麻豆社

Tha e iongantach cho tric 鈥檚 a tha am facal 鈥淪pion鈥� a鈥� nochdadh ann an ainmean-脿ite air feadh an t-saoghail. Bidh fios agaibh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, gu bheil am facal G脿idhlig sp矛on a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁鈥� tarraing rudeigin 脿-mach鈥�. Mar eisimpleir, ma bheir sinn r霉sg bho chaora le bhith a鈥� tarraing na cl貌imhe dhith, an 脿ite a bhith a鈥� gearradh na cl貌imhe le deamhais, canaidh sinn gu bheil sinn 鈥済a sp矛onadh鈥�.

Bhithinn a鈥� marbhadh is a鈥� sp矛onadh chearc nuair a bha cearcan agam. Cha do ch貌rd e rium idir. Ach 鈥檚 e an aon sp矛onadh a bhios mi a鈥� d猫anamh an-diugh 鈥� sp矛onadh nan luibhean anns an leas. Chan eil sin a鈥� c貌rdadh rium nas m貌!

鈥橲 e aon d貌igh airson 鈥渆radicate鈥� a r脿dh ann an G脿idhlig 鈥� sp矛on 脿s a鈥� bhun. Sp矛on 脿s a鈥� bhun. Ach chan eil sin ag obair leis na luibhean anns an leas. Faodaidh mi an sp矛onadh 脿s a鈥� bhun, ceart gu le貌r, ach chan fhaigh mi cuidhteas iad a-chaoidh! Chan e eradication a bhios ann idir!

Anns a鈥� Mhonadh Ruadh tha cnoc creagach ann a tha ainmichte air a鈥� mhap mar Spion Rocks. Am measg nan ainmean G脿idhlig a tha timcheall air, mar Coire Ruairidh, Cnap Leum an Easaich agus Leacann a鈥� Bhothain Dhuibh, tha an t-ainm Beurla seo ann 鈥� Spion Rocks.

D猫 thachair ann? An robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh chearc-fraoich ann? An robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh cl貌imhe chaorach ann? No an robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh fraoch airson a thoirt dhachaigh? Uill, cha chreid mi gu robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh rud sam bith. Cha chreid mi gur ann 脿s a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th脿inig Spion ann an Spion Rocks.

Is iomadh 脿ite ann an Iompaireachd Bhreatainn anns an do nochd an t-ainm Spion tr脿th san fhicheadamh linn, oir th脿inig saighdearan dhachaigh bhon chogadh ann an Afraga a Deas. Anns an Fhaoilleach anns a鈥� bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900), bha bl脿r fuilteach ann an 脿ite air a bheil Spion Kop. Rinn na Boers a鈥� ch霉is air na Breatannaich ann a sin. An l脿 an-diugh, tha Spion agus Spion Kop a鈥� nochdadh mar ainmean-脿ite ann am m貌ran d霉thchannan. Tha bailtean ann an sg矛rean cho fad鈥� air falbh o ch猫ile ri meadhan Shasainn agus Cuimrigh Nuadh a Deas air a bheil 鈥淪pion Kop鈥� mar ainm.

Bidh sibh e貌lach, ma tha 霉idh agaibh ann am ball-coise, air aon cheann de stadium sgioba Liverpool air a bheil 鈥淭he Kop鈥�. 鈥橲 e 鈥淭he Spion Kop鈥� a bh鈥� air o shean.

鈥橲 e ainm Afrikaans a th鈥� ann an Spion Kop. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃noc-faire鈥�.鈥橲 e sin 脿ite far am faighear sealladh dhen d霉thaich timcheall. Cnoc-faire. Dh鈥檃inmich na voortrekkers e ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1835).

Chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 cho tric 鈥檚 a chunnaic na voortrekkers le貌mhainn. Ach tha le貌mhainn gu cinnteach ann am p脿irtean de dh鈥橝fraga a Deas. A bheil cuimhne agaibh air an t-seann sgeulachd anns a bheil an le貌mhann agus an tr脿ill? Bha iad c貌mhla ann an raon-sabaid. Gu h-iongantach cha do mharbh an le貌mhann an tr脿ill. Carson? Bha e ga aithneachadh. Chuidich an tr脿ill an le貌mhann roimhe. 鈥橲 e Androcles an t-ainm a bh鈥� air an tr脿ill. Bha e air droigheann a thoirt a-mach 脿 sp貌g an le貌mhainn. Bha e air an droigheann a sp矛onadh.

Faclan na seachdaine: iongantach/gu h-iongantach: surprising/surprisingly; deamhais: hand-shears; Am Monadh Ruadh: The Cairngorms; iompaireachd: empire.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ann an ainmean-脿ite air feadh an t-saoghail: in place names throughout the world; ma bheir sinn r霉sg bho chaora: if we take a fleece from a sheep; le bhith a鈥� tarraing na cl貌imhe dhith: by pulling the wool off it; sp矛onadh nan luibhean anns an leas: pulling the weeds in the garden; chan eil sin a鈥� c貌rdadh rium nas m貌: I don鈥檛 enjoy that either; tha cnoc creagach ann a tha ainmichte: there is a rocky hill there which is named; Cnap Leum an Easaich: the knob of the cataract-leap; Leacann a鈥� Bhothain Dhuibh: the slope of the black bothy; an robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh chearc-fraoich ann?: were grouse plucked there?; an robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh cl貌imhe chaorach ann?: were sheep plucked of their fleeces there?; an robhar a鈥� sp矛onadh fraoch?: was heather pulled? [eg for thatching]; rinn X a鈥� ch霉is air Y: X defeated Y; Cuimrigh Nuadh a Deas: New South Wales; ma tha 霉idh agaibh ann am ball-coise: if you are interested in football; cnoc-faire: lookout-hill; far am faighear sealladh: where a view is obtained; tha le貌mhainn ann am p脿irtean de dh鈥橝fraga a Deas: there are lions in parts of South Africa; bha iad c貌mhla ann an raon-sabaid: they were together in a fighting-arena; cha do mharbh an le貌mhann an tr脿ill: the lion didn鈥檛 kill the slave: bha e air droigheann a thoirt a-mach 脿 sp貌g an le貌mhainn: he had pulled a thorn from the lion鈥檚 paw.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bhithinn a鈥� marbhadh is a鈥� sp矛onadh chearc nuair a bha cearcan agam: I would kill and pluck hens when I had hens. Why did I use bhithinn here 鈥� it is the first person singular of the conditional of the verb 鈥渢o be鈥�? The reason is that the conditional also stands for the past habitual 鈥� it is the verbal mood to be used when describing past actions that took place on a regular or repeated basis, rather than as a one-off. Chearc is the indefinite genitive plural 鈥� it is in the genitive following the verbal nouns a鈥� marbhadh and a鈥� sp矛onadh. Some people would say chearcan today but I have kept to traditional usage 鈥� and a hen-house [house of hens] is still called a taigh-chearc not a taigh-chearcan.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Sp矛on 脿s a鈥� bhun: eradicate. Thathar a鈥� feuchainn ri a sp矛onadh 脿s a鈥� bhun: they are trying to eradicate it. Faodaidh mi an sp矛onadh 脿s a鈥� bhun, ceart gu le貌r, ach chan fhaigh mi cuidhteas iad a-chaoidh: this is a play on the idiom because sp矛onadh 脿s a鈥� bhun literally means 鈥減ulling out by the root鈥�. I might pull the weeds out by the root, but I will never get rid of them 鈥� so the idiom doesn鈥檛 quite work for weeds 鈥� which can never be eradicated!