大象传媒

Tha e iongantach cho sean 鈥檚 a tha cuid de na h-ainmean a th鈥� againn ann an G脿idhlig airson lusan. Rinn an sgr矛obhadair R貌manach, Pliny, am fear nas sine, a bha be貌 anns a鈥� chiad linn as d猫idh Chr矛osda, rannsachadh air m貌ran rudan co-cheangailte ri n脿dar. Agus sgr矛obh e mu dheidhinn lus, a tha a鈥� f脿s gu h-脿rd ann an craobhan, dha robh na draoidhean Ceilteach a鈥� toirt urram thar ch脿ich.

鈥� 鈥淥mnia sanantem鈥� appellantes suo vocabulo鈥�, sgr矛obh e, a鈥� ciallachadh, 鈥渘an c脿nan fh猫in canaidh iad 鈥榰il鈥�-矛oc鈥� ris.鈥� Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh an lus a tha a鈥� sl脿nachadh a h-uile n矛. Agus 鈥檚 e sin an t-ainm a th鈥� air ann an G脿idhlig fhathast an-diugh, faisg air d脿 mh矛le bliadhna bho chuir Pliny a shreath leabhraichean air n脿dar ri ch猫ile 鈥� uil鈥�-矛oc. Tha teans ann gum bi sibh nas e貌laiche air fo ainm Beurla 鈥� mistletoe.

Seo na sgr矛obh Pliny mu dheidhinn. Bidh na h-矛obairtean agus a鈥� chuirm deiseil fon chraoibh agus bidh iad a鈥� toirt leotha d脿 tharbh geal鈥�; bidh draoidh, ann an aodach geal, a鈥� d矛readh na craoibhe agus a鈥� gearradh an uil鈥�-矛oc dheth le sgian 貌ir; bidh e air a ghlacadh ann an siota gheal. An uairsin bidh iad ag 矛obradh nan tarbh.

Thuirt Pliny gu robh na seann Cheiltich dhen bheachd gun leanadh deagh fhortan air a sin leis cho naomh 鈥檚 a bha an t-uil鈥�-矛oc. Chanadh iad, nan 貌ladh boireannach, aig nach robh leanabh, deoch dheth, gum f脿sadh i torrach. Agus bhiodh e ag obair mar leigheas an aghaidh a h-uile puinnsein. Bha na draoidhean gu math d猫idheil air, agus 鈥檚 e ainm eile G脿idhlig air a shon 鈥� draoidh-lus.

Tha treas ainm air cuideachd 鈥� s霉gh-dharaich. Tha 鈥渟霉gh鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh snodhach, neo an lionn a tha am broinn craoibhe, anns a bheil am biadh. Agus bidh sibh e貌lach air a鈥� chraoibh-dharaich, tha mi cinnteach. Do na draoidhean, 鈥檚 e craobh naomh a bh鈥� innte, gu h-脿raidh nan robh uil鈥�-矛oc a鈥� f脿s oirre. Tha an t-ainm s霉gh-dharaich a鈥� d猫anamh ciall, ma-th脿, leis gum bi an t-uil鈥�-矛oc a鈥� toirt s霉gh 脿s a鈥� chraoibh air a bheil e a鈥� f脿s, airson a chumail fh猫in be貌. 鈥橲 e faoighiche a th鈥� ann, neo co-dhi霉 leth-fhaoighiche, air sg脿th 鈥檚 gum bi e a鈥� d猫anamh beagan b矛dh dha fh猫in leis a鈥� chlorofail a th鈥� anns na duilleagan.

Chan eil an t-uil鈥�-矛oc cho cumanta ann an Alba 鈥檚 a tha e ann an Sasainn ach, far an robh e a鈥� f脿s, rinn daoine feum dheth. Sgr矛obh T貌mas Pennant ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1772) gu robh daoine ga chleachdadh airson leigheas a dh猫anamh air fiabhrasan is tinneasan eile. Anns an naoidheamh linn deug, bhathar ga chleachdadh fhathast ann am Moireibh, faisg air Eilginn, far an robh e a鈥� f脿s.

Agus aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug, dh鈥檌nnis an Dtr. Donnchadh MacGriogair don Chomann Mheidiceach Chailleannach mu bhoireannach a bha a鈥� fuireach ann an Inbhir Nis nuair a bha e 貌g. Dh猫anadh i t矛 leis an uil鈥�-矛oc, agus i a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gu robh i math dhi, leis gu robh i a鈥� fuiling le frith-bhualadh cridhe. Ach bhiodh a caraidean a鈥� tarraing aiste, gu h-脿raidh leis gu robhar a鈥� d猫anamh ceangal eile eadar an lus agus gnothaichean a鈥� chridhe. Tuigidh sibh gu bheil mi a鈥� ciallachadh a鈥� cheangail a th鈥� ann eadar mistletoe agus p貌gan aig 脿m na bliadhn鈥�-霉ire!

鈥橲 iomadh rud a chaidh a shl脿nachadh le p貌g agus, fi霉 鈥檚 nuair a tha 矛ocshlaint ann airson a h-uile rud ann am b霉th a鈥� cheimigeir, seach gu h-脿rd ann an craobhan, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an t-ainm uil鈥�-矛oc fhathast gu math freagarrach airson an luis 脿raidh seo.

Faclan na seachdaine: n脿dar: nature; uil-矛oc: mistletoe (lit. 鈥渁ll-heal鈥�); a鈥� sl脿nachadh: healing; 矛obairt: sacrifice; cuirm: feast; tarbh: bull; a鈥� d矛readh: climbing, ascending; sgian 貌ir: a golden knife; naomh: sacred; torrach: fertile, fecund; draoidh-lus: mistletoe (lit. 鈥渄ruid鈥檚 plant鈥�); s霉gh-dharaich: mistletoe (lit. 鈥渙ak-sap鈥�); snodhach: sap; lionn: liquid; clorofail: chlorophyll; fiabhrasan: fevers; an Comann Meidiceach Cailleannach: the Caledonian Medical Society.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a bha be貌 anns a鈥� chiad linn as d猫idh Chr矛osda: who lived in the 1st Century AD; dha robh na draoidhean Ceilteach a鈥� toirt urram thar ch脿ich: which the Celtic druids honoured above all others; bho chuir Pliny a shreath leabhraichean ri ch猫ile: since Pliny compiled his series of books (volumes); bidh e air a ghlacadh ann an siota gheal: it is caught in a white sheet; bidh iad ag 矛obradh nan tarbh: they sacrifice the bulls; bhiodh e ag obair mar leigheas an aghaidh a h-uile puinnsein: it would work as a cure for all poisons; 鈥檚 e faoighiche a th鈥� ann, neo co-dhi霉 leth-fhaoighiche: it is a parasite or, at least, a semiparasite (鈥渇aoighiche鈥� once referred only to humans living at another鈥檚 expense but, as happened with 鈥減arasite鈥�, the meaning has been widened to take in other forms of life); leis gu robh i a鈥� fuiling le frith-bhualadh cridhe: because she was suffering from palpitations of the heart; ceangal eile eadar an lus agus gnothaichean a鈥� chridhe: other links between the plant and affairs of the heart; 鈥檚 iomadh rud a chaidh a shl脿nachadh le p貌g: many a thing has been healed by a kiss; fi霉 鈥檚 nuair a tha 矛ocshlaint ann airson a h-uile rud ann am b霉th a鈥� cheimigeir: even when there is a medicine for everything in the chemist鈥檚 shop.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: leis gum bi an t-uil鈥�-矛oc a鈥� toirt s霉gh 脿s a鈥� chraoibh air a bheil e a鈥� f脿s: because the mistletoe takes sap from the tree on which it grows. Are you happy with the difference between the prepositions 鈥溍犫�� (or 鈥溍爏鈥�) and 鈥渂ho鈥�? 脌/脿s means 鈥渙ut of鈥� or 鈥渇rom the inside of鈥�, whereas bho (or 鈥渙鈥�) means 鈥渇rom鈥� or 鈥渇rom the outside of鈥�. That is why I said 脿s a chraoibh, rather than bhon chraoibh because the sap is coming from within the tree. So, we might say, th脿inig e 脿s a鈥� choille (he came out of the wood) but thill e bho oir na coille nuair a chual鈥� e mi (he returned from the edge of the wood when he heard me). The concept of belonging to a place is also covered by 脿/脿s (ie you come from within the place), as in the frequently-asked, c貌 脿s a tha thu? (where are you from?); tha mi 脿 Glaschu (I am from Glasgow). It is usually 脿s in front of a vowel or before gach and 脿 before a noun, but this rule is not universal and there is flexibility to use either (which should be good news to the learner!). Finally, 脿/脿s is employed in some important idioms, often conjugated to form a prepositional pronoun. There is one of these in the Litir and I would like you to find it and work out what it means. All will be revealed next week!

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bhathar ga chleachdadh fhathast: it was still being used (it was still in use).