大象传媒

Anns an leabhar aige In The Shadow of Cairngorm, tha an t-Oll. Urr. Uilleam Fearsithe ag r脿dh gum biodh teaghlaich-ean de ghobhair gan rangachadh fh猫in anns a鈥� bhuaile. Bha sin airson cadal air an oidhche. Gu h-脿rd, bhiodh a鈥� mh脿thair. An uair sin an nighean. An uair sin an t-ogha, agus mar sin air adhart, s矛os na ginealaich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha mo smuaintean a鈥� dol don Gh脿idhlig air na diofar ghinealaich ann an sliochd cuideigin. Ma tha e f矛or airson ghobhar, tha e f矛or cuideachd airson daoine.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Seo mar a tha Faclair Dwelly ag aithris a鈥� ghnothaich. Bruidhnidh mi mu fhireannaich an toiseach, airson a chumail s矛mplidh. An toiseach, na ginealaich: athair, mac, ogha, iar-ogha, fionn-ogha agus dubh-ogha.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Agus seo an t-eadar-theangachadh: athair, father; mac, son; ogha, grandson; iar-ogha, great-grandson, fionn-ogha, great-great-grandson; agus dubh-ogha, great-great-great-grandson. Agus, nas fhaide na sin: iar-dubh-ogha is iar-iar-dubh-ogha.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mas ann air nigheanan tha sibh a鈥� bruidhinn, tha e ag obair mar seo: ban-ogha, granddaughter; iar-bhan-ogha, great-granddaughter. Cha chuala mi fionn no dubh air an cleachdadh le ban-ogha. Ach chuala mi ogha airson granddaughter agus iar-ogha airson great-granddaughter. Uaireannan, cha d猫an daoine diofar eadar fireannach is boireannach a thaobh sin.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ma tha sinn ag obair an rathad eile 鈥� suas na ginealaich 鈥� tha e a鈥� dol mar seo: athair, father; seanair, grandfather; sinn-seanair, great-grandfather; sinn-sinn-seanair, great-great-grandfather is mar sin air adhart.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Le boireannaich, tha e ag obair mar seo: 尘脿迟丑补颈谤, mother; seanmhair, grandmother, sinn-seanmhair, great-grandmother, sinn-sinn-seanmhair, great-great-grandmother.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nise, seo t貌imhseachan dhuibh: Is mise iar-ogha mo shinn-seanar. C貌 mi? Is mise iar-ogha mo shinn-seanar. C貌 mi? Uill, 鈥檚 e am fuasgladh 鈥� mise! Ach bhiodh sibh ceart cuideachd le bhith ag r脿dh 鈥渕o bhr脿thair鈥� no 鈥渕o phiuthar鈥� no 鈥渕o cho-ogha鈥�.

In his book In The Shadow of Cairngorm, the Rev. Dr. William Forsyth says that families of goats would rank themselves in the fold. That was for sleeping at night. At the top would be the mother. Then the daughter. Then the grand-child, and so on, down the generations.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 My thoughts were drifting to the Gaelic terms for the different generations among a person鈥檚 descendants. If it鈥檚 true for goats, it鈥檚 also true for people.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Here鈥檚 how Dwelly鈥檚 Dictionary reports the matter. I鈥檒l speak about men to start with, to keep it simple. To start with, the generations: father, son, grandson, great-grandson, great-great-grandson and great-great-great-grandson.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And here鈥檚 the translation: athair, father; mac, son; ogha, grandson; iar-ogha, great-grandson, fionn-ogha, great-great-grandson; and dubh-ogha, great-great-great-grandson. And, further than that: great-great-great-great-grandson and great-great-great-great-great-grandson

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If it鈥檚 girls you鈥檙e talking about, it works like this: ban-ogha, grand-daughter; iar-bhan-ogha, great-grand-daughter. I鈥檝e never heard fionn or dubh used with ban-ogha. But I鈥檝e heard ogha for granddaughter and iar-ogha for great-granddaughter. Sometimes people do not distinguish between man and woman in that regard.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If we鈥檙e working in the other direction 鈥� up the generations 鈥� it goes like this: athair, father; seanair, grandfather; sinn-seanair, great-grandfather; sinn-sinn-seanair, great-great-grandfather and so on.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With women, it works like this: 尘脿迟丑补颈谤, mother; seanmhair, grand-mother, sinn-seanmhair, great-grandmother, sinn-sinn-seanmhair, great-great-grandmother.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now, here鈥檚 a puzzle for you. I鈥檓 the great-grandchild of my great-grandfather. Who am I? I鈥檓 the great-grandchild of my great-grandfather. Who am I? Well, the solution is 鈥� me! But you鈥檇 also be correct by saying 鈥渕y brother鈥� or 鈥渕y sister鈥� or 鈥渕y [first] cousin鈥�.