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21/08/2009
Litir na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's letter for learners from Roddy MacLean.
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Fri 21 Aug 2009
11:55
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 529
Duration: 05:00
Litir 529: Lus nan Cnapan
Fhuair mi post-d bho fhear a bhuineas do dh’Inbhir Nis, agus a tha ag ionnsachadh na Gà idhlig. ’S ann à Marc-Innis a bha a mhà thair – an sgìre de dh’Inbhir Nis as fhaide a chum a’ Ghà idhlig beò mar chainnt coimhearsnachd. Tha cuimhne aig mo charaid air a mhà thair a bhith a’ cleachdadh fhaclan à raidh a bhuineadh do dhualchainnt shònraichte.Tha e ag innse dhomh gur ann nuair a bha e air tighinn gu ìre a thuig e gur e faclan Gà idhlig a bh’ annta.
Latha a bha seo, bha e a’ tadhal air a mhà thair agus mhothaich i gun robh rudeigin air amhaich - rud ris an canar cyst ann am Beurla. Nise, bu mhath leam faighneachd dè a’ Ghà idhlig a th’ agaibh fhèin air cyst. ’S aithne dhomh na faclan a leanas: fluth, balgan-iongrach, balgan-bèiste agus guc. Na dualchainnt Bheurla fhèin,chleachd mà thair mo charaid am facal farach. Farach.
Bha e a’ cuimhneachadh an fhacail sin o chionn ghoirid agus chuir e roimhe faighinn a-mach an e facal Gà idhlig a th’ ann. Uill, chan eil e anns na faclairean. Ach ann am fear Dwelly tha farach-donn agus farach-dubh ann. Tha iad le chèile a’ ciallachadh Lus nan Cnapan. ’S e Lus nan Cnapan a’ Ghà idhlig air Common Figwort, Scrophularia nodosa, lus a tha a’ fàs ann an à iteachan fliucha. ’S iad na cnapan ann an ainm an luis atan air a fhreumhaichean. ’S ann air an sgà th a tha luchd-saidheans a’ gabhail nodosa air an lus – tha nodules air.
Tha am facal Scrophularia co-cheangailte ris an tinneas air a bheil scrofula ann am Beurla agus tinneas an rìgh ann an Gà idhlig. Aig aon à m, ann am Breatainn agus san Fhraing, bhathar a’ creidsinn gur e an leigheas airson tinneas an rìgh nam biodh rìgh a’ cur a là imh air an euslainteach.
Nise, tha a h-uile cà il a tha seo inntinneach oir bidh cuimhne agaibh gur ann air amhaich mo charaid a bha am balgan no cyst – no farach. ’S e tinneas amhaich a th’ ann an tinneas an rìgh. Bidh cnapan a’ nochdadh air amhaich an euslaintich. Aig aon à m bhathar a’ creidsinn ann an rud ris an canar ann am Beurla TheDoctrine of Signatures. Nan robh rudeigin air luibh a’ coimhead coltach ri ball-bodhaigduine, bhathar a’ creidsinn gum biodh an luibh fhèin co-cheangailte ris a’ bhall-bhodhaigsin, agus gun dèanadh e leigheas airson tinneas a bha a’ bualadh air a’ bhal-bhodhaig.
Chan eil mi cinnteach dè cho là idir ’s a bha an Doctrine of Signatures ann an eòlas is feallsanachd luibh-eòlaichean na Gà idhlig. Ach bha mi a’ meòrachadh air a’ cheist seo agus shaoil mi gur dòcha gur iad na cnapan air na freumhaichean a bha a’comharrachadh comas an luis leigheas a dhèanamh air cnapan air an amhaich. Chaidhmi gu The Gaelic Names of Plants le Iain Camshron agus seo na sgrìobh e fhèin muLus nan Cnapan: “..from the resemblance of its roots to tumours ... it was esteemed aremedy for all scrofulous diseases.” Bha Lus nan Cnapan na leigheas airson tinneas anrìgh – tinneas a tha a’ fà gail chnapan air an amhaich.
Tha e a’ coimhead coltach, ma-thà , gur e facal Gà idhlig a th’ ann am farach, agus gu bheil e a’ ciallachadh “cnap” no eadhon “cnap air an amhaich”. Ma tha smuainsam bith agaibh air sin b’ fhìor thoigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.
Latha a bha seo, bha e a’ tadhal air a mhà thair agus mhothaich i gun robh rudeigin air amhaich - rud ris an canar cyst ann am Beurla. Nise, bu mhath leam faighneachd dè a’ Ghà idhlig a th’ agaibh fhèin air cyst. ’S aithne dhomh na faclan a leanas: fluth, balgan-iongrach, balgan-bèiste agus guc. Na dualchainnt Bheurla fhèin,chleachd mà thair mo charaid am facal farach. Farach.
Bha e a’ cuimhneachadh an fhacail sin o chionn ghoirid agus chuir e roimhe faighinn a-mach an e facal Gà idhlig a th’ ann. Uill, chan eil e anns na faclairean. Ach ann am fear Dwelly tha farach-donn agus farach-dubh ann. Tha iad le chèile a’ ciallachadh Lus nan Cnapan. ’S e Lus nan Cnapan a’ Ghà idhlig air Common Figwort, Scrophularia nodosa, lus a tha a’ fàs ann an à iteachan fliucha. ’S iad na cnapan ann an ainm an luis atan air a fhreumhaichean. ’S ann air an sgà th a tha luchd-saidheans a’ gabhail nodosa air an lus – tha nodules air.
Tha am facal Scrophularia co-cheangailte ris an tinneas air a bheil scrofula ann am Beurla agus tinneas an rìgh ann an Gà idhlig. Aig aon à m, ann am Breatainn agus san Fhraing, bhathar a’ creidsinn gur e an leigheas airson tinneas an rìgh nam biodh rìgh a’ cur a là imh air an euslainteach.
Nise, tha a h-uile cà il a tha seo inntinneach oir bidh cuimhne agaibh gur ann air amhaich mo charaid a bha am balgan no cyst – no farach. ’S e tinneas amhaich a th’ ann an tinneas an rìgh. Bidh cnapan a’ nochdadh air amhaich an euslaintich. Aig aon à m bhathar a’ creidsinn ann an rud ris an canar ann am Beurla TheDoctrine of Signatures. Nan robh rudeigin air luibh a’ coimhead coltach ri ball-bodhaigduine, bhathar a’ creidsinn gum biodh an luibh fhèin co-cheangailte ris a’ bhall-bhodhaigsin, agus gun dèanadh e leigheas airson tinneas a bha a’ bualadh air a’ bhal-bhodhaig.
Chan eil mi cinnteach dè cho là idir ’s a bha an Doctrine of Signatures ann an eòlas is feallsanachd luibh-eòlaichean na Gà idhlig. Ach bha mi a’ meòrachadh air a’ cheist seo agus shaoil mi gur dòcha gur iad na cnapan air na freumhaichean a bha a’comharrachadh comas an luis leigheas a dhèanamh air cnapan air an amhaich. Chaidhmi gu The Gaelic Names of Plants le Iain Camshron agus seo na sgrìobh e fhèin muLus nan Cnapan: “..from the resemblance of its roots to tumours ... it was esteemed aremedy for all scrofulous diseases.” Bha Lus nan Cnapan na leigheas airson tinneas anrìgh – tinneas a tha a’ fà gail chnapan air an amhaich.
Tha e a’ coimhead coltach, ma-thà , gur e facal Gà idhlig a th’ ann am farach, agus gu bheil e a’ ciallachadh “cnap” no eadhon “cnap air an amhaich”. Ma tha smuainsam bith agaibh air sin b’ fhìor thoigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.
Faclan na Litreach
post-d: email; Marc-Innis: Merkinch; dualchainnt: dialect; Lusnan Cnapan: Common Figwort [lit. plant of the lumps]; amhaich: neck; a’ meòrachadh: contemplating; Iain Camshron: John Cameron.
Abairtean na Litreach
a bhuineas do: who belongs to; as fhaide a chum a’ Ghà idhligbeò mar chainnt coimhearsnachd: which kept the language alive as a community tongue longest; gur ann nuair a bha e air tighinn gu ìre: that it was when he had reached maturity; a thuig e gur e faclan Gà idhlig a bh’ annta: that he understood that they were Gaelic words; bha e a’ tadhal air a mhà thair: he was visiting his mother; ’s aithnedhomh na faclan a leanas: I know the following words; chuir e roimhe faighinn a-mach:he decided to find out; atan air a fhreumhaichean: swellings on its roots; air an sgà th:on their account; tinneas an rìgh: scrofula [lit. the king’s disease – it was also known inEnglish as “king’s evil”]; bhathar a’ creidsinn gur e an leigheas: it was believed thatthe cure was; nam biodh rìgh a’ cur a là imh air an euslainteach: if the king would puthis hand on the patient; coltach ri ball-bodhaig duine: like a human organ; eòlas is feallsanachd luibh-eòlaichean na Gà idhlig: the body of knowledge and philosophy of theGaelic botanists; shaoil mi gur dòcha: I thought that perhaps; a bha a’ comharrachadh comas an luis leigheas a dhèanamh: which indicated the plant’s ability to effect a cure;seo na sgrìobh e: here’s what he wrote; bha Lus nan Cnapan na leigheas airson tinneasan rìgh: Common Figwort (“plant of the lumps” was a cure for scrofula (a lumpydisease of the neck); b’ fhìor thoigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh: I’d really like to hear from you.
Puing-chĂ nain na Litreach
It’s interesting how Gaelic words persisted in certain Highland English dialects for some time. The Merkinch dialect in Inverness is one example. My informant tells me of another Gaelic word his Merkinch-raised mother would use when she had overboiled potatoes. She would say “the tatties are away to smurach”. If you don’t know the word, look up smùrach in a Gaelic dictionary. As regards farach meaning a lump in the neck, there is another candidate for a Gaelic origin. Fà ireag means a “gland, swollen gland, hard lump between flesh and skin.” It’spossible the two words are related. If you use either word in Gaelic or English, I’d be pleased to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach
Tha iad le chèile a’ ciallachadh: they both mean.
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
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Litrichean Gaidhlig do luchd-ionnsachaidh. Gaelic letters for students of the language.
