大象传媒

鈥橲 e a鈥� chiad mh矛os dhen bhliadhna, ann am Beurla 鈥� January, a tha a鈥� faighinn ainm bho sheann dia R貌manach. Ach, gu h-eachdraidheil, chanadh na Sasannaich am wolf-month ris, agus 鈥檚 e an 矛re mhath an aon ainm a tha againn dha ann an G脿idhlig 鈥� am Faoilleach. 鈥橲 e faol seann fhacal airson madadh-allaidh, agus bha an t-ainm Faolan (neo madadh-allaidh beag) gu math cumanta am measg fir na Gaidhealtachd o shean. Tha e againn fhathast anns an ainm-chinnidh, MacIllFhaolain, neo mar a theirear ann am Beurla, MacLellan.

Tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e is coireach gu bheil am Faoilleach air a鈥� mh矛os seo gur e sin an t-脿m sam biodh na madaidhean-allaidh gu math acrach, agus sneachd air feadh na d霉thcha. Thigeadh iad do na bailtean, a鈥� coimhead airson biadh agus, uaireannan, dheanadh iad sgrios.

Ach feumaidh mi rudeigin cudthromach a r脿dh mu dheidhinn an Fhaoillich. Ged a tha sinn an-diugh ga thomhas mar co-ionann ri January, cha b鈥� ann mar sin a bha e o shean. Do na seann Ghaidheil, b鈥� e am Faoilleach an ceala-deug mu dheireadh dhen gheamhradh, agus a鈥� chiad cheala-deug dhen earrach. Bha sin na b鈥� fhaisge air a bhith co-ionann ri February, seach January.

Agus tha dearbhadh air a sin anns an t-seanfhacal seo: chan eil port a sheinneas an sme貌rach san Fhaoilleach, nach gul i seachd uairean mus ruith an t-earrach. Canaidh mi sin a-rithist gus an greimich sibh air: Chan eil port a sheinneas an sme貌rach san Fhaoilleach, nach gul i seachd uairean mus ruith an t-earrach. 鈥橲 gann gun cluinnear sme貌rach anns an Fhaoilleach mar a tha e an-diugh 鈥� a鈥� chiad mh矛os dhen bhliadhna. Agus seo abairt eile a bhios feumail dhuibh. Ma chluinneas sibh naidheachd nach gabh creidsinn, neo a tha gu math eu-coltach, dh鈥檉haodadh sibh a r脿dh, 鈥渢ha sin mar smeuran dubha san Fhaoilleach.鈥�

鈥橲 e an ath mh矛os an Gearran a tha an-diugh co-ionann ri February. Tha am facal gearran cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆ach fireann a th鈥� air a spothadh鈥�, agus tha e coltach gu bheil ceangal ann eadar na dh脿, agus gun deach ainm a鈥� bheathaich a chur air gaoth a thigeadh aig an 脿m sin a h-uile bliadhna. Tha an treas m矛os, am M脿rt, furast鈥� a chuimhneachadh leis gu bheil e cho coltach ri March ann am Beurla. Th脿inig an d脿 ainm bhon Laidinn, Martius, m矛os Mhars. B鈥� e Mars dia a鈥� chogaidh anns an t-seann R貌imh.

Ach, a-rithist, do na Gaidheil o shean, bhiodh am M脿rt a鈥� gluasad anns a鈥� mh矛osachan a r猫ir na h-aimsir. Bha e a鈥� ciallachadh dhaibhsan 鈥� an t-脿m anns am biodh obair nan tuathanach a鈥� t貌iseachadh. Chuireadh iad s矛ol anns a鈥� Mh脿rt, ach chan ann ro thr脿th anns a鈥� Mh脿rt. Bha e cudthromach dhaibh nach nochdadh na duilleagan bhon t-s矛ol gus am biodh am M脿rt seachad. Agus tha sean-fhacal ann mu dheidhinn sin: Am feur a thig a-mach sa Mh脿rt, th猫id e a-staigh sa Ghiblean. Am feur a thig a-mach sa Mh脿rt, th猫id e a-staigh sa Ghiblean. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥� ma n矛 sibh rudeigin ro thr脿th, nuair nach eil an t-脿m freagarrach air a shon, nach soirbhich leibh.

Agus 鈥檚 e an Giblean an ath-mh矛os anns a鈥� mh矛osachan. As d猫idh sin, thig an C猫itean. Canaidh feadhainn a鈥� Ch猫itean ris, seach an C猫itean, is canaidh feadhainn eile a鈥� Mh脿igh. Tha an Ceitean a鈥� ciallachadh a鈥� chiad ph脿irt dhen t-samhradh, agus bidh Gaidheil tric is minig a鈥� moladh a鈥� mh矛osa seo 鈥� mar a ch矛 sinn anns an ath litir, nuair a bheir sinn s霉il air a鈥� Ch猫itean, agus air a鈥� ch貌rr de mh矛osachan nan Gaidheal.

am Faoilleach (or am Faoilteach): January; ainm-cinnidh: surname (clan name); an Gearran: February (note that in Gaelic we always use the definite article with the name of each month); gearran: gelding; s矛ol: seed; an Giblean: April; an C猫itean: May.

gu math cumanta am measg fir na Gaidhealtachd: very commonamongst the menfolk of the Gaidhealtachd; uaireannan, dheanadh iad sgrios: sometimes theywould plunder; tha sinn an-diugh ga thomhas mar co-ionann ri X: today we reckon on itbeing equivalent to X; an ceala-deug mu dheireadh dhen gheamhradh: the last fortnight ofthe winter; 鈥檚 gann gun cluinnear sme貌rach anns an Fhaoilleach mar a tha e an-diugh: athrush is rarely heard in the Faoilleach as it is today (ie the first month of the year); machluinneas sibh naidheachd nach gabh creidsinn, neo a tha gu math eu-coltach: if you hear astory that is unbelievable or most unlikely (to be true); each fireann a th鈥� air a spothadh: amale horse which has been castrated; tha an treas m矛os furast鈥� a chuimhneachadh: the thirdmonth is easy to remember; b鈥� e Mars dia a鈥� chogaidh anns an t-seann R貌imh: Mars was thegod of war in ancient Rome; bhiodh am M脿rt a鈥� gluasad anns a鈥� mh矛osachan a r猫ir na h-aimsir:am M脿rt would move in the calendar according to the weather (ie it was a weathermonth,not a strict calendar-month); nach soirbhich leibh: you will not be successful; bidh Xtric is minig a鈥� moladh a鈥� mh矛osa seo: X very often praises this month.

Mar a theirear ann am Beurla: as is said in English.Theirear represents the present and future tense of the Indicative mood of the Passive voiceof the irregular verb, abair (say). Mar a theirear ann an Sp脿inntis, 鈥淎dios鈥� (as is said inSpanish, 鈥淎dios鈥�). You will already be familiar with irregularities in this verb, such as abaire! (lit. say it!); tha mi ag r脿dh (I say, am saying); thuirt i (she said) and theirinn (I wouldsay). Note that in some places, notably Argyll, theirear may be replaced by abrar. Mar adh鈥檃brar ann an Eadailtis, 鈥淎rrivederci鈥� (as is said in Italian, 鈥淎rrivederci鈥�).

Three proverbs this week: 1. Chan eil port a sheinneas an sme貌rachsan Fhaoilleach, nach gul i seachd uairean mus ruith an t-earrach: for every song the thrushsings in the Faoilleach, she will lament seven times before the spring is over. I think thismeans that there is a long time between the Faoilleach (originally at the end of winter whenyou might expect to hear a thrush) and the end of Spring 鈥� so don鈥檛 be in a hurry to getthings done too early in the season. 2. Tha sin mar smeuran dubha san Fhaoilleach: that islike ripe bramble berries (blackberries) in January 鈥� a most unlikely event! 3. Am feur a thiga-mach sa Mh脿rt, th猫id e a-staigh sa Ghiblean. The grass which comes out in March willdisappear in April ie if the shoots of a crop appear too soon, they will wither and die 鈥� soyou must live within the constrictions of the seasons provided by nature. Perhaps there鈥檚 agood philosophical point here!