麻豆约拍

Ann an G脿idhlig b鈥檈 a h-ainm, neo a sloinneadh, Fionnaghal nighean Raonuill 鈥榠c Aonghais Oig. Tha sin car fada 鈥檚 d貌cha, ach bha e a鈥� ciallachadh fad鈥� a bharrachd do na daoine a bha e貌lach air a鈥� choimhearsnachd anns an robh i a鈥� fuireach na bha 鈥淔ionnaghal Dh貌mhnallach鈥� neo Flora MacDonald. Ach 鈥檚 i a鈥� cheist a th鈥檃gamsa mun ch霉is 鈥� ciamar a dh鈥檃tharraich Fionnaghal ann an G脿idhlig gu Flora ann am Beurla?

Tha rudeigin inntinneach air tachairt do chuid de dh鈥檃inmean pearsanta ann an G脿idhlig, agus 鈥檚 e seo eisimpleir math dhiubh. Dh鈥檃tharraich Fionnaghal gu Flora, ach th脿inig e air ais don Gh脿idhlig a-rithist bhon Bheurla mar 鈥淔l貌raidh鈥�. Agus an-diugh tha Fl貌raidh fada nas cumanta na Fionnaghal mar ainm.

Tha an aon se貌rsa rud air tachairt le cuid de na sloinnidhean 霉ra 鈥� na darna h-ainmean a chuir na G脿idheil orra fh猫in airson sealltainn d猫 an cinneadh a bh鈥檃ca. Ainmean mar 鈥淢oireasdan鈥�. O th霉s, b鈥檈 seo 鈥淢ac Ille Mhoire鈥�, agus chaidh e tarsainn don Bheurla mar Morrison. Ach an uairsin thill Morrison don Gh脿idhlig mar 鈥淢oireasdan鈥�. Agus 鈥檚 ann ainneamh a chluinneas tu Mac Ille Mhoire an-diugh. 鈥橲 e Moireasdan as cumanta.

Thachair an aon rud le Mac Fhionnla neo Mac Fhionnlaidh. 鈥橲 e seo Finlayson ann am Beurla, agus tha sin air a dhol air ais don Gh脿idhlig mar 鈥淔ionnlasdan鈥�. Thachair an aon rud le Mac Fheargais, Fergusson agus Feargasdan.

Ach tha ainm neo dh脿 ann nach eil furasta obrachadh a-mach. Tha cuimhn鈥� agam air fear a bha c脿irdeach dhomh 脿s a鈥� Chomraich. 鈥橲 e a鈥� chiad ainm a bh鈥檃ir 鈥� Fearchar. 鈥橲 e an cinneadh a bh鈥檃ige 鈥淢ac an L猫igh鈥� agus mus deach e gu sgoil, bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e an t-ainm 鈥渃eart鈥� a bh鈥檃ir - 鈥淔earchar Mac an L猫igh鈥�. 鈥淎aa!鈥� thuirt an tidsear ris air a鈥� chiad latha aig sgoil, agus e fhathast gun fhacal Beurla na cheann, 鈥溾�檚 e 鈥淔arquhar Livingstone鈥� a bhios ort ann am Beurla ma tha!鈥�

Uill, cha do thuig Fearchar bhon latha sin gu latha a bh脿is carson is e Livingstone a鈥� Bheurla airson Mac an L猫igh. Cha do thuig neo mise - chun an latha an-diugh.

Ach air ais do dh鈥檃inm na bana-ghaisgich 鈥� Fionnaghal neo Fl貌raidh Dh貌mhnallach. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu robh an t-ainm Fl貌raidh timcheall nuair a bha i fh猫in be貌. Tha fios againn gun do sgr矛obh i a h-ainm ann am Beurla uaireannan F-L-O-R-Y, le Y aig an deireadh an 脿ite A. Tha Fl貌raidh neo dh脿 eile ann 脿s na h-Eileanan Siar a tha cuideachd ainmeil, leithid an t-seinneadair Fl貌raidh NicN猫ill. Ach chanainn fh猫in gur i Fl貌raidh Dh貌mhnallach an t猫 as ainmeile.

Agus dh鈥檉h脿g sin gu do rinn mi mearachd o chionn ghoirid. Bidh mi uaireannan a鈥� ceannach leabhraichean a-mach 脿 catalog le bhith d矛reach a鈥� coimhead air na tiotalan. Agus anns a鈥� chatalog chunnaic mi an tiotal 鈥� Flora of the Western Isles. Bha mi cinnteach gur e a bh鈥檃nn leabhar mu dh猫idhinn Flora MacDonald fh猫in. Bha i cho ainmeil 鈥檚 nach leigeadh iad a leas MacDonald a chur anns an tiotal. Dheanadh Flora a鈥� ch霉is leis fh猫in.

Ach gu mi-fhortanach nuair a th脿inig an leabhar, cha robh sgeul air Fl貌raidh. Cha robh ann ach rudan mar Plantago lanceolata agus Ranunculus bulbosus!

bana-ghaisgeach: heroine; ainmeil: famous; coimhearsnachd: community; ainneamh: rare, rarely; c脿irdeach (dhomh): related (to me); chanainn: I would say; tiotal: title.

Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: the battle of Culloden; o chionn ghoirid: a short time ago, recently; an aon rud: the same thing; an aon se貌rsa rud: the same type of thing; o th霉s: from the beginning; gu mi-fhortanach: unfortunately.

B'e a h-ainm... ; her name was... B'e is the past tense form of 's e and the "h" in front of ainm signifies it is "her" name. The masculine form would be 'B'e ainm.." Names are very different entities in traditional Gaelic communities from those in modern English-speaking society. The sloinneadh was originally a patronymic and still operates as such within the most traditional communities. But sloinneadh has also more recently come to mean a surname, as in English, and this usually equates to what was originally a cinneadh, or clan name. My sloinneadh, in its traditional sense, is Ruairidh mac Fhionnlaidh .ic Dh貌mhnaill .ic Fhionnlaidh but, since my family is split between two very different and separate Gaelic communities, and since I live in a town, this is actually of limited use to me today. My cinneadh is MacIlleathain, but if somebody were to ask me "d猫 an sloinneadh a th'ort?" I would reply "MacIlleathain" unless I knew that he was specifically seeking my patronymic.

Cha do thuig neo mise: I didn't understand either. This is a phraseology which the learner approaching fluency should attempt to master. Look at the following example: D貌mhnall: Am faca tu a. mhuc-mhara, a Chaluim? (did you see the whale, Calum?). Calum: Chan fhaca. (No). D貌mhnall: Chan fhaca neo mise, ach thuirt Alasdair gu robh i m貌r. (I didn't either but Alasdair said she was big).