988: Taigh Mòr na Seilge
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Taigh Mòr na Seilge
Deas air Gleann Afraig, tha grunn bheanntan drùidhteach àrda. Nam measg, tha tè le ainm car annasach. Tha Taigh Mòr na Seilge a’ ruigsinn àirde de naoi ceud, fichead ʼs a naoi (929) meatair. Tha i letheach-slighe eadar Loch Afraig agus Loch Cluanaidh. Taigh Mòr na Seilge – the big house of the hunt. Carson a tha ainm cho annasach air beinn?
Tha diofar adhbharan ann, ʼs dòcha. An robh na daoine ag innse sgeulachdan mu na Fianna, agus iad a’ sealg air a’ bheinn sin? An robh taigh na Fèinne ann, co-dhiù a rèir beul-aithris? No an robhar a’ sealg an sin ri linn nam fineachan? Tha cnoc gu tuath air Taigh Mòr na Seilge air a bheil An Eilrig mar ainm. ʼS e Eilrig àite anns am biodh daoine a’ sealg nam fiadh anns an t-seann aimsir.
No an e mearachd a th’ ann? Anns na leabhraichean-ainm aig an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais tha pìos sgrìobhte ann am peann dearg. Tha e ag ràdh gur e an t-ainm ceart air a’ bheinn Tom Mòr na Seilge. Agus tha e ag ràdh ‘ Altered by authority of Mr. Mackay, Inverness’. Feumaidh nach robh Mgr MacAoidh dhen bheachd gun robh an t-ainm ceart. Ach, air an làimh eile, fhuair luchd-cruinneachaidh nan ainmean am fios bho mhinistear – an t-Urramach A D MacCoinnich – agus na bu chudromaiche na sin – bho Mhgr Friseal, geamair ann an Gleann Afraig.
Ach tha nota eile anns an aon leabhar a tha ag ràdh gu feumar tuilleadh rannsachaidh a dhèanamh air an ainm air òrdugh an ‘Director General’. Bha a’ chùis air a dhol gu mullach an OS!
Feumaidh gun do rinneadh co-dhùnadh aig a’ cheann thall gur e Taigh Mòr na Seilge an t-ainm ceart oir ʼs e sin a th’ air na mapaichean an-diugh. Ge-tà, ʼs e Tom Mòr na Seilge a th’ air a’ mhapa aon-òirlich a chaidh fhoillseachadh anns a’ bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900).
ʼS e an rud a tha iongantach mun bheinn sin, gu bheil taigh oirre – faisg air mullach na beinne aig àirde naoi ceud meatair os cionn na mara. Cha robh mi fhìn ann, ach bha mi a’ bruidhinn ri fear a bha ann, agus a chuir dealbhan dhen structar thugam. Tha e faisg gu leòr air Loch a’ Chòinnich airson a bhith cinnteach gum biodh uisge ri fhaighinn eadhon ann an aimsir thioram.
Tha an togalach seachd gu leth meatair a dh’fhaid agus ceithir meatair ann an leud. Tha e na thobhta a-nise, ach tha na ballachan fhathast nan seasamh gu aona puing seachd meatair a dh’àirde. Agus tha aon uinneag fhathast ri a faicinn – gun glainne. Lorg mo charaid poitean agus coire am measg an sprùillich.
An e taigh seilge a bh’ ann? Mas e, carson a bhiodh e cho àrd air a’ bheinn? Rinn mo charaid rannsachadh air a’ chùis agus cha do lorg e aithris no iomradh sam bith air an togalach.
Ach thàinig aon bheachd inntinneach thuige – gur e taigh a chaidh a thogail leis an fheadhainn a bha a’ dèanamh nam mapaichean anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha an luchd-obrach sin a’ campachadh a-mach airson ùine mhòr am measg beanntan na Gàidhealtachd nuair a bha iad ag obair. Canaidh daoine ‘Colby Camps’ ri a leithid, an dèidh fear Tòmas Colby. Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu dheidhinn-san anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach: : annasach: unusual; a’ sealg: hunting; tom:hill; geamair: gamekeeper; aon-òirlich: one inch (to the mile); a’ campachadh: camping.
Abairtean na Litreach: deas air Gleann Afraig, tha grunn bheanntan drùidhteach àrda: south of Glen Affric, there are several high impressive mountains; letheach-slighe eadar Loch Afraig agus Loch Cluanaidh: halfway between Loch Affric and Loch Cluanie; an e mearachd a th’ ann?: is it a mistake?; na leabhraichean-ainm aig an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais: the name-books of the Ordnance Survey; feumaidh nach robh Mgr MacAoidh dhen bheachd gun robh an t-ainm ceart: it must be that Mr MacKay was not of the opinion that the name was correct; gu feumar tuilleadh rannsachaidh a dhèanamh air an ainm air òrdugh X: that more research must be done on the name on the order of X; ʼs e an rud a tha iongantach mun bheinn sin, gu bheil taigh oirre: the thing that is amazing about that mountain is that there is a house on it; a chuir dealbhan dhen structar thugam: who sent me pictures of the structure; airson a bhith cinnteach gum biodh uisge ri fhaighinn eadhon ann an aimsir thioram: to be certain that water would be available even in dry weather; tha an togalach seachd gu leth meatair a dh’fhaid agus ceithir meatair ann an leud: the building is seven and a half metres in length and four metres in width; tha e na thobhta a-nise: it is now a ruin; tha aon uinneag fhathast ri a faicinn – gun glainne: there is one window still to be seen – without windows; lorg mo charaid poitean agus coire am measg an sprùillich: my friend discovered pots and a cauldron among the debris; a chaidh a thogail leis an fheadhainn a bha a’ dèanamh nam mapaichean anns an naoidheamh linn deug: that was built by the folk who were making the maps in the nineteenth century.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Taigh Mòr na Seilge: this is not the form of the place name that you will find on the Ordnance Survey maps. It is written as Tigh Mòr na Seìlge which is erroneous on two counts. The historical spelling Tigh has been replace by the more accurate Taigh, and Seilge does not have an accented ‘i’. It would be nice if such simple errors were erased in future map editions.
Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: an robhar a’ sealg an sin ri linn nam fineachan? : was hunting take place there in the days of the clans? .
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 684
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