大象传媒

Tha mi an d貌chas gum bi feadhainn agaibh e貌lach air an iasg, a bhios iasgairean a鈥� glacadh nuair a tha iad a鈥� tr脿ladh air grunnd na mara, ris an canar 鈥渕ac-l脿mhaich鈥�. 鈥橲 e iasg gr脿nda a th鈥� ann, ach tha fhe貌il gl猫 bhlasta.

Tha a bheul uabhasach m貌r, agus tha ball-bodhaig air, os a chionn, a tha a鈥� tarraing 猫isg bheaga faisg air na fiaclan biorach aige. 鈥橲 e iasgair mealltach a th鈥� anns a鈥� mhac-l脿mhaich, anns an aon d貌igh 鈥檚 a tha daoine mealltach nuair a ghlacas iad bradain le cuileagan fuadain. Air sg脿th sin, canar angler fish ris ann am Beurla, ged a tha ainm cumanta eile ann cuideachd 鈥� monkfish.

Bha mi a-riamh airson faighinn a-mach carson is e mac-l脿mhaich a th鈥� air. Tha an t-ainmear l脿mhach a鈥� ciallachadh a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh ball-airm is tha luchd-l脿mhaich a鈥� ciallachadh artillerymen neo bowmen neo slingmen. Tha l脿mhach cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh the act of gleaning. Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil ciall aig na dh脿 dhuibh sin, nuair a smaoineachas tu air an d貌igh 鈥檚 a tha an t-iasg seo a鈥� tighinn be貌 aig grunnd na mara.

Ach, bha mi a鈥� leughadh seann leabhar an l脿 eile, a thug m矛neachadh eile seachad. Bha e air a sgr矛obhadh leis an Urramach Alasdair Sti霉bhart nach maireann, a sgr矛obh fon ainm-pinn Nether Lochaber. Bha esan dhen bheachd gur e mac-l脿thaich a bh鈥� ann bho th霉s, a鈥� ciallachadh the son, or inhabitant, of the mud, oir 鈥檚 e sin, gu dearbh, an se貌rsa 脿ite 鈥檚 a bheil a leithid a鈥� tighinn be貌. Bidh e leth-fhalaichte anns an l脿thaich, neo l脿ghaich, mar a chanas iad ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan, agus e a鈥� feitheamh gu foighidneach airson 猫isg bheaga.

Th脿inig Mgr Sti霉bhart tarsainn air mac-l脿mhaich air a鈥� chladach ann am badeigin ann an Loch Abar anns a鈥� gheamhradh, ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1871). Agus cha b鈥� e fear beag a bh鈥� ann. Bho cheann a-mach a bhe貌il gu bonn earbaill, bha e c貌ig troighean is seachd 貌irlich a dh鈥檉haide, agus bha am ministear dhen bheachd gur e a bh鈥� ann an t-iasg a bu ghr脿inde a chunnaic e a-riamh. Chuir e sn猫ap a bha cho m貌r ri ceann duine na bheul gu furasta.

Bha mi uaireigin ag obair do chompanaidh Albannach a bha a鈥� cur maoraich a-null thairis, agus thachair mi ri fear turas a bh鈥� air a bhith a鈥� dr脿ibheadh l脿raidhean l脿n 猫isg. Ach cha b鈥� urrainn dha dhr脿ibheadh tuilleadh air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu robh e air p脿irtean de na corragan aige air aona l脿imh a chall. Bha e anns an Fhraing, agus dh鈥檉hosgail e d貌rsan-deiridh na l脿raidh. Thuit bocsa a-mach air, agus bhris e. Ghlac an dr脿ibhear an t-iasg 鈥� 鈥檚 e mac-l脿mhaich a bh鈥� ann 鈥� agus chaidh bioran, a bha a鈥� stobadh a-mach 脿 cn脿mh-droma an 猫isg, a-steach gu fe貌il a l脿imhe. Tha e coltach gu robh puinnsean neo bh矛oras ann, oir bha a l脿mh air a puinnseanachadh gu goirt.

Tha beul air coltach ri mac-l脿mhaich. Sin abairt Gh脿idhlig a bhios feumail airson iomradh a dh猫anamh air cuideigin aig a bheil beul m貌r neo a bhios a鈥� bruidhinn cus. Tuigidh sibh nach eil e uabhasach modhail!

Tha ainm neo dh脿 eile air a鈥� mhac-l脿mhaich ann am Beurla, mar eisimpleir fishing-frog agus sea devil. Agus tha mi e貌lach air ainm eile air ann an G脿idhlig, ach chan urrainn dhomh a mh矛neachadh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi smuain agaibh fh猫in air a sin. Gheibh sibh lorg air, agus air dealbh dhen iasg, ann am faclair Dwelly air taobh-duilleig c貌ig ceud, is c貌ig ar fhichead (525). Chun na h-ath sheachdain, beannachd leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: ball-bodhaig: bodily organ; nach maireann: deceased; ainm-pinn: pen-name; leth-fhalaichte: half-hidden; gu foighidneach: patiently; badeigin: somewhere; a bu ghr脿inde: ugliest; sn猫ap: turnip; dorsan-d猫iridh: rear doors.

Abairtean na seachdaine: nuair a tha iad a鈥� tr脿ladh air grunnd na mara: when they are trawling on the seabed; 鈥檚 e iasg gr脿nda a th鈥� ann, ach tha fhe貌il gl猫 bhlasta: it is an ugly fish, but its meat is quite tasty; a tha a鈥� tarraing 猫isg bheaga faisg air na fiaclan biorach aige: which attracts small fish close to its mouth; anns an aon d貌igh 鈥檚 a tha daoine mealltach nuair a ghlacas iad bradain le cuileagan fuadain: in the manner in which people are deceitful when they catch salmon with artificial flies; an d貌igh 鈥檚 a tha an t-iasg seo a鈥� tighinn be貌: the way in which this fish lives; a thug m矛neachadh eile seachad: which gave another explanation; bho cheann a-mach a bhe貌il gu bonn earbaill: from the end of his mouth to the tip of his tail; a bha a鈥� cur maoraich a-null thairis: that was exporting shellfish; chaidh bioran, a bha a鈥� stobadh a-mach a cn脿mh-droma an 猫isg, a-steach gu fe貌il a l脿矛mhe: a spine, which was sticking out of the fish鈥檚 backbone, went into the flesh of his hand; tha e coltach gu robh puinnsean neo bh矛oras ann: it appears that there was poison or a virus in it; bha a l脿mh air a puinnseanachadh gu goirt: his hand was badly poisoned.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: taobh-duilleig c貌ig ceud is c貌ig ar fhichead: on page 525. There is a tendency among some learners, and even among some young native speakers today to lenite ceud all the way up from d脿 cheud (correct) to naoi cheud (wrong). In some modern text books you will be told to cease lenition after d脿 cheud, continuing with tri ceud, ceithir ceud etc but I am very uncomfortable with this, perhaps because I was taught to count in hundreds by a conservative teacher who was adamant that the lenition of ceud continues to 400 but not beyond, ie ceud, d脿 cheud, tr矛 cheud, ceithir cheud, c貌ig ceud, sia ceud, seachd ceud, ochd ceud, naoi ceud, m矛le. So I did some research in old grammar books (Gillies, MacFarlane and Calder) and found that they all agree on this matter ie that ceud is lenited by aon, dh脿, tr矛 and ceithir but not by numbers above. This is most certainly still adhered to by older speakers in strongly Gaelic-speaking communities, and I would suggest that learners also follow the rule. The reason, given by Calder, is that ceud was a neuter noun in old Gaelic and that tr矛 and ceithir lenited neuter nouns.

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Tha beul air coltach ri mac-l脿mhaich: he has a mouth on him like an angler fish (ie big!).