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An t-seachdain sa chaidh thug mi am facal ²õ²µ¾±Ã¹³¦²¹²Ô dhuibh. Fuaim na circe-fraoich. ʼS e gog no gogadaich a chanas sinn ri gairm a’ choilich-fhraoich. A bheil sibh eòlach air an fhacal ³¦Ã ²Ô°ù²¹²Ô? Tha e a’ ciallachadh a bhith a’ dèanamh gearan no pronndal – grumbling, muttering. Sin am fuaim a bhios geòidh a’ dèanamh. Cànran nan gèadh.

Ann am Beurla, bidh tunnagan ag ràdh, ‘quack, quack’. Ann an Gàidhlig, bidh iad ag ràdh fà-ug, fà-ug. Fà-ug, fà-ug. Bidh cearcan ag ràdh gog gog ann an Gàidhlig seach cluck cluck. Gog gog. Agus bidh coileach a’ gairm Gog-a-Ghuidh-Ghaoith, an àite Cock-a-doodle-do. Gog-a-Ghuidh-Ghaoith. 

ʼS e gàg gàg a bhios aig feannagan is starragan. Gàg gàg. Bidh iad ri ²µ°ù೦²¹²Ô. Bidh fithich ag ràdh gròg gròg. Gròg gròg. Ann am Beurla, canaidh a’ chuthag cuckoo, cuckoo. Ach, ann an Gàidhlig, bidh i ag ràdh gug-gùg, gug-gùg. Agus bidh an iolaire-bhuidhe ag ràdh glì-ug, glì-ug. Chan ann tric a chluinneas sinn iolaire-bhuidhe, ge-tà.

An robh sibh riamh ann an uamh far am bi ur guth iongantach mòr, fad-às is domhainn? Le beagan de mhac-talla ann. Tha e mar gu bheil am fuaim a’ tighinn bho shaoghal eile. ʼS e sin ³¾Ã²³Ù³ó²¹°ù ann an Gàidhlig. A deep unearthly sound. Mòthar.

Nan cluinneadh sibh clach a’ tuiteam a dh’uisge, dè am fuaim a bhiodh ann? ʼS e sin plub. Plub. Nam biodh sreath chlachan a’ tuiteam a dh’uisge, tè an dèidh a chèile gu sgiobalta, ʼs e plubraich a bhiodh ann. Plubraich.

Dè mu dheidhinn fuaimean nach eil cho cumanta? Ciamar a chanas sinn sizzle ann an Gàidhlig? Tha »å°ùù¾±²õ±ð²¹»å³ó ann. Drùiseadh. Tha dearrasan ann cuideachd. No dearrasanaich. Tha sin a’ gabhail a-steach crackling, agus fuaim brataich air latha gaothach. Agus tha °ùà²õ³Ù²¹±ô ann. Airson °ùà²õ³Ù²¹±ô, tha faclair Dwelly ag ràdh sizzling sound, as of flesh being fried. Facal math airson barbaiciù, ʼs dòcha!

Agus hiss? Ciamar a chanas sinn hiss ann an Gàidhlig? Uill, bidh sinn a’ cleachdadh an fhacail fead airson sin uaireannan. Fead – a whistle or hiss. Fead an aonaich – ʼs e sin am fuaim a nì a’ ghaoth ann am fraoch air beinn, no aonach. Fead an aonaich.

Tha siosarnaich ann cuideachd. Hissing. Siosarnaich. Ma bhios nathair a’ siosarnaich, nì i fais. Fais! – hiss! Agus ²õè¾±»å°ù¾±³¦³ó. Hissing, snorting. Sèidrich. Sin cuideachd am fuaim a bhios mucan-mara agus leumadairean a’ dèanamh nuair a leigeas iad èadhar a-mach. Sèidrich. Tha e eadar-dhealaichte bho sitrich no sitir. ʼS e sin am fuaim aig each. Rinn an t-each sitir ‘the horse neighed’. Bha na h-eich a’ sitrich ‘the horses were neighing’.

Bu mhath leam crìoch a chur air mo chunntas de bhriathrachas nam fuaimean le seo – lapan no slapan. ʼS e sin am fuaim a bhios duine a’ dèanamh ma bhios na bòtannan aige làn uisge, agus e a’ coiseachd annta. Lapan. Mar sin leibh.

Faclan na Litreach: ²µ°ù೦²¹²Ô: cawing of a crow; fithich: ravens; cuthag: cuckoo; mac-talla: echo; plub: the sound of a stone falling into water; bòtannan: [welly] boots.

Abairtean na Litreach: Fuaim na circe-fraoich: the sound of the female red grouse; gairm a’ choilich-fhraoich: the call of the male red grouse; am fuaim a bhios geòidh a’ dèanamh: the noise that geese make; ³¦Ã ²Ô°ù²¹²Ô nan gèadh: the call of the geese; ʼs e gàg gàg a bhios aig feannagan is starragan: hoodie crows and common crows say gàg gàg; chan ann tric a chluinneas sinn iolaire-bhuidhe, ge-tà: it’s not often we hear a golden eagle, however; an robh sibh riamh ann an uamh?: were you ever in a cave?; far am bi ur guth iongantach mòr, fad-às is domhainn: where your voice is amazingly large, distant and deep; mar gu bheil am fuaim a’ tighinn bho shaoghal eile: as if the sound were coming from another world; nan cluinneadh sibh clach a’ tuiteam a dh’uisge: if you heard a stone falling into water; nam biodh sreath chlachan a’ tuiteam a dh’uisge: if a series of stones were falling into water; fuaim brataich air latha gaothach: the sound of a flag on a windy day; am fuaim a nì a’ ghaoth ann am fraoch air beinn: the sound that wind makes in heather on a mountain; ma bhios nathair a’ siosarnaich: if a snake hisses; am fuaim a bhios mucan-mara agus leumadairean a’ dèanamh nuair a leigeas iad èadhar a-mach: the sound that whales and dolphins make when they exhale; bu mhath leam crìoch a chur air mo chunntas: I’d like to finish my account.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: If fead means ‘whistle’ or ‘hiss’, have you ever wondered why the Gaelic children’s game, which is an equivalent to hide-and-seek, is generally called falach-fead? Whereas in English, the seeker generally counts to an agreed number before he or she starts seeking, and then shouts out that they are ‘coming, ready or not’, the Gaelic version traditionally allowed the hiders to find their hiding places, at which point one of them would give a loud whistle (a sound whose source is not easy to locate). An alternative name for the game is ´Ú²¹±ô²¹³¦³ó-²µÃ¬´Ç²µ, which really means the same as the English. 

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Fead an aonaich: the hissing sound of the wind in heather on a mountainside.