大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu ainmeachadh ainmhidhean, a th鈥� air a dhol 脿 bith ann an Alba, air mapaichean na d霉thcha. Chan eil an lioncs ann idir, chan eilear cinnteach mun mhadadh-allaidh agus tha am mathan a鈥� nochdadh d脿 thuras (鈥檚 d貌cha).

听听听听听听听听听听听 听Ach d猫 mun torc? An torc-nimhe no torc-allaidh 鈥� the wild boar. Tha ainmean ann mar An Torc, Allt nan Torc, Allt nan Torcan, An Torc-choire, Allt an Tuirc, Beinn an Tuirc, Cruach Tuirc, Loch an Tuirc, Meall an Tuirc, Sr貌n an Tuirc agus T貌rr an Tuirc.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha an t-uabhas de dh鈥檃inmean mar sin ann. Ach a bheil sin a鈥� ciallachadh gun robh an torc fh猫in pailt aig aon 脿m ann an Alba? A bheil na h-ainmean gu l猫ir a鈥� riochdachadh an tuirc-nimhe? Feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach mu dheidhinn sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach, tha am facal torc cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh cleft, notch, indentation. Tha torcan a鈥� ciallachadh little cleft. Mar sin, 鈥檚 iongantach mura h-eil Allt nan Torcan faisg air an Acha Mh貌r ann an Le貌dhas a鈥� ciallachadh the burn of the little clefts. Mas ann 脿s an Acha Mh貌r a tha sibh fh猫in, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi beachd no e貌las agaibh air an ainm sin. Tha cuideachd Meall an Torcain a ch矛 gach dr脿ibhear air an rathad eadar Gairbh agus Ullapul air taobh thall Loch a鈥� Ghlas Ch脿rnaich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus d猫 mu dheidhinn Allt nan Torc deas air Tobar Mhoire ann am Muile? The burn of the boars? Tha e faisg air Doire nan Damh agus an Cnoc Capallach, ach an urrainn a bhith cinnteach gur ann air ainmhidh a tha Allt nan Torc a-mach? Agus tha ciall a bharrachd air torc, a r猫ir Dwelly 鈥� Sod. A special use of it was the sod turned up as a mark to indicate divisions of arable land during the runrig system of cultivation.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha T貌rr an Tuirc tuath air cladach Loch Shubhairne faisg air Creag an Taghain agus Creag an Fhithich. A bheil iad le ch猫ile a鈥� riochdachadh 脿iteachan a bha ainmeil airson nam beathaichean sin? 鈥橲 d貌cha.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach d猫 mu na h-ainmean mar Bad an Tuirc ann an Athall, Beinn an Tuirc ann an Cinn T矛re agus Meall an Tuirc faisg air Baile E貌ghainn ann an Ros an Ear? A bheil iadsan a鈥� riochdachadh an ainmhidh? A-rithist, 鈥檚 d貌cha.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Faisg air Meall an Tuirc ann an Ros an Ear, tha Meann Chnoc agus Druim nan Damh 鈥� beanntan eile a tha a鈥� gi霉lain ainmean bheathaichean. Ach tha Uilleam MacBh脿tair ag innse dhuinn ann am Place Names of Ross and Cromarty gu bheil Cnoc C猫islein, a tha faisg air Meall an Tuirc, a鈥� ciallachadh cnoc na muice no cnoc na cr脿ine, the hill of the sow. A r猫ir choltais, nuair a chithear paidhreachadh de dh鈥檃inmean mar sin, tha 鈥榯orc鈥� a鈥� buntainn ri cumadh na beinne 鈥� gu bheil druim oirre a bha a鈥� cur ann an cuimhne nan seann Gh脿idheal druim an tuirc-nimhe. Bha ar sinnsearan e貌lach gu le貌r air an torc. Ach chan eil an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh gun robh an torc-nimhe uaireigin pailt anns a鈥� che脿rnaidh sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ri taobh rathad m貌r an A9 aig Druim Uachdair, ch矛 gach dr脿ibhear beinn mh貌r air a bheil An Torc, no ann am Beurla, The Boar of Badenoch. Innsidh mi tuilleadh dhuibh mu dheidhinn sin an-ath-sheachdain.

lioncs: lynx; madadh-allaidh: wolf; mathan: bear; torc: wild boar; Doire nan Damh: the copse of the stags; an Cnoc Capallach: the horse hill; Loch Shubhairne: Loch Hourn; Creag an Taghain: the crag of the pine marten; Creag an Fhithich: the crag of the raven; Athall: Atholl; Cinn T矛re: Kintyre; Baile E貌ghainn: Evanton; Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; Meann Chnoc: kids鈥� hill (young goats); Uilleam MacBh脿tair: William Watson; druim: back, ridge; pailt: plentiful.

ainmeachadh ainmhidhean, a th鈥� air a dhol 脿 bith ann an Alba, air mapaichean na d霉thcha: the naming of animals, which have become extinct in Scotland, on the country鈥檚 maps; gun robh an torc fh猫in pailt aig aon 脿m: that the boar itself was once plentiful; a bheil na h-ainmean gu l猫ir a鈥� riochdachadh an tuirc-nimhe?: do all the names represent the wild boar?; feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach: we must be careful; 鈥檚 iongantach mura h-eil X faisg air an Acha Mh貌r a鈥� ciallachadh: it鈥檚 likely that X near Achmore means; a ch矛 gach dr脿ibhear air an rathad eadar Gairbh agus Ullapul: that every driver sees on the road between Garve and Ullapool; taobh thall Loch a鈥� Ghlas Ch脿rnaich: the far side of Loch Glascarnoch; deas air Tobar Mhoire ann am Muile: south of Tobermory in Mull; beanntan eile a tha a鈥� gi霉lain ainmean bheathaichean: other mountains that carry animals鈥� names; nuair a chithear paidhreachadh de dh鈥檃inmean: when pairing of names is seen; a鈥� buntainn ri cumadh na beinne: is concerned with the shape of the mountain; bha ar sinnsearan e貌lach gu le貌r air an torc: our ancestors were familiar enough with the wild boar.

It鈥檚 tempting to see the words torc, torcan and tuirc in place names representing the wild boar but the words do have other meanings that might be relevant in a landscape context. Torc can also mean a 鈥榗left, notch, indentation鈥�; the diminutive torcan is therefore a 鈥榣ittle cleft鈥�. Torc also means a sod of earth, sometimes one turned up to mark divisions of arable land under the old runrig system. And it appears that some place names that include torc represent a hill whose shape is reminiscent of a wild boar, rather than recalling the historical existence of the species. Also, as we鈥檒l see next week, landscape references to the boar can be folkloric rather than ecological.

a bha a鈥� cur ann an cuimhne nan seann Gh脿idheal: that reminded the old Gaels.

听

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