大象传媒

听

Bha e riamh inntinneach dhomh cho gann 鈥檚 a tha ainmean-脿ite air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd anns a bheil an fhe貌rag a鈥� nochdadh. Anns an leabhar 霉r aige Reading the Gaelic Landscape, tha Iain Moireach a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur d貌cha gur e as coireach ri sin gun robh a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd a鈥� s矛or chall a cuid chraobhan nuair a bha na G脿idheil ag ainmeachadh na t矛re. Ach tha e a鈥� soilleireachadh aon 脿ite far an nochd an fhe貌rag. Chan e 鈥榝e貌rag鈥� a th鈥� oirre ge-t脿, ach rudeigin eile. Thig mi gu sin an-ceartuair.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha cuimhne agam air c貌mhradh a bh鈥� agam le t猫 脿 Uibhist a Deas o chionn grunn bhliadhnaichean. Dh鈥檉haighnich i dh矛om, 鈥楢 Ruairidh, d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air pheasant?鈥� 鈥楨asag,鈥� fhreagair mise. 鈥樷�橲 e sin a chuala mi co-dhi霉.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥極, chan eil fhios a鈥檓 mu dheidhinn sin,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥樷�橲 e sin a chanamaid fh猫in airson squirrel.鈥� Bha sin inntinneach dhomh, gu h-脿raidh leis gu bheil Uibhist a Deas gu math gann de chraobhan 鈥� agus, mar sin, de dh鈥檉he貌ragan. C貌 脿s a th脿inig easag airson squirrel? Ma dh鈥檉haodte gun robh e a鈥� dol air ais fada ann an eachdraidh a鈥� ch脿nain.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus 鈥檚 e easag a tha a鈥� riochdachadh na fe貌raig anns an ainm-脿ite a tha Iain Moireach ag ainmeachadh. 鈥橲 e an t-脿ite 鈥� Kintessack faisg air Farrais ann am Moireibh. 鈥橲 e sin Ceann na h-Easaig ann an G脿idhlig. Tha Iain a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e an fhe貌rag a th鈥� air a riochdachadh anns an ainm.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bu ch貌ir don a h-uile duine aig a bheil 霉idh ann an 脿rainneachd na G脿idhealtachd lethbhreac fhaighinn de Reading the Gaelic Landscape. Tha an t-uabhas fiosrachaidh ann a bhios na chuideachadh ann a bhith a鈥� tuigsinn ainmean-脿ite G脿idhlig. Agus tha fiosrachadh ann mu eachdraidh a鈥� ch脿nain fh猫in.

Aig deireadh an leabhair, tha Iain a鈥� toirt tar-shealladh air a鈥� ghnothach. Thug e s霉il air ceathrad s a sia (46) dhen t-seachdad s a dh脿 (72) mapaichean Landranger de dh鈥橝lba, far a bheil ainmean-脿ite G脿idhlig cumanta, gun a bhith air an atharrachadh le c脿nan eile. Rinn e sgr霉dadh air na h-eileamaidean annta. Tha e a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gu bheil c貌rr is sia ceud dhiubh uile-gu-l猫ir. Tha ainmean ainmhidhean a鈥� d猫anamh deich 脿s a鈥� cheud dhen bhriathrachas.

Nas cumanta na sin, tha na h-ainmean co-cheangailte ri uisge is s脿l, lochan, aibhnichean, uillt is cladaichean. 鈥橲 docha nach eil sin na iongnadh, nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead air G脿idhealtachd na h-Alba.

Tha Iain na iasgair slaite agus tha e a鈥� toirt seachad fiosrachadh a bhios feumail do dh鈥檌asgairean. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 cho glic 鈥檚 a tha sin, agus e fh猫in ceum air thoiseach air m貌ran dhiubh an-dr脿sta leis an e貌las a th鈥� aige! Ach tha e math gu bheil e a鈥� faicinn gur e buidheann a th鈥� annta a bu ch貌ir G脿idhlig ionnsachadh.

鈥橲 e a chomhairle gum bu ch貌ir 鈥楲ochan Dubha鈥� a sheachnadh, co-dhi霉 ro mheadhan an t-samhraidh. Tha iad fuar, searbhagach is m貌ineach. Bidh feadhainn le ainmean eunach orra, leithid Loch nan Eun no Lochan nan G猫adh, nas fhe脿rr airson iasgach oir bidh e貌in a鈥� todhradh an uisge. Agus bidh fios aig a h-uile duine a leughas an leabhar gur e lochan iasgaich f矛or mhath a th鈥� ann an Loch nam Breac M貌ra agus Loch nam Breac Reamhar!

Iain Moireach: John Murray; Uibhist a Deas: South Uist; easag: pheasant, squirrel; 脿谤补颈苍苍别补肠丑诲: environment; tar-shealladh: overview; eileamaidean: elements; 蝉脿濒: saltwater; iasgair slaite: rod-and-line fisherman; searbhagach: acidic; 尘貌颈苍别补肠丑: peaty; eunach: avian; Lochan nan G猫adh: the lochan of the geese; Loch nam Breac Reamhar: the loch of the fat trout [pl.].

Bha e riamh inntinneach dhomh: it was always interesting to me; cho gann 鈥檚 a tha ainmean-脿ite anns a bheil an fhe貌rag a鈥� nochdadh: how few place-names there are in which the squirrel appears; nuair a bha na G脿idheil ag ainmeachadh na t矛re: when the Gaels were naming the landscape; tha e a鈥� soilleireachadh aon 脿ite: he highlights one place; thig mi gu sin an-ceartuair: I鈥檒l come to that presently; 鈥檚 e sin a chuala mi co-dhi霉: that鈥檚 what I heard anyway; 鈥檚 e sin a chanamaid fh猫in airson: that鈥檚 what we would say for; gann de chraobhan: lacking in trees; ma dh鈥檉haodte gun robh e a鈥� dol air ais fada ann an eachdraidh a鈥� ch脿nain: perhaps it was going back a long way in the history of the language; a tha a鈥� riochdachadh na fe貌raig: that represents the squirrel; a bhios na chuideachadh ann a bhith a鈥� tuigsinn: which is a help in understanding; tha ainmean ainmhidhean a鈥� d猫anamh deich 脿s a鈥� cheud dhen bhriathrachas: names of animals make up ten percent of the vocabulary; chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 cho glic 鈥檚 a tha sin: I鈥檓 not sure how wise that is; ceum air thoiseach air m貌ran dhiubh: a step ahead of many of them; gum bu ch貌ir X a sheachnadh: that X should be avoided; bidh e貌in a鈥� todhradh an uisge: birds fertilize the water.

far a bheil ainmean-脿ite G脿idhlig cumanta, gun a bhith air an atharrachadh le c脿nan eile: where Gaelic place-names are common, without being modified by another language. Gun a bhith air is a useful phrase, but remember to use the appropriate possessive pronoun before the verbal noun eg bha mi s矛theil, socrach gun a bhith air mo chur thuige leis an dol a-mach aige 鈥業 was peaceful and relaxed, not being angered by his behaviour鈥�; bha i na laighe air grunnd na mara, gun a bhith air a togail 鈥榮he was lying on the seabed, without being raised鈥�; bha sinn ann gun fhiosta, gun a bhith air ar cl脿radh air an rathad a-steach 鈥榳e were there secretly, not having been recorded on entry鈥�.

a鈥� s矛or chall a cuid chraobhan: rapidly losing its trees.

听

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