麻豆约拍

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, rinn mi mo shlighe thairis air grunn lochan gun a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh b脿ta, oir bha iad re貌ta. Cha robh mi ann an Alba, ge-t脿, ach ann am beanntan Nirribhidh, aig c貌rr is m矛le meatair os cionn na mara. Bha a h-uile loch c貌mhdaichte le deigh thiugh, agus le sneachd geal glan air muin na deighe. Rinn mi mo shlighe air na lochan le bhith a鈥� sgitheadh orra.

Air an d脿rna l脿 de mo thuras, agus mi-fh矛n is feadhainn eile 脿 Alba a鈥� sgitheadh eadar loidsichean is bothain, chaidh sinn tarsainn loch air an robh ainm a thog m鈥� aire. Litrichidh mi dhuibh e, agus tuigidh sibh carson 鈥� LANGAVATNET. Shaoileadh tu gur e 鈥淟anga-VAT-net鈥� a chanadh muinntir na d霉thcha, ach dh鈥檉haighnich mi de nighean ann am fear de na loidsichean, agus thuirt ise 鈥淟anga-VA-nuh鈥�. Co-dhi霉, thuirt mi rithe, 鈥渢ha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榣och fada鈥�, nach eil?鈥� Dh鈥檃idich i gu robh mi ceart.

Bidh m貌ran agaibh e貌lach air loch m貌r fada ann an Eilean Le貌dhais air a bheil 鈥淟och Langavat鈥�. 鈥橲 e ainm annasach a th鈥� ann, oir tha 鈥淟angavat鈥� fh猫in a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och fada鈥�. Th脿inig e bho na Lochlannaich a bha uaireigin a鈥� fuireach anns an eilean.

Lorg mi ainmean eile ann an Nirribhidh a bha cuideachd gu math inntinneach dhuinne a tha a鈥� fuireach ann an Alba. Sanddalsvatnet mar eisimpleir 鈥� 鈥淟och Dail na Gainmhich鈥�. Th脿inig am facal 鈥渄ail鈥� againne bhon t-seann Lochlannais. Is chaidh sinn seachad air beinn mh貌r bhr猫agha ris an canar Bl氓berge 鈥� coltach ri Bl脿bheinn anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Tha an d脿 ainm a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂lue mountain鈥� ann am Beurla.

Agus tha an eileamaid 鈥渂u鈥� a鈥� nochdadh an siud 鈥檚 an seo, leithid ann am Bjordalsbu agus Kjeldebu. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh both no bothan. Th脿inig na faclan sin, agus b霉th, a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渟hop鈥�, bhon t-seann Lochlannais. Th脿inig, agus am facal booth ann am Beurla.

Mus deach mi gu ruige na beanntan, chuir mi seachad madainn ann am Bergen, baile m貌r air cladach an iar na d霉thcha. Thathar a鈥� moladh don a h-uile duine a th猫id a Bhergen dhol a mhargaidh an 猫isg. Chan fhaighear iasg nas fhe脿rr na gheibhear ann a sin. Gu dearbh, tha truisg bhe貌, a th脿inig bhon mhuir an l脿 roimhe, a鈥� sn脿mh ann an amar m貌r, agus faodaidh tu fear a thaghadh dhut fh猫in.

鈥橲 e torsk a chanas na Nirribhich riutha, agus chan eil duilgheadas ann do Ghaidheal fios a bhith aige gu d猫 se貌rsa 猫isg a th鈥� ann, oir th脿inig am facal

againne trosg bho na seann Lochlannaich. Choimhead mi air na h-猫isg is maoraich gu l猫ir anns a鈥� mhargaidh, agus chan fhaca mi gin eile air an robh ainm coltach ris an ainm Gh脿idhlig. Ach dh鈥檃ithnich mi ainm fear dhiubh sa spot, oir tha e cumanta ann an ainmean-脿ite ann an Alba 鈥� laks, no bradan. Ann an Le貌dhas tha Lacasaigh (鈥渁bhainn nam bradan鈥�) ann, agus Lacasdail (鈥渄ail nam bradan鈥�). Agus faisg air C脿rlabhagh ann an taobh iar an eilein tha Loch Lacsabhat 脌rd agus Loch Lacsabhat 脤orach ann. Tha Lacsabhat a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓och nam bradan鈥�.

Aig toiseach na litreach, bha mi a-mach air Langavatnet no Langavat. Nuair a choimheadas tu air map de dh鈥橢ilean Le貌dhais, ch矛 thu gu bheil barrachd na aon loch air a bheil Loch Langavat. Uill, tha an aon rud f矛or ann an Nirribhidh. Ann an aon sg矛re, chithear grunn lochan air a bheil Langavatnet, ged a tha cuid m貌ran nas fhaide na feadhainn eile. Chan ann d矛reach air map na h-Alba a nochdas na h-aon ainmean-脿ite a-rithist is a-rithist.

Faclan na seachdaine: re貌ta: frozen; Nirribhidh: Norway; deigh thiugh: thick ice; air muin: on top of; a鈥� sgitheadh: skiing; dh鈥檃idich i: she admitted; seann Lochlannais: Old Norse; eileamaid: element; truisg bhe貌: live cod (pl.); sa spot: instantly.

Abairtean na seachdaine: rinn mi mo shlighe: I made my way; c貌rr is m矛le meatair os cionn na mara: more than a thousand metres above sea level; eadar loidsichean is bothain: between lodges and cabins; a chanadh muinntir na d霉thcha: that the people of the country would say; th脿inig e bho na Lochlannaich: it came from the Vikings; dhuinne a tha a鈥� fuireach ann an Alba: to [those of] us who live in Scotland; chaidh sinn seachad air beinn bhr猫agha: we went past a beautiful mountain; mus deach mi gu ruige X: before I went to X; chuir mi seachad madainn: I spent a morning; feumaidh a h-uile duine a th猫id a Bhergen dhol a mhargaidh an 猫isg: everyone who goes to Bergen must go to the fish market; faodaidh tu fear a thaghadh dhut fh猫in: you can choose one for yourself; choimhead mi air na h-猫isg is maoraich gu l猫ir: I looked at all the fish and shellfish; chan ann d矛reach air map na h-Alba: it is not only on the map of Scotland.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Chan fhaighear iasg nas fhe脿rr na gheibhear ann a sin: idiomatically we would say in English 鈥測ou won鈥檛 get better fish than you get there鈥�, or slightly more formally 鈥渙ne won鈥檛 get better fish than one gets there鈥� but you will note that there is no pronoun in the Gaelic version equivalent to 鈥測ou鈥� or 鈥渙ne鈥�. Chan fhaighear and gheibhear are future passive verbal forms which also act as present habitual forms (as do active future forms) 鈥� a literal translation would be 鈥渂etter fish is not got than is got there鈥�. Look out for other occurrences of these forms with 鈥�(e)ar endings (eg ris an canar X 鈥� 鈥渨hich is called X鈥�; chithear grunn lochan 鈥� a number of lochs are, can be seen).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Th脿inig, agus am facal booth ann am Beurla: so did the word booth in English. Note the repetition of the verb (th脿inig) here, followed by agus 鈥� this is the idiomatic way of saying 鈥渟o did鈥︹�� in Gaelic. Here are two other examples and note the repetition of the verb: Bha Iain ann. Bha agus S矛ne (John was there. So was Jean); Chr矛ochnaich Ailig an r猫is. Chr矛ochnaich agus Anna (Alex finished the race. So did Ann).