大象传媒

Tha seanfhacal ann an G脿idhlig a bu mhath leam innse dhuibh an toiseach an-diugh oir tha e a鈥� buntainn ris an 脿ite far an robh sinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh 鈥� Srath Eireann ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis. Tha c貌ig 脿iteachan anns an t-srath anns a bheil 鈥淐貌ig鈥� anns an ainm. 鈥橲 e seann slat-tomhais air meudachd fearainn a bh鈥� ann an c貌ig, no c貌igeamh p脿irt, agus tha e be貌 anns a鈥� Ch貌igich ann an Siorrachd Rois faisg air Ulapul.

Seo na c貌ig c貌igimh ann an Srath Eireann, ma-th脿: C貌ig na Fe脿rna, the fifth of the alder, C貌ig na S矛the, the fifth of the fairy hill, C貌ig na Fionndarnaich, the fifth of the rank grass, C貌ig nan Sg脿lan, the fifth of the tents or huts, agus C貌ig a鈥� Mhuilinn, the fifth of the mill. Agus seo agaibh a-nise an seanfhacal: Tha c貌ig c貌igimh an Eirinn, agus tha c貌ig c貌igimh an Srath Eireann, ach is fhe脿rr aon ch貌igeamh na h-Eireann na c貌ig c貌igimh Srath Eireann. Tuigidh sibh gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh gu bheil an c貌igeamh cuid de dh鈥橢irinn nas m貌 is nas luachmhoire na Srath Eireann air fad. Seo an seanfhacal a-rithist: Tha c貌ig c貌igimh an Eirinn, agus tha c貌ig c貌igimh an Srath Eireann, ach is fhe脿rr aon ch貌igeamh na h-Eireann na c貌ig c貌igimh Srath Eireann.

Gu deas air Srath Eireann tha sg矛re ann an ceann a tuath Siorrachd Pheairt air a bheil Atholl ann am Beurla, no Athall ann an G脿idhlig an l脿 an-diugh. Agus tha ainm na sg矛re sin ann an d貌igh car coltach ri Srath Eireann. Tha Uilleam MacBh脿tair ag innse dhuinn gu bheil an t-ainm a鈥� dol air ais don linn nuair a th脿inig na Gaidheil a dh鈥檉huireach anns an sg矛re, agus iad air 霉r-nochdadh 脿 Eirinn. Tha e a鈥� tighinn bho 鈥淎th-Fhodla鈥� a tha a鈥� ciallachadh Second Ireland no Eirinn 脵r.

Bha mi ann an Athall o chionn ghoirid, a鈥� coiseachd air seann rathad aig a bheil eachdraidh mh貌r. 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann an t-slighe a ghabhadh daoine o shean eadar Ceann a鈥� Ghiuthsaich ann am B脿ideanach agus Athall. Tha an rathad a鈥� dol thairis air talamh 脿rd ris an canar ann am Beurla The Minigaig. Air na seann mhapaichean 鈥檚 e 鈥淢ountains of the Minigeg鈥� a bh鈥� air, agus ann an G脿idhlig 鈥檚 e Monadh Miongaig a chanas sinn.

Th脿inig mi far tr猫ana ann am Bl脿r Athall agus chaidh mi seachad air a鈥� chaisteal gus an do lorg mi toiseach an rathaid. Aig an fh矛or thoiseach, tha e follaiseach gu robh e an rathad air a dh猫anamh gu math, is gun deach t貌rr chlachan a ghluasad airson a dh猫anamh r猫idh. Ach mus robh mo thuras seachad fhuair mi a-mach nach ann mar sin a tha e fad na slighe.

Chan e an rathad seo am fear as sine eadar an ceann a deas agus an ceann a tuath. Tha slighe eile faisg air l脿imh, air a bheil Rathad nan Cuimeanach, a bh鈥� air a chleachdadh o shean. B鈥� iad na Cuimeanaich cinneadh cumhachdach ann am B脿ideanach. Tha e coltach gu robh Rathad nan Cuimeanach air a thogail anns an treas linn deug, is gun deach rathad 霉r a thogail thairis air Monadh Miongaig anns an t-siathamh linn deug, ged nach urrainn dhuinn a bhith buileach cinnteach mu dheidhinn sin.

Ach cha deach an rathad m貌r, an A9, a thogail ann am fear seach fear de na h-脿iteachan sin. Anns an ath-Litir, innsidh mi dhuibh carson a chaidh an rathad m貌r a thogail thairis air Druim Uachdair, a鈥� f脿gail Monadh Miongaig mar 脿ite iomallach s脿mhach an l脿 an-diugh.

Faclan na seachdaine: stairsneach: threshold; Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; Athall: Atholl; Uilleam MacBh脿tair: William (W.J.) Watson; Ceann a鈥� Ghiuthsaich: Kingussie; B脿ideanach: Badenoch; Bl脿r Athall: Blair Atholl; Rathad nan Cuimeanach: Comyn鈥檚 Road; cinneadh cumhachdach: a powerful clan; Druim Uachdair: Drumochter.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha e a鈥� buntainn ri X: it concerns X; 鈥檚 e seann slat-tomhais air meudachd fearainn a bh鈥� ann an X: X was an old measure of land size; tha e be貌 anns a鈥� Ch貌igich ann an Siorrachd Rois: it is found (alive) in Coigach in Ross-shire; ann an G脿idhlig an l脿 an-diugh: in modern Gaelic; agus iad air 霉r-nochdadh 脿 Eirinn: after newly arriving from Ireland; aig a bheil eachdraidh mh貌r: which has a long history; an t-slighe a ghabhadh daoine o shean: the route people would take in olden times; aig an fh矛or thoiseach: at the very beginning; airson a dh猫anamh r猫idh: to make it level; fhuair mi a-mach nach ann mar sin a bha e: I found out it was not like that; thairis air Monadh Miongaig anns an t-siathamh linn deug: over (the high country of) The Minigaig in the 16th Century; ged nach urrainn dhuinn a bhith buileach cinnteach: although we can鈥檛 be absolutely certain; ann am fear seach fear de na h-脿iteachan: in either of the places.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: gu bheil an c貌igeamh cuid de dh鈥橢irinn nas m貌 is nas luachmhoire na Srath Eireann air fad: that the fifth part of Ireland is larger and more valuable than the whole of Strathdearn. A simple point here. You will know that cuid is a feminine word and that 鈥渢he portion鈥� is a鈥� chuid rather than an cuid. This, however, has no bearing on the article preceding c貌igeamh which is always the 鈥渕asculine鈥� article an. C貌igeamh and cuid are unlenited. This is the same with most ordinal numerals 鈥� eg we say an ceathramh br貌g (feminine; NB not a鈥� cheathramh bhr貌g), just as we say an ceathramh b貌rd (masculine). The only time a 鈥渇eminine鈥� structure appears with the counting of feminine objects is (at least traditionally) for 6 and 7, and sometimes 8, ie an t-siathamh cuid and an t-seachdamh cuid, rather than an siathamh cuid and an seachdamh cuid; and an ochdamh cuid instead of/in addition to an t-ochdamh cuid. But this distinction is disappearing nowadays and it is common to use a 鈥渕asculine鈥� structure all the way from 2 to 10, with the noun unlenited.

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Tha c貌ig c貌igimh an Eirinn, agus tha c貌ig c貌igimh an Srath Eireann, ach is fhe脿rr aon ch貌igeamh na h-Eireann na c貌ig c貌igimh Srath Eireann: there are five fifths in Ireland and five fifths in Strathdearn (Ireland鈥檚 Strath), but better is one-fifth of Ireland than the five fifths of Strathdearn.