大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu eileanan ann an Linne Chluaidh. Am measg sin, bha Eilean Bh貌id. Anns an leabhar 鈥� A Voyage Round the Coast of Scotland and the Isles 鈥� tha iomradh air 叠貌诲. 鈥橲 e fear Seumas MacUilleim a sgr矛obh an leabhar, a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1842).

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha MacUilleim ag innse dhuinn gu robh 叠貌诲 uaireigein gu math G脿idhealach ach gun robh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a鈥� falbh agus nach robh an c脿nan aig an 貌igridh tuilleadh. Tha e cuideachd ag innse dhuinn mun ainm 叠貌诲. Tha e ag r脿dh gur ann 脿 Ebudae a tha e a鈥� tighinn 鈥� an t-aon ainm 脿s an t脿inig Hebrides.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cha robh an aon bheachd aig an Urramach Alasdair Mac an L猫igh, ministear ann am Baile Bh貌id aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug agus toiseach an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha G脿idhlig aigesan agus bhiodh e a鈥� d矛on cli霉 a鈥� ch脿nain. Thuirt e gun t脿inig Eilean Bh貌id 脿 Eilean a鈥� Mh貌id(e) 鈥榯he island where the court of justice (尘貌诲) sits鈥�. Ma tha sin f矛or, nach e 脿ite math a bhiodh ann airson a bhith a鈥� cumail a鈥� Mh貌id N脿iseanta?!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach a bheil fear seach fear dhiubh sin ceart? Uill, gu fortanach, tha an sgoilear Gilbert Mark煤s, 脿 Oilthigh Ghlaschu, air leabhar fhoillseachadh o chionn ghoirid mu ainmean-脿ite Eilean Bh貌id. Anns an leabhar, tha e a鈥� toirt s霉il air 叠貌诲 fh猫in. Tha an t-ainm a鈥� nochdadh o shean ann an l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean mar Botis, Bote agus Buyt. 鈥橲 e 叠贸迟 no 叠贸迟ar a nochdas anns na m貌r-sgeulan Lochlannach. Mar sin, tha an t-ainm a鈥� t貌iseachadh le 鈥榖鈥� seach 鈥榤鈥�. Faodar a bhith cinnteach, ma-th脿, nach e Eilean a鈥� Mh貌id a th鈥� ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Gilbert Mark煤s dhen bheachd gur e t霉s ann an c脿nan nan Seann Bhreatannach as coltaiche. Tha facal Breatannais ann 鈥� bot 鈥� a bha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥樏爄te-fuirich鈥�, ach cuideachd 鈥榮eipeal鈥� no 鈥榚aglais鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus d猫 mun ainm Rothesay? C貌 脿s a th脿inig sin? Sgr矛obh Seumas MacUilleim gun t脿inig e 脿s a鈥� Gh脿idhlig Roth-suidhe (no Roth-suidhe o shean) 鈥榗ircular seat鈥�, a鈥� ciallachadh 脿ite far an robhar a鈥� cumail ch霉irtean-lagha. Sin am 鈥槼久不邂�� a-rithist. Ach, a-rithist, chan eil e ceart.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Gilbert Mark煤s ag r脿dh gur e t霉s Lochlannach as coltaiche, 鈥檚 gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥楨ilean Ru冒ri鈥�. Tha na m貌r-sgeulan Lochlannach a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air fear Ru冒ri a fhuair Eilean Bh貌id bho R矛gh Haakon anns an treas linn deug. 鈥橲 e an duilgheadas le seo, ge-t脿, gun robh Nirribhidh a鈥� call a smachd air na h-eileanan mun 脿m sin agus gum b鈥� i a鈥� Gh脿idhlig c脿nan Bh貌id. Ach tha Gilbert Mark煤s ag r脿dh gur d貌cha gun robh fear de shinnsirean Ru冒ri ann air an robh 鈥楻u冒ri鈥� cuideachd, oir bhiodh ainmean a鈥� ruith ann an teaghlaichean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ma tha sin f矛or, an robh 鈥楻u冒risey鈥� a鈥� seasamh airson Eilean Bh貌id air fad? No an robh an seann d霉n ann am pr矛omh bhaile an eilein air a thogail o th霉s air eilean beag? No a bheil 鈥�ey a鈥� seasamh airson 别颈冒 no 鈥榯airbeart鈥�, seach 鈥榚ilean鈥�? Chan eil fios le cinnt. Agus, ann an G脿idhlig, chan eil e a鈥� cur cus dragh oirnn, oir 鈥檚 e 鈥楤aile Bh貌id鈥� a chanas sinne co-dhi霉!

gu robh 叠貌诲 uaireigein gu math G脿idhealach: that Bute was very Highland in character at one time; nach robh an c脿nan aig an 貌igridh tuilleadh: that the young people no longer spoke the language; bhiodh e a鈥� d矛on cli霉 a鈥� ch脿nain: he would defend the language鈥檚 reputation; airson a bhith a鈥� cumail a鈥� Mh貌id N脿iseanta: to hold the National Mod; a bheil fear seach fear dhiubh sin ceart?: is either of those correct?; o shean ann an l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean: in olden times in manuscripts; na m貌r-sgeulan Lochlannach: the Scandinavian sagas; faodar a bhith cinnteach: one can be certain; gur e t霉s ann an c脿nan nan Seann Bhreatannach as coltaiche: that an origin in the language of the Old Britons [Strathclyde] is most likely; bho R矛gh Haakon anns an treas linn deug: from King Haakon in the 13th Century; gun robh Nirribhidh a鈥� call a smachd air na h-eileanan: that Norway was losing control of the islands; a鈥� ruith ann an teaghlaichean: running in families; an seann d霉n ann am pr矛omh bhaile an eilein: the old fort in the island鈥檚 capital; chan eil e a鈥� cur cus dragh oirnn: it doesn鈥檛 cause us too much bother; oir 鈥檚 e 鈥楤aile Bh貌id鈥� a chanas sinne co-dhi: because we say 鈥楤aile Bh貌id鈥� anyway.

Baile Bh貌id: This is the Gaelic for the town of Rothesay; literally it means 鈥榯own of Bute鈥�. While the island name Bute may have a North British (Cumbric, Brythonic) origin in a word meaning 鈥榙welling, chapel, church鈥�, the most likely interpretation of Rothesay is that it is a Norse island name, carrying the common 鈥揺测 suffix. The first part of the name is problematic, but there are Norse records of the island being under the control of a man called Ru冒ri. However, he was around in the 13th Century when Norse power was waning, and such a Scandinavian island name is unlikely to have been coined at that time. It鈥檚 possible, however, that this Ru冒ri was a descendant of an earlier Ru冒ri who controlled the island. You can get more information about this name and many others in a superb new book 鈥� The Place-names of Bute 鈥� written by Gilbert Mark煤s and published by Shaun Tyas.

Cha robh an aon bheachd aig an Urramach Alasdair Mac an L猫igh: the Rev Alexander McLea didn鈥檛 have the same opinion.

听

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