大象传媒

Bidh sibh e貌lach, tha mi cinnteach, air an fhacal 鈥渕adadh鈥�. Tha am madadh-allaidh ann agus am madadh-ruadh, neo sionnach mar a chanas cuid. Tha na madaidhean-ruadha pailt, a cheart cho pailt, 鈥檚 d貌cha, anns na bailtean m貌ra 鈥檚 a tha iad a-muigh air an d霉thaich. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil iad nas s脿bhailte anns na bailtean m貌ra far nach eil na sealgairean cho trang!

Ged is e 鈥渃霉鈥� am facal a th鈥檃gainn an-diugh ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba airson dog, bha 鈥渕adadh鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh na h-aon rud uaireigin. Agus ann an G脿idhlig Arainn, nuair a bha i fhathast be貌, 鈥檚 e 鈥渕adadh鈥� a chanadh na daoine airson dog mar bu trice, seach 鈥渃霉鈥�. Agus ann an Eirinn, 鈥檚 e 鈥渕adra鈥� a chanas iad airson 鈥渃霉鈥� fi霉鈥檚 an latha an-diugh.

Chan e nach tuig G脿idheil na h-Eireann am facal 鈥渃霉鈥� ach, mar is trice, tha e ceangailte ri facal eile, mar a tha 鈥渕adadh鈥� againne ann an leithid 鈥渕adadh-allaidh鈥� neo 鈥渕adadh-ruadh鈥�. 鈥橲 e eisimpleir dhen a sin 鈥渄obhar-ch煤鈥�. Tha na faclan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃霉 an uisge鈥�, agus ann an Alba canaidh sinne, mar is trice, 鈥渄貌bhran鈥� neo 鈥渂eiste dhubh鈥� ris a鈥� bheathach sin. Tha am facal 鈥渄obhar-ch霉鈥� againne cuideachd, ge-t脿, ach tha e a鈥� ciallachadh d脿 bheathach eadar-dhealaichte 鈥� an d貌bhran fh猫in neo beathach a tha a鈥� tilleadh a dh鈥橝lba an d猫idh ceudan bliadhna 鈥� am b矛obhar.

Ach air ais gu 鈥渕adadh鈥�. Tha corra 脿ite air Gh脿idhealtachd far a bheil e ann an ainmean-脿ite. 脌iteachan mar 鈥淐noc a鈥� Mhadaidh鈥� is 鈥淧reas a鈥� Mhadaidh鈥� ann an Siorrachd Rois agus tha mi a鈥� deanamh dheth gu bheil a鈥� chuid as motha de na h-ainmean sin gu math sean, agus gur e am madadh-allaidh a bhathar a鈥� ciallachadh. Ach tha aon 脿ite ann far a bheil an t-ainm a鈥� cur beagan dragh orm fhathast. 鈥橲 e sin Loch nam Madadh 鈥� neo Lochmaddy 鈥� loch-mara agus baile air cladach an locha ann an Uibhist a Tuath.

Leugh mi o chionn fhada gu robh seo a鈥� ciallachadh ann am Beurla loch of the wild dogs 鈥� Loch nam Madadh. Ach a bheil? Agus ma tha, carson? An robh coin de she貌rsa air choreigin uaireigin pailt ann an Uibhist a Tuath?

An uairsin, fhuair mi a-mach gun d鈥檉huair an loch ainm bho chreagan a tha faisg air a bheul, agus a tha a鈥� d矛on beul an locha mar a bhiodh coin a鈥� d矛on taigh am maighstir. Tha tr矛 ac鈥� ann 鈥� am Madadh Beag, am Madadh M貌r agus am Madadh Gruamach. An e sin e ma tha? A bheil Loch nam Madadh a鈥� ciallachadh loch of the dog-like rocks? Mmm.

Uill, 鈥檚 e sin am beachd a bh鈥檃ig W.C. MacCoinnich, ceart gu le貌r, anns an leabhar aige, Scottish Place Names, a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an naoi ceud deug trichead 鈥檚 a h-aon 鈥� neo naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon deug ar fhichead (1931) ma 鈥檚 fhe脿rr leibh. Ach o chionn ghoirid, bha mi a鈥� toirt s霉il air leabhar nas sine na sin, Gaelic Names of Beasts etc, a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le Alasdair Foirbeis 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach, agus a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥榮 a c貌ig (1905).

鈥楽 e an rud a th鈥檃nn gu bheil ciall eile air an fhacal 鈥渕adadh鈥�. 鈥楽 e sin 鈥渇eusgan m貌r鈥�. Agus tha Alasdair Foirbeis ag innse dhuinn gun d鈥檉huair Loch nam Madadh ainm leis gu robh na madaidhean seo 鈥� na feusgain 鈥� uabhasach pailt air tr矛 creagan, neo sgeirean 鈥檚 d貌cha, air ceann a deas an locha.

Loch of the big mussels ma tha? Uill, cha bu mhath leam a r脿dh c貌 tha ceart is c貌 tha ce脿rr. F脿gaidh mi sin aig muinntir Loch nam Madadh fh猫in!

madadh: dog, wild dog (but also a large mussel); madadh-allaidh:wolf; madadh-ruadh,sionnach: fox; pailt: plentiful; sealgairean: hunters; trang: busy; uaireigin:at one time; d貌bhran,beiste dhubh: otter; dobhar-ch霉: otter, beaver; b矛obhar: beaver; lochmara:sea loch; Alasdair Foirbeis: Alasdair Forbes; feusgan,feusgain: mussel,mussels;sgeir,sgeirean: sea-rock, rocks which are covered at high tide.

a cheart cho pailt: just as plentiful; G脿idhlig Arainn: the Gaelicof Arran; mar bu trice: usually (in the past); chan e nach tuig X: it's not that X doesn'tunderstand; gur e X a bhathar a' ciallachadh: that it was X which was meant; cladach anlocha: the shore of the loch; an robh coin de she貌rsa air choreigin uaireigin pailt?: were dogsof some sort plentiful at one time; beul an locha: the mouth of the loch; mar a bhiodh coin a'd矛on taigh am maighstir: as dogs would protect their masters house; tha tri ac' ann: thereare three of them; a chaidh fhoillseachadh: which was published; a chaidh a' sgr矛obhadh:which was written; cha bu mhath leam a r脿dh c貌 tha ceart is c貌 tha ce脿rr: I wouldn't like tosay who is right and who is wrong; f脿gaidh mi sin aig muinntir Loch nam Madadh fh猫in: Iwill leave that to the people of Lochmaddy themselves.

naoi ceud deug trichead s a h-aon: 1931. This is notstrictly a grammatical issue but certainly one of importance to all Gaelic learners: whatcounting system are you going to learn? I recommend learning both of them as you willcome across both. The old one, based on twenties, is the one generally used and understoodby native speakers (although dates and years are often given in English) and it is still ingeneral use in literature and the media. The new system is decimal and is the one generallyused in Gaelic-medium education (although it may not be entirely new, as many of thewords are to be found in old dictionaries). It is quicker and easier for mathematics at schooland, in conversation, it allows us a neater way of naming the odd decades. For exampleanns na tricheadan means in the thirties. Without this innovation, it is simpler for Gaelic speakers聽to use the English and say anns na thirties which is what most native speakerswould say. Similarly aig deireadh nan caogadan (at the end of the fifties); aig toiseach nanseachdadan (at the start of the seventies); rugadh e anns na naoidheadan (he was born in thenineties). The other tens are ceathrad (40), seasgad (60) and ochdad (80).

Bha mi a' toirt s霉il air: I was looking at. The word s霉il (eye)is involved in an enormous number of figures of speech have a look at the entry in Dwelly'sDictionary. If you dont have a copy of Dwelly, put in your order for Christmas!