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Nuair a bha a鈥� chlann agam 貌g, agus sinn a鈥� fuireach san Eilean Sgitheanach, bhithinn a鈥� dol gu tric don chr貌ileagan c貌mhla riutha. Tha cuimhne agam air aon 貌ran a ghabhamaid. Bha sinn a鈥� togail gach corraig, t猫 脿s d猫idh a ch猫ile, nuair a bha an t-貌ran seo ag iarraidh oirnn. Bha e a鈥� dol mar seo: 鈥淐alum corrag, Calum corrag, ca鈥� bheil thu? Tha mi seo, tha mi seo, ciamar a tha thu?鈥�

An uair sin bha sinn a鈥� dol don d脿rna corraig. 鈥淔ionnlagh fada, Fionnlagh fada, ca鈥� bheil thu? Tha mi seo, tha mi seo, ciamar a tha thu?鈥� Tuigidh sibh nach robh sinn a鈥� bodraigeadh leis an tuiseal ghairmeach! Cha robh a h-uile duine ag aontachadh gur e Fionnlagh fada a th鈥� air a鈥� mheur as fhaide. Bha cuid a鈥� gabhail M脿iri fhada oirre. No gunna fada. Ach bha a h-uile duine aig a鈥� chr貌ileagan, aig an robh G脿idhlig, ag aontachadh mun chorraig air am bithear a鈥� gabhail the ring finger ann am Beurla 鈥� mac an aba.

Nise, sgr矛obh mi beagan mu ainmean nan corragan, no nam meur, ann an Litir 37 anns a鈥� Ghearran 2000. Dh鈥檃idich mi aig an 脿m nach robh fios agam c貌 脿s a th脿inig an t-ainm mac an aba. Gu litreachail, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he son of the abbot鈥�. Ach chan eil sin a鈥� d猫anamh m貌ran c猫ill dhomh. Agus gach duine air an cuirinn a鈥� cheist, cha robh freagairt aca.

Ach o chionn ghoirid tha amharas agam gur d貌cha gun t脿inig mi tarsainn air an fhuasgladh. Agus, ma th脿inig, 鈥檚 e tuiteamas a bh鈥� ann. Chan e sin a-mh脿in ach cha robh mi ann an Alba aig an 脿m, ach ann an 脠irinn. Agus tha am fuasgladh air leth s矛mplidh.

Bha mi ann an ceann a tuath na h-脠ireann. Chaidh mi a ch猫ilidh air fear a tha air leth fiosrachail mun Ghaeilge a thathar, agus a bhathar, a鈥� bruidhinn ann an Aontram agus ann an Eilean Reachrann 鈥� Rathlin Island 鈥� eadar ceann a tuath na h-脠ireann agus Alba. Is esan Brian MacLochlainn. Tha Gaeilge agus G脿idhlig aige, agus bha e e貌lach air na daoine mu dheireadh ann an Reachrainn aig an robh an c脿nan.

Chruinnich Brian fiosrachadh air iomadach rud bho fhear Alex Morrison ann an Reachrainn. Bha Alex air leth fiosrachail. Mar eisimpleir, thug e seachad ceithir cheud ainm-脿ite nach robh cl脿raichte roimhe. Agus dh鈥檌nnis e do Bhrian gu d猫 na h-ainmean a bh鈥� aca ann an Reachrainn airson nan corragan.

Nise, mus innis mi iad sin dhuibh, bu ch貌ir a r脿dh gun robh a鈥� Ghaeilge ann an Reachrainn, agus air t矛r-m貌r Aontraim, car coltach ann an d貌ighean ri G脿idhlig na h-Alba. Mar eisimpleir, bhiodh mh no bh ro fhuaimreag leathann a鈥� d猫anamh 鈥渧鈥� seach 鈥渨鈥� 鈥� mar Ballyvaddy no Baile a鈥� Mhadaidh. Bha an 鈥渦鈥� car coltach ris a 鈥渦鈥� ann an G脿idhlig.

Chanadh iad 鈥渃ur鈥� seach 鈥渃ur鈥� agus 鈥渞ud鈥� seach 鈥渞ud鈥�. Chanadh iad 鈥渄eas鈥� an 脿ite 鈥渄eas鈥�. Agus chleachdadh iad 鈥渃ha鈥� an 脿ite 鈥渘矛鈥� ann an gn矛omhairean 脿icheil.

Co-dhi霉, air ais do na corragan, no na meuran. Chanadh Alex Morrison m茅ar fada ris a鈥� chorraig as fhaide. Agus 鈥檚 e na bh鈥� aige air a ring finger 鈥� mac an fhada. Mac a鈥� mhe貌ir fhada. Mac an fhada. Gu litreachail 鈥渢he son of the long finger鈥� no 鈥渢he smaller one next to the long finger鈥�. Tha sin a鈥� d猫anamh ciall, nach eil?

Saoil an do dh鈥檃tharraich mac an fhada ann an Alba gu mac an aba? Ma tha fiosrachadh agaibh air a鈥� ch霉is, bu math leam cluinntinn bhuaibh. Mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta.

Faclan na Litreach: meur, corrag: finger; Aontram: Antrim.

Abairtean na Litreach: san Eilean Sgitheanach: on the Isle of Skye; bhithinn a鈥� dol gu tric don chr貌ileagan c貌mhla riutha: I would often go to the cr貌ileagan (pre-school Gaelic playgroup) with them; aon 貌ran a ghabhamaid: one song we would sing; bha sinn a鈥� togail gach corraig, t猫 脿s d猫idh a ch猫ile: we were raising each finger, one after the other; nuair a bha an t-貌ran seo ag iarraidh oirnn: when this song was asking/wanting us to; nach robh sinn a鈥� bodraigeadh leis an tuiseal ghairmeach: that we weren鈥檛 bothering with the vocative case; air am bithear a鈥� gabhail: which is called; gu litreachail: literally; m貌ran c猫ill: much sense; gach duine air an cuirinn a鈥� cheist: every person I asked; gur d貌cha gun t脿inig mi tarsainn air an fhuasgladh: that perhaps I came across the solution; chan e sin a-mh脿in: not only that; air leth s矛mplidh: very simple; ceann a tuath na h-脠ireann: the north of Ireland; chaidh mi a ch猫ilidh air X: I went to visit X; nach robh cl脿raichte roimhe: that were not previously recorded; mus innis mi iad sin dhuibh: before I tell you them; ro fhuaimreag leathann: before a broad vowel; ann an gn矛omhairean 脿icheil: in [the] negative [forms of] verbs [eg they would say cha robh instead of n铆 raibh]; chanadh X m茅ar fada ris a鈥� chorraig as fhaide: X would call the longest finger the m茅ar [meur] fada; saoil an do dh鈥檃tharraich mac an fhada ann an Alba gu mac an aba?: do you reckon mac an fhada changed in Scotland to mac an aba?; bu math leam cluinntinn bhuaibh: I鈥檇 like to hear from you; mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta: cheerio just now.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Eilean Reachrann: Rathlin Island. Brian MacLochlainn tells me that in local usage the island was called Reachraidh in Gaelic. But its genitive form is Reachrann and its dative form is Reachrainn. Thus we would say tha Reachraidh na eilean beag; cha robh mi riamh ann an Reachrainn and tha Eilean Reachrann letheach-slighe eadar 脠irinn is Alba. Think of Lewis as an example. Mostly people talk about Le貌dhas (bha mi ann an Le貌dhas) and the dative is identical to the nominative form. But we say bha mi ann an Eilean Le貌dhais, using the (slenderised) genitive form after Eilean (we are saying the Isle of Lewis). Another example you will be familiar with is Barra 鈥� bha mi ann am Barraigh but bha mi ann an Eilean Bharraigh. Here, as the word is already slender, it is lenition that acts as the genitive marker.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥檚 e tuiteamas a bh鈥� ann: it was a chance occurrence.