大象传媒

O chionn beagan mh矛osan dh鈥檃inmich mi 脌ird Chlach ann an Siorrachd Narann. Bha mi aginnse dhuibh mun leabhar aig D貌mhnall MacIlleDhuibh 脿 Lios M貌r 鈥� Sgeul no Dh脿 脿s an Lios. Anns an leabhar tha D貌mhnall ag innse dhuinn gun deach an Naomh Moluag a thiodhlacadh ann an 脌ird Chlach 鈥� a r猫ir beul-aithris co-dhi霉. An uair sin chaidh a chorp a thoirt air ais a Lios M貌r.

Tha e follaiseach gu bheil eachdraidh mh貌r aig 脌ird Chlach, gu h-脿raidh co-cheangailte ris an eaglais. Ach c脿ite a bheil an sg矛re sin? Uill, bha mi innte an latha eile, agus chan eil i fad sam bith a-mach 脿 Inbhir Nis. Tha i gu deas air Inbhir Narann. Gheibhear ann air an rathad eadar Inbhir Narann agus Baile nan Granndach. Tha Uisge 脠ireann garoinn ann an d脿 leth.

Ged nach cluinnear m貌ran G脿idhlig ann an-diugh, tha na h-ainmean-脿ite ag innse dhuinn gu robh an c脿nan uaireigin l脿idir ann. Eadhon ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 ah-aon (1891) bha G脿idhlig aig fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 脿s a鈥� cheud dhen t-sluagh.

Ann am meadhan na sg矛re, tha loch ann. Air a鈥� mhap, le dreach na Beurla air, tha ainm an locha air a litreachadh B-E-L-I-V-A-T. Ah脿, thuirt mi rium fh矛n, bha na Lochlannaich anns an sg矛re. Oir tha 鈥搗at aig deireadh ainm a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och鈥� ann an Lochlannais. Mar eisimpleir, Langavat 鈥� loch fada 鈥� no Laxavat 鈥� loch nam bradan.

Bhithinn an d霉il, mar sin, gun canadh tu ainm an locha mar 鈥淏EL-ee-vat鈥�. Tha baile beagfaisg air an loch air a bheil an dearbh ainm. Feumaidh gun t脿inig ainm a鈥� bhaile bho ainm anlocha, shaoil mi.

Uill, bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn ri fear a tha a鈥� fuireach anns an sg矛re 鈥� ged nach eil e air abhith ann fada 鈥� agus dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh gun cuala esan 鈥渂el-EEV-ut鈥� aig muinntir an 脿ite.Mmm, thuirt mi rium fh矛n, c貌 as a th脿inig an t-ainm? Agus a bheil e Lochlannach?

A r猫ir an fhiosrachaidh mu ainmean-脿ite aig Iain Mac an T脿illeir 鈥� stuth f矛or mhath a gheibhear air an eadar-l矛on 鈥� 鈥檚 e ainm G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann 鈥� Buaile Fhiodhaid 鈥� a tha a鈥檆iallachadh ann am Beurla the cattle fold at the wooded place. Buaile Fhiodhaid. Chanainn gun t脿inig ainm an locha bho ainm a鈥� bhaile, seach an rathad eile. Agus bhiodh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a chanas daoine ann am Beurla 鈥渂el-EEV-ut鈥� seach 鈥淏EL-ee-vat鈥�.

Tha coille mh貌r mh貌r anns an sg矛re sin an-diugh, le craobhan d霉thchasach agus neo-dh霉thchasach innte. Tha an t-ainm-脿ite ag innse dhuinn nach e rud 霉r a th鈥� anns na craobhan, ge-t脿. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha nach robh uiread de chraobhan ann san t-seann aimsir 鈥� oirbh a Buaile Fhiodhaid a鈥� seasamh a-mach mar 脿ite anns an robh coille.

Co-dhi霉, tha dualchas 脿raidh aig Loch Buaile Fhiodhaid. Bhathar ag r脿dh anns an t-seann aimsir gun robh tarbh-uisge a鈥� fuireach san loch. Tarbh-uisge no water-bull. Bhatharag r脿dh gun robh e m貌r m貌r is cho dubh ris an t-suith. Bha coltas daimh air. Bha adharcanm貌r鈥� agus cluasan eagach aige.

Bhiodh an tarbh-uisge ag ithe lusan a bha a鈥� f脿s air bruach an locha. Ach nuair a dh鈥檉h脿sadh na lusan sin gann, bhiodh e a鈥� falbh a dh鈥櫭爄teachan eile. 鈥橲 ann an uair sin a dh鈥檉h脿sadh e cunnartach. Bhiodh e a鈥� f脿s miannach air fe貌il dhaoine. Bhiodh e a鈥� dol fad isfarsaing, a鈥� coimhead airson daoine airson ithe. Innsidh mi tuilleadh mu dheidhinn an tairbh-uisge sin an ath-sheachdain.

脌ird Chlach: Ardclach; Baile nan Granndach: Grantown on Spey;聽Lochlannaich: Norsemen; tarbh-uisge: water-bull.

Siorrachd Narann: Nairnshire; D貌mhnall MacIlleDhuibh 脿 LiosM貌r: Donald Black from Lismore; gun deach an Naomh Moluag a thiodhlacadh: St Moluagwas buried; chaidh a chorp a thoirt air ais: his body was brought back; chan eil i fad sambith a-mach 脿 Inbhir Nis: it鈥檚 not far out of Inverness; tha Uisge 脠ireann ga roinn ann an d脿leth: The Findhorn River divides it into two halves; ged nach cluinnear m貌ran: although notmuch is heard; gu robh an c脿nan uaireigin l脿idir: that the language was once strong;fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 脿s a鈥� cheud: 23%; bhithinn an d霉il gun canadh tu: I鈥檇 expect that you鈥檇 say;air a bheil an dearbh ainm: called the same name; shaoil mi: I thought; stuth f矛or mhath agheibhear air an eadar-l矛on: excellent material available [which will be got] on the internet;seach an rathad eile: rather than the other way around; le craobhan d霉thchasach agus neo-dh霉thchasach聽innte: with native and non-native trees in it; nach robh uiread de chraobhanann san t-seann aimsir: there weren鈥檛 so many trees there in olden times; bha coltas daimhair: it had the appearance of an ox; adharcan m貌r鈥� agus cluasan eagach: large horns andnotched ears; nuair a dh鈥檉h脿sadh X gann: when X grew scarce; 鈥檚 ann an uair sin adh鈥檉h脿sadh e cunnartach: it鈥檚 then he would get dangerous; miannach air fe貌il dhaoine:desirous of human flesh; a鈥� coimhead airson daoine airson ithe: looking for people to eat.

Inbhir Narann: the town of Nairn. According to W J Watson聽this was shortened from Invernairn 鈥� an anglicised form of the Gaelic. The river name is聽thought be very old and might be Pictish or pre-Pictish (Watson suggested it was related to聽the Italian river Nar and its town Narnia, giving a link 鈥� even if tenuous 鈥� between Nairn聽and the famous works of the author C S Lewis!) But the point I want to make is that Narann聽(short first 鈥渁鈥�) is a genitive form 鈥� Inbhir Narann is 鈥渢he mouth of the Nairn鈥�) 鈥� because I聽sometimes hear Gaelic speakers saying 鈥淚nbhir Narainn鈥� as if they are attempting to聽genitivise Narann according to modern grammar rules. Because Narann is already in the聽genitive, 鈥渙f Nairn鈥� is also Inbhir Narann. Thus 鈥渢he people of Nairn鈥� are properlymuinntir Inbhir Narann not muinntir Inbhir Narainn

cho dubh ris an t-suith: as black as [the] soot.