大象传媒

A bheil sibh e貌lach air sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch? Ann an sg矛re sin tha d脿 bhaile le ainmean annasach. Tha 鈥淢ellon鈥� anns na h-ainmean aca. Is iad sin Mellon Charles agus Mellon Udrigle. D脿 bhaile air a鈥� chladach. Ach, carson a tha Mellon anns na h-ainmean aca? A bheil measan tropaigeach a鈥� fas ann? Air cladach na G脿idhealtachd? Chan eil, gu dearbh. Tha i ro fhuar ann an Alba airson measan tropaigeach!

A bheil sibh e貌lach air an fhacal meall? Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渉颈濒濒鈥�. Ach d猫 tha meallan a鈥� ciallachadh? Uill, tha fios agaibh gu bheil lochan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och beag鈥�. Tha leabhran a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓eabhar beag鈥�. Agus tha meallan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕eall beag鈥� 鈥� little hill. Th脿inig an t-ainm Mellon Charles bhon Gh脿idhlig Meallan The脿rlaich. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁m Meall Beag aig Te脿rlach鈥� 鈥� Charles鈥檚 Little Hill. Meallan The脿rlaich.

C貌 bh鈥� ann an Te脿rlach? Bha e na leth-bhr脿thair do dh鈥檜achdaran Ghe脿rrloch. Bha seo o chionn 霉ine mh貌r. Fhuair Te脿rlach fearann faisg air a鈥� chladach. Agus thug e an t-ainm aige don 脿ite 鈥� Meallan The脿rlaich.

Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn Mellon Udrigle?聽 鈥橲 e sin Meallan Udraigil ann an G脿idhlig. Tha Udraigil a鈥� tighinn bhon Lochlannais. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃lais鈥�. Agus tha Meallan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕eall beag鈥�, nach eil? The Little Hill of Udrigle no The Little Hill of the Cleft.

Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha nach eil e cho s矛mplidh sin. Air a鈥� mhap, tha cnoc ann air a bheil 鈥淢eallan Udrigill鈥�. Agus tha baile ann cuideachd air a bheil 鈥淢ellon Udrigle鈥�. Ach chan eil an cnoc agus am baile anns an aon 脿ite. Tha iad d脿 mh矛le air falbh o ch猫ile.

Tha mi e貌lach air fear 脿s an sg矛re sin. Thuirt e seo rium: 鈥淒h鈥檌nnis bodach dhomh nach e Meallan a bh鈥� ann an ainm a鈥� bhaile, ach Mealbhan. Tha mealbhan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榮and dunes鈥�.鈥�

Chaidh mi gu faclair Dwelly. Agus tha am facal mealbhan anns an fhaclair. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渟tretch of sand dunes with sea-bent growing on them.鈥� Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh sin ann an Ros an Iar, co-dhi霉. Agus sin mar a tha ann am Meallan Udraigil. Tha am baile air a鈥� chladach. Tha d霉in-ghainmhich ann. Agus tha muran a鈥� f脿s air na d霉in-ghainmhich. Mar sin, 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e Mealbhan Udraigil an t-ainm ceart air a鈥� bhaile ann an G脿idhlig.

Faclan is abairtean: a bheil sibh e貌lach air sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch?: do you know the Gairloch area?; tha d脿 bhaile le ainmean annasach: there are two villages with unusual names; a bheil measan tropaigeach a鈥� fas ann?: do tropical fruits grow there?; chan eil, gu dearbh: certainly not; tha i ro fhuar ann an Alba: it is too cold in Scotland; tha fios agaibh gu bheil lochan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och beag鈥�: you know that lochan means 鈥渁 small loch鈥�; c貌 bh鈥� ann an Te脿rlach?: who was Charles?; bha e na leth-bhr脿thair do dh鈥檜achdaran Ghe脿rrloch: he was a half-brother of the Laird of Gairloch; bha seo o chionn 霉ine mh貌r: this was a long time ago; fhuair Te脿rlach fearann faisg air a鈥� chladach: Charles obtained land close to the coast; d猫 mu dheidhinn?: what about?; tha X a鈥� tighinn bhon Lochlannais: X comes from the Norse [language]; 鈥檚 d貌cha nach eil e cho s矛mplidh sin: perhaps it is not that simple; chan eil an cnoc agus am baile anns an aon 脿ite: the hill and the village are not in the same [one] place; tha iad d脿 mh矛le air falbh o ch猫ile: they are two miles away from each other; tha mi e貌lach air fear 脿s an sg矛re sin: I know a man from that area; thuirt esan seo rium: he said this to me; dh鈥檌nnis bodach dhomh: an old man told me; nach e Meallan a bh鈥� ann an ainm a鈥� bhaile, ach Mealbhan: that the name of the village was not Meallan, but Mealbhan; chaidh mi gu faclair Dwelly: I went to Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary; ann an Ros an Iar, co-dhi霉: in Wester Ross, at least; tha muran a鈥� f脿s air na d霉in-ghainmhich: marram grass (bent) grows on the sand dunes; mar sin, 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e Mealbhan Udraigil an t-ainm ceart air a鈥� bhaile ann an G脿idhlig: thus, perhaps Mealbhan Udraigil is the correct name for the village in Gaelic.