大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha sinn aig D霉n Dearduil faisg air Loch Nis. Chan eil sg矛re ann an Alba a tha nas G脿idhealaiche a thaobh ainmean-脿ite. Agus mar a bha mi ag r脿dh anns an Litir mu dheireadh tha i l脿n taibhsean cuideachd, co-dhi霉 a r猫ir beul-aithris.

Bho Inbhir Nis faodar dhol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Dh霉n Dearduil air rathad cumhang s脿mhach. Bithear a鈥� t貌iseachadh air a B862, a tha a鈥� dol gu ruige Cille Chuimein. Bithear a鈥� tionndadh dheth mus ruigear T貌rr an Eas. Eadar an ceann-rathaid sin agus Inbhir Fharragaig, ri taobh Loch Nis, chan eil ann ach cnuic is coilltean, le corra baile-fearainn an siud 鈥檚 an seo.

Faisg air a鈥� cheann-rathaid tha loch ann le ainm ne貌nach, co-dhi霉 a r猫ir nam mapaichean. 鈥橲 e sin Loch Ce貌 Glais. Shaoileadh tu gu bheil sin a鈥� ciallachadh loch of grey mist.

Uill, bha mi a鈥� leughadh beagan mu eachdraidh na sg矛re an latha eile, agus bha an t-霉ghdar dhen bheachd nach e Ce貌 a bu ch貌ir a bhith anns an ainm idir, ach C猫. Agus 鈥檚 e C猫 an dreach ginideach air Cia, ainm air seann dia p脿ganach Ceilteach. Mar sin, 鈥檚 e Loch C猫 Glais a bu ch貌ir a bhith air an loch, a鈥� ciallachadh the loch of grey Cia.

鈥橲 e D霉n Chia, ceart gu le貌r, a chanar ris a鈥� chnoc air taobh a deas an locha. Agus air an D霉in, tha 脿ite air a bheil Tom na Croich (the hill of the gibbet). Tha an t-ainm sin air na mapaichean fhathast. A r猫ir choltais bha c貌raichean aig uachdarain o shean a bhith a鈥� cur feadhainn gu b脿s air a鈥� chroich. Agus bhiodh Mac Shimidh a鈥� d猫anamh sin bho 脿m gu 脿m air Tom na Croich.

Nuair a ghabhas tu an rathad beag cumhang a dh鈥檌onnsaigh D霉n Dearduil, tha thu a鈥� dol a-steach a dh霉thaich a bha ainmeil, anns an t-seann aimsir, airson ceatharnaich. A bheil sibh e貌lach air an fhacal sin, ceatharnach? Chaidh e a-steach don Bheurla mar cateran, a鈥� ciallachadh freebooter, robber. Agus 鈥檚 e Baile Cheatharnach an t-ainm a bh鈥� air an 脿ite seo o shean. Cha robh na daoine ann cho onarach 鈥檚 a tha iad an-diugh, a r猫ir choltais.

Anns a鈥� ghleann tha ainm-脿ite co-cheangailte ris na ceatharnaich. Seachad air baile-fearainn ris an canar Balnagarline, no Baile na Garbh-loinn, tha an rathad a鈥� dol thairis air allt. Aig an drochaid o shean bha muileann ann. Agus 鈥檚 e Muileann nam Biodag an t-ainm a bh鈥� air. Bhiodh na ceatharnaich a鈥� cur faobhar air na sgeinean, na biodagan, aca an sin mus fhalbhadh iad airson creach a thogail ann an 脿iteachan eile.

Tha fiosrachadh s貌nraichte air a ghl猫idheadh mu aon bhaile-fearainn nas fhaide s矛os an gleann, air a bheil Balchraggan no Bail鈥� a鈥� Chreagain. Tha fios againn air na h-ainmean a bh鈥� air na h-achaidhean ann aig 脿m nuair a bha grunn teaghlaichean a鈥� fuireach ann ri taobh a ch猫ile, agus achadh fa leth aig gach baile-fearainn. Tha fiosrachadh mar sin air a dhol a dh矛th ann am m貌ran de bhailtean na G脿idhealtachd. B鈥� iad na h-achaidhean C霉l Arachain, Bail鈥� an Fhraoich, Baile na Feadaige, Bail鈥� a鈥� Chreagain fh猫in agus Bail鈥� an t-S矛thein.

Agus c貌 脿s a th脿inig am fiosrachadh mionaideach sin? Uill, th脿inig cuid mhath dheth bho bhodach air an robh Seumas Gobha. Chaochail e ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1903) aig aois ceud bliadhna. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: ceann-rathaid: junction; 霉ghdar: author; Mac Shimidh: Fraser of Lovat; cumhang: narrow; ceatharnach: cateran, freebooter; muileann: mill; biodag: dirk; achaidhean: fields; Seumas Gobha: James Gow.

Abairtean na Litreach: tha i l脿n taibhsean: it鈥檚 full of ghosts; co-dhi霉 a r猫ir beul-aithris: at least according to oral tradition; faodar dhol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh D霉n Dearduil: D霉n Dearduil can be approached; gu ruige Cille Chuimein: to Fort Augustus; chan eil ann ach cnuic is coilltean: there is nothing but hills and woods; le corra baile-fearainn an siud 鈥檚 an seo: with the occasional farm here and there; shaoileadh tu: you would think; seann dia p脿ganach Ceilteach: an old pagan Celtic god; a chanar ris a鈥� chnoc: that the hill is called; bha c貌raichean aig uachdarain o shean: landlords in olden times had rights; Baile na Garbh-loinn: given as the township of the rough arable land, but possibly of the rough enclosed land; mus fhalbhadh iad airson creach a thogail: before they would leave to plunder; tha X air a ghl猫idheadh: X is [has been] preserved; Bail鈥� a鈥� Chreagain: the township of the little rock; nuair a bha grunn teaghlaichean a鈥� fuireach ann ri taobh a ch猫ile: when several families were living there next to each other; achadh fa leth: a separate field; C霉l Arachain: given as 鈥渢he back of the little height鈥�; Bail鈥� an Fhraoich: the township of the heather; Baile na Feadaige: the township of the plover; Bail鈥� an t-S矛thein: the township of the fairy hillock.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bithear a鈥� t貌iseachadh air a B862: how might we translate bithear in a sentence of this nature? As bithear is an impersonal future form of bi (the verb 鈥渢o be鈥�), the best way is probably to use the impersonal pronoun 鈥渙ne鈥� in English (it would be 鈥渙n鈥� in French) ie 鈥渙ne starts on the B862鈥� (or perhaps 鈥渁 start is made on the B862鈥�). The impersonal verbal forms of bi are very useful in Gaelic and they are easily understood in speech so don鈥檛 shy away from them. They combine well with passive forms of other verbs as in the sentence Bithear a鈥� tionndadh dheth mus ruigear T貌rr an Eas 鈥� one turns off before Torness is reached.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Bhiodh na ceatharnaich a鈥� cur faobhar air na sgeinean aca: the caterans would sharpen their knives. Faobhar means 鈥渆dge鈥�, particularly in reference to the cutting edge of a knife or sword.