大象传媒

Lorg mi seann leabhar iongantach ann an leabharlann o chionn ghoirid. Tha e air a sgr矛obhadh ann am Beurla ach tha e mu dheidhinn dualchas na G脿idhlig. Bha an t-霉ghdar a鈥� feuchainn ri dearbhadh gu robh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, barrachd buaidh aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air c脿nanan E貌rpach eile na bha f矛or. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� air an leabhar The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe and more especially of the English and Lowland Scotch and of their slang, cant and colloquial dialects. Chan e tiotal goirid a th鈥� ann co-dhi霉!

B鈥� e an t-霉ghdar Te脿rlach MacAoidh. Bha e na bhall de Chomann R矛oghail Luchd-脿rsaidheachd na Danmhairg. Agus is cinnteach gu robh 霉idh mh貌r aige sa Gh脿idhlig. Airson tomhas a dh猫anamh air na beachdan aige, tha mi a鈥� dol a thoirt s霉il air cuid de na faclan Beurla anns an leabhar aige a tha a鈥� t貌iseachadh le 鈥渂鈥�.

T貌isicheamaid le bastard no neach d矛olain. Tha am facal Beurla a鈥� tighinn bhon Fhraingis batard, agus tha a鈥� chuid as motha de e貌laichean dhen bheachd gu bheil sin a鈥� tighinn bhon fhreumh bast, a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渄矛ollaid鈥�. Tha e a鈥� nochdadh anns an abairt fils de bast 鈥� mac a chaidh a ghineadh nuair a bha athair air falbh bho dhachaigh air each.

Ach d猫 beachd The脿rlaich MhicAoidh air a鈥� ghnothach? Uill, tha esan ag r脿dh gun deach e don Fhraingis bho na Ceiltich, agus gun robh bast a鈥� riochdachadh an fhacail baos ann an G脿idhlig.

鈥橲 e an ath fhacal aig MacAoidh baste 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh mar a chuireas c貌caire lionn thairis air fe貌il nuair a tha e ga c貌caireachd. Tha MacAoidh dhen bheachd gun t脿inig sin 脿 baist, baisteadh ann an G脿idhlig. 脌s d猫idh sin tha Bastille aige 鈥� am pr矛osan ann am Paris a chaidh a sgrios leis an t-sluagh aig toiseach Ar-a-mach na Frainge. Tha e coltach gun robh e air ainmeachadh airson an 脿ite anns an deach a thogail. Bha an t-脿ite sin na bhoglach.

A bheil an t-ainm mar sin ceangailte ri baisteadh? Uill, tha na sgoilearan a鈥� cumail a-mach gun t脿inig an seann fhacal Frangach bastile bho fhreumh Gearmailteach, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢ogail鈥�. Ach tha ar caraid G脿idhealach a鈥� cur air adhart m矛neachadh eile. Sgr矛obh MacAoidh gu robh e a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig b脿s agus tiodhlaic 鈥� b脿s-tiodhlaic 鈥� oir, gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e sin a bha a鈥� tachairt gu tric am broinn ballachan a鈥� phr矛osain. Is iomadh duine a fhuair b脿s ann agus a bh鈥� air a thiodhlacadh 脿s d猫idh l脿imh.

Tha sin gam thoirt gu bauble. San latha an-diugh, bidh daoine a鈥� smaoineachadh air bauble mar dh猫ideag bheag air nach eil luach m貌r sam bith. Ach gu h-eachdraidheil bha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕aide aig amadan c霉irte鈥�. Th脿inig bauble don Bheurla bhon Fhraingis, bhon fhacal baubel ach chan eil daoine cinnteach d猫 an rathad a ghabh e a-steach don Fhraingis.

Tha MacAoidh ag r脿dh gun t脿inig e bhon Gh脿idhlig b脿, 鈥渁 fool鈥�, agus ball, 鈥渁n instrument鈥�. B脿-ball 鈥� bauble. Mmm. Chan eil mi cho cinnteach. Ach 鈥檚 e an rud a tha math mu dheidhinn leabhraichean mar seo gu bheil iad a鈥� toirt oirnn smaoineachadh air t霉s fhaclan. Agus dhuibhse a tha measail air coin, bheir sinn s霉il air beagle an ath-sheachdain.

霉ghdar: author; Te脿rlach MacAoidh: Charles Mackay;聽t貌isicheamaid: let us begin; d矛olain: illegitimate (eg child); freumh: root; d矛ollaid:聽saddle; baos: fornication; ar-a-mach: revolution; boglach: swamp; tiodhlaic: bury;聽gu h-eachdraidheil: historically.

Faclan na Litreach: 霉ghdar: author; Te脿rlach MacAoidh: Charles Mackay; t貌isicheamaid: let us begin; d矛olain: illegitimate (eg child); freumh: root; d矛ollaid: saddle; baos: fornication; ar-a-mach: revolution; boglach: swamp; tiodhlaic: bury; gu h-eachdraidheil: historically.

Abairtean na Litreach: a鈥� feuchainn ri dearbhadh: trying to prove; gu robh barrachd buaidh aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air c脿nanan E貌rpach eile: that Gaelic had more influence on other European languages; Comann R矛oghail Luchd-脿rsaidheachd na Danmhairg: The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Denmark; airson tomhas a dh猫anamh air na beachdan aige: to assess his opinions; mac a chaidh a ghineadh: a son who was conceived; a鈥� riochdachadh an fhacail: representing the word; mar a chuireas c貌caire lionn thairis air fe貌il: how a cook puts a liquid over meat; a chaidh a sgrios leis an t-sluagh: which was destroyed by the populace; airson an 脿ite anns an deach a thogail: for the place in which it was built; am broinn ballachan a鈥� phr矛osain: inside the walls of the prison; is iomadh duine a fhuair b脿s ann: many a man died in it; d猫ideag bheag air nach eil luach m貌r sam bith: a small toy which is not very valuable; maide aig amadan c霉irte: a court jester鈥檚 stick; d猫 an rathad a ghabh e a-steach don Fhraingis: what route it took into French; dhuibhse a tha measail air coin: for those of you who are keen on dogs.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: d猫 beachd The脿rlaich MhicAoidh (air a鈥� ghnothach)?: what is Charles Mackay鈥檚 opinion (of [on] the matter)? Note that there are two ways of tackling this type of phrase 鈥� I could also have said d猫 am beachd a th鈥� aig T猫arlach MacAoidh, using the man鈥檚 name in the dative, not in the genitive, but putting the article in before beachd. Similarly, we might say for 鈥渨hat is Ishbel鈥檚 opinion?鈥�, d猫 beachd Iseabail? or d猫 am beachd a th鈥� aig Iseabail? Also: 鈥渨hat is the others鈥� opinion?鈥� 鈥� d猫 beachd ch脿ich? (indefinite, c脿ch in genitive) or d猫 am beachd a th鈥� aig c脿ch? (definite, c脿ch in dative). You can often avoid using the genitive in this way, but try to master such phraseology 鈥� it will sound more like you have a natural command of the language.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: gu bheil iad a鈥� toirt oirnn smaoineachadh (air t霉s fhaclan): that they make us think (about the origin of words).