205: Loch Innse Mo Cholmaig
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Loch Innse Mo Cholmaig
Uaireannan bidh daoine ag ràdh ann am Beurla, “Scotland has only one lake”. Ann an dùthaich far a bheil na mìltean de lochan, ’s e beachd neònach a th’ ann, ach tha e stèidhichte air an fhacal “lake” oir ’s e “loch” a tha anns cha mhòr a h-uile gin eile. ’S e an aon “lake” ainmeil a th’ againn The Lake of Menteith, ann an dùthaich ris an canar Tèadhaich, làimh ri Leamhnachd, eadar Sruighlea agus Loch Laomainn.
Mar a shaoileadh tu, ’s ann dìreach ann am Beurla a tha sin fìor oir tha seann ainm Gàidhlig air an loch seo – Loch Innse Mo Cholmaig. Nuair a chithear “Mo” mar sin ro ainm duine, tha e a’ ciallachadh gur e duine naomh a bh’ ann, agus tha ainmean eile mar sin anns a’ phàirt seo de dh’Alba. Baile Mo Thatha, mar eisimpleir, a th’ air ainmeachadh airson Naomh Mo Thatha.
Bha muinntir na sgìre seo cuideachd measail air Naomh Brìde, Naomh Mo Chùg, Naomh Bearachan agus naoimh eile. Agus tha Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd a’ dol bho Bhaile Mo Thatha gu ruige àite eile air bruach Loch Laomainn a th’ air ainmeachadh airson naomh – Rubha Àird Eòdhnain. Tha Eòdhnan, no Adhamnan, ainmeil ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba. B’ esan an naoidheamh aba ann an Eilean Ì agus ’s e a sgrìobh an leabhar Vita Sancti Columbae, Beatha Chaluim Chille.
Tha nàdar de cheangal ann eadar Eòdhnan agus am baile agam fhìn, Inbhir Nis, oir sgrìobh e mu thuras Chaluim Chille a Rìgh nan Cruithneach ann an Inbhir Nis. Dh’innis 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’ dèanamh ceangal eadar Leamhnachd agus Inbhir Nis – am fear a bu chudthromaiche do mhuinntir Leamhnachd – Naomh Mo Cheasag. Tha esan air a chuimhneachadh ann an ainmean-àite ann an Inbhir Nis – Ceasaig a Tuath agus Ceasaig a Deas. A rèir beul-aithris, chaidh ainm an naoimh a chur air an àite as dèidh dha mìorbhail a dhèanamh. Nuair a bha e na bhodach, bha e a’ faighinn aiseag thar a’ chaolais eadar Inbhir Nis agus an t-Eilean Dubh nuair a dh’èirich stoirm a chuir am bàta fodha. Chaidh na bh’ air bòrd a bhàthadh, ach Ceasag fhèin, agus thug an naomh beatha as ùr don a h-uile duine aca. As dèidh na mìorbhaile, ’s e Port Cheasaig agus Aiseag Cheasaig a chanadh an sluagh ris an dà phort air gach taobh dhen chaolas.
Chan e sin a’ chiad aithris de sheòrsa air Ceasag nas mò, oir tha Leabhar-Ùrnaigh Obair Dheathain ag innse mar a thachair dha ann an Eirinn nuair a bha e òg. Bha e mar phàirt de theaghlach uasal agus là a bha seo bha cuirm mhòr aca. Chaidh Ceasag agus na prionnsaichean eile gu ruige loch agus chaidh a h-uile duine aca a bhàthadh 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 làr. Ach rinn Ceasag ùrnaigh fad na h-oidhche agus, anns a’ mhadainn, bha na gillean uile beò a-rithist.
A rèir beul-aithris, dh’fhuirich Ceasag air fear de na h-eileanan ann an Loch Laomainn air a bheil Innis Taigh a’ Mhanaich. B’ esan am “manach”. Thigeadh an sluagh gu adhradh nuair a sheinneadh e clag air a’ chnoc as àirde, ris an canar Tom nan Clag. Seo a-nise deireadh mo Litreach ach, an ath-sheachdain, bheir mi sùil air dìleab de sheòrsa eile air bruach Loch Laomainn – àite co-cheangailte ri eucoireach, an àite naomh.
Faclan na Litreach: Tèadhaich: Menteith; Loch Innse Mo Cholmaig: Lake of Menteith; Leamhnachd: Lennox (country); Sruighlea: Stirling; Baile Mo Thatha: Balmaha; Rubha Àird Eòdhnain: Rowardennan; Eòdhnan, Adhamnan: Saint Adamnan; Ceasag, Naomh Mo Cheasag:St Kessock; Ceasaig a Tuath/Deas: North/South Kessock; Leabhar-Ùrnaigh Obair Dheathain: The Aberdeen Breviary; uasal: noble; Innis Taigh a’ Mhanaich: Inchtavannach (island); eucoireach: criminal.
Abairtean na Litreach: ’s e beachd neònach a th’ ann: it’s a strange opinion; gu ruige àite eile air bruach Loch Laomainn: to another place on the bank of Loch Lomond; tha nàdar de cheangal ann: there’s a sort of relationship; mu thuras Chaluim Chille a Rìgh nan Cruithneach: about Columba’s 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 dèidh dha mìorbhail a dhèanamh: after he caused a miracle; aiseag thar a’ chaolais: ferry across the strait; nuair a dh’èirich stoirm a chuir am bàta fodha: when a storm arose that sank the boat; chaidh na bh’ air bòrd a bhàthadh: those aboard were drowned; chan e sin X nas mò: that’s 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’s father; thigeadh an sluagh gu adhradh: the people would come to worship.
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: B’ esan an naoidheamh aba ann an Eilean Ì agus ’s e a sgrìobh 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’ esan rather than is esan), but the present tense (’s e a sgrìobh rather than b’ e a sgrìobh). 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’ e a sgrìobh an leabhar . This however is not necessary because the sgrìobh 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 “was” ie the past tense. Here is another example: b’ e Seumas an siathamh rìgh Stiùbhartach. ’S e a fhuair crùn Shasainn nuair a chaochail Ealasaid.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ’S e “loch” a tha anns cha mhòr a h-uile gin eile: almost every other one is a “loch”.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn