ann am f矛or cheann a tuath na G脿idhealtachd, tha 脿ite faisg air Inbhir 脵ige ann an Gallaibh air a bheil Tannach. Tha sin a鈥� tighinn bho tamhnach. Tha fhios gur e An Tamhnach a chanadh na G脿idheil ris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus mus can duine agaibh 鈥� chan urrainn gur e ainm G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann ma tha e ann an sealladh Inbhir 脵ige, tha Tannach air a chuairteachadh le 脿iteachan mar Kinlochy, Dhuloch agus Achairn, a bharrachd air 脿iteachan le ainmean Lochlannach. Tha am facal a鈥� toirt deagh fhios dhuinn gun robh na daoine a thug an t-ainm don 脿ite a鈥� fuireach ann, agus ag 脿iteachadh na talmhainn. 鈥橲 e tuathanaich a bh鈥� annta.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Gu deas air Gallaibh, tha Tannachy ann am Br脿igh Chat, ann an Srath Bhr霉ra. Tha Tannachy agus Porttannachy ann am Moireibh, faisg air Bucaidh, agus tha grunn ainmean le tamhnach annta ann an diofar sg矛rean eile, leithid Tannochside ann an Siorrachd Lannraig.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach, 鈥檚 ann anns an iar-dheas as pailte a tha iad. Eadar Siorrachd 脌ir agus Siorrachd Dh霉n Phris, tha gu le貌r dhiubh ann 鈥� ainmean mar Tannoch Burn, Tannoch Flow, Tannockhill, Tannahill, Tannielaggie agus Tannacrieff. Uill, tha an 霉ine air ruith orm 鈥� tillidh mi don chuspair an ath thuras.

Rubha 脌ird Driseig: Ardrishaig; eileamaid: element; Siorrachd Dh霉n Breatann: Dunbartonshire; leathad: slope; Inbhir 脵ige: Wick; Siorrachd Lannraig: Lanarkshire; Siorrachd 脌ir: Ayrshire; Siorrachd Dh霉n Phris: Dumfriesshire.

cuid dhiubh rudeigin sean a-nise: some of them pretty old now; a chaidh fhaicinn ann an Alba: that were seen in Scotland; Albannach don cridhe: Scottish to their core; chan e 脿ite f矛or a th鈥� ann an gin dhiubh: none of them are real places; ged a rachadh tu timcheall Alba le mapaichean nad mh脿ileid: though you should travel Scotland with maps in your bag; nach eil sin buileach f矛or: that that鈥檚 not entirely true; mothachail don 脿ite: aware of the place; gun deach na h-ainmean sin uile a chruthachadh 脿s a鈥� mhacmeanmna: that all those names were created from the imagination; mura h-eil na dh脿 ann: if there aren鈥檛 [actually] two; achadh torrach, gorm: a green fertile field; ri chluinntinn ann an cainnt an t-sluaigh: to be heard in the people鈥檚 speech; chan urrainn gur e ainm G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann: it can鈥檛 be a Gaelic name; air a chuairteachadh: surrounded; a鈥� toirt deagh fhios dhuinn: gives us good knowledge; ann am Br脿igh Chat, ann an Srath Bhr霉ra: in the upland of East Sutherland, in Strath Brora; Moireibh, faisg air Bucaidh: Moray, near Buckie; 鈥檚 ann anns an iar-dheas as pailte a tha iad: it鈥檚 in the south-west that they鈥檙e most plentiful; tha gu le貌r dhiubh ann: there are plenty of them.

Tamhnach, often anglicised tannoch, is a fascinating place-name element. It has not made the transition into Scots, unlike many other Gaelic environmental terms; neither is it part of the modern Scottish Gaelic lexicon. But it has been retained in Irish Gaelic; tamhnach means 鈥済rassy upland, arable place in mountain鈥� (脫 D贸naill). It occurs in place-names in both countries, notably in the north of Ireland and south-west Scotland. Irish examples include Tamnaharry (Tamhnach an Choirthe 鈥渃learing or grassy upland of the stone鈥�) and Tamnaghvelton (Tamhnach Bhealtaine 鈥渇ield of the Beltane festivities鈥�). It has been suggested that, like cill, its distribution reflects early settlement of Gaelic-speakers in Scotland. If that is correct, its occurrence in Lothian is notable, as is its presence close to Wick (unless it is a developed form of a Norse original), where it is generally presumed that Gaelic did not have a toponymic impact until the late 13th Century at earliest. If you have any knowledge or thoughts on tamhnach, I鈥檇 be pleased to hear from you on roddy.maclean@bbc.co.uk.

Dh鈥檉haodamaid a r脿dh: we might say.

听

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