Vocabulary of Sounds (3)
We’re still looking at the Gaelic vocabulary for sounds. In English,
ducks say
, ‘quack, quack’. In Gaelic, they say
fà-ug, fà-ug. Fà-ug, fà-ug. Hens say gog gog in Gaelic, rather than cluck cluck. Gog gog. And a cockerel crows Gog-a-Ghuidh-Ghaoith , instead of Cock-a-doodle-do. Gog-a-Ghuidh-Ghaoith.
Hoodie and carrion crows say
gàg gàg. Gàg gàg. Ravens say gròg gròg. Gròg gròg. In English, the cuckoo says cuckoo, cuckoo. But in Gaelic it says
gug-gùg, gug-gùg. And the golden eagle says glì-ug, glì-ug. It’s not often we hear a golden eagle, however.
When a stone falls into water, what noise does it make? That’s a
plub. Plub. If a series of stones fall quickly into water, that is plubraich.
Plubraich.
What about noises that are not so common? How do we say ‘sizzle’ in
Gaelic? There is
drùiseadh. Drùiseadh. There is also dearrasan. Or
dearrasanaich.
That includes crackling, and the noise of a flag on a windy day. And
there is
ràstal. For ràstal,
Dwelly’s dictionary says ‘sizzling sound, as of flesh being fried’. A
good word for a barbecue, perhaps!
How do we say ‘hiss’ in Gaelic? Well, we can use the word
fead sometimes. Fead – a whistle or hiss. Fead an aonaich – that’s the noise the wind makes in heather on a mountain, or
aonach. Fead an aonaich.
There is also
siosarnaich. Hissing. Siosarnaich. And sèidrich.
Hissing, snorting. That’s also the noise that whales make when they
exhale.
Sèidrich. It’s different from sitrich. Sitrich is the noise of a horse. Bha na h-eich a’ sitrich ‘the horses were neighing’.
I’d like to finish my account with
lapan
or
slapan
. That’s the noise a person makes if his wellies are full of water and he
is walking in them.
Lapan.
Cheerio just now.
Briathrachas Fhuaimean (3)
Tha sinn fhathast a’ toirt sùil air a’ bhriathrachas Ghàidhlig airson
fuaimean. Ann am Beurla, bidh tunnagan ag ràdh, ‘quack, quack’.
Ann an Gàidhlig, bidh iad ag ràdh fà-ug, fà-ug. Fà-ug, fà-ug. Bidh
cearcan ag ràdh gog gog ann an Gàidhlig seach cluck cluck
. Gog gog. Agus bidh coileach a’ gairm Gog-a-Ghuidh-Ghaoith, an
àite Cock-a-doodle-do. Gog-a-Ghuidh-Ghaoith.
ʼS e gàg gàg a bhios aig feannagan is starragan. Gàg gàg.
Bidh fithich ag ràdh gròg gròg. Gròg gròg. Ann am Beurla, canaidh
a’ chuthag cuckoo, cuckoo. Ach, ann an Gàidhlig, bidh i ag ràdhgug-gùg, gug-gùg. Agus bidh an iolaire-bhuidhe ag ràdh glì-ug, glì-ug. Chan ann tric a chluinneas sinn iolaire-bhuidhe,
ge-tà.
Nuair a thuiteas clach a dh’uisge, dè am fuaim a tha i a’ dèanamh? ʼS e sin plub. Plub. Ma tha sreath chlachan a’ tuiteam a dh’uisge gu
sgiobalta, ʼs e sin plubraich. Plubraich.
Dè mu dheidhinn fuaimean nach eil cho cumanta? Ciamar a chanas sinnsizzle ann an Gàidhlig? Tha drùiseadh ann. Drùiseadh. Tha dearrasan ann cuideachd. No dearrasanaich. Tha sin a’
gabhail a-steach crackling, agus fuaim brataich air latha
gaothach. Agus tha ràstal ann. Airson ràstal, tha faclair
Dwelly ag ràdh sizzling sound, as of flesh being fried. Facal math
airson barbaiciù, ʼs dòcha!
Ciamar a chanas sinn hiss ann an Gàidhlig? Uill, bidh sinn a’
cleachdadh an fhacail fead uaireannan. Fead – a whistle or hiss. Fead an aonaich – ʼs e sin am fuaim a
nì a’ ghaoth ann am fraoch air beinn, no aonach. Fead an aonaich.
Tha siosarnaich ann cuideachd. Hissing. Siosarnaich. Agus sèidrich. Hissing, snorting. Sin cuideachd am fuaim a
bhios mucan-mara a’ dèanamh nuair a leigeas iad èadhar a-mach. Sèidrich.
Tha e eadar-dhealaichte bho sitrich. ʼS e sitrich am fuaim aig
each. Bha na h-eich a’ sitrich ‘the horses were neighing’.
Bu mhath leam crìoch a chur air mo chunntas le
lapan
no
slapan
. ʼS e sin am fuaim a bhios duine a’ dèanamh ma bhios na bòtannan aige làn
uisge, agus e a’ coiseachd annta. Lapan. Mar sin leibh.
