大象传媒

鈥橲 e facal inntinneach a th鈥� ann am m貌d, nach e? Seo na thathar ag r脿dh anns an fhaclair Gh脿idhlig Br矛gh nam Facal airson 鈥渕貌d鈥�: 1. F猫is far am bi co-fharpaisean ann an ce貌l, seinn, dr脿ma etc, agus 2. (aosta) c霉irt. Tha sin ceart, nach eil? Sin mar a tha am facal an-diugh.

Ach ma th猫id sinn air ais mu cheud bliadhna gu faclair Dwelly, tha e gu math eadar-dealaichte. Seo na th鈥� aig Dwelly fo 鈥渕貌d鈥�: 1. Court, court of justice, 2. Assembly, meeting, 3. Petty court, 4. Baron baillie court, 5. Court at which presides the agent of landed proprietors, to adjust differences among tenants, and to take cognizance of all abuses of any portion of his employees鈥� property. An uair sin s矛os aig 脿ireamh 6: Annual competition held in Gaelic literature and music etc, under the auspices of An Comunn G脿idhealach.Nach eil sin a鈥� dearbhadh mar a dh鈥檃tharraicheas c脿nan ann an ceud bliadhna?!

鈥橲 ann 脿s an t-Seann Lochlannais a th脿inig am facal m貌d. Bha m贸t a鈥� ciallachadh coinneamh no c霉irt 鈥� an 矛re mhath a鈥� chiall a bh鈥� air an fhacal ann an G脿idhlig mus d鈥� fhuair an Comunn G脿idhealach gr猫im air aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Nuair a bha an Comunn a鈥� taghadh ainm airson na f猫ise ci霉il aca, bha cuid an aghaidh 鈥渕貌d鈥� leis gur e facal a bh鈥� ann aig nach robh seann fhreumh Ceilteach. Co-dhi霉, 鈥檚 e 鈥渕貌d鈥� a chaidh a thaghadh, agus 鈥檚 e M貌d a鈥� Chomuinn a鈥� phr矛omh chiall air an fhacal an-diugh.

Ach, 脿s d猫idh dhomh sin a r脿dh, tha e inntinneach mar a nochdas am facal ann an seanfhaclan. Mar eisimpleir: Chan ann a h-uile l脿 a bhios m貌d aig Mac an T貌isich. Chan ann a h-uile l脿 a bhios m貌d aig Mac an T貌isich. Tha m貌d an seo a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃ourt鈥�.

鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann am Mac an T貌isich fear a bha na bh脿illidh do Iarla Pheairt. Bha fearann aige ann am Magh Bh脿rd ann an Srath 脠ireann. 鈥橲 e duine cruaidh a bh鈥� ann. Bhiodh e a鈥� feuchainn ri aon eucoireach a chrochadh gach l脿 a bha e a鈥� cumail c霉irt, airson eagal a chur air eucoirich eile, agus airson e fh猫in a dh猫anamh ainmeil. Is math nach robh c霉irt 鈥� no m貌d 鈥� aige a h-uile l脿.

Seo an seanfhacal eile a lorg mi le 鈥渕貌d鈥� ann: Is truimid am m脿l am m貌d. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh, 鈥淭he rent is all the heavier because of the food-rent.鈥� Is truimid am m脿l am m貌d. B鈥� e sin ciall eile air 鈥渕貌d鈥�. Bha e a鈥� ciallachadh na dh鈥檉heumadh m脿ladair a thoirt don uachdaran aige ann am biadh. Bha sin a bharrachd air na dh鈥檉heumadh e a thoirt don uachdaran ann an airgead. Bha meudachd, no luach, a鈥� mh貌id a r猫ir meudachd an fhearainn.

Mar eisimpleir, tr脿th san naoidheamh linn deug, bha aig tuathanach air Oighreachd a鈥� Bharra Challtainn ri dusan dusan ugh agus dusan cearc a thoirt seachad gach bliadhna mar mh貌d. Bha toll ann an dreasair sa chidsin ann an taigh an uachdarain agus, nan robh na h-uighean a bha e a鈥� faighinn beag gu le貌r 鈥檚 gun d鈥� rachadh iad troimhe, cha ghabhadh an t-uachdaran riutha mar ph脿irt dhen mh貌d.

Sin am facal m貌d, ma-th脿 鈥� co-dhi霉 leth-cheud bliadhna mus do th貌isich M貌d a鈥� Chomuinn, mar a tha sinn e貌lach air an-diugh. Nach math, ge-t脿, nach eil na seann mh貌dan ann am bith tuilleadh 鈥� is gu bheil iad air an cuimhneachadh a-mh脿in ann an seanfhaclan.

Faclan na Litreach: Seann Lochlannais: Old Norse.

Abairtean na Litreach: seo na thathar ag r脿dh: here鈥檚 what is said; mar a dh鈥檃tharraicheas c脿nan: how a language changes; an 矛re mhath a鈥� chiall a bh鈥� air an fhacal: pretty much what the word meant; airson na f猫ise ci霉il aca: for their music festival; aig nach robh seann fhreumh Ceilteach: which didn鈥檛 have an old Celtic root; 鈥檚 e 鈥渕貌d鈥� a chaidh a thaghadh: it鈥檚 鈥渕od鈥� that was chosen; a bha na bh脿illidh do Iarla Pheairt: who was a baillie/chamberlain to the Earl of Perth; Magh Bh脿rd ann an Srath 脠ireann: Monyvaird in Strath Earn; 鈥檚 e duine cruaidh a bh鈥� ann: he was a hard man; bhiodh e a鈥� feuchainn ri aon eucoireach a chrochadh gach l脿: he would try to hang one criminal every day; airson e fh猫in a dh猫anamh ainmeil: to make himself famous; is math nach robh m貌d aige: it鈥檚 as well he didn鈥檛 have a court; na dh鈥檉heumadh m脿ladair a thoirt don uachdaran aige: what a rent-payer had to pay his landlord; a r猫ir meudachd an fhearainn: according to the size of the land[holding]; Oighreachd a鈥� Bharra Challtainn: Barcaldine Estate; dusan dusan ugh: twelve dozen eggs; bha toll ann an dreasair sa chidsin: there was a hole in a dresser in the kitchen; beag gu le貌r 鈥檚 gun d鈥� rachadh iad troimhe: small enough that they would go through; cha ghabhadh an t-uachdaran riutha: the landlord would not accept them; nach eil na seann mh貌dan ann am bith tuilleadh: that the old mods no longer exist; gu bheil iad air an cuimhneachadh a-mh脿in ann an seanfhaclan: that they are only remembered in proverbs.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Is truimid am m脿l am m貌d: the rent is all the heavier because of the food-rent. Truimid is the second comparative form of the adjective trom. It is formed by the adding of an 鈥揫i]d to the first comparative, truime, 鈥渉eavier鈥�. I considered the 鈥渢hird comparative鈥� in Litir 167 and will not cover that ground again here. There is no direct grammatical equivalent in English to the second comparative 鈥� it is not a superlative, as the superlative is represented by the article as and the first comparative (eg 鈥檚 e D貌mhnall as motha). It is generally today found only in slightly archaic forms (such as in proverbs) and always in this format: is truimid e sin (it is the heavier for that); is daoirid e sin (it is the dearer because of that). However, it is still relatively common colloquially in two irregular comparatives 鈥� those of math (first comparative fe脿rr) and dona (first comparative miosa): eg Is fhe脿irrde e sin (he is the better for that); Cha mhiste tu sin (you鈥檙e not the worse for that).

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Chan ann a h-uile l脿 a bhios m貌d aig Mac an T貌isich: it鈥檚 not every day that Mackintosh holds a court.