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Carson nach eil sinn a鈥� dol a-steach gu M矛os na Caillich a dh鈥檃ithghearr? Seadh 鈥� M矛os na Caillich 鈥� An Giblean mar a chanas sinn an-diugh. The month of April ann am Beurla. Carson a tha mi a鈥� cur na ceist? Uill, m矛nichidh mi.

Tha dualchas 脿raidh co-cheangailte ri ainmean nam m矛osan ann an G脿idhlig. Tha na h-ainmean uabhasach fh猫in inntinneach. Ach cha d鈥� fhuair mi a-mach buileach ciamar a chaidh na h-ainmean a tha sinn a鈥� cleachdadh a-nise a st猫idheachadh. Oir, ma th猫id sibh air ais gu p脿ipearan-naidheachd an naoidheamh linn deug, cha robh ainmean G脿idhlig nam m矛osan buileach mar a tha iad an-diugh.

Mh矛nich mi na h-ainmean ann an Litrichean 78 agus 79 as t-Samhain 2000 agus cha leig mi leas dhol thairis orra a-rithist. Ach tha e inntinneach mar a chaidh An Gearran a st猫idheachadh mar a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air February, ach nach d鈥� fhuair A鈥� Chailleach a h-脿ite mar an ainm airson April.

Tha gearran a鈥� ciallachadh each a th鈥� air a spothadh. Ach tha e a鈥� seasamh cuideachd airson an eich bhig a tha d霉thchasach don Gh脿idhealtachd. Tha diofar bheachdan aig na seann leabhraichean mu dheidhinn A鈥� Ghearrain 鈥� mus robh e st猫idhichte mar co-ionann ri February. Tha cuid ag r脿dh gum b鈥� e An Gearran na ceithir seachdainean an d猫idh a鈥� ch貌igeamh latha deug dhen Mh脿rt. Tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gur e m矛os February a bh鈥� ann. Tha feadhainn eile a鈥� cumail a-mach nach robh ann ach an d脿rna leth de February, agus tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gun robh e naoi latha a dh鈥檉haid, a鈥� tighinn d矛reach 脿s d猫idh An Fhaoillich.

Seo na chanas Alasdair MacBheathain mu dheidhinn anns an fhaclair aige 鈥� An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language: 鈥淸An Gearran] forms a part of the animal nomenclature given to the several periods of Spring-time.鈥� An toiseach, Am Faoilleach 鈥� m矛os nam madaidhean-allaidh; an uair sin An Fheadag, the plover, nach do mhair ach seachdain. Tha Dwelly ag r脿dh gur e An Fheadag an treas seachdain de February.

脌s d猫idh na Feadaig, th脿inig An Gearran. An uair sin th脿inig A鈥� Chailleach no Old Woman. Bhiodh sin co-ionann ri tr脿th sa Ghiblean no April.

Carson nach do mhair An Fheadag no A鈥� Chailleach ann am briathrachas nam m矛osan? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gun robh iad ro ghoirid. Cha do mhair A鈥� Chailleach ach seachdain. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e na b鈥� fhasa d矛reach Am Faoilleach a dh猫anamh co-ionann ri January is An Gearran a dh猫anamh co-ionann ri February. Ach carson a chaidh Am M脿rt a thaghadh airson March, seach rudeigin G脿idhealach, leithid An Fheadag no eadhon A鈥� Chailleach? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum biodh m矛-thuigse ag 猫irigh. Smaoinichibh air seantans mar 鈥淭ha A鈥� Chailleach fuar, cruaidh am-bliadhna.鈥� 鈥橲 d貌cha nach c貌rdadh sin ri seann bhoireannach an taighe eadhon nam bithte a鈥� bruidhinn air an aimsir!

Ach, gu h-iongantach, tha a leithid de dh鈥檃bairt againn fhathast ann an G脿idhlig 鈥� ann an seanfhacal: 鈥橲 iomadh fear a th猫id le eallaich ri seachdain chruaidh na Caillich. Many a man carries a load in the hard week of the Cailleach. 鈥橲 iomadh fear a th猫id le eallaich ri seachdain chruaidh na Caillich. Leis gun robh A鈥� Chailleach ann aig toiseach a鈥� Ghiblein mus robh c脿il a鈥� f脿s a-muigh, bha an spr猫idh an urra ri feur a bhiodh na daoine a鈥� toirt dhaibh. Bhiodh t貌rr dhaoine a鈥� gi霉lain eallaich de dh鈥檉heur air an druim aig an 脿m sin.

Cha do r脿inig mi an earrann ainmhidheach mu dheireadh dhen Earrach 鈥� Na h-Othaisgean. N矛 mi iomradh air sin an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: An Giblean: April; An Gearran: February [modern, but see text for explanation]; feadag: plover; Na h-Othaisgean: lit. the ewes (but see next week鈥檚 Litir).

Abairtean na Litreach: Carson a tha mi a鈥� cur na ceist?: why am I posing the question?; dualchas 脿raidh: a unique heritage: cha d鈥� fhuair mi a-mach buileach: I never found out precisely; ciamar a chaidh na h-ainmean a st猫idheachadh: how the names were established; p脿ipearan-naidheachd an naoidheamh linn deug: newspapers of the 19th Century; tha gearran a鈥� ciallachadh each a th鈥� air a spothadh: gearran means a castrated horse (gelding); airson an eich bhig a tha d霉thchasach don Gh脿idhealtachd: for the small horse (pony) that is native to the Highlands; tha feadhainn eile a鈥� cumail a-mach nach robh ann ach an d脿rna leth de February: others maintain that it was only the second half of February; naoi latha a dh鈥檉haid: nine days in duration; carson nach do mhair X: why didn鈥檛 X survive?; briathrachas nam m矛osan: the vocabulary of the months; gun robh e na b鈥� fhasa d矛reach: that it was just easier; 鈥檚 d貌cha gum biodh m矛-thuigse ag 猫irigh: perhaps a misunderstanding might result; nach c貌rdadh sin ri seann bhoireannach an taighe: that wouldn鈥檛 be appreciated by the old woman of the house; eadhon nam bithte a鈥� bruidhinn air an aimsir: even if it was the weather that was being spoken about; mus robh c脿il a鈥� f脿s: before anything was growing; bha an spr猫idh an urra ri feur: the livestock were dependent on hay; bhiodh t貌rr dhaoine a鈥� gi霉lain eallaich de dh鈥檉heur air an druim: many men would be carrying a load of hay on their back[s]; an earrann ainmhidheach mu dheireadh dhen Earrach: the final animal part of the spring [ie named for an animal].

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: I posed a question for you last week: what鈥檚 the Gaelic for 鈥渋n the dog-kennel鈥�, 鈥渋n the dog-kennels鈥� and 鈥渢he doors of the dog-kennels鈥�? How did you get on? The answer is 鈥渁nns an taigh-chon鈥�, 鈥渁nns na taighean-chon鈥� and 鈥渄orsan nan taighean-chon鈥�. A kennel is a 鈥渉ouse of dogs鈥� 鈥� a taigh-chon [or sometimes a fail-chon]. The second element of the compound is in the genitive plural (without an article) and thus retains its lenited form in all cases. Only the first word (the basic word of the compound 鈥� a kennel is a type of taigh not a type of c霉) inflects in relation to case. It works in the same way as taigh-chearc (henhouse) and fail-mhuc (pigsty).

Seanfhacal na Litreach: 鈥橲 iomadh fear a th猫id le eallaich ri seachdain chruaidh na Caillich: many a man carries a load in the hard week of the Cailleach. The Cailleach [lit. Old Woman]is an old name for a period of about a week鈥檚 duration in early April. The load is the hay carried to feed the livestock at that time of year.