大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu sgeulachd 鈥� mu nathair gheal - a thathar ag innse fhathast ann an Tiriodh, ann an Earra-Ghaidheal, neo 鈥� mar a chanas cuid ris 鈥� Tiridhe. Cha robh mi ann an Tiriodh ach aon turas, ach feumaidh mi r脿dh gun do ch貌rd e rium glan. 鈥橲 e an samhradh a bh鈥檃nn agus bha am machair l脿n fhl霉raichean de gach se貌rsa is de gach dath. Ged nach eil beanntan ann, mar a tha ann an cuid mhath de na h-eileanan, tha tr脿ighean ann a tha air leth br猫agha. Tha na daoine laghach, agus tha pailteas G脿idhlig ann fhathast. D猫 an c貌rr a dh鈥檌arradh duine?

Ach tha aon rud mu dheidhinn Eilean Thiriodh a dh鈥檉h脿g ceist nam cheann airson 霉ine mh貌r. Agus 鈥檚 ann d矛reach o chionn ghoirid a fhuair mi fuasgladh oirre. Tha mi a-mach air an fhacal a tha sinn a鈥� cleachdadh, ann an G脿idhlig, airson bruidhinn mu dheidhinn duine a bhuineas do Thiriodh. Nise, canaidh sinn Le貌dhasach ri fear a bhuineas do Le貌dhas, Uibhisteach ri duine 脿s Uibhist agus 脤leach ri neach 脿s 脤le. Mar an ceudna, 鈥檚 e Niseach duine 脿 Nis agus Scalpach duine 脿 Scalpaigh.

Tha an siostam s矛mplidh gu le貌r, nach eil? Shaoileadh tu, mar sin, gur e 鈥淭iriodhach鈥� a bhiodh againn air duine 脿 Tiriodh. Ach chan e. An 脿ite sin, canaidh sinn 鈥淭iristeach鈥� ris. 鈥橲 i a鈥� cheist a bha nam cheann airson 霉ine mh貌r 鈥� 鈥渃arson?鈥� Uill, shaoileadh tu, nan robh am facal seo a鈥� leantainn an t-siostaim gur d貌cha gu robh ainm eadar-dhealaichte air an eilean fh猫in uaireigin 鈥� Tirist. Agus cha bhiodh tu fada ce脿rr. Ach cha b鈥檃nn ann an G脿idhlig a bha e.

Feumaidh mi m矛neachadh. O chionn ghoirid th脿inig mi tarsainn air an fhuasgladh. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar ainmeil a bu ch貌ir a bhith anns a h-uile taigh ann an Alba 鈥� The Celtic Placenames of Scotland le Uilleam MacBh脿tair. 鈥橲 e sgoilear G脿idhlig air leth a bh鈥檃nn am MacBh脿tair agus innsidh mi tuilleadh dhuibh mu dh猫idhinn ann an litir eile. Ach, co-dhi霉, thog MacBh脿tair an dearbh cheist mu dheidhinn Tiriodh.

Ann am f矛or sheann leabhraichean is l脿mh-sgr矛obhaidhean, ann an G脿idhlig agus Beurla, tha e follaiseach gur e 鈥淭iriodh鈥� neo 鈥淭iree鈥�, neo rudeigin car coltach ri sin, a bh鈥檃ir an eilean airson 霉ine mh貌r mh貌r. Anns an darna linn deug (12mh linn), mar eisimpleir, tha e air a litreachadh T-I-R-I-E-T-H ann an l脿mh-sgr矛obhadh Beurla. Anns a鈥� cheathramh linn deug (14mh) tha e air a litreachadh T-Y-R-I-A-G-E. Chan eil guth air 鈥淭irist鈥� neo c脿il mar sin.

Ach tha sinn a鈥� d矛ochuimhneachadh gu robh sluagh eile ann, o shean, a鈥� fuireach anns na h-eileanan seo agus gu robh c脿nan eadar-dhealaichte acasan. Sluagh a dh鈥檉h脿g an t-uabhas ainmean-脿ite air feadh nan eilean. Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil sinne a鈥� d矛ochuimhneachadh sin, ach cha do dh矛ochuimhnich Uilleam MacBh脿tair. Tha mi a鈥� bruidhinn, mura h-eil fios agaibh mar tha, air na Lochlannaich. Agus a-r猫ir MhicBh脿tair, ann an seann Lochlannais 鈥� c脿nan nan Lochlannach 鈥� b鈥檈 an t-ainm a bh鈥檃ca air an eilean seo 鈥� Tyrvist. T-Y-R-V-I-S-T. 鈥淔eumaidh,鈥�

tha MacBh脿tair ag r脿dh anns an leabhar aige, 鈥渇eumaidh gu bheil am facal a th鈥檃gainn an-diugh 鈥� Tiristeach 鈥� airson duine a bhuineas do Thiriodh 鈥� a鈥� tighinn bhon Lochlannais.鈥� C貌 chanadh gu bheil e ce脿rr?

Ach tha e inntinneach 鈥� nach eil 鈥� gu bheil an t-ainm airson an eilein a鈥� tighinn bhon t-seann Gh脿idhlig, ach gu bheil an t-ainm air na daoine a bhuineas don eilean a鈥� tighinn bho ch脿nan nan Lochlannach. Tha e a鈥� sealltainn cho iomadh-fhillte 鈥檚 a tha eachdraidh agus dualchas na h-Alba.

Tiriodh/Tiridhe: Tiree; Earra-Ghaidheal: Argyll; pailteas: abundance;Tiristeach: a Tiree man; l脿mh-sgr矛obhadh/l脿mh-sgr矛obhaidean: manuscript/manuscripts;a' d矛ochuimhneachadh: forgetting; Lochlannach/Lochlannaich: Viking (orScandinavian)/Vikings; iomadh-fhillte: complex, many-faceted; eachdraidh: history;dualchas: heritage.

an t-seachdain sa chaidh: last week; feumaidh mi r脿dh gun doch貌rd e rium glan: I must say that I enjoyed it immensely; cuid mhath de na h-eileanan: agood proportion of the islands; air leth br猫agha: exceptionally beautiful; a bhuineasdo: who belongs to; mar an ceudna: likewise; shaoileadh tu: you would suppose;feumaidh mi m矛neachadh: I must explain; th脿inig mi tarsainn air: I came across; a buch貌ir a bhith: which should be; sgoilear G脿idhlig air leth: an exceptional Gaelic scholar;o shean: in olden times; an t-uabhas ainmean-脿ite: lots of place names; cha dodh矛ochuimhnich X: X did not forget; seann Lochlannais: old Norse language; c貌 chanadhgu bheil e ce脿rr?: who would say that he is wrong?

an t-seachdain sa chaidh: last week; feumaidh mi r脿dh gun doch貌rd e rium glan: I must say that I enjoyed it immensely; cuid mhath de na h-eileanan: agood proportion of the islands; air leth br猫agha: exceptionally beautiful; a bhuineasdo: who belongs to; mar an ceudna: likewise; shaoileadh tu: you would suppose;feumaidh mi m矛neachadh: I must explain; th脿inig mi tarsainn air: I came across; a buch貌ir a bhith: which should be; sgoilear G脿idhlig air leth: an exceptional Gaelic scholar;o shean: in olden times; an t-uabhas ainmean-脿ite: lots of place names; cha dodh矛ochuimhnich X: X did not forget; seann Lochlannais: old Norse language; c貌 chanadhgu bheil e ce脿rr?: who would say that he is wrong?

A-r猫ir MhicBh脿tair: according to Watson. You will recall,from the letter a fortnight ago, that compound prepositions like a-r猫ir command thegenitive case in the following noun. Names of people operate in the same way. MhicBh脿tairis the genitive of MacBh脿tair. Similarly MhicLe貌id is the genitive of MacLe貌id. A-r猫irMhicLe貌id: according to MacLeod. This also works with given names (if in doubt consultthe Gaelic Bible, a copy of which should be on every learners bookshelves. Mata is theGaelic for Matthew but we get An Soisgeul a-r猫ir Mhata the Gospel according to Matthew a clear use of the genitive). A-r猫ir Dh貌mhnaill: according to Donald (the nominativeis D貌mhnall). Often the genitive of names is used simply to denote possession egLuinneag MhicLe貌id (MacLeods song) by the famous Gaelic poetess, M脿iri NigheanAlasdair Ruaidh. Sliochd MhicCaluim: MacCallums descendants. Sometimes Mhic isshortened to ic (pronounced ichk); this is particularly so when a genealogy is beinggiven eg Iain mac Aonghais 'ic Ruairidh 'ic Alasdair Bh脿in (John son of Angus, son ofRoddy, son of fair-haired Alexander).

Chan eil guth air: there is no mention of it. Guth commonlymeans voice but has many additional meanings including mention. It is commonlyused in this figure of speech. Cha chuala mi guth air a-riamh: I never heard mentionof it. Q: An do bhuannaich Rangers an-diugh? (did Rangers win today?) A: Cha chualami guth (I never heard). Cha robh guth air a Euro ann an 貌raid a Phr矛omhaire (there wasnothing about the Euro in the Prime Ministers speech).