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Litir na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's letter for learners from Roddy MacLean.

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Sun 20 Jan 2013 14:55

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Litir 705: Beathaichean, a chaidh 脿 bith, air mapaichean na h-Alba - P脿irt 3

Ri taobh rathad m貌r an A9 aig Druim Uachdair, ch矛thear beinn mh貌r air a bheil An Torc, no ann am Beurla, The Boar of Badenoch. Thathar ag r脿dh gur e cumadh na beinne as coireach ris an ainm. Tha i coltach ri druim tuirc, gu h-脿raidh bhon cheann a tuath. Ach tha cuideachd st貌iridh ann, co-cheangailte ris a鈥 bheinn, gu bheil taibhs-tuirc a鈥 tathaich oirre.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Gu deas air an Torc, tha beinn air a bheil The Sow of Atholl. Tha seann ainm oirre cuideachd, a th鈥 air na mapaichean fhathast 鈥 Meall an Dobharchain. Tha cuid a鈥 d猫anamh dheth gu bheil sin a鈥 ciallachadh the hill of the watercress ach chan eil sin ro choltach dh貌mhsa. Saoilidh mi gu bheil Meall an Dobharchain a鈥 ciallachadh the hill of the boundary, st猫idhichte air an t-seann fhacal dobhar, a bha a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥榗r矛och eadar d脿 oighreachd鈥 (uaireannan st猫idhichte air uisge, 鈥檚 d貌cha, oir bha dobhar cuideachd a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥榰isge鈥). Agus d猫 bha eadar Meall an Dobharchain agus an Torc? Bha a鈥 chr矛och eadar Athall is B脿ideanach. Sin far a bheil i fhathast.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha amharas agam gur ann am Beurla a chaidh an t-ainm Sow of Atholl a chruthachadh mar sg脿than air The Boar of Badenoch, ach chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin. Chaidh aithris ann an naoi ceud deug is seachd-deug (1917) gur e A鈥 Mhuc Athallach a bh鈥 oirre mar ainm ann an G脿idhlig. Ach an robh sin na eadar-theangachadh air a鈥 Bheurla, no am buineadh an t-ainm do sheann dualchas G脿idhlig? Ma tha fios agaibh fh猫in air a鈥 ghnothach, bu mhath leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha adhbhar eile ann airson ainm an tuirc-nimhe a bhith air cl脿r-d霉thcha na G脿idhealtachd, a bharrachd air cumadh beinne no gun robh am beathach sin be貌 ann uaireigin. 鈥橲 e sin gu bheilear ag aithneachadh 脿iteachan far an robh tuirc ann, a r猫ir beul-aithris. Agus tha beul-aithris a鈥 cur gu m貌r ri sealladh nan G脿idheal air a鈥 Gh脿idhealtachd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mar eisimpleir, tha Loch an Tuirc agus C脿rn Loch an Tuirc ann an Ros an Ear, deas air Beinn Uais. Agus rin taobh tha Beinn a鈥 Ghuilbein. Far am faicear guilbein no gulbain no a leithid co-cheangailte ri beinn, 鈥檚 ann tric a tha an st貌iridh ainmeil Diarmad agus Gr脿inne st猫idhichte ann. Anns an sgeulachd sin, tha Diarmad a鈥 marbhadh torc-nimhe, ach tha an torc-nimhe cuideachd ag adhbharachadh b脿s a鈥 ghaisgich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An e sin as coireach ris an ainm-脿ite C脿rn an Tuirc eadar Gleann S矛th agus Br脿igh Mh脿rr? Faisg air l脿imh tha Beinn Ghulbain, an t-脿ite as ainmeile ann an Alba airson st貌iridh Dhiarmaid agus Gr脿inne. 鈥橲 ann air Beinn Ghulbain a chaidh an torc, agus Diarmad, a mharbhadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Faisg air Loch an Lagain, deas air Creag M猫agaidh, tha cnoc ann air a bheil T貌rr a鈥 Ghuilbinn. Faisg air, tha Lochan an Tuirc. 鈥橲 iongantach mura h-e beul-aithris as coireach ri ainmeachadh an tuirc an sin cuideachd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An e sin e airson nam beathaichean a bha uaireigin ann an Alba agus a chaidh 脿 bith? Uill, chan e buileach. An-ath-sheachdain, anns an Litir mu dheireadh air a鈥 chuspair seo, bheir sinn s霉il air d脿 chreutair a thugadh air ais a dh鈥橝lba, agus a nochdas ann an ainmean-脿ite. Agus cuiridh mi geall gun cuir fear dhiubh iongnadh oirbh. Chun na h-ath-sheachdain, ma-th脿, beannachd leibh.

Faclan na Litreach

Druim Uachdair: Drumochter; druim tuirc: a boar鈥檚 back; beul-aithris: oral tradition; Loch an Lagain: Loch Laggan.

Abairtean na Litreach

ch矛thear beinn mh貌r: a big hill will be seen; thathar ag r脿dh gur e cumadh na beinne as coireach ris an ainm: it鈥檚 said that the mountain鈥檚 shape is responsible for the name; gu h-脿raidh bhon cheann a tuath: especially from the north; gu bheil taibhs-tuirc a鈥 tathaich oirre: that the ghost of a boar roams there; tha cuid a鈥 d猫anamh dheth: some people reckon; a鈥 chr矛och eadar Athall is B脿ideanach: the boundary between Atholl and Badenoch; sin far a bheil i fhathast: that鈥檚 where it is still [to this day]; tha amharas agam gur ann am Beurla a chaidh an t-ainm a chruthachadh: I suspect the name was created in English; mar sg脿than air: as a mirror to; chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin: I can鈥檛 be certain of that; am buineadh an t-ainm do sheann dualchas: did the name belong to an old heritage; gu bheilear ag aithneachadh 脿iteachan: that places are recognised; deas air Beinn Uais: south of Ben Wyvis; tha Diarmad a鈥 marbhadh torc-nimhe: Diarmad kills a fierce wild boar; tha an torc-nimhe ag adhbharachadh b脿s a鈥 ghaisgich: the wild boar causes the death of the hero; 鈥檚 iongantach mura h-e beul-aithris as coireach: it鈥檚 likely that oral tradition is responsible; cuiridh mi geall gun cuir fear dhiubh iongnadh oirbh: I bet one of them will surprise you.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Meall an Dobharchain (the Gaelic name for the Sow of Atholl) is usually explained as 鈥榯he hill of the watercress鈥, which has always seemed unlikely to me. Although dobhar-lus means 鈥榳atercress鈥 it can actually apply to any aquatic plant (dobhar is an obsolete Gaelic word for 鈥榳ater鈥 that is preserved in 诲貌产丑谤补苍 鈥榦tter鈥). But even that seems unlikely, on the basis of ecology or landscape, to have given the mountain its name. Dobhar is also given in Armstrong鈥檚 dictionary as 鈥榯he border of a country; a territory鈥 (it鈥檚 dobhair in Dwelly) and this seems more likely to be the root of dobharchan, as Meall an Dobharchain marks the ancient northern limit of Atholl, where it meets Badenoch. The name means 鈥榯he hill of the boundary鈥. If you have any thoughts on this name, I鈥檇 be pleased to hear from you.

Gn脿thas -cainnt na Litreach

An e sin e airson nam beathaichean a bha uaireigin ann an Alba agus a chaidh 脿 bith?: is that it for the animals that used to live in Scotland and became extinct?

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

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