麻豆约拍

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh st貌iridh beag 脿 st貌ras de bheul-aithris 脿 Srath Narann a chruinnich Andaidh MacCuimein nach maireann. Nuair a bha mi a鈥� coimhead tron chruinneachadh aige de dh鈥檉hiosrachadh air ainmean-脿ite na sg矛re, mhothaich mi don fhear seo: Stairsneach nan Gaidheal.

Cha do lorg mi an t-ainm seo air na mapaichean ach, a r猫ir na sgr矛obh Andaidh, tha e faisg air a鈥� Mh貌igh, gu deas air Inbhir Nis, eadar an srath aige fh猫in agus an ath-shrath air an taobh a deas dheth. Stairsneach nan Gaidheal 鈥� the threshold of the Gaels. Carson a bhiodh ainm mar sin ann oir nach robh na Gaidheil air feadh na Gaidhealtachd? Ciamar a bhiodh stairsneach aca, mar gu robh iad air aon taobh dhith, gun a bhith air an taobh eile?

Uill, bha na Gaidheil pailt air feadh na Gaidhealtachd airson m矛le gu leth bliadhna ach, ma th猫id sinn air ais fada gu le貌r, gu 脿m nuair a bha iad ag 脿iteach na d霉thcha an toiseach, bha cuid de ghlinn is srathan na bu Ghaidhealaiche na feadhainn eile. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich an t-ainm aig an 脿m sin.

Bha Andaidh a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh uaireigin diofar ch脿nan air a bruidhinn ann an Srath Narann bhon t猫 a bh鈥� air a bruidhinn anns an ath-shrath. Agus nuair a chluinneas sibh ainm an ath-shratha, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi sibh ag aontachadh ris. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥� Srath Eireann. Strath of Ireland. Bha Andaidh dhen bheachd, nuair a bha Srath Eireann gu tur Gaidhealach, is G脿idhlig ann mar ch脿nan an t-sluaigh, gu robh seann ch脿nan nan Cruithneach fhathast aig muinntir Shrath Narainn. Agus eatarra bha Stairsneach nan Gaidheal.

Airson tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach mun ch霉is, choimhead mi ann an seann ph脿ipear air ainmean-脿ite na sg矛re. 鈥橲 e am Proifeasair Uilleam MacBh脿tair a sgr矛obh e, agus cha robh duine na b鈥� e貌laiche na esan air ainmean-脿ite Ceilteach na h-Alba.

Cha robh dad aige mu Stairsneach nan Gaidheal, ach bha fiosrachadh aige mun ainm-脿ite Srath Eireann. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an abhainn a tha a鈥� sruthadh tron t-srath Uisge Eire no Uisge Eireann 鈥� the Findhorn River. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air baile Findhorn 鈥� Inbhir Eireann, agus tha 脿iteachan eile anns an t-srath air a bheil Dunearn no D霉n Eireann, Nook of Earn no C霉il Eireann agus Earnhill no Cnoc Eireann. Bha MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gur e 鈥淓ire鈥� no 鈥淚reland鈥� an t-ainm a bh鈥� air an sg矛re.

A鈥� coimhead air an ainm Findhorn, th脿inig sin bho 鈥淔inn-Eire鈥� no White Ireland, leis gu bheil tr脿igh mh貌r bh脿n ann aig beul na h-aibhne. Gu sear air an abhainn sin tha t猫 eile air a bheil an Deveron ann am Beurla. Ann an G脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e sin Dubh Eireann no 鈥淒ubh Eireann鈥� mar a chanas sinn an-diugh 鈥� Black Ireland. Bha MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gun deach seann d霉thaich nan Gaidheal a chuimhneachadh anns na h-ainmean sin nuair a th脿inig sluagh Gaidhealach a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Alba.

鈥橲 docha, ma-th脿, gu robh Andaidh c貌ir ceart, agus gu robh Srath Eireann lan Ghaidheal nuair a bha Srath Narann fhathast l脿n Chruithneach. Tha e doirbh a bhith cinnteach, agus chan eil an t-ainm Narann, a bh鈥� air an abhainn an toiseach, a鈥� toirt m貌ran fiosrachaidh dhuinn, oir tha e gu math sean. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil e a鈥� dol air ais gu linn ro na Cruithnich fh猫in. Co-dhi霉, tuigidh sinn mar a dh鈥檉haodadh na Gaidheil 鈥渟tairsneach鈥� ainmeachadh eadar an d脿 ghleann. Agus nach eil e iongantach, 霉ine mh貌r mh貌r as d猫idh l脿imh, gu bheil an t-ainm sin fhathast aithnichte air aghaidh na d霉thcha.

Faclan na seachdaine: stairsneach: threshold; a鈥� Mh貌igh: Moy; pailt: plentiful; Srath Narann: Strathnairn; Srath Eireann: Strathdearn; Cruithneach: Pict; eatarra: between them; Uilleam MacBh脿tair: William (W.J.) Watson; Ceilteach: Celtic; Inbhir Eireann: Findhorn.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mhothaich mi don fhear seo: I noticed this one; mar gu robh iad air aon taobh dhith: as if they were on one side of it (fem.); gun a bhith air an taobh eile: without being on the other side; nuair a bha iad ag 脿iteach na d霉thcha: when they were settling the country; cuid de ghlinn is srathan: some glens and straths; bhon t猫 a bh鈥� air a bruidhinn anns an ath-shrath: from the one spoken in the next strath; cha robh duine na b鈥� e貌laiche na esan: nobody was more knowledgeable than him; 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an abhainn a tha a鈥� sruthadh tron t-srath X: the name of the river which flows through the strath is X; leis gu bheil tr脿igh mh貌r bh脿n ann aig beul na h-aibhne: since there is a great white beach at the mouth of the river; gu sear air an abhainn sin tha t猫 eile: to the east of that river there is another one; gun deach seann d霉thaich nan Gaidheal a chuimhneachadh anns na h-ainmean sin: that the old land of the Gaels was remembered in those names; gu robh Andaidh c貌ir ceart: that good old Andy was right; nach eil e iongantach?: isn鈥檛 it wonderful?; 霉ine mh貌r mh貌r as d猫idh l脿imh: a long long time afterwards; fhathast aithnichte air aghaidh na d霉thcha: still recognised on the face of the land (country).

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: You will notice that Ireland, which is Eire in Irish Gaelic and Eirinn in Scottish Gaelic is Eireann or, with the article, na h-Eireann in the genitive case (in both countries). This may strike you as a little strange as many modern genitives are formed by a slenderisation of a broad terminal vowel. Because of this, I hear some Gaels today giving an erroneous genitive 鈥� na h-Eirinn, with a narrow terminal vowel. This is wrong. The name is very old and its 鈥渁nn鈥� ending bears comparison with the old genitive of Alba 鈥� Albann or na h-Albann, which you will still hear in speech, particularly in Argyll, although the 鈥渙fficial鈥� form today is na h-Alba. This vowel broadening as a marker of the genitive is to be found in another ancient name 鈥� Ulaidh, the Gaelic for Ulster. The genitive is Uladh, so we say G脿idhlig Uladh for Ulster Gaelic, not G脿idhlig Ulaidh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: st貌iridh beag 脿 st貌ras de bheul-aithris 脿 Srath Narann a chruinnich Andaidh MacCuimein nach maireann: a little story from the riches of oral tradition from Strathnairn that Andy Cumming (deceased) collected. Nach maireann: deceased.