Is the word ‘siùcar’ in the Bible? (1)
How old is the word
siùcar [sugar] in Gaelic? MacBain tells us in his dictionary –
Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language – that it came from the
Middle English sugre. You’ll know the word in several European
languages – for example, siùcra in Irish Gaelic, zucker
in German and sucre in French. All those words are related to each other.
The word siùcar
isn’t in the Gaelic Bible, however. Or, if it is, I haven’t found it.
Is that a surprise? I’d say not. The people of Europe weren’t familiar
with sugar at the time of the writing of the Bible.
Apparently, humans started growing
ciulc an t-siùcair in the Pacific Islands. That’s sugar cane –
cuilc an t-siùcair.
That knowledge went to India, then to Persia and then to the Arab
countries. And the word went with the plant.
Shakar in Persian, sukkar in Arabic, sucre in French.
It’s thought that sugar reached England in the eleventh century. The
knights of the crusades were returning home from the middle east. They
took knowledge about sugar with them. At that time sugar was very
expensive.
But when did a Gael utter the word ‘siùcar’ for the first time. I don’t
know. And, although the people of northern Europe grow sugar beet
today, that didn’t start until around ‘the year of Charlie’ (1745-6) in
the eighteenth century.
Although the word sugar isn’t in the Bible, some people think that
sugar cane is named there. For example, in the Book of Jeremiah,
Chapter 6, Verse 20 there is this (the Lord is speaking): What use is
it should incense come to me from Sheba, and sweet cane from a distant
land?
Tùis o Sheba
– incense from Sheba. Sheba was famous for trading spices. And the
sweet-smelling cane from a distant land. That is translated as ‘sweet cane
from a distant land’. Is that sugar cane? More on this subject next week!
A bheil am facal ‘siùcar’ anns a’ Bhìoball? (1)
Dè cho sean ʼs a tha am facal ‘siùcar’ ann an Gàidhlig? Tha MacBheathain ag
innse dhuinn anns an fhaclair aige – Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language – gur ann às a’
Bheurla Mheadhanaich sugre a thàinig e. Bidh sibh eòlach air an
fhacal ann an grunn chànanan Eòrpach – mar eisimpleir, siùcra ann
an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann, zucker ann an Gearmailtis agus sucre ann am Fraingis. Tha na faclan sin uile càirdeach do chèile.
Chan eil am facal siùcar anns a’ Bhìoball Ghàidhlig, ge-tà. No, ma
thà, cha d’ fhuair mise lorg air. A bheil sin na iongnadh? Chanainn nach
eil. Cha robh muinntir na Roinn Eòrpa eòlach air siùcar ri linn sgrìobhadh
a’ Bhìobaill.
A rèir choltais, thòisich mac-an-duine air cuilc an t-siùcair fhàs ann an
eileanan a’ Chuain Sèimh. Sin sugar cane – cuilc an t-siùcair.
Chaidh an t-eòlas sin chun nan Innseachan, an uair sin gu Persia agus an
uair sin do na dùthchannan Arabach. Agus chaidh am facal leis an lus.Shakar ann am Persianais, sukkar ann an Arabais, sucre ann am Fraingis.
Thathar dhen bheachd gun do ràinig siùcar Sasainn anns an aonamh linn deug.
Bha ridirean nan cogaidhean-croise a’ tilleadh dhachaigh bhon
ear-mheadhanach. Thug iad fios mu shiùcar leotha. Aig an àm sin, bha siùcar
gu math daor.
Ach cuin a thuirt Gàidheal am facal ‘siùcar’ airson a’ chiad turais? Chan
eil fhios a’m. Agus, ged a tha muinntir ceann a tuath na Roinn Eòrpa a’ fàs
biotais siùcair an-diugh, cha do thòisich sin gu timcheall Bliadhna
Theàrlaich anns an ochdamh linn deug.
Ged nach eil am facal siùcar anns a’ Bhìoball, tha cuid dhen
bheachd gu bheilear ag ainmeachadh cuilc an t-siùcair ann. Mar eisimpleir,
ann an Leabhar Ieremiah Caibideil 6, Rann 20 tha seo ann (tha an Tighearna
a’ bruidhinn):
C’uim an tig tùis o Sheba thugam-sa, agus a’ chuilc chùbhraidh o
dhùthaich fad-às?
Tùis o Sheba – incense from Sheba. Bha Seba ainmeil airson malairt
spìosraidhean. Agus a’ chuilc chùbhraidh o dhùthaich fad-às.
Thathar ag eadar-theangachadh sin mar sweet cane from a distant land.
An e sin cuilc an t-siucair? Tuilleadh air a’ chuspair seo
an-ath-sheachdain!
