Kebnekaise
Kebnekaise is the highest
mountain in Sweden. It’s in a
beautiful area. It’s in the north, in
the Arctic. I was in that area at
Easter time. I was skiing across
[the] country.
That is the country of the
Sámi. On the land and on the map,
most of the place names are in
Sámi. I picked up a word or two of
the language. Jávri means “loch”.
Vággi means “glen”; Čohkka
means “mountain top”. I hope I
said them correctly.
There is an interesting thing
about the maps in Sweden, at least
in the north. There are two names
on each of the famous high
mountains. For example, there is
Kebnekaise. Also, under that
name, there is Giebmegáisi.
Kebnekaise is the Swedish language form of the name (although it
is a Sámi name). It’s like Ben
Nevis and Beinn Nibheis. Both
come from Gaelic. But one of them
has an anglicised form.
Until thirty years ago, Sámi
was written according to Swedish
language norms. Now they have their own way of writing. That is
different from the Swedish writing
system.
But here’s an important
thing. It affects us in Scotland. The
Swedes now put modern Sámi
forms on their maps. That’s in
addition to an old form based on
Swedish (where the old form is
well known). The Swedes are
following an agreement the United
Nations made. That is, where there
is a minority language, that their
spelling will be on the maps.
Now, look at the map of
Scotland. Compare [it] with the
maps of Sweden. On the Ordnance
Survey maps, where there is the
highest summit in Scotland, there
is only “Ben Nevis”. The
anglicised form only. There’s no
sign of the Gaelic form. It’s time
we changed that. “Beinn Nibheis”
should also be there.
Kebnekaise
’S i Kebnekaise a’ bheinn as àirde anns
an t-Suain. Tha i ann an sgìre
bhrèagha. Tha i anns a’ cheann a tuath,
anns an Artaig. Bha mi anns an sgìre
sin aig àm na Càisge. Bha mi a’
sgitheadh thar na dùthcha.
Is e sin dùthaich nan Sàmi. Air
an tìr agus air a’ mhapa, tha a’ mhòr-chuid de na h-ainmean-àite ann an
Sàmais. Thog mi facal no dhà dhen
chànan; tha jávri a’ ciallachadh “loch”.
Tha vággi a’ ciallachadh “gleann”; tha
čohkka a’ ciallachadh “mullach
beinne”. Tha mi an dòchas gun tuirt mi
ceart iad.
Tha rud inntinneach mu na
mapaichean anns an t-Suain, co-dhiù
anns a’ cheann a tuath. Tha dà ainm air
gach tè de na beanntan àrda ainmeil.
Mar eisimpleir tha Kebnekaise ann.
Cuideachd, fon ainm sin, tha
Giebmegáisi ann. ’S e Kebnekaise an
riochd Suaineis air an ainm (ged as e
ainm Sàmais a tha ann). ’S e
Giebmegáisi an riochd Sàmais. Tha e
coltach ri Ben Nevis agus Beinn
Nibheis. Tha an dà chuid a’ tighinn
bhon Ghàidhlig. Ach tha dreach Beurla
air fear dhiubh.
Gu trithead bliadhna air ais, bha
Sàmais air a sgrìobhadh a rèir nòsan Suaineis. A-nise tha dòigh sgrìobhaidh
aca fhèin. Tha sin eadar-dhealaichte
bho dhòigh-sgrìobhaidh Suaineis.
Ach seo agaibh rud cudromach.
Tha e a’ bualadh oirnn ann an Alba.
Tha na Suainich a’ cur riochdan
Sàmais an latha an-diugh air na
mapaichean a-nise. Tha sin a
bharrachd air seann riochd stèidhichte
air Suaineis (far a bheil an seann
riochd ainmeil). Tha na Suainich a’
leantainn aonta a rinn na Dùthchannan
Aonaichte. ’S e sin, far a bheil mion-chànan ann, gum bi an litreachadh
acasan air mapaichean na dùthcha.
Nise, coimheadaibh air mapa na
h-Alba. Dèanaibh coimeas
mapaichean na Suain. Air mapaichean
an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais far a bheil am
mullach as àirde ann an Alba, chan eil
ann ach “Ben Nevis”. Dreach na Beurla a-mhàin. Chan eil sgeul air dreach
na Gàidhlig. Tha an t-àm againn sin
atharrachadh. Bu chòir “Beinn
Nibheis” a bhith ann cuideachd.
