麻豆约拍

Uaireannan bidh daoine ag r脿dh ann am Beurla, 鈥淪cotland has only one lake鈥�. Ann an d霉thaich far a bheil na m矛ltean de lochan, 鈥檚 e beachd ne貌nach a th鈥� ann, ach tha e st猫idhichte air an fhacal 鈥渓ake鈥� oir 鈥檚 e 鈥渓och鈥� a tha anns cha mh貌r a h-uile gin eile. 鈥橲 e an aon 鈥渓ake鈥� ainmeil a th鈥� againn The Lake of Menteith, ann an d霉thaich ris an canar T猫adhaich, l脿imh ri Leamhnachd, eadar Sruighlea agus Loch Laomainn.

Mar a shaoileadh tu, 鈥檚 ann d矛reach ann am Beurla a tha sin f矛or oir tha seann ainm G脿idhlig air an loch seo 鈥� Loch Innse Mo Cholmaig. Nuair a chithear 鈥淢o鈥� mar sin ro ainm duine, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh gur e duine naomh a bh鈥� ann, agus tha ainmean eile mar sin anns a鈥� ph脿irt seo de dh鈥橝lba. Baile Mo Thatha, mar eisimpleir, a th鈥� air ainmeachadh airson Naomh Mo Thatha.

Bha muinntir na sg矛re seo cuideachd measail air Naomh Br矛de, Naomh Mo Ch霉g, Naomh Bearachan agus naoimh eile. Agus tha Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd a鈥� dol bho Bhaile Mo Thatha gu ruige 脿ite eile air bruach Loch Laomainn a th鈥� air ainmeachadh airson naomh 鈥� Rubha 脌ird E貌dhnain. Tha E貌dhnan, no Adhamnan, ainmeil ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba. B鈥� esan an naoidheamh aba ann an Eilean 脤 agus 鈥檚 e a sgr矛obh an leabhar Vita Sancti Columbae, Beatha Chaluim Chille.

Tha n脿dar de cheangal ann eadar E貌dhnan agus am baile agam fh矛n, Inbhir Nis, oir sgr矛obh e mu thuras Chaluim Chille a R矛gh nan Cruithneach ann an Inbhir Nis. Dh鈥檌nnis e dhuinn cuideachd mar a chuir Calum Cille an teicheadh air an uilebheist ann an Abhainn Nis.

Agus tha naomh eile ann a tha a鈥� d猫anamh ceangal eadar Leamhnachd agus Inbhir Nis 鈥� am fear a bu chudthromaiche do mhuinntir Leamhnachd 鈥� Naomh Mo Cheasag. Tha esan air a chuimhneachadh ann an ainmean-脿ite ann an Inbhir Nis 鈥� Ceasaig a Tuath agus Ceasaig a Deas. A r猫ir beul-aithris, chaidh ainm an naoimh a chur air an 脿ite as d猫idh dha m矛orbhail a dh猫anamh. Nuair a bha e na bhodach, bha e a鈥� faighinn aiseag thar a鈥� chaolais eadar Inbhir Nis agus an t-Eilean Dubh nuair a dh鈥櫭╥rich stoirm a chuir am b脿ta fodha. Chaidh na bh鈥� air b貌rd a bh脿thadh, ach Ceasag fh猫in, agus thug an naomh beatha as 霉r don a h-uile duine aca. As d猫idh na m矛orbhaile, 鈥檚 e Port Cheasaig agus Aiseag Cheasaig a chanadh an sluagh ris an d脿 phort air gach taobh dhen chaolas.

Chan e sin a鈥� chiad aithris de she貌rsa air Ceasag nas m貌, oir tha Leabhar-脵rnaigh Obair Dheathain ag innse mar a thachair dha ann an Eirinn nuair a bha e 貌g. Bha e mar ph脿irt de theaghlach uasal agus l脿 a bha seo bha cuirm mh貌r aca. Chaidh Ceasag agus na prionnsaichean eile gu ruige loch agus chaidh a h-uile duine aca a bh脿thadh ach Ceasag. Bha athraichean nan gillean a chaill am beatha feargach is amharasach, agus mhaoidh iad air athar Cheasaig gun losgadh iad a chaisteal gu l脿r. Ach rinn Ceasag 霉rnaigh fad na h-oidhche agus, anns a鈥� mhadainn, bha na gillean uile be貌 a-rithist.

A r猫ir beul-aithris, dh鈥檉huirich Ceasag air fear de na h-eileanan ann an Loch Laomainn air a bheil Innis Taigh a鈥� Mhanaich. B鈥� esan am 鈥渕anach鈥�. Thigeadh an sluagh gu adhradh nuair a sheinneadh e clag air a鈥� chnoc as 脿irde, ris an canar Tom nan Clag. Seo a-nise deireadh mo Litreach ach, an ath-sheachdain, bheir mi s霉il air d矛leab de she貌rsa eile air bruach Loch Laomainn 鈥� 脿ite co-cheangailte ri eucoireach, an 脿ite naomh.

Faclan na seachdaine: T猫adhaich: Menteith; Loch Innse Mo Cholmaig: Lake of Menteith; Leamhnachd: Lennox (country); Sruighlea: Stirling; Baile Mo Thatha: Balmaha; Rubha 脌ird E貌dhnain: Rowardennan; E貌dhnan, Adhamnan: Saint Adamnan; Ceasag, Naomh Mo Cheasag: St Kessock; Ceasaig a Tuath/Deas: North/South Kessock; Leabhar-脵rnaigh Obair Dheathain: The Aberdeen Breviary; uasal: noble; Innis Taigh a鈥� Mhanaich: Inchtavannach (island); eucoireach: criminal.

Abairtean na seachdaine: 鈥檚 e beachd ne貌nach a th鈥� ann: it鈥檚 a strange opinion; gu ruige 脿ite eile air bruach Loch Laomainn: to another place on the bank of Loch Lomond; tha n脿dar de cheangal ann: there鈥檚 a sort of relationship; mu thuras Chaluim Chille a R矛gh nan Cruithneach: about Columba鈥檚 visit to the King of the Picts; mar a chuir Calum Cille an teicheadh air an uilebheist: how Columba caused the monster to flee; as d猫idh dha m矛orbhail a dh猫anamh: after he caused a miracle; aiseag thar a鈥� chaolais: ferry across the strait; nuair a dh鈥櫭╥rich stoirm a chuir am b脿ta fodha: when a storm arose that sank the boat; chaidh na bh鈥� air b貌rd a bh脿thadh: those aboard were drowned; chan e sin X nas m貌: that鈥檚 not X either; athraichean nan gillean a chaill am beatha: the fathers of the boys that lost their lives; mhaoidh iad air athair Cheasaig: they threatened Kessock鈥檚 father; thigeadh an sluagh gu adhradh: the people would come to worship.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: B鈥� esan an naoidheamh aba ann an Eilean 脤 agus 鈥檚 e a sgr矛obh an leabhar Vita Sancti Columbae: he was the 9th abbot in Iona agus it was he that wrote the book Life of Columba. You might wonder why I used the past tense of the assertive verb at the beginning of the sentence (b鈥� esan rather than is esan), but the present tense (鈥檚 e a sgr矛obh rather than b鈥� e a sgr矛obh). There is no choice in the first instance because we are looking back to a past event; if I had written is esan an naoidheamh aba he would still be alive and still be in post on Iona. But in the second instance I might have written b鈥� e a sgr矛obh an leabhar. This however is not necessary because the sgr矛obh gives you the past tense and the usual way of dealing with such a use of the assertive verb, where it is followed by a second verb, is to employ the present tense. Note, however, that it would be translated in English as 鈥渨as鈥� ie the past tense. Here is another example: b鈥� e Seumas an siathamh r矛gh Sti霉bhartach. 鈥橲 e a fhuair cr霉n Shasainn nuair a chaochail Ealasaid.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: 鈥橲 e 鈥渓och鈥� a tha anns cha mh貌r a h-uile gin eile: almost every other one is a 鈥渓och鈥�.