麻豆约拍

Bha mi anns a鈥� mhonadh an l脿 eile, air taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd, agus lorg mi 鈥渂anana鈥�. A鈥� f脿s. Seadh, 鈥渂anana鈥� a鈥� f脿s. Bha e beag, ach fallain gu le貌r. Nise, tha fhios a鈥檓 nach eil sibh gam chreidsinn, oir bidh sibh ag r脿dh nach eil bananathan a鈥� f脿s ann an Alba. Ach 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� agam agus m矛nichidh mi an gnothach dhuibh ro dheireadh na Litreach.

Gu h-annasach, nuair a chunnaic mi am 鈥渂anana鈥�, bha mi anns an dearbh 脿ite anns an robh mi leis an Litir an t-seachdain sa chaidh 鈥� air Leathad Leacachain, gu deas air Ulapul. Thachair sin mar thuiteamas, ge-t脿. Bha mi air iarraidh air t猫 as aithne dhomh, a tha na lus-e貌laiche, dhol a choimhead air lusan n脿darrach a鈥� mhonaidh. 鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渋s aithne dhomh 脿ite a tha gl猫 mhath 鈥� Beinn Inagleir, faisg air Ulapul.鈥� Bha sin math gu le貌r dhomhsa, ach bha e f矛or annasach dhomh nuair a th貌isich sinn air ar slighe aig Leathad Leacachain.

鈥淎 bheil fios agad gu bheil st貌iridh annasach ann mu thachartas an seo?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich mi dhi. Cha robh fios aice, agus dh鈥檌nnis mi dhi mun fhear a lorg am boireannach a bha a鈥� breith leanabh air oidhche fhuar, agus mar a sh脿bhail e an dithis le bhith a鈥� toirt greallach 脿 each.

Co-dhi霉, th貌isich sinn air cabadaich mu ainm an 脿ite 鈥� Leathad Leacachain. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he slope of the place of the flagstones.鈥� Ach nuair a choimheadas tu air a鈥� mhonadh, chan eil leacan n脿darrach rim faicinn 鈥� d矛reach corra chreag an siud 鈥檚 an seo.

As d猫idh beagan mhionaidean, th脿inig sinn gu toll m貌r anns an talamh, anns am b鈥� urrainn ceithir no c貌ig taighean a chur. Bha e follaiseach gu robh e uaireigin na chuaraidh, 脿s am biodh daoine a鈥� toirt clach. Saoil an e leacan a bha iad a鈥� toirt 脿s, agus gur e sin as coireach ris an ainm?

Agus d猫 an se貌rsa cloiche? Uill, thug sinn s霉il air na lusan faisg air l脿imh. Bha Siabann nam B脿n-s矛dh ann. Sin lus ris an canar Heath Milkwort ann am Beurla, agus tha e a鈥� f脿s a-mh脿in air m貌inteach feurach far a bheil aol fon talamh. Chan fh脿s e far a bheil an talamh searbh. Tha an aon rud f矛or mu dh脿 lus eile a lorg sinn 鈥� L矛on nam B脿n-s矛dh no Fairy Flax, agus an Dubhan Ceann-ch貌sach no Selfheal. Tha iadsan a鈥� f脿s a-mh脿in air talamh far a bheil am pH nas 脿irde nan 脿bhaist airson Alba. Agus saoilidh mi gu robh iad nan deagh chomharra gu bheil clach-aoil aig Leathad Leacachain agus gur e sin a bha iad a鈥� cladhach anns a鈥� chuaraidh.

Lean sinn oirnn suas am bruach gu bealach agus sin far an robh am 鈥渂anana鈥�. Nise, feumaidh mi rudeigin a mh矛neachadh. Tha tr矛 se貌rsaichean de bheithe 鈥� craobhan-beithe 鈥� ann an Alba, agus buinidh iad uile don bhuidhinn, no genus, Betula. Tha na dh脿 dhiubh cumanta 鈥� Betula pendula, a鈥� Bheith Dhubhach no Silver Birch, agus Betula pubescens, a鈥� Bheith Charraigeach no Downy Birch. Nuair a tha lus-e貌laichean a鈥� bruidhinn ri ch猫ile mu deidhinn nan se貌rsaichean de

Betula, cha chan iad 鈥淏etula鈥� a h-uile turas idir. Canaidh iad d矛reach 鈥淏鈥�. B. pendula agus B. pubescens.

Uill, 鈥檚 e an treas se貌rsa, a tha rudeigin gann ann an Alba, agus a tha na phreas 矛osal seach na chraobh, Betula nana, a鈥� Bheith Bheag no Dwarf Birch. Agus canaidh na h-e貌laichean, B. nana ris. No, ma tha iad ri beagan sp貌rs 鈥� 鈥渂anana鈥�. Agus sin am 鈥渂anana鈥� a lorg mi-fh矛n is mo bhana-charaid, a鈥� f脿s gu math air monadh 脿rd air taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd.

Faclan na seachdaine: lus-e貌laiche: botanist; m貌inteach feurach: grassy moor (ie with more grass than heather); searbh: acidic; aol: lime; clach-aoil: limestone.

Abairtean na seachdaine: 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� agam: I am telling the truth; bha mi anns an dearbh 脿ite: I was in the exact same place; t猫 as aithne dhomh: a female (woman) I know; bha sin math gu le貌r dhomhsa: that was good enough for me; le bhith a鈥� toirt greallach 脿 each: by gralloching a horse (see last week鈥檚 Litir); th貌isich sinn air cabadaich: we started to chat; nuair a choimheadas tu air a鈥� mhonadh: when you look at the hill; chan eil leacan rim faicinn: flagstones, slabs are not to be seen; corra chreag an siud 鈥檚 an seo: the odd rock here and there; anns am b鈥� urrainn ceithir no c貌ig taighean a chur: in which 4 or 5 houses could be put (could fit); gu robh e na chuaraidh: that it was a quarry; far a bheil am pH nas 脿irde nan 脿bhaist: where the pH is higher than normal (ie where it is less acidic); buinidh iad uile don aon bhuidhinn: they all belong to the same group; a tha rudeigin gann: which is somewhat scarce; ma tha iad ri beagan sp貌rs: if they are being playful, light-hearted.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Sometimes it pays to take a look at one of the common words in the language to try to analyse how it operates. One of the most common, about which we think little, is 鈥済u鈥� and I would like to highlight its use in forming adverbs from adjectives. The closest equivalent in English is the suffix 鈥�-ly鈥� which has the same function eg the adjectives sour, determined and happy become the adverbs sourly, determinedly and happily. They qualify verbs rather than nouns. In Gaelic the gu is placed in front of the adjective as a separate word and the adjective is usually unaltered from its basic form (that qualifying a masculine noun in the nominative singular). You will be familiar with gu math (well) and gu dona (badly) and you will know the difference between tha mi math (I am good) and tha mi gu math (I am well) which is much the same in both languages. The gu is important in the phrase, common in northern mainland Gaelic, tha mi gu snog (I鈥檓 well). If you miss out the 鈥済u鈥�, the listener will think you have an inflated opinion of yourself! Many adjectives can be made into an adverb in this way eg gu luath (quickly), gu mall (slowly), gu furasta (easily), gu sgiobalta (tidily, quickly). In the Litir, note the h- in gu h-annasach. This is the case before vowels, eg gu h-obann (suddenly), gu h-iongantach (surprisingly). And note that in a series of adverbs, gu only appears in front of the first eg sheas e gu daingeann, l脿idir, calma aig geatachan a鈥� bhaile (he stood resolutely, strongly and bravely at the gates of the town).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Thachair sin mar thuiteamas, ge-t脿: that happened by complete chance/accident, however.