大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� campachadh an oidhche roimhe air rubha air taobh sear na G脿idhealtachd, ri taobh a鈥� chladaich, ach air falbh o thaighean is bailtean, nuair a chuala mi m猫ilich air na creagan 脿rda os mo chionn. Bha e dubh dorch, agus chan fhaca mi am beathach a bha a鈥� deanamh an fhuaim. Ach bha fios agam nach e caora neo uan a bh鈥檃nn. Bha am m猫ilich ro mhaoth! 鈥橲 e bh鈥檃nn 鈥� meann 鈥� gobhar 貌g.

Tha buidheann de ghoibhrean molach a鈥� fuireach ann a sin, air mullach na creige, agus tha iad air leth br猫agha, le adharcan fada cama. Tha feadhainn aca donn. Tha cuid eile dubh, b脿n is odhar. Ged a tha iad a鈥� coimhead fiadhaich, cumaidh iad air falbh o dhaoine, agus bha l脿n-fhios agam nach ann ann an 猫iginn a bha am meann a bha seo, ged a bha e gu h-脿rd air creag chas. Chan fhaicear beathach a tha nas fhe脿rr na gobhar ann a bhith a鈥� sreap.

Th脿inig e a-steach orm, agus mi nam laighe nam phoca-chadail, gu bheil c脿irdeas air a bhith ann eadar goibhrean is daoine air Gh脿idhealtachd airson 霉ine mh貌r mh貌r. Ch矛 sinn sin ann an ainmean-脿ite. Thagh mi map bho na sgeilpichean agam d矛reach an-diugh fh猫in 鈥� map de thaobh sear na G脿idhealtachd 鈥� agus bha mi an 矛re mhath cinnteach gum biodh ainm air le 鈥済obhar鈥� ann. Agus bha 鈥� faisg air Drochaid a鈥� Bhanna 鈥� tha Creag a鈥� Ghobhair ann, agus ri a taobh, Loch a鈥� Ghobhair. Agus tha mi an d霉il gum biodh ainmean-脿ite car coltach ri sin ann am m貌ran sg矛rean eile air feadh na G脿idhealtachd.

Tha mi a鈥� deanamh dheth gur ann measail air goibhrean a bha na seann Gh脿idheil, fada na bu mheasaile na bha iad air caoraich, co-dhi霉 na caoraich mh貌ra nuair a th脿inig iadsan don Gh脿idhealtachd aig 脿m nam Fuadaichean. Tha sean-fhacal neo dh脿 ann a dhearbhas am meas a bh鈥檃ig na daoine air na beathaichean sin. Mar eisimpleir - 鈥淏ainne nan gobhar fo chobhar 鈥檚 e bl脿th, 鈥檚 e chuir an spionnadh 鈥檚 na daoine a bha.鈥� Canaidh mi sin a-rithist gus an greimich sibh air. 鈥淏ainne nan gobhar fo chobhar 鈥檚 e bl脿th, 鈥檚 e chuir an spionnadh 鈥檚 na daoine a bha.鈥�

Uill, chan eil fhios agam fh矛n mu dheidhinn sin. Dh鈥檉heuch mi bainne-ghobhar bl脿th aon turas agus is beag an spionnadh a chuir e annamsa! Feumaidh mi r脿dh nach do ch貌rd am blas rium idir! Tha fhios gur ann air goibhrean na croite a bha an sean-fhacal sin a-mach, seach goibhrean fiadhaich a鈥� mhonaidh. Tha an fheadhainn air a鈥� chroit nas fhasa bleoghain co-dhi霉!

Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh mi ag 貌l a鈥� bhainne-gobhair aig an 脿m ch猫arr anns a鈥� bhliadhna. 鈥橲 ann anns a鈥� Ch猫itean, neo anns a鈥� Mh脿igh, as fhe脿rr a tha e, a-r猫ir choltais, co-dhi霉 ma tha thu ga chur gu feum mar leigheas airson tinneas. Seo seann rann G脿idhlig mu dheidhinn bainne-ghobhar:

Is leigheas air gach tinneas

Creamh is 矛m na M脿igh鈥�.

脪l an fhochair sin

Bainne-ghobhar b脿n

鈥橲 e creamh an lus ris an canar ann am Beurla wild garlic 鈥� a bhios fo bhl脿th anns a鈥� Mh脿igh 鈥� m矛os anns am bi feur 霉r an Earraich a鈥� toirt deagh bhlas don bhainne agus 矛m. Seo an rann a-rithist:

Is leigheas air gach tinneas

Creamh is 矛m na M脿igh鈥�.

脪l an fhochair sin

Bainne-ghobhar b脿n

鈥橲 e an aon rud a chanainn mu dheidhinn sin gum bithinn an d貌chas nach robh an gobhar fh猫in ag ithe a鈥� chreamha mus d鈥檉huaradh am bainne. Neo, gu cinnteach, cha bhiodh blas math air a鈥� bhainne idir!

rubha: point, promontory; gobhar, goibhrean (also gobhair):goat, goats; meann: kid goat; molach: hairy; adharcan: horns; odhar: dun-coloured;poca-cadail: sleeping bag; ainmean-脿ite: place-names; thagh: chose; Drochaid a' Bhanna:Bonar Bridge; meas: respect, regard; na croite: of the croft; leigheas: cure, treatment;tinneas: illness; blas: flavour, taste.

os mo chionn: above me; bha am m猫ilich ro mhaoth: thebleating was too gentle, restrained; air leth br猫agha: very attractive; bha l脿n-fhios agam:I had full knowledge; ann an 猫iginn: in distress; th脿inig e a-steach orm: the thought cameto me; ri a taobh: beside her (creag is feminine); 脿m nam Fuadaichean: the time of the(Highland) Clearances; Bainne nan gobhar, fo chobhar 's e bl脿th: the milk of the goats,foaming and warm; 's e chuir an spionnadh 's na daoine a bha: that's what put the strengthin the old people (the people that were); nas fhasa bleoghain: easier to milk; fo bhl脿th: inbloom; 貌l an fhochair sin: drink along with that; bainne-ghobhar b脿n: white milk of goats;mus d'fhuaradh am bainne: before the milk was obtained.

Ri taobh a' chladaich: beside the shore. Ri taobh is acompound preposition, made up of two elements. It is a general rule in Gaelic thatcompound prepositions command the genitive case in the following noun. Thus we get ritaobh a' chladaich, not ri taobh an cladach. Other examples of correct usage would be ritaobh na h-aibhne (not ri taobh an abhainn) and ri taobh na h-uinneig (not ri taobh anuinneag). There are many compound prepositions in Gaelic. Here are a few examples oftheir usage: air feadh na G脿idhealtachd (throughout the Highlands), os cionn na mara(above the sea), a-r猫ir a' Phr矛omhaire (according to the Prime Minister), mu thimcheall antogalaich (around the building), air beulaibh an taighe (in front of the house). When youlearn a new noun, try to work out its genitive form. It will not be long before you are calledon to use it!

'S ann anns a' Mh脿igh as fhe脿rr a tha e: it is in May thatit is best. Note the construction of this sentence and compare it with the following examples.'S ann anns an L霉nasdal as fhe脿rr a tha an sealg: the hunting is best in August. 'Sann an Alba as motha a chluinnear a' Gh脿idhlig: it is mostly in Scotland that Gaelic isheard. 'S i an Ruis as motha a dh'fhulaing aig 脿m a chogaidh: it is Russia that sufferedmost during the war.