Scottish Natural Heritage
Do you know the word
muir? It means “sea”. A’ mhuir – the sea. Do you know the word tìr? It means “land”. An tìr – the land. Muir is tìr – the sea and the land. Both are important in the Gaidhealtachd.
Well, I have a question for you. What does the word
muir-thìreach mean? Muir-thìreach. It’s an ainmear – or noun. It is made up of the words muir and tìr. Muir-thìreach. That’s the Gaelic for amphibian. Something that lives in the sea and on land. Muir-thìreach – amphibian.We use muir-thìreach also as a buadhair or adjective. Muir-thìreach – amphibious.
We say that seals are amphibious. Part of the time seals are at sea, fishing and swimming. Poart of the time seals are on land, resting. But we don’t
use the noun
muir-thìreach for a seal. A seal is a mammal. A seal is not an amphibian.
But what about a
losgann
or frog? Frogs don’t go to sea. Frogs don’t like salt. They live in freshwater, and on land near freshwater. Do you reckon we should call an amphibian
“uisge-thìreach”, rather than a muir-thìreach?
Well, I’d say that
“muir-thìreach” is okay because that’s [simply] the word we have for amphibian. And the word amphiban in English doesn’t tell [us] that the animal splits its life between water and land. Amphibian means “dà-bheathach” or one with a double life. It comes from Ancient Greek. And some people call an amphibian dà-bheathach in Gaelic. The word
muir-thìreach
is on a new website which is very useful. On the site, there are many Gaelic names for plants and animals. It is a site belonging to
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba
– that’s Scottish Natural Heritage or SNH. The site is at
www.snh.org.uk/gaelic/dictionary
. Why don’t you have a look at it?
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba
A bheil sibh eòlach air an fhacal muir? Tha e a’ ciallachadh “sea”. A’ mhuir – the sea. A bheil sibh eòlach air an fhacal tìr?
Tha e a’ ciallachadh “land”. An tìr – the land. Muir is tìr – the sea and the land. Tha an dà chuid cudromach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd.
Uill, tha ceist agam dhuibh. Dè tha am facal muir-thìreach a’ ciallachadh? Muir-thìreach. ’S e ainmear a tha ann – no noun. Tha e air a
dhèanamh de na faclan muir agus tìr. Muir-thìreach. ’S e sin a’ Ghàidhlig air amphibian. Rudeigin a tha beò anns a’ mhuir agus
air tìr. Muir-thìreach – amphibian. Tha sinn a’ cleachdadh muir-thìreach cuideachd mar bhuadhair no adjective. Muir-thìreach – amphibious.
Tha sinn ag ràdh gu bheil ròin muir-thìreach. Pàirt dhen ùine bidh ròin aig muir, ag iasgach is a’ snàmh. Pàirt dhen ùine bidh ròin air tìr, a’ gabhail
fois. Ach cha bhi sinn a’ gabhail muir-thìreach mar ainmear air ròn. ’S e ròn mamail. Chan e ròn muir-thìreach.
Ach dè mu dheidhinn losgann, no frog? Cha bhi losgannan a’ dol gu muir. Cha toigh le losgannan salann. Tha iad beò ann am fìor-uisge, agus air tìr
faisg air fìor-uisge. Saoil an e “uisge-thìreach” a bu chòir a bhith againn air amphibian, seach muir-thìreach?
Uill, chanainn gu bheil “muir-thìreach” ceart gu leòr, oir ’s e sin am facal a tha againn airson amphibian. Agus chan eil am facalamphibian ann am Beurla ag innse gu bheil an t-ainmhidh a’ dol eadar uisge agus tìr. Tha amphibian a’ ciallachadh “dà-bheathach” noone with a double life. Tha e a’ tighinn bhon t-seann GhreuGais. Agus bidh cuid ag ràdh dà-bheathach ann an Gàidhlig airson amphibian.
Tha am facal muir-thìreach air làrach-lìn ùr a tha gu math feumail. Air an làraich, tha tòrr ainmean Gàidhlig airson lusan is ainmhidhean. ’S e
làrach aig Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba – sin Scottish Natural Heritage no SNH. Tha an làrach aig www.snh.org.uk/gaelic/dictionary. Carson nach toir sibh sùil oirre?
