麻豆社

Anns an Litir mu dheireadh bha mi a鈥� toirt s霉il air ainmean nan corragan ann an G脿idhlig, agus gu seachd 脿raidh a鈥� chorrag ris an canar an ring finger ann am Beurla. Bidh cuimhne agaibh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, gun robh mi a鈥� cur air adhart smuain gun t脿inig an t-ainm mac an aba bho mac an fhada, no mac an mhe貌ir fhada.

Uill, bhon uair sin tha mi air a bhith a鈥� toirt s霉il air an fhaclair as sine a th鈥� againn ann an G脿idhlig. Chaidh a chur ri ch猫ile le Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1741), agus tha stuth pr矛seil ann. Agus d猫 na h-ainmean a bh鈥� aigesan air na corragan? Uill, seo iad 鈥� agus tha mi gan sgr矛obhadh mar a sgr矛obh Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair iad.

The thumb: An Ardog; the forefinger 鈥� An Chorrag; the middle finger 鈥� An M茅ur meadhoin; the ring finger 鈥� M脿thair na Laodoige agus the little finger 鈥� An Laodoig. Tuigidh sibh gu bheil m貌ran a鈥� gabhail l霉dag air an laodaig. An d猫idh sin, chaidh mi gu Faclair Dwelly. Agus tha e ann an Dwelly cuideachd 鈥� an ring finger 鈥� m脿thair-na-l霉daig. Ch矛 sibh mar a thathar a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail m脿thair airson t猫 mh貌r a tha ri taobh t猫 nas lugha. Agus tha e ciallach gu le貌r mac a chleachdadh anns an aon d貌igh airson corrag no meur a tha ri taobh meur a tha nas motha.

Co-dhi霉, f脿gaidh sinn na corragan an sin. Bu mhath leam rudeigin annasach a dh猫anamh anns a鈥� ch貌rr dhen Litir. 鈥橲 e sin a bhith a鈥� toirt s霉il air samhlaidhean G脿idhlig. Tha mi an d霉il gum bi sibh e貌lach air samhlaidhean no similes. Cho rudeigin ri rudeigin. Mar eisimpleir cho fuar ris a鈥� phuinnsean, cho dubh ri t貌n poite is mar sin air adhart.

Uill, o chionn ghoirid, th脿inig mi tarsainn air samhlaidhean air an cur c貌mhla an 矛re mhath mar rann. Cha chan mi 鈥渂脿rdachd鈥� ris, ach 鈥檚 d貌cha 鈥渞annaidheachd鈥�. Nochd e ann an cl貌 ann an iris Gh脿idhlig ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a sia (1876). Seo e agus tha mi an d貌chas gun c貌rd e ribh:

Cho fliuch ri iasg, cho tioram ri seich, Cho be貌 ri eun, cho marbh ri cloich; Cho brisg ri glainne, cho righinn ri teud, Cho mall ri seilcheag, cho luath ri steud; Cho l脿idir ri each, cho lag ri caod,

Cho milis ri si霉car, cho neo-bhlast鈥� ri sgaot; Cho geal ri lili, cho dubh ri s霉ith,

Cho mear ri piseag, cho tinn ri c霉;

Cho d貌mhail ri peatraid, cho s霉mhail ri sgadan, Cho reamhar ri muc, cho bochd ri radan;

Cho d矛reach ri saighead, cho cam ri bogha,

Cho b脿n ri l猫ine, cho dubh ri gobha; Cho carrach ri creag, cho lom ri b貌rd, Cho geur ri sgian, cho maol ri 貌rd; Cho cruaidh ri spor, cho bog ri 矛m,

Cho luaineach ri s矛d鈥�, cho cinnteach ri t矛m;

Cho f矛or ris an t-soisgeul, cho fealls' ris an duine, Cho caochlach ri bean, cho deimhinn ri gunna; Cho teth ri 脿mhainn, cho fuar ri sneachd,

Cho lag ri cuileag, cho l脿idir ri seachd; Cho aotrom ri ite, cho trom ri luaidh, Cho glas ri feur, cho ruadh ri luaith; Cho mall ri as, cho bras ri tuil,

Cho geal ri latha, cho dearg ri fuil; Cho garbh ri r貌cas, cho binn ri b脿rd,

Le m矛le samhl' eile riuth鈥� seo ann an c脿ird.

Faclan na Litreach: meur, corrag: finger; Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair: Alexander MacDonald, famous Gaelic poet; l霉dag: the little finger; m脿thair-na-l霉daig: the ring finger; samhladh, samhlaidhean: simile, similes; rannaidheachd: versification; brisg: brittle; seilcheag: snail; steud: steed; neo-bhlasta: ill-tasting; sgaot: I presume this is dialectal for sgait, a skate; s霉ith: soot; cam: curved; bogha: bow; l猫ine: shirt; gobha: blacksmith; carrach: rocky; lom: bare; soisgeul: gospel; feallsa: deceitful; caochlach: fickle; deimhinn: certain; luaidh: lead; luaith: ashes, dust; as: ass; r貌cas: rook.

Abairtean na Litreach: mar a thathar a鈥� cleachdadh an fhacail X: as the word X is used; t猫 mh貌r a tha ri taobh t猫 nas lugha: a big one [fem] that is next to a smaller one; ri taobh meur a tha nas motha: next to a finger that is larger; th脿inig mi tarsainn air: I came across; air an cur c貌mhla an 矛re mhath mar rann: pretty much put together as verse; cho tioram ri seich: as dry as a hide [animal skin]; cho righinn ri teud: as durable as [a harp] string; cho lag ri caod: as weak as St John鈥檚 wort; cho mear ri piseag: as playful as a kitten; cho d貌mhail ri peatraid, cho s霉mhail ri sgadan: I am not clear on the meaning of 鈥減eatraid鈥� but take it to be one of the various names for the storm petrel (or possibly puffin) ie 鈥渁s bulky as storm petrel, as unbulky (easily-packed) as herring鈥� 鈥� if you know to the contrary please tell me!; cho reamhar ri muc: as fat as a pig; cho bochd ri radan: as poor as a rat; cho maol ri 貌rd: as blunt as a hammer; cho cruaidh ri spor: as hard as flint; cho luaineach ri s矛d鈥�: as changeable as weather; cho cinnteach ri t矛m: as certain as time; cho aotrom ri ite: as light as a feather; cho glas ri feur: as green as grass; cho bras ri tuil: as impetuous as a torrent; cho geal ri latha: as bright as day; cho binn ri b脿rd: as melodious as a poet; m矛le samhladh eile riutha seo ann an c脿ird: a thousand other similes related to these. Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: In this Litir and the previous one we have considered alternative meanings of m脿thair and mac to the usual 鈥渕other鈥� and 鈥渟on鈥�. M脿thair can sometimes refer to the source or prime example of something eg m脿thair-adhbhar (primary cause), m脿thair-uisge (reservoir, fountainhead), m脿thair-bhaile (metropolis). Mac can refer to a derivative of something eg mac-leabhar (copy of a book), mac na bracha (malt whisky, 鈥渟on of the malt鈥�), mac-talla (echo, 鈥渟on of the rock鈥�), mac-samhail (replica, 鈥渟on of the likeness鈥�).

Samhladh na Litreach: cho d矛reach ri saighead: as straight as an arrow.