蜜芽传媒

C貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal beagle ann am Beurla? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi cuimhne agaibh gu robh sinn a鈥� toirt s霉il an t-seachdain sa chaidh air an leabhar le Te脿rlach MacAoidh 鈥� The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe. Bha beachd aig Te脿rlach c貌ir air iomadach facal 鈥� agus beagle nam measg. Ach d猫 tha na faclairean ag r脿dh? Leis an fh矛rinn innse, chan eil iad cinnteach c貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gun t脿inig e don Bheurla bhon Fhraingis. Ach tha MacAoidh ag r脿dh gun t脿inig e bhon Gh脿idhlig 鈥� beag agus s霉il 鈥� beag-sh霉il 鈥� beagle, 鈥渁 dog with small eyes鈥�.

Agus d猫 mu dheidhinn begin? Tha a鈥� chuid as motha de e貌laichean c脿nain ga cheangal ri biginnan anns an t-seann Ghearmailtis. A r猫ir MhicAoidh, faodar t霉s an fhacail a lorg ann an G脿idhlig 鈥� bith (鈥渓ife鈥�) agus gin (鈥渢o procreate, produce鈥�). Bith-gin.

鈥橲 e facal eile ann an leabhar MhicAoidh 鈥� belfry. Tha sin a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig beachd (鈥渨atch, observe鈥�) agus frith (鈥渟mall, little鈥�) 鈥� chaidh e don Bheurla, ge-t脿, bhon Fhraingis beffroi.

Agus tha am facal mith-chainnteach bin aige cuideachd. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥減貌caid le airgead ann鈥�. Nise, tha mi a鈥� dol a chur seo ann am Beurla mar a sgr矛obh MacAoidh e oir tha e iongantach. Tha bin a鈥� tighinn bhon fhacal Gh脿idhlig 鈥渂inn, melodious; whence by metaphor, money that chinks in the pocket with a sound melodious to the ears of the thief who wants to appropriate it.鈥� Uill, d猫 chanas mi?

Agus bidh fios agaibh gur e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig airson black 鈥� dubh. Mar sin, am biodh d霉il againn gun t脿inig am facal Beurla black bhon Gh脿idhlig? Uill, tha Te脿rlach MacAoidh ag r脿dh nach eil black idir coltach ri a leithid ann an c脿nanan E貌rpach eile 鈥� schwartz, noir, negro is mar sin air adhart 鈥� ged a bha facal blak ann an seann Bheurla nan Sagsannach, a bha a鈥� ciallachadh inc. C貌 脿s a th脿inig e, ma-th脿? 鈥橲 e freumh an fhacail, a r猫ir an leabhair 鈥� 鈥渂l脿thaich, to warm, make hot; bl脿ths, warmth, heat; bl脿thaichte, warmed, heated, whence blackened by the heat.鈥�

Tha mi air a bhith a鈥� gabhail beagan sp貌rs le beachdan The脿rlaich MhicAoidh. Saoilidh mi gu robh e cho measail air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig 鈥檚 gun robh e airson 鈥渄earbhadh鈥� gu robh buaidh mh貌r aice air c脿nanan E貌rpach eile, eadhon ged a tha cuid de na beachdan aige annasach dha-r矛ribh. Ach le cuid de na faclan, bha e d矛reach a鈥� sealltainn gu robh rudeigin sa chumantas eadar a鈥� Gh脿idhlig agus c脿nanan eile 鈥� mar a rinn Alasdair MacBheathain anns an fhaclair aige, An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language. Chaidh sin fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a sia, (1896), naoi bliadhn鈥� deug 脿s d猫idh foillseachadh leabhar MhicAoidh.

Bu mhath leam cr矛ochnachadh le bhith a鈥� toirt s霉il air an fhacal Gh脿idhlig bleigeard, no blaigeard. Gu m矛-fhortanach, chan eil sin ann am faclair MhicBheathain ach tha daoine dhen bheachd gun t脿inig e bhon fhacal Bheurla blackguard 鈥� air a sgr矛obhadh mar 鈥渂lack-guard鈥�. Ach an e sin a bh鈥� ann am blackguard bho th霉s 鈥� black guard?

Uill, tha MacAoidh ag r脿dh nach e facal d脿-fhillteach a th鈥� ann idir, ach facal Ceilteach aon-fhillteach. Anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e 鈥渂lagair, a boaster, an impudent boaster鈥�. Tha e a鈥� cumail a-mach gun do ghabh luchd na Beurla a-staigh e mar mhith-chainnt agus gun do chruthaich iad t霉s Beurla dha, le bhith ga litreachadh mar 鈥渂lack-guard鈥�. Chan eil mi cinnteach, ach tha sin nas coltaiche, chanainn, na bin no begin鈥�

Faclan na Litreach: Te脿rlach MacAoidh: Charles Mackay; e貌laichean c脿nain: language experts; Gearmailtis: German language; Fraingis: French language; mith-chainnteach: colloquial, slang; inc: ink; freumh: root; Alasdair MacBheathain: Alexander Macbain; d脿-fhillteach: compound, with two elements.

Abairtean na Litreach: leis an fh矛rinn innse: to tell the truth; tha cuid dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gun t脿inig e: some are of the opinion that perhaps it came; d猫 chanas mi?: what can [do] I say?; am biodh d霉il againn?: would we expect?; nach eil X coltach ri a leithid ann an c脿nanan E貌rpach eile: that X is not like its equivalents in other European languages; seann Bheurla nan Sagsannach: the old Saxon language; saoilidh mi: I reckon; gu robh e cho measail air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig: that he was so keen on Gaelic; gu robh buaidh mh貌r aice air: that she had a great effect on; tha cuid de na beachdan aige annasach dha-r矛ribh: some of his opinions are extremely strange; gu robh rudeigin sa chumantas: that there was something in common; chaidh sin fhoillseachadh: that was published; 脿s d猫idh foillseachadh leabhar MhicAoidh: after the publication of Mackay鈥檚 book; bu mhath leam cr矛ochnachadh: I would like to finish; facal Ceilteach aon-fhillteach: a simple [single-element] Celtic word; gun do chruthaich iad t霉s Beurla dha: that they created an English origin for it.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: faodar t霉s an fhacail a lorg: the origin of the word can be found. Faodar is an example of a future passive 鈥� note that it is the auxiliary verb faod that goes into the passive, compared to the English in which the substantive verb (鈥渇ound鈥�, given in Gaelic as the infinitive) is in a passive form. Faodar is a useful word to remember. Here are some other uses: faodar a r脿dh.. (it might be said); faodar gabhail ris gu .. (it might be accepted that); chan fhaodar smocadh ann an 脿ite poblach sam bith (smoking is not permitted in any public place).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Bha beachd aig Te脿rlach c貌ir air iomadach facal: Charles had an opinion on many words. Note the idiomatic use of c貌ir here 鈥� it might be translated idiomatically as 鈥済ood old (Charles)鈥� although it has a bit less of a sense of the slapping-on-the-back than the English. But it means you think kindly of the person, even if you don鈥檛 agree with his opinions 鈥� although it can also be used ironically. C貌ir is also used as a term of address in letters; eg for 鈥淒ear Duncan鈥� we might write 鈥淎 Dhonnchaidh ch貌ir鈥�.