The words 'Caor, Caoir is Caorain'
I’m going to start this Litir with a proverb.
Cha tuit caoran à cliabh falamh.
A small peat will not fall from an empty creel. Idiomatically it means
‘don’t expect wise words from an empty head’.
Cha tuit caoran à cliabh falamh.
The word
caoran is interesting. It comes from caor or caoir
which means something from which light or heat, or both, emanate – like
a glowing coal in a fire. A
caoran
is a piece of peat that shines in a fire. But the word also stands for
a red berry like those that appear on a rowan tree. Yes –
caorann [rowan].
There are many words in the dictionaries connected to
caor or caoir
, and light or shining is connected to them in some way or another.
Caoir-bianag means ‘phosphorescence in the sea’. Caoir-sholas means ‘gleaming light’. Caoir-gheal means ‘white crest of waves in a gale’.
Because people were using the words
caor or caoran
in connection with fruit, the word now stands for ‘dearc’ or berry in
English, even if it’s not red. Often, it appears in the form
caora. For example, caora-dhromain ‘elderberry’,
caora-staoin ‘juniper berry’ and caora-mhitheig ‘blaeberry’.
The word
caorachan
appears in place names, for example in Sgùrr a’ Chaorachain in
Applecross in Ross-shire. That means ‘the peak of the gleaming
torrent’. When water streams off a mountain on a dark day, the streams
are somewhat like lights because they are so white. Light –
caor, caorachan.
North of Applecross there are Coire Chaorachain and Gleann Chaorainn in
the area around Little Loch Broom. I expect that they mean the same.
And east of Applecross in the mountains south of Achnashellach, there
is Toll a’ Chaorachain ‘the deep corrie of the gleaming torrent’. Toll
a’ Chaorachain.
I hope you enjoyed our tour around
caor
and
caoran.
Cheerio just now.
Caor, Caoir is Caorain
Tha mi a’ dol a thòiseachadh na Litreach seo le seanfhacal.
Cha tuit caoran à cliabh falamh. A small peat will not fall from an
empty creel.
Gu gnàthasach, tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘ don’t expect wise words from an empty head’. Cha tuit caoran à
cliabh falamh.
Tha am facal caoran inntinneach. Tha e a’ tighinn à caor
no caoir a tha a’ ciallachadh rudeigin às an tig solas no teas, no
an dà chuid – coltach ri èibhleag ann an teine. ʼS e caoran pìos mòine a
tha a’ deàlradh ann an teine. Ach tha am facal a’ seasamh cuideachd airson
dearc dearg coltach ris an fheadhainn a tha a’ nochdadh air
craobh-chaorainn. Seadh – caorann.
Tha tòrr fhaclan anns na faclairean co-cheangailte ri caor no caoir, agus
tha solas no deàlradh co-cheangailte riutha ann an dòigh air choreigin. Tha caoir-bianag a’ ciallachadh ‘phosphorescence in the sea’.
Tha caoir-sholas a’ ciallachadh ‘gleaming light’. Thacaoir-gheal a’ ciallachadh ‘ white crest of waves in a gale’.
Leis gun robh daoine a’ cleachdadh an fhacail caor no caoran ann an co-cheangail ri measan, tha am facal a-nise a’
seasamh airson ‘dearc’ no berry ann am Beurla, eadhon ged nach
bitheadh e dearg. Gu tric tha e a’ nochdadh san dreach caora. Mar
eisimpleir caora-dhromain ‘elderberry’, caora-staoin ‘juniper berry’ agus caora-mhitheig
‘blaeberry’.
Tha am facal caorachan a’ nochdadh ann an ainmean-àite, mar
eisimpleir ann an Sgùrr a’ Chaorachain air a’ Chomraich ann an Siorrachd
Rois. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ‘the peak of the gleaming torrent’.
Nuair a tha uisge a’ sruthadh far beinn air latha dorch, tha na sruthan car
coltach ri solais oir tha iad cho bàn. Solas – caor, caorachan.
Gu tuath air a’ Chomraich tha Coire Chaorachain agus Gleann Chaorachain ann
an sgìre an Locha Bhig. Tha mi an dùil gur e an aon chiall a tha orra. Agus
gu sear air a’ Chomraich anns na beanntan deas air Achadh nan Seileach, tha
Toll a’ Chaorachain ‘the deep corrie of the gleaming torrent’.
Toll a’ Chaorachain.
Tha mi an dòchas gun do chòrd ar turas timcheall
caor
is
caoran
ribh. Mar sin leibh an-dràsta.
