麻豆约拍

Shaoileadh sibh gum biodh an deasbad seachad ann an Alba, ach chan eil e. Ged a chaidh a r猫iteach o chionn fhada ann an Eirinn agus a鈥� Chuimrigh, tha feadhainn fhathast dhen bheachd, anns an d霉thaich seo, nach bu ch貌ir soighnichean-rathaid d脿-ch脿nanach a bhith ann. Tha sin f矛or fi霉 鈥檚 air t矛r-m貌r na Gaidhealtachd, far a bheil a鈥� chuid as motha de na h-ainmean-脿ite air tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig.

Tha e coltach gu bheil cuid de sheirbheisich-chatharra, mar a chanas iad, dhen bheachd gur e c脿nan cunnartach a th鈥� anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig. Neo co-dhi霉 gum biodh soighnichean-rathaid le G脿idhlig orra cunnartach. Cha bhiodh fios aig dr脿ibhearan ca鈥� robh iad a鈥� dol, agus bhiodh barrachd thubaistean ann air s脿illeabh sin. Chan fhaca mi fianais sam bith a-riamh gu robh barrachd thubaistean anns a鈥� Chuimrigh neo ann an Eirinn air sg脿th nan soighnichean d脿-ch脿nanach acasan, ach feumaidh gu bheil fios a bharrachd air a鈥� ghnothach aig na seirbheisich-chatharra na th鈥� agam-sa. Neo rudeigin.

Far a bheil mi a鈥� fuireach, ann an Inbhir Nis, tha cunnart ann gun caill sinn cuid de sheann dualchas a鈥� bhaile air sg脿th 鈥檚 nach eil G脿idhlig air na soighnichean. Nuair a tha sanas ann am Beurla a-mh脿in, tha e furasta an dreach ce脿rr a chur air, agus a鈥� chiall a bh鈥� aige bho th霉s a chall.

Mar eisimpleir, air taobh siar Abhainn Nis, ch矛thear soighnichean, airson sg矛re bheag, air a bheil 鈥淟-E-A-C-H-K-I-N鈥�. Nise, ciamar a chanadh sibh sin, nan robh sibh air 霉r-thighinn a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Inbhir Nis? 鈥淟eetch-kin鈥�, 鈥檚 d貌cha? 鈥淟etch-kin鈥�? Neo 鈥淟eechkin鈥�, neo 鈥淟echkin鈥�? Uill, 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� ann gu bheil m貌ran, nach eil comasach air 鈥渃h鈥� a r脿dh, air t貌iseachadh air 鈥淟arkin鈥� a ghabhail air. Larkin!

鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air an 脿ite 鈥� an Leacann 鈥� agus, nan robh sin air na soighnichean, bhiodh fios aig barrachd dhen t-sluagh ciamar a chanadh iad ainm an 脿ite. Agus ch矛theadh iad gu bheil an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh rudeigin. Seo na chanas faclair Dwelly mu dheidhinn 鈥� leacann: the broad slope of a hill. Agus 鈥檚 e sin d矛reach a th鈥� ann.

Faisg air an Leacainn, tha ce脿rnaidh ann ris an canar 鈥淒alneigh鈥� ann am Beurla. 鈥淒-A-L-N-E-I-G-H鈥�. Ann an G脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e Dail an Eich a th鈥� air, agus nach eil sin a鈥� ciallachadh rudeigin? Ann am Beurla, 鈥檚 e 鈥淒alneich鈥� a bh鈥� air na mapaichean an toiseach, agus 鈥檚 e sin a chanadh muinntir an 脿ite, fi霉 鈥榮 nuair a chaill iad an cuid G脿idhlig. Ach chaidh atharrachadh air na mapaichean, bho 鈥渃h鈥� aig deireadh an ainm gu 鈥済h鈥�, airson adhbhar air choreigin, agus 鈥檚 e 鈥淒alneigh鈥� a chanas a鈥� chuid mh貌r an-diugh.

Tha m貌ran eisimpleirean eile ann mar sin, ann am m貌ran sg矛rean, a tha a鈥� sealltainn cho truagh 鈥檚 a tha suidheachadh, ann an d霉thaich dh脿-ch脿nanach, far nach eil na soighnichean ach aona-ch脿nanach, agus iad sin ann an c脿nan nach do bhuin don d霉thaich o shean. F脿gaidh mi sibh le smuain air Cinn a鈥� Ghiuthsaich 鈥� baile ann am B脿ideanach. Tha giuthas a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淪cots pine鈥�, tha giuthsach a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥減ine wood鈥�, agus tha Cinn (neo Ceann) a鈥� Ghiuthsaich a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he end of the pine wood鈥�.

Ach nuair a chaidh dreach Beurla a chur air 鈥� 鈥淜ingussie鈥� - chaidh a litreachadh K-I-N-G-U-S-S-I-E. Dh鈥檉h脿g iad an 鈥済鈥� ann air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu bheil 鈥済鈥� ann an 鈥済iuthsach鈥�. Uill, bha mi aig St猫isean a Haymarket ann an D霉n Eideann an-uiridh nuair a chuala mi fear-aithris ag innse dhuinn ainmean nan st猫iseanan air am biodh an tr猫ana a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis a鈥� tadhal. Perth, Pitlochry, Newtonmore, Kin-GUSS-ie鈥� Cha ch脿n mi an c貌rr!

a鈥� Chuimrigh: Wales; soighichean-rathaid, sanasan-rathaid:聽roadsigns; d脿-ch脿nanach: bilingual; seirbheisich-chatharra: civil servants; B脿ideanach:聽Badenoch.

shaoileadh sibh gum biodh an deasbad seachad: you鈥檇 think the debate would be over; ged a chaidh a r猫iteach (or a r猫iteachadh) o chionn fhada: although it was settled (reconciled) a long time ago; tha e furasta an dreach ce脿rr a chur air: it is easy toput the wrong appearance, form on it (eg changing Leacann to Leachkin!); chithear soighnichean: signs are seen; bhiodh fios aig barrachd dhen t-sluagh ciamar a chanadh iad ainm an 脿ite: more people would know how to say the name of the place; chitheadh iad gu bheil an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh rudeigin: they would see that the name means something; Dail an Eich: (lit.) the field of the horse; fi霉 鈥檚 nuair a chaill iad an cuid G脿idhlig: even when they lost their Gaelic; airson adhbhar air choreigin: for some reason or another; nach do bhuin don d霉thaich o shean: which did not belong to the country historically; air am biodh an tr猫ana a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis a鈥� tadhal: which the train to Inverness would be visiting (en route);cha chan mi an c貌rr: I鈥檒l say no more.

bha mi ann an D霉n Eideann an-uiridh: I was in Edinburghlast year. Do you sometimes get tempted to say 鈥渁鈥� bhliadhna 鈥檚 a chaidh鈥� for 鈥渓ast year鈥�?Try to remember the special phrase an-uiridh, which is very old but nevertheless remainsthe standard and universal term in the Gaelic world. The trouble with 鈥渁鈥� bhliadhna 鈥檚 achaidh鈥� is that it is somewhat ambiguous; the listener may interpret it as meaning 鈥渢hetwelve months preceding this point in time鈥� rather than 鈥渢he previous calendar year鈥� whichis the meaning of 鈥渁n-uiridh鈥�. If you want to say 鈥渄uring the last year鈥� ie over the lasttwelve months, regardless of where we are in the calendar, the best phrase is 鈥渁nns a鈥檅hliadhna a dh鈥檉halbh鈥�, although you will also hear 鈥渁nns a鈥� bhliadhna a chaidh鈥�. If you arelooking back to a past event and you want to say 鈥渄uring the year prior to that鈥�, the bestphrase is 鈥渁nns a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe sin鈥� (ie in the year before that).

air s脿illeabh sin: because of that. This is one of the many phrases in Gaelic which may be equivalent to 鈥渂ecause鈥� in English. In some places, the terminal 鈥渂h鈥� is pronounced as a 鈥渧鈥�, in others there is no consonantal sound at all. In a few places, eg Barra, you will hear 鈥渁ir t脿illeabh鈥�, with a 鈥渢鈥� replacing the 鈥渟鈥�.