597: Cò às a thàinig am facal "Nollaig"?
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Cò às a thàinig am facal "Nollaig"?
Air a’ chiad shealladh, chan eil e follaiseach cò às a thàinig am facal a th’ againn airson “Christmas” – Nollaig. Tha a’ Bheurla soilleir gu leòr – Christ’s Mass. Ach Nollaig? Uill, ann an seann Ghàidhlig ’s e Notlaic a bh’ ann. Agus Nadolig ann an Cuimris. Bha fuaim “t” no “d” ann am meadhan an fhacail. Bha MacBheathain dhen bheachd gun do dh’èirich e à freumh Laidinn – natalicia, a’ ciallachadh “àm breith”. Tha sin a’ dèanamh ciall.
Tha sinn a’ dèanamh dheth an-diugh gur e an Nollaig an còigeamh latha fichead dhen Dùbhlachd, a’ riochdachadh latha-breith Ìosa Chrìosd. Ach, anns an t-seann aimsir, agus chan eil e cho fada sin bhuaipe, bha dà Nollaig ann – an Nollaig Mhòr agus an Nollaig Bheag. B’ e an Nollaig Mhòr an tè air a bheil sinn eòlach an-diugh. B’ e an Nollaig Bheag Latha na Bliadhn’ Ùire. Agus tha an Nollaig a’ nochdadh ann an grunn seanfhaclan. Seo eisimpleir:
Cha robh samhradh riamh gun ghrian,
Cha robh geamhradh riamh gun sneachd,
Cha robh Nollaig Mhòr gun fheòil,
No bean òg le deòin gun fhear.
Uill, cha chan mi cus mun loidhne mu dheireadh! Ach tha e soilleir gum biodh daoine ag ithe feòil gu leòr aig àm na Nollaig, ged nach biodh a leithid pailt aig amannan eile dhen bhliadhna.
Thàinig mi tarsainn air seanfhacal eile mun Nollaig, agus tha e gu math inntinneach – Nollaig an-diugh ’s Bealltainn a-màireach . Christmas today and May Day tomorrow. Dè tha sin a’ ciallachadh?
Uill, bhiodh na seann daoine ag ràdh – nam biodh latha na Nollaig ann air, can, Diluain gum biodh Latha na Bealltainn, a bha a’ leantainn air, air Dimàirt, an làrna-mhàireach. Nollaig an-diugh ’s Bealltainn a-màireach. Uill, chuir mi sin fo dheuchainn, le bhith a’ toirt sùil air na beagan bhliadhnaichean a dh’fhalbh. An robh e fìor? Agus seo na lorg mi:
2006: Nollaig Diluain, Bealltainn Dimàirt. Glè mhath. Tha e a’ leantainn modail an t-seanfhacail. 2007: Nollaig Dimàirt, Bealltainn mmm Diardaoin. Cha do dh’obraich sin. 2008: Nollaig Diardaoin, Bealltainn Dihaoine. Glè mhath. 2009: Nollaig Dihaoine, Bealltainn Disathairne. Math dha-rìribh. 2010: Nollaig Disathairne, Bealltainn Didòmhnaich. Sgoinneil. Agus 2011: Nollaig Didòmhnaich, Bealltainn mmm Dimàirt. Uill, tha e ag obair anns a’ chuid as motha de bhliadhnaichean.
Ach tha pàtran eile ann. Gu math tric, taobh a-staigh na h-aon bhliadhna mìosachain, bidh Latha na Bealltainn agus Latha na Nollaig air an aon latha dhen t-seachdain. Eadar 2006 agus 2011, bha sin fìor a h-uile bliadhna. Saoil a bheil seanfhacal ann mu dheidhinn sin? Bealltainn an-diugh is Nollaig an-diugh cuideachd...?
Co-dhiù, bu mhath leam dùrachd Nollaig thraidiseanta a thoirt dhuibh uile:
Guidheamaid buaidh is piseach oirbh,
Nur laighe ’s èirigh slàn;
Ur taigh gun bhoinne snighe ann,
’S ur ciste-mhine làn.
Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh uile.
Faclan na Litreach: Nollaig: Christmas; Cuimris: Welsh language; àm breith: time of birth; Oidhche nam Bannagan: the night of the cakes; math dha-rìribh: excellent; sgoinneil: fabulous; pàtran: pattern.
Abairtean na Litreach: air a’ chiad shealladh: at [on the] first sight; ann am meadhan an fhacail: in the middle of the word; bha MacBheathain dhen bheachd gun do dh’èirich e à freumh Laidinn: (Alexr.) MacBain (a famous Gaelic scholar and etymologist) was of the opinion that it arose from a Latin root; tha sinn a’ dèanamh dheth an-diugh: we reckon today; an còigeamh latha fichead dhen Dùbhlachd: the 25th of December; a’ riochdachadh latha-breith Ìosa Chrìosd: representing the birth day of Jesus Christ; anns an t-seann aimsir: in the olden days; agus chan eil e cho fada sin bhuaipe: and it’s not that long ago; b’ e an Nollaig Bheag Latha na Bliadhn’ Ùire: the Nollaig Bheag was New Year’s Day; airson a bhith ri spòrs is dibhearsain: to be involved in fun and games; cha robh samhradh riamh gun ghrian: there was never a summer without sun; gun sneachd: without snow; cha robh Nollaig Mhòr gun fheòil: there was never a Christmas without meat; no bean òg le deòin gun fhear: nor a willing young woman without a man; cha chan mi cus mun loidhne mu dheireadh: I won’t say too much about the last line; tha e soilleir gum biodh daoine ag ithe feòil gu leòr: it’s clear that people would be eating plenty of meat; ged nach biodh a leithid pailt aig amannan eile: although such a thing would not be plentiful at other times; chuir mi sin fo dheuchainn: I put that to the [under a] test; a’ toirt sùil air na beagan bhliadhnaichean a dh’fhalbh: looking at the past few years; taobh a-staigh na h-aon bhliadhna mìosachain: inside the one calendar year; Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh uile: Merry Christmas to you all.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: At the end of the Litir I gave you a traditional Christmas greeting. Here’s the translation. Keep it and use it next year!:Guidheamaid buaidh is piseach oirbh: let us wish you success and prosperity; Nur laighe ’s èirigh slàn: sleeping and rising healthily; Ur taigh gun bhoinne snighe ann: your house without a drop of water oozing in (ie through a thatched roof); ’S ur ciste-mhine làn: and your meal chest full. What more could you want! Happy Christmas to all my readers and listeners.
Seanfhacal na Litreach: Nollaig an-diugh ’s Bealltainn a-màireach : Christmas today and May Day tomorrow. This makes an observation – if Christmas day falls on, say, a Monday, the following May Day will fall on the next day of the week ie a Tuesday. But it clearly doesn’t work in all years. However, I noticed another pattern – within the same calendar year, May Day and Christmas day fall on the same day of the week. Any comments from aficianados of the calendar?
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 293
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