麻豆社

Hal貌 a-rithist. Tha ceist agam dhuibh an toiseach an-diugh. D猫 an eileamaid 鈥� tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh eileamaid cheimigeach 鈥� air a bheil ainm G脿idhlig 鈥� no leth-Gh脿idhlig co-dhi霉? Chan e h脿idraidean no helium a th鈥� ann. Feumaidh sibh cumail a dol tro liosta nan eileamaidean. Innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 th鈥� ann aig deireadh na Litreach.

Air an deireadh-sheachdain sa chaidh bha mi a鈥� me貌mhrachadh anns na beanntan. Uill, chan eil 脿ite nas fhe脿rr na sin airson a bhith a鈥� me貌mhrachadh, a bheil? 鈥橲 e a bu mh貌 a bh鈥� air m鈥� aire, a bharrachd air b貌idhchead an 脿ite, ceist mu chnuic is clachan. Gu mionaideach, d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a chuireamaid air roche moutonn茅e?

Ma tha beagan Frangais agaibh, bidh fios agaibh gur ann 脿s a鈥� ch脿nan sin a th脿inig na faclan roche moutonn茅e, agus gu bheil iad a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃lach chaorach鈥�. 鈥橲 e a th鈥� ann clach mh貌r, a chaidh a dh猫anamh m矛n le deigh ann an Linn na Deighe. Uaireannan bidh sgr矛oban oirre a chaidh fh脿gail le clachan a bha a鈥� gluasad leis an deigh. A鈥� coimhead air a鈥� chloich bho astar, tha i a鈥� coimhead car coltach ri caora. Mouton, ann am Frangais.

Cha robh c脿il ann am Beurla airson a leithid agus ghabhadh a-steach am facal-iasaid bho na Frangaich, mar a ghabhadh avalanche agus cirque agus crevasse. Agus a鈥� Gh脿idhlig coire cuideachd 鈥� a nochdas ann am Beurla mar corrie.

Ach feumaidh mi aideachadh nach cuala mi a-riamh G脿idhlig airson roche moutonn茅e. Cha robh na seann daoine a鈥� coimhead air clachan anns an aon d貌igh 鈥檚 a tha luchd-saidheans an-diugh. Gu dearbh, bha ainmean 脿raidh air clachan fa leth agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a tha e fhathast anns na beanntan far an robh mi. 鈥橲 aithne dhomh grunn chlachan ann a sin air a bheil ainmean, mar gum biodh, 鈥減earsanta鈥�, a tha ag innse sgeulachd mu eachdraidh na cloiche agus eachdraidh an 脿ite.

Chan eil sin a鈥� ciallachadh, ge-t脿, nach eil faclan G脿idhlig ann a dh猫anadh an gnothach nuair a tha sinn a鈥� bruidhinn air d矛leab Linn na Deighe. Bha mi a鈥� campachadh gu h-脿rd, faisg air loch ris an canar Loch nan Cnapan. Timcheall an locha, cha mh貌r gu bheil talamh r猫idh sam bith ann, oir tha e l脿n chnapan. Bha fear c貌mhla rium aig nach eil G脿idhlig agus dh鈥檉haighnich e dhiom, 鈥淒猫 a鈥� Bheurla a th鈥� air cnapan?鈥�

鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt mi ris, 鈥渃hanadh am faclair knolls no hillocks, ach saoilidh mi shuas an seo, leis gun deach am f脿gail le abhainn-deighe, gur d貌cha gur e drumlin am facal as fhe脿rr ann am Beurla.鈥� Tha drumlin eadar-dhealaichte bho roche moutonn茅e leis gur e a th鈥� ann stuth 鈥� clachan 鈥� a chaidh a ghluasad bho 脿ite eile agus a chaidh a leigeil leis an abhainn-deigh.

Tha faclan eile ann cuideachd a sheasadh an 脿ite 鈥渃napan鈥�, leithid tomannan, tolmanan is tulaichean, ach anns an iar-thuath tha facal ann 鈥� mulcan 鈥� a tha a鈥� ciallachadh cnoc beag air a dh猫anamh de chlachan a chaidh fh脿gail le abhainn-deighe. Agus tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e drumlin am facal Beurla as fhe脿rr a th鈥� ann mar eadar-theangachadh air mulcan.

An tuirt mi 鈥渇acal Beurla鈥�? Uill, tha am faclair Beurla agam ag innse dhomh gur ann 脿 G脿idhlig na h-Eireann a th脿inig drumlin, no co-dhi霉 a鈥� chiad ph脿irt dheth 鈥� bhon fhacal druim 鈥� air a bheil sinn fh猫in gu math e貌lach ann an Alba.

Agus mus d矛ochuimhnich mi, feumaidh mi tilleadh don eileamaid air a bheil ainm G脿idhlig. Strontium 鈥� a chaidh ainmeachadh airson Strontian neo Sr貌n an t-Sithein, ann an Loch Abair.

Faclan na seachdaine: eileamaid cheimigeach: chemical element; h脿idraidean: hydrogen; sgr矛oban: scratches, striations; astar: distance; luchd-saidheans: science; d矛leab: legacy; a鈥� campachadh: camping; cumanta: common; eadar-theangachadh: translation; Suidhe Bhrianuilt: Brianuilt鈥檚 Seat; Bealach an t-Suidhe: the Pass of the Seat.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha mi a鈥� me貌mhrachadh anns na beanntan: I was meditating (pondering, contemplating) in the mountains; 鈥檚 e a bu mh貌 a bh鈥� air m鈥� aire: what was most on my mind; ceist mu chnuic is clachan: a question about hills and stones; d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a chuireamaid air X?: what would we call X in Gaelic?; a chaidh a dh猫anamh m矛n ann an Linn na Deighe: which was made smooth in the Ice Age; ghabhadh a-steach am facal-iasaid: the loan-word was taken in; feumaidh mi aideachadh: I must admit; bha ainmean 脿raidh air clachan fa leth: individual stones (rocks) had particular names; 鈥檚 aithne dhomh grunn chlachan: I know a few stones; air a bheil ainmean, mar gum biodh, 鈥減earsanta鈥�: which have, as it were, 鈥減ersonal鈥� names; timcheall an locha cha mh貌r gu bheil talamh r猫idh sam bith ann: around the loch there is hardly any flat land; a chaidh a leigeil leis an abhainn-deighe: which was deposited by the glacier; a sheasadh an 脿ite 鈥渃napan鈥�: which would stand in the place of 鈥渃napan鈥�; air a bheil sinn fh猫in gu math e貌lach ann an Alba: which we ourselves know well in Scotland; mus d矛ochuimhnich mi: before I forget; a chaidh ainmeachadh airson: which was name for (after).

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: faisg air loch ris an canar Loch nan Cnapan: close to a loch called the Loch of the Knolls. The point I want to make here is about the genitive plural form of cnap, ie of the knolls. It is the same as the nominative plural form, cnapan. In some previous Litrichean, we have looked at words which pluralise by slenderisation eg balach to balaich, bodach to bodaich. In these cases the genitive plural reverts to the nominative singular form eg beachd nam balach, baile nam bodach. But in most words, and certainly those of only one syllable in the nominative singular form, where the pluralisation occurs, not with slenderisation, but with the addition of a terminal 鈥揳n (or 鈥揳nnan or 鈥�(a)ichean), the genitive plural is identical to the nominative plural. Thus we get nan cnapan. Other examples would be c脿r (car), c脿raichean (cars), nan c脿raichean (of the cars); gille (lad), gillean (lads), nan gillean (of the lads); doras (door), dorsan (doors), nan dorsan (of the doors). The genitive plural without the article is lenited. Thus, in the Litir, we have tha e l脿n chnapan (it is full of knolls).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: [chan eil sin a鈥� ciallachadh nach eil faclan G脿idhlig ann] a dh猫anadh an gnothach: [that doesn鈥檛 mean there are no Gaelic words] which would do the job.