275: Names for plants (2) 275: Ainmean airson lusan (2)
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag 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 little 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.
Ainmean airson lusan (2)
An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi a’ bruidhinn mun fhacal samh. ’S e sin a’ Ghàidhlig a tha air the common sorrel no sourock, Rumex acetosa. Bha mi ag ràdh gur dòcha gun tàinig an t-ainm bho Phòlainnis gu Iuidis gu Beurla gu Gàidhlig.
Bha daoine ag ithe samh mar ghlasraich. Ach ciamar eile a bha iad ga chleachdadh? Uill, uaireannan, bha iad a’ cur pìosan beaga dhen duilleig ann an sailead. Bha iad a’ dèanamh sabhs leis. Bha daoine dhen bheachd gun robh e ag obair an aghaidh an tachais-thioraim, no scurvy. Tha beothaman C sna duilleagan, ceart gu leòr.
Nuair a bha daoine a’ buain buntàta, agus am pathadh orra, bha iad a’ sùgadh duilleag dhen t-samh. Bidh an samh a’ fàs gu tric am measg buntàta. Bha na Ròmanaich a’ sùgadh nan duilleagan cuideachd. Tha an t-ainm rumex a’ tighinn bhon Laidinn rumo. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh sùg.
Chaidh an Sgitheanach, Màrtainn MacIlleMhàrtainn, gu Hiort. Bha sin aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn deug. Sgrìobh e mu dheidhinn anns an leabhar aige A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. Anns a’ chunntas, tha e ag innse mu dhuine ann an Hiort. Bha am fear seo a’ fulang leis an luibhre no leprosy. Bha e air fàs uabhasach reamhar. Cha mhòr nach robh a sgòrnan air dùnadh. Thug MacIlleMhàrtainn comhairle dha mu bhiadh agus eacarsaich. Dh’iarr e air salann a ghabhail le feòil. Dh’iarr e air gun a bhith a’ gabhail cus geire. Agus dh’iarr e air a bhith ag ithe samh.
Cha robh an Hiortach ro dheònach samh ithe. Ach thuirt MacIlleMhàrtainn ris – seall air mar a bhios am fulmair ga ithe. Smaoinich an duine air sin. Bha e measail air an fhulmair. Agus ghabh e comhairle an Sgitheanaich. Dh’ith e samh. Taobh a-staigh beagan làithean bha a ghuth mòran na bu làidire. Bha e a’ dol am feabhas.
Nise, mus ruith sibh a-mach, a’ sireadh samh, seo rabhadh. Feuchaibh dìreach beagan dheth an toiseach. Bidh e a’ toirt droch bhuaidh air cuid. Beannachd leibh.
Names for plants (2)
Last week I was talking about the word samh. That’s the Gaelic for the common sorrel or sourock, Rumex acetosa. I was saying that perhaps the name came from Polish to Yiddish to English to Gaelic.
People were eating sorrel as vegetables. But how else were they using it? Well, sometimes, they were putting small pieces of the leaf in a salad. They were making a sauce with it. People were of the opinion that it was working against scurvy. There is vitamin C in the leaves, certainly.
When people were harvesting potatoes and they were thirsty, they were sucking the leaf of the sorrel. Sorrel often grows among potatoes. The Romans were also sucking the leaves. The name rumex comes from the Latin rumo. That means [I] suck.
The Skyeman, Martin Martin, went to St Kilda. That was at the end of the 17th Century. He wrote about it in his book A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. In the account he tells of a man in St Kilda. This man was suffering from leprosy. He had grown corpulent. His throat had almost closed. Martin advised him about food and exercise. He asked him to take salt with meat. He asked him not to eat too much fat. And he asked him to eat sorrel.
The St Kildan wasn’t too willing to eat sorrel. But Martin said to him – look how the fulmar eats it. The man contemplated that. He liked the fulmar. And he took the Skyeman’s advice. He ate the sorrel. Within a few days his voice was much stronger. He was getting better.
Now, before you run out, looking for sorrel, here’s a warning. Try only a little of it in the first instance. It has a bad effect on some people. Goodbye.
Ainmean airson lusan (2)
An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi a’ bruidhinn mun fhacal samh. ’S e sin a’ Ghàidhlig a tha air the common sorrel no sourock, Rumex acetosa. Bha mi ag ràdh gur dòcha gun tàinig an t-ainm bho Phòlainnis gu Iuidis gu Beurla gu Gàidhlig.
Bha daoine ag ithe samh mar ghlasraich. Ach ciamar eile a bha iad ga chleachdadh? Uill, uaireannan, bha iad a’ cur pìosan beaga dhen duilleig ann an sailead. Bha iad a’ dèanamh sabhs leis. Bha daoine dhen bheachd gun robh e ag obair an aghaidh an tachais-thioraim, no scurvy. Tha beothaman C sna duilleagan, ceart gu leòr.
Nuair a bha daoine a’ buain buntàta, agus am pathadh orra, bha iad a’ sùgadh duilleag dhen t-samh. Bidh an samh a’ fàs gu tric am measg buntàta. Bha na Ròmanaich a’ sùgadh nan duilleagan cuideachd. Tha an t-ainm rumex a’ tighinn bhon Laidinn rumo. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh sùg.
Chaidh an Sgitheanach, Màrtainn MacIlleMhàrtainn, gu Hiort. Bha sin aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn deug. Sgrìobh e mu dheidhinn anns an leabhar aige A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. Anns a’ chunntas, tha e ag innse mu dhuine ann an Hiort. Bha am fear seo a’ fulang leis an luibhre no leprosy. Bha e air fàs uabhasach reamhar. Cha mhòr nach robh a sgòrnan air dùnadh. Thug MacIlleMhàrtainn comhairle dha mu bhiadh agus eacarsaich. Dh’iarr e air salann a ghabhail le feòil. Dh’iarr e air gun a bhith a’ gabhail cus geire. Agus dh’iarr e air a bhith ag ithe samh.
Cha robh an Hiortach ro dheònach samh ithe. Ach thuirt MacIlleMhàrtainn ris – seall air mar a bhios am fulmair ga ithe. Smaoinich an duine air sin. Bha e measail air an fhulmair. Agus ghabh e comhairle an Sgitheanaich. Dh’ith e samh. Taobh a-staigh beagan làithean bha a ghuth mòran na bu làidire. Bha e a’ dol am feabhas.
Nise, mus ruith sibh a-mach, a’ sireadh samh, seo rabhadh. Feuchaibh dìreach beagan dheth an toiseach. Bidh e a’ toirt droch bhuaidh air cuid. Beannachd leibh.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
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.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 579
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