麻豆约拍

An do mhothaich sibh a-riamh cho feumail 鈥檚 tha mapaichean na Gaidhealtachd do luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig? Air gach cl脿r-d霉thcha, ch矛 sibh ainmean-脿ite a tha a鈥� sealltainn mar a tha cuid de riaghailtean-gr脿mair air an cur an s脿s. Agus mholainn dhuibh s霉il a thoirt air mapaichean bho 脿m gu 脿m is eadar-theangachadh a dh猫anamh air na h-ainmean-脿ite.

Tha mi d矛reach air greim fhaighinn air CD-ROM a tha uabhasach fh猫in inntinneach. Tha e a鈥� cl脿radh agus a鈥� m矛neachadh ainmean-脿ite sg矛re na C貌igich ann an Ros an Iar, gu tuath air Ulapul. Tha e a鈥� tarraing air obair a rinn fear 脿s an sg矛re - Donaidh Friseal nach maireann 鈥� agus a chaidh a chl脿radh airson Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba. Chuir feadhainn eile ris an obair aig Donaidh agus gheibhear cothrom s霉il a thoirt air na mapaichean aige agus air eadar-theangachadh de na h-ainmean-脿ite, air an CD-ROM. Obair mh貌r is obair mhath.

Ma bheir sibh s霉il air cuid de na h-ainmean a nochdas air na h-Eileanan Samhraidh, ch矛 sibh d猫 tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh a thaobh gr脿mar. Air fear de na h-eileanan, Tanara Beag, tha 脿ite ann a ghabhas eadar-theangachadh mar 鈥淔renchman鈥檚 Harbour or Anchorage鈥�. D猫 bhiodh ann ann an G脿idhlig? Uill, 鈥檚 e Acarsaid a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air anchorage. Agus 鈥檚 e Frangach a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Frenchman. Mar sin, 鈥檚 e a th鈥� ann 鈥� Acarsaid an Fhrangaich.

Tha d脿 atharrachadh a鈥� gabhail 脿ite ann am Frangach 鈥� s猫imheachadh aig toiseach an fhacail agus caolachadh aig an deireadh. Tha e ag atharrachadh bho Frangach anns an tuiseal ainmneach gu Fhrangaich anns an tuiseal ghinideach. Chan eil an t-ainm-脿ite sin ag innse dhuinn co-dhi霉 tha acarsaid boireann no fireann. Ach faisg air Acarsaid an Fhrangaich, tha an Acarsaid Mh貌r. Agus tha sin fh猫in ag innse dhuinn gur e facal boireann a th鈥� ann. Air neo, 鈥檚 e 鈥渁n t-Acarsaid M貌r鈥� a chanamaid 鈥� agus bhiodh sin ce脿rr.

Tha rubha faisg air an Acarsaid Mh貌ir, air a bheil ainm a tha a鈥� ciallachadh, ann am Beurla, 鈥渢he point of the big anchorage鈥�. Cho luath 鈥檚 as urrainn dhuibh, cuiribh G脿idhlig air sin鈥� the point of the big anchorage. Tha acarsaid boireann, cuimhnichibh鈥� Rubha na h-Acarsaid 鈥� M貌ire. Rubha na h-Acarsaid M貌ire. Tha sin a鈥� cur an s脿s nan riaghailtean, nach eil 鈥� gur e 鈥渘a鈥� an t-alt, no 鈥渁rticle鈥�, anns an tuiseal ghinideach shingilte airson ainmear boireann, agus gu bheil am buadhair, an 鈥渁djective鈥�, air a chaolachadh, le 鈥渆鈥� aig an deireadh. Ach chan eil e air a sh猫imheachadh.

Tha eilean eile ann air a bheil an t-Eilean Fada M貌r. Agus aig ceann a deas an eilein sin, tha cnoc, no meall, air a bheil am Meall Garbh, 鈥渢he rough lump-shaped hill鈥�. Nise, tha caolas faisg air l脿imh, eadar an t-eilean seo agus Tanara M貌r, a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he narrows of the rough hill鈥�. Tha mi airson 鈥檚 gun innis sibh ann an tiotan d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air.

Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach a bheil meall boireann no fireann? Uill, 鈥檚 e am Meall Garbh a th鈥� ann, is chan e a鈥� Mheall Gharbh. Tha e fireann. Mar sin, anns an tuiseal ghinideach, bidh sinn a鈥� s猫imheachadh agus a鈥� caolachadh an d脿 chuid, an t-ainmear agus am buadhair.

Caolas a鈥� Mhill Ghairbh. Caolas a鈥� Mhill Ghairbh. Mar a thuirt mi, tha m貌ran a ghabhas ionnsachadh mu ghr脿mar na G脿idhlig ann am mapaichean na Gaidhealtachd. An ath-sheachdain, bheir sinn s霉il air cuid eile de na h-ainmean-脿ite a chruinnich Donaidh Friseal ann an sg矛re na C貌igich.

Faclan na seachdaine: cl脿r-d霉thcha: map; Donaidh Friseal nach maireann: the late Donnie Fraser; sg矛re na C貌igich: the area of Coigach (north of Ullapool); na h-Eileanan Samhraidh: the Summer Isles; s猫imheachadh: lenition (aspiration); caolachadh: slenderisation.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mar a tha cuid de riaghailtean-gr脿mair air an cur an s脿s: how some grammatical rules are implemented; tha mi d矛reach air greim fhaighinn air X: I have just got hold of X; tha e a鈥� tarraing air: it draws upon; a chaidh a chl脿raidh airson Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba: which was recorded for the School of Scottish Studies; chuir feadhainn eile ris an obair: some others added to the work; chan eil e ag innse dhuinn co-dhi霉 tha acarsaid boireann no fireann: it doesn鈥檛 tell us whether acarsaid is feminine or masculine; air neo 鈥檚 e X a chanamaid 鈥� agus bhiodh sin ce脿rr: or we would say X 鈥� and that would be wrong; anns an tuiseal ghinideach shingilte airson ainmear boireann: in the genitive singular case for a feminine noun; tha mi airson 鈥檚 gun innis sibh ann an tiotan d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air: I want you to tell in a moment what the Gaelic is for (on) it; anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach: in the first instance; tha m貌ran (ann) a ghabhas ionnsachadh: much can be learned.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: The Litir this week looks at some of the grammatical lessons obtained from examining place names. In particular it looks at the inflexion of the singular noun in the genitive case. Frangach, a masculine noun, changes to Fhrangaich in the genitive, showing the common lenition (the h after the F) and slenderisation (the i after the final vowel). Acarsaid, however, is a feminine noun so its inflexion is different. The article is na (as opposed to an in the above example or the very common a鈥� with masculine nouns eg a鈥� bhalaich, a鈥� bh霉ird) and h- goes before the initial vowel. The feminine noun itself is not lenited in the genitive singular and, as acarsaid is already slender (its final vowel is an i), it cannot be further slenderised. Therefore 鈥渙f the anchorage鈥� is na h-acarsaid. The adjective m貌r inflects according to the rules for a feminine singular noun 鈥� ie it is non-lenited, slenderised and usually (and certainly traditionally) has a terminal 鈥揺. So 鈥渙f the anchorage鈥� is 鈥渘a h-acarsaid m貌ire鈥�. Here鈥檚 something to try which I will answer next week. Translate the following into Gaelic: The sea-narrows of the small anchorage; the point of the big lump-shaped hill.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gheibhear cothrom s霉il a thoirt air na mapaichean aige: an opportunity will be (can be) obtained to look at his maps ie one can look at his maps.