大象传媒

Cha robh mi ann an New Zealand, no Sealainn Nuadh, ach aon turas. Is m貌r am beud, oir tha i uabhasach br猫agha. Agus bu mhath leam a r脿dh gu soilleir gu robh am beachd sin agam fada mus do nochd na fiolmaichean 鈥� 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥�! Ch貌rd na beanntan anns an eilean mu dheas gu m貌r rium agus, anns an eilean mu thuath, shaoil mi gu robh cultar nam Maori air leth pr矛seil is inntinneach. Gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e Maori a鈥� chiad ch脿nan a chuala mi nuair a fhuair mi far na pl猫ana ann an Auckland.

Bha na Gaidheil uaireigin pailt ann an New Zealand is tha an sliochd pailt fhathast. Chunnaic mi 矛omhaigh de ch霉-chaorach ann an sg矛re ris an canar 鈥淒霉thaich MhicCoinnich鈥� ann am meadhan an eilein mu dheas, agus sgr矛obhte oirre bha na faclan G脿idhlig 鈥淏eannachdan air a鈥� ch霉-chaorach鈥�. As aonais nan con-chaorach, agus na caoraich fh猫in, cha robh na Gaidheil air a bhith comasach air bith-be貌 a dh猫anamh anns na beanntan sin.

Taobh a-muigh Alba is Eirinn, 鈥檚 e New Zealand an aon d霉thaich air an t-saoghal far an cuala mi 貌rain Gh脿idhlig air pr貌gram r猫idio 脿bhaisteach. Bha sin ann an D霉n Eideann, no Dunedin, baile gu math Albannach anns an eilean mu dheas. Uaireigin 脿s d猫idh sin, bha mi air ais ann an Astr脿ilia, far an robh mi a鈥� fuireach, agus bha c貌mhradh agam le fear 脿 New Zealand. Dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh gu robh 脿ite anns an d霉thaich aige air an robh 鈥淟ochnagar鈥�. Nise, tha amharas agam gur e loch a bh鈥� ann, seach beinn, ach chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin. Ma tha duine c貌ir sam bith ag 猫isteachd ri seo air an eadar-l矛on ann an New Zealand, 鈥檚 d貌cha gun cuir e ceart mi.

Co-dhi霉, th脿inig an c貌mhradh sin gu mo chuimhne, 脿s d猫idh dhomh bruidhinn ri fear eile, ann an Alba an turas seo, mu dheidhinn 鈥淟ochnagar鈥�. Ach chan e 鈥淟ochnagar鈥� a thuirt e, oir bha an c貌mhradh ann an G脿idhlig, agus bidh fios agaibh, tha mi an d霉il, gur e beinn, seach loch, a th鈥� anns an rud ris an canar Lochnagar ann am Beurla ann an Alba. Bha mo charaid is mi fh矛n a-mach air 鈥淏einn nan C矛ochan鈥� oir 鈥檚 e sin ainm G脿idhlig na beinne.

Nach annasach e gun deach ainm locha a chur air mullach beinne? Ciamar a thachair sin? Uill, tha loch anns a鈥� choire fon mhullach air a bheil Loch na G脿ire. Dh鈥檈adar-theangaich Uilleam MacBh脿tair sin mar 鈥淟och of the Outcry鈥�, agus bha e dhen bheachd gun d鈥� fhuair e an t-ainm bho fhuaim na gaoithe a bhios a鈥� cuairteachadh anns a鈥� choire. Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e Lochnagar a chanadh daoine, agus a chanas iad fhathast, ris an loch, agus chanadh iad Top of Lochnagar no Hill of Lochnagar ris a鈥� bheinn. Mu dheireadh chuir iad d矛reach 鈥淟ochnagar鈥� air a鈥� bheinn fh猫in.

鈥橲 d貌cha gu robh adhbhar a bharrachd ann air a shon, oir bha ainmean aig na Gaidheil air na mullaichean a bha co-cheangailte ri rudan a bhuineas do bhoireannaich a-mh脿in 鈥� c矛ochan. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Ch矛och Mh貌r a bh鈥� aca air aon mhullach, agus cuiridh mi geall gu robh 鈥淐矛ochan鈥� eile air an ainmeachadh oirre, oir 鈥檚 e Meikle Pap a th鈥� air aonan dhiubh an-diugh ann an Albais, an c脿nan a ghabh thairis bhon Gh脿idhlig anns an sg矛re sin. Air sg脿th sin, 鈥檚 e 鈥淏einn nan C矛ochan鈥� a bh鈥� air 鈥� agus a th鈥� air 鈥� a鈥� bheinn air fad. Tha fhios gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leis na Bhictorianaich 鈥淟ochnagar鈥� a chantainn rithe, ge-t脿, seach a bhith a鈥� me貌mhrachadh cus air ciall an ainm Gh脿idhlig!

Faclan na seachdaine: pr矛seil: valuable; 矛omhaigh: statue, image; D霉thaich MhicCoinnich: Mackenzie Country; Albais: Scots language.

Abairtean na seachdaine: is m貌r am beud: great is the pity; tha an sliochd pailt fhathast: their descendants are still plentiful; far an cuala mi 貌rain Gh脿idhlig: where I have heard Gaelic songs; tha amharas agam gur e loch a bh鈥� ann: I suspect it was a loch; chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach 脿s: I can鈥檛 be certain of it; 鈥檚 d貌cha gun cuir e ceart mi: perhaps he鈥檒l put me right; gur e beinn, seach loch, a th鈥� ann: that it is a mountain, rather than a loch; bha X is Y a-mach air 鈥淏einn nan C矛ochan鈥�: X and Y were on about [talking about] 鈥淏einn nan C矛ochan鈥� [lit. Mountain of the Breasts]; gun deach ainm locha a chur air mullach beinne: that a loch鈥檚 name was applied to a mountain summit; a bhios a鈥� cuairteachadh anns a鈥� choire: which circulates in the corrie; rudan a bhuineas do bhoireannaich a-mh脿in: things which belong only to women; gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leis na Bhictorianaich 鈥淟ochnagar鈥� a chantainn rithe: that the Victorians preferred to call it 鈥淟ochnagar鈥�; a bhith me貌mhrachadh cus air ciall an ainm: contemplating too much the meaning of the name.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥淏eannachdan air a鈥� ch霉-chaorach鈥�. As aonais an con-chaorach...: blessings on the sheepdog [collectively]. Without their sheepdogs鈥� Can you explain why the second part of the compound is chaorach and not caorach? The reason is that it is the genitive plural; we are saying literally 鈥渄og of sheep (pl.)鈥�. The word caora (nominative plural caoraich) is irregular and unusual, because the genitive singular and the genitive plural are identical (as are the nominative singular and nominative plural in English), ie caorach. They are differentiated by two things 鈥� the article (if present) and lenition. We say ceann na caorach for 鈥渢he sheep鈥檚 head鈥� (sing.), and cinn nan caorach for 鈥渢he heads of the sheep鈥� (pl.). But, without the article, the plural is lenited ie ceann caorach means 鈥渁 sheep鈥檚 head鈥� but cinn chaorach means 鈥渉eads of sheep鈥� (pl.) Sheepdogs work with more than one sheep so the second part of the compound is the genitive plural. It is therefore always lenited, regardless of the case in which the compound appears eg a鈥� choin-chaorach (of the sheepdog), na coin-chaorach (the sheepdogs), nan con-chaorach (of the sheepdogs).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha robh na Gaidheil air a bhith comasach air bith-be貌 a dh猫anamh: the Gaels wouldn鈥檛 have been capable of making a living. Tha X a鈥� d猫anamh bith-be貌: X makes a living, livelihood.