27: Ceann-fionn

Bidh cuimhn’ agaibh gu robh mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh an t-seachdain-sa gu dè an t-eun dubh is geal air a bheil ainm ann am Beurla a thàinig gu dìreach bhon Chuimris. Uill, ’s e am “penguin” a th’ ann. Ann an Cuimris, tha “pen” a’ ciallachadh ceann agus tha “gwyn” a’ ciallachadh geal neo fionn. Pen-gwyn. Tha e coltach gu robh Cuimreach air choreigin am measg a’ chiad fheadhainn a chaidh don Antarctaig às Breatainn, ceudan bliadhna air ais, agus gun do chuir e an t-ainm sin air na h-eòin. Agus gun tàinig sin tarsainn don Bheurla aig an àm sin.

Thàinig an gnothach seo gu m’ aire nuair a bha mi ann am bun-sgoil far a bheilear a’ teagasg tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Cha robh mi eòlach air facal sam bith airson “penguin” ann an Gàidhlig ach penguin fhèin. Ach air a’ bhalla anns an sgoil sin, bha dealbhan a rinn na sgoilearan de bheathaichean anns an Antarctaig. Agus fo dhealbh de dh’eun dhen t-seòrsa sin bha an tiotal – “Ceann-fionn”. Bha cuideigin air a’ Chuimris eadar-theangachadh don Ghàidhlig. Pen-gwyn: ceann-fionn. Chan eil fhios a’m an tuigeadh bodach ann am Bràgar, ge-tà, gur e ceann-fionn penguin.

Ach, air falbh bhon Antarctaig, tha mi a’ faicinn gu bheil fear à Sasainn, a th’ air a bhith a’ rannsachadh Uilebheist Loch Nis, dìreach air a bhith anns na Stàitean Aonaichte airson sreath òraidean a thoirt air “Nessie” thall an sin. Thug Pòl MacEanraig leabhar a-mach o chionn ghoirid, air a bheil Encyclopaedia of the Loch Ness Monster.

Cha do leugh mi an leabhar, ach chaidh aithris a dhèanamh air ann am pàipear-naidheachd air Ghàidhealtachd mar “chlàr aibidileach dhen chùis … bho shealladh Chaluim Chille [dhen uilebheist] ann an 565 gu rannsachaidhean an latha an-diugh.” Tha e inntinneach cho tric ’s a tha Calum Cille air a thoirt a-steach don ghnothach airson barrachd chreideis a thoirt dha. Gu h-àraidh leis nach robh mòran aithrisean ann eadar a linn-san agus na tricheadan anns an fhicheadamh linn. Ach an e uilebheist Loch Nis a chunnaic an naomh?

Rachamaid air ais don aithris a sgrìobh Naomh Adomnan air a’ chùis. B’ esan naoideamh Aba Ì agus sgrìobh e an leabhar Vita Sancti Columbae, Beatha Naoimh Chaluim Chille, ann an Laideann, aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn.

“… air latha eile,” sgrìobh e, “nuair a chuir an duine beannaichte seachad grunn làithean ann an dùthaich nan Cruithneach, b’ fheudar dha dhol tarsainn Abhainn Nis. Nuair a ràinig e a bruach, chunnaic e cuid de mhuinntir an àite, agus iad a’ tiodhlacadh duine truagh. Thuirt iad gun tug beist na h-aibhne greim air, agus gun do rinn e cron air, fhad ’s a bha e a’ snàmh goirid roimhe sin.” A-reir Adomnan, dh’iarr Calum Cille air fear de a chompanaich dhol a shnàmh agus, nuair a dh’èirich an t-uilebheist bho ghrunnd na h-aibhne le droch rùn, gun do dh’òrdaich an naomh dha teicheadh ann an ainm Dhè.

’S e an rud a bu chòir dhuinn mothachadh mun sgeulachd seo nach ann ann an Loch Nis a bha an t-uilebheist seo idir, ach anns an abhainn. Tha fhios a’m gu bheil an dà rud ceangailte ri chèile, ’s gu bheil an abhainn a’ sruthadh a-mach às an loch. Ach tha mi searbh de bhith a’ cluinntinn gur e Uilebheist Loch Nis a chunnaic Calum Cille. Cha b’ e, ach Uilebheist na h-Aibhne.

Agus bhon uairsin cha chreid mi gun cualas guth air Uilebheist Abhainn Nis. Is beag an t-iongnadh ’s dòcha. ’S e duine cumhachdach a bh’ ann an Calum Cille. Ach an robh uilebheist anns an loch aig an àm sin agus, ma bha, a bheil gin air fhàgail an-diugh? Uill, fàgaidh mi sin agaibh fhèin.

Faclan na Litreach: fionn: fair; an Antarctaig: the Antarctic; Bràgar: Bragar (in Lewis); Uilebheist Loch Nis: the Loch Ness Monster; na Stàitean Aonaichte: the United States; sreath òraidean: a series of lectures: Pòl MacEanraig: Paul Harrison; clàr aibidileach: an alphabetised record; rannsachaidhean: explorations; inntinneach: interesting; beannaichte: blessed; na h-aibhne: of the river.

Abairtean na Litreach: am measg a’ chiad fheadhainn: among the first (people); gun tàinig sin tarsainn don Bheurla: that that came over to English; bha X air a’ Chuimris eadar-theangachadh: X had translated the Welsh; chaidh aithris a dhèanamh air: a report was made of; bho shealladh Chaluim Chille: from Columba’s sighting; airson barrachd chreideis a thoirt dha: to give it (masc.) more credibility; eadar a linn-san agus na tricheadan anns an fhicheadamh linn: between his day and the thirties in the 20^th century (trichead is thirty in the new counting system – at which we shall look in a future letter); b’ esan naoidheamh Aba Ì: he was the 9^th Abbot of Iona; dùthaich nan Cruithneach: the land of the Picts; gun tug X greim air agus gun do rinn e cron air: that X took grip of and mauled; dh’èirich an t-uilebheist bho ghrunnd na h-aibhne: the monster rose from the river bed; ann an ainm Dhè: in the name of God; tha mi searbh de: I am fed up of; cha chreid mi gun cualas guth air X:I don’t think that a mention was heard of X; fàgaidh mi sin agaibh fhèin: I will leave that up to you (note the “p” sound between agaibh and fhèin; it is sometimes written agaibh p-fhèin).

Puing ghràmair na Litreach: Rachamaid air ais don aithris a sgrìobh Naomh Adomnan: let us go back to the report that Saint Adomnan wrote. Have you been confused by constructions like rachamaid or bhitheamaid or coisicheamaid? They are formed by adding –(e)amaid to the root of the appropriate verb. They always refer to the 1^st person plural and can mean either “let us …” or “we would …”. They can be differentiated by looking at (or listening to) the beginning of the word. If it is lenited, it means “we would …”; if it is not lenited, it means “let us…”. Here are some examples: Bhitheamaid (we would be), bitheamaid (let us be); choisicheamaid (we would walk), coisicheamaid (let us walk); dheanamaid (we would do, make), deanamaid (let us do, make); bhuaileamaid (we would hit, strike), buaileamaid (let us hit, strike). Canamaid gu robh e ceart (let us say he was correct). Chanamaid “madainn mhath” nuair a thigeadh an tidsear a-steach (we would say “good morning” when the teacher came in). Deanamaid ùrnaigh (let us pray), dheanamaid ùrnaigh ann an uamh anns na beanntan (we would pray in a cave in the mountains).

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Is beag an t-iongnadh: it is of little surprise. Is beag an t-iongnadh gun do bhuannaich iad. B’iadsan an sgioba a b’ fheàrr. (It is hardly surprising they won. They were the best team).

PDF

Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:

Download File

PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.

Podcast

BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn