1014: Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil agus Coimisean Napier (2)
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.
Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil agus Coimisean Napier (2)
Nuair a bha mi ann an Uibhist turas, chuala mi beul-aithris gun robh uaireigin na h-eileanan ris an canar Heisgeir ceangailte ri Uibhist a Tuath. A-nise, tha caolas mòr ann eadar taobh an iar Uibhist a Tuath agus Heisgeir.
Tha cunntas mu na h-eileanan sin aig Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil ann an aithisg Choimisean Napier. Chuir e trì ainmean Gàidhlig orra – Heisgeir, Teisgeir agus Aoisgeir. Agus sgrìobh e gur e an treas ainm sin am fear as ciallaiche. Aoisgeir – isthmus rock. Tha am facal aoidh aithnichte airson tairbeart no dòirlinn.
Sgrìobh MacIlleMhìcheil gun robh aoidh ann uaireigin a bha a’ ceangal Heisgeir ri Uibhist a Tuath. Mean air mhean, dh’fhalbh an talamh gu bhith nam fadhlaichean. Dh’fhalbh na fadhlaichean agus an uair sin bha caolas eu-domhainn ann (le grunnd gainmhich). Agus bha comas aig daoine ri linn MhicIlleMhìcheil an fheadhainn mu dheireadh a choisich a-null ʼs a-nall ainmeachadh – agus feadhainn a chaidh a bhàthadh air an turas a-null cuideachd.
Bidh cuid de sgoilearan ainmean-àite a’ cur teagamh anns an argamaid aig MacIlleMhìcheil, ach cha robh an Liosach deiseil aige sin. Sgrìobh e cuideachd gur e aoidh bunait ainm eilein a tha cho ainmeil ri gin ann an Alba – Ì no Ì Chaluim Chille. Bha e dhen bheachd gur e Aoidh Chaluim Chille a bh’ air an eilean mar ainm aig aon àm. Bha e a’ cumail a-mach gun robh e follaiseach do dhuine sam bith a bheireadh sùil air gun robh Ì uaireigin ceangailte ri Muile, agus aoidh eatarra.
Bhiodh e doirbh a dhol às àicheadh sin gu tur. Tha mi air seòladh dà thuras tro Chaolas Ì agus tha e gu math eu-domhainn, le oitirean is sruthan a bhios a’ gluasad fad na h-ùine oir tha an grunnd air a dhèanamh de ghainmheach.
Agus tha ceangal eile ann eadar Ì agus Heisgeir. Sgrìobh MacIlleMhìcheil gur e fìor ainm eilean mòr Heisgeir (gu fìrinneach tha trì eileanan ceangailte ann a tha ceangailte ri chèile le fadhlaichean) Heisgeir nan Cailleach ‘Heisgeir of the Nuns’. Bha uaireigin coimhearsnachd de chailleachan-dubha – a bha co-cheangailte ri Eilean Ì – a’ fuireach ann. Gu siar air an eilean, thar caolas, tha eilean eile, far a bheil taigh-solais. Ged as e Siolaigh a th’ air an-diugh, ʼs e Heisgeir nam Manach ‘Heisgeir of the Monks’ a bh’ air uaireigin. ʼS e sin as coireach gur e Na h-Eileanan Monach no Monach Isles a th’ air an àite seo mar ainm cuideachd.
Tha MacIlleMhìcheil ag innse seann naidheachd mu Heisgeir. Air latha samhraidh o chionn fhada, chaidh grunn de mhuinntir an eilein gu ruige Siolaigh airson caoraich a rùsgadh. Chuir na fir na boireannach air tìr ann an Siolaigh. Dh’fhalbh na fir an uair sin gu sgeir airson ròin a shealg. Ge-tà, cha do cheangail iad an eathar mar bu chòir agus dh’fhalbh i leis a’ ghaoith ʼs leis an t-sruth.
Cha robh bàta aig na boireannaich airson na fir a shàbhaladh agus bha a’ mhuir a’ lìonadh. Bha na boireannaich ann an Siolaigh ag èigheachd agus chuala boireannach eile air Heisgeir fhèin iad. Rinn an tè sin spàirn airson eathar a tharraing sìos an cladach. Chuir i air bhog sa chaolas i. Ach cha robh i luath gu leòr. Chaidh na fir a sguabadh far na sgeire le tuinn mhòra a’ Chuain Siar. Bha am mnathan gan coimhead ach cha b’ urrainn dhaibh dad a dhèanamh airson an sàbhaladh.
Faclan na Litreach: caolas: channel, strait; Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil:Alexander Carmichael; Liosach: native of Lismore; Ì no Ì Chaluim Chille: Iona; cailleachan-dubha: nuns; Siolaigh: Shillay; spàirn: struggle.
Abairtean na Litreach: chuala mi beul-aithris gun robh uaireigin na h-eileanan ris an canar Heisgeir ceangailte ri Uibhist a Tuath: I heard oral tradition that at one time the islands called Heisgeir were connected to North Uist; mean air mhean, dh’fhalbh an talamh gu bhith nam fadhlaichean: gradually, the land changed to be sea-fords; dh’fhalbh na fadhlaichean: the sea-fords disappeared; bha caolas eu-domhainn ann (le grunnd gainmhich): there was a shallow strait there (with a sandy bottom); bha comas aig daoine ri linn X an fheadhainn mu dheireadh a choisich a-null ʼs a-nall ainmeachadh: people had the ability in X’s time to name the last ones to walk there and back; a chaidh a bhàthadh: who were drowned; gur e aoidh bunait ainm eilein a tha cho ainmeil ri gin ann an Alba: that aoidh is the basis of the name of an island that is as famous as any in Scotland; gun robh e follaiseach do dhuine sam bith a bheireadh sùil air: that it was obvious to anybody that would look at it; gun robh Ì uaireigin ceangailte ri Muile: that Iona was at one time connected to Mull; bhiodh e doirbh a dhol às àicheadh sin gu tur: it would be difficult to entirely deny that; eu-domhainn, le oitirean is sruthan a bhios a’ gluasad fad na h-ùine: shallow, with sandbanks and channels that are constantly shifting; air latha samhraidh o chionn fhada:on a summer’s day a long time ago; airson caoraich a rùsgadh:to shear sheep; gu sgeir airson ròin a shealg: to a skerry to hunt seals; cha do cheangail iad an eathar mar bu chòir: they didn’t tie up their boat as they should; bha a’ mhuir a’ lìonadh: the tide was rising [‘the sea was filling’]; chaidh na fir a sguabadh far na sgeire le tuinn mhòra a’ Chuain Siar: the men were swept from the skerry by great Atlantic waves; airson an sàbhaladh: to save them.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Tha am facal aoidh aithnichte airson tairbeart no dòirlinn: the word aoidh is known for an isthmus. Aoidh is sometimes given as ùidh . It is considered to be a loan-word, originating in the Old Norse eið ‘isthmus, neck of land’. Tairbeart and dòirlinn are words of Gaelic origin which can also stand for an isthmus.
Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: thar caolas : across a channel/strait.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 710
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