大象传媒

Mo bheannachd aig Timothy Pont nach maireann, oir dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab phr矛seil 脿s a dh猫idh. B鈥� e Pont fear dhen luchd-tarraing mhapaichean a b鈥� ainmeile a bh鈥� againn a-riamh. Tha mapaichean a rinn e de mh貌ran sg矛rean ann an Alba air an gl猫idheadh aig Leabharlann N脿iseanta na h-Alba ann an D霉n Eideann. Agus nas fhe脿rr na sin, gabhaidh a h-uile gin dhiubh faicinn air an eadar-l矛on, air l脿rach an Leabharlainn N脿iseanta. Mo bheannachd acasan cuideachd airson goireas air leth a chruthachadh.

Tha mi a鈥� fuireach faisg air allt ann an Inbhir Nis air a bheil the Mill Burn ann am Beurla. Canaidh na Gaidheil Allt a鈥� Mhuilinn ris, ach bha mi a-riamh airson dearbhadh d猫 an t-ainm a bh鈥� air o shean. Eadar an taigh agam agus a鈥� mhuir tha an t-allt a鈥� sruthadh tro sg矛rean ris an canar ann am Beurla Kingsmills agus Diriebught.

Uill, lorg mi e air map a rinn Timothy Pont faisg air deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug. Agus 鈥檚 e ainm G脿idhlig a bh鈥� air aig an 脿m 鈥� Allt Muileann an R矛gh. Cha robh guth air ainm Beurla aig an 脿m sin. Agus bha Diriebught sgr矛obhte mar Deirbocht. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun t脿inig sin 脿 Doire nam Bochd.

Bha mi a鈥� coimhead air map a rinn Pont de Ghlaschu an l脿 eile agus chunnaic mi Rutherglen, a bha na bhaile fa leth aig an 脿m. Bha e air a litreachadh Ruglan 鈥� RUGLAN 鈥� uabhasach coltach ris an dreach Gh脿idhlig 鈥淩uadh Ghleann鈥�.

B鈥� e Timothy Pont mac a鈥� mhinisteir ainmeil, an t-Urramach Raibeart Pont. Cheumnaich Timothy 脿 Oilthigh Chill R矛mhinn ann an c貌ig ceud deug is ochdad (1580) agus tha e coltach gun do th貌isich e air mapaichean a dh猫anamh goirid 脿s d猫idh sin. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun d鈥� fhuair e misneachd airson a鈥� phr貌iseict bhon obair mh貌ir aig Cr矛sdean Saxton ann an Sasainn 鈥� Atlas of England and Wales, a chaidh a chur an cl貌 ann an c貌ig ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1579).

Ach, leis cho beag 鈥檚 a bha sluagh na h-Alba, an coimeas ri Sasainn, cha bhiodh e furasta idir do Phont a chuid mhapaichean a reic aig prothaid. Gu fortanach dha, thug athair taic dha, an d脿 chuid airgead a fhuair e bho Eaglais na h-Alba ann an D霉n Eideann, agus le bhith a鈥� lorg coitheanal dha ann an Gallaibh, 脿s an d鈥� fhuair e tuarastal.

Chan eil daoine buileach cinnteach mar a chruinnich Pont a chuid fiosrachaidh airson a mhapaichean ach tha e coltach gun do choisich e ann am m貌ran 脿iteachan. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do chaochail e aig aois rudeigin 貌g agus gur ann sna bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh dhen t-siathamh linn deug a chaidh a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen obair aige a dh猫anamh.

An l脿 an-diugh, tha seasgad mapaichean t霉sail aige air fh脿gail againn agus, a bharrachd orra sin, dh鈥檉h脿g Pont l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean againn, le tuairisgeul sgr矛obhte de聽ph脿irtean dhen d霉thaich. Tha iad le ch猫ile air leth pr矛seil. Nochd na mapaichean aige anns an Novus Atlas aig Joannis Blaeu ann an Amsterdam ann an sia ceud deug, leth-cheud 鈥檚 a ceithir (1654), agus chleachd am fear-mhapaichean Raibeart G貌rdan iad nuair a bha e fh猫in ag ullachadh c脿irtean-d霉thcha de dh鈥橝lba.

Agus, a鈥� tilleadh a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis, ceud gu leth bliadhna ron bhl脿r ainmeil, d猫 bh鈥� aig Pont air C霉il Lodair? Uill, 鈥檚 e Coulloddinn a bh鈥� aige, a鈥� sealltainn mar as e an t-ainm Beurla, Culloden, a tha nas coltaiche ris an ainm th霉sail Gh脿idhlig, seach dreach an ainm Gh脿idhlig an l脿 an-diugh. Adhbhar eile airson a bhith toilichte gun do rinn Timothy Pont a chuid obrach ainmeil o chionn ceithir cheud bliadhna.

Faclan na seachdaine: Allt a鈥� Mhuilinn: The Mill Burn; o shean: in olden times; Doire nam Bochd: Diriebught (lit. the grove of the poor); Ruadh Ghleann: Rutherglen; Cr矛sdean Saxton: Christopher Saxton; prothaid: profit;l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean:聽manuscripts; tuairisgeul: description; C霉il Lodair: Culloden (orig. C霉il Lodain).

Abairtean na seachdaine: dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab phr矛seil 脿s a dh猫idh: he left a valuable legacy after him; B鈥� e Pont fear dhen luchd-tarraing mhapaichean a b鈥� ainmeile a bh鈥� againn: Pont was one of our most famous cartographers; air an gl猫idheadh aig Leabharlann N脿iseanta na h-Alba: preserved by the National Library of Scotland; airson goireas air leth a chruthachadh: for creating a terrific resource; faisg air deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug: close to the end of the 16th Century; cheumnaich Timothy 脿 Oilthigh Chill R矛mhinn: Timothy graduated from St Andrews University; gun d鈥� fhuair e misneachd airson a鈥� phr貌iseict: that he got encouragement for the project; a chaidh a chur an cl貌: which was published (lit. put in print); an coimeas ri Sasainn: compared to England; le bhith a鈥� lorg coitheanal dha ann an Gallaibh: by finding him a congregation in Caithness; gun do chaochail e aig aois rudeigin 貌g: that he died somewhat before his time [ie at a young age]; tha seasgad mapaichean t霉sail aige air fh脿gail againn: we have 60 of his original maps left to us; nuair a bha e fh猫in ag ullachadh c脿irtean-d霉thcha na h-Alba: when he was himself preparing maps of Scotland; seach dreach an ainm Gh脿idhlig an l脿 an-diugh: than the form of the Gaelic name today.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: gabhaidh a h-uile gin dhiubh faicinn air an eadar-l矛on: all of them can be seen on the internet. The use of the verb 鈥済abh鈥� here creates a passive which indicates a capability. Traditionally the verbal noun following gabh is not lenited eg gabhaidh e d猫anamh (it can be done); an gabh sin a bhith (can that be [the case]?); thuirt e gun gabhadh an obair coileanadh (he said the work could be completed); d猫 ghabhas d猫anamh? (what can be done?) It is worth noting, however, that the verbal noun is commonly lenited today, particularly in Lewis, so that you might hear gabhaidh e a dh猫anamh instead of gabhaidh e d猫anamh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Mo bheannachd aig Timothy Pont nach maireann: my blessing on Timothy Pont (deceased).