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A bheil sibh e貌lach air ainmean nan corragan ann an G脿idhlig? Tha cuid a鈥� gabhail seo orra: 貌rdag, sgealbag, Fionnlagh fada, mac an aba agus l霉dag bheag an airgid. An-diugh tha mi ag iarraidh s霉il a thoirt air mac an aba. The ring finger. Carson a tha sinn a鈥� gabhail mac an aba oirre?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha mi ann an 脠irinn o chionn ghoirid. Bha mi anns a鈥� cheann a tuath, ann an Aontram. Chaidh mi a ch猫ilidh air fear as aithne dhomh, Brian MacLochlainn. Tha e貌las gu le貌r aig Brian air Gaeilge Aontraim. Agus tha e貌las gu le貌r aige mun Ghaeilge a bh鈥� ann an Eilean Reachrann. Tha an t-eilean sin 鈥� Rathlin Island ann am Beurla 鈥� eadar ceann a tuath na h-脠ireann agus Alba.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Fhuair Brian fiosrachadh bho fhear Alex Morrison ann an Reachrainn. Thug Alex seachad ceithir cheud ainm-脿ite nach robh air na mapaichean. Agus dh鈥檌nnis e do Bhrian ainmean nan corragan ann an Gaeilge Reachrann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nise, tha a鈥� Ghaeilge ann an Reachrainn, agus air t矛r-m貌r Aontraim, car coltach ri G脿idhlig na h-Alba. Tha 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. Tha an 鈥渦鈥� car coltach ris an 鈥渦鈥� ann an G脿idhlig. Tha iad ag r脿dh 鈥渃ur鈥� seach 鈥渃ur鈥� agus 鈥渞ud鈥� seach 鈥渞ud鈥�. Tha iad ag r脿dh 鈥渄eas鈥� an 脿ite 鈥渄eas鈥�. Agus tha iad ag r脿dh 鈥渃ha鈥� an 脿ite 鈥渘铆鈥� ann an gn矛omhairean. Cha robh, an 脿ite n铆 raibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, air ais do na corragan, no na meuran. Bha Alex Morrison ag r脿dh m茅ar fada ris a鈥� chorraig as fhaide. Agus air a ring finger? 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?

Do you know the names of the fingers in Gaelic? Some [people] call them this: [thumb, first finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger]. Today I want to look at mac an aba. The ring finger. Why do we call it mac an aba [lit. the son of the abbot]?

听听听听听听听 I was in Ireland recently. I was in the north, in Antrim. I went to visit a man I know, Brian MacLochlainn. Brian is very familiar with the Gaelic of Antrim. And he knows a lot about the Gaelic that was [spoken] in Rathlin. That island 鈥� RathlinIsland in English 鈥� is [lies] between the north of Ireland and Scotland.

听

听听听听听听听 Brian got information from Alex Morrison in Rathlin. Alex gave four hundred place names which were not on the maps. And he told Brian the names of the fingers in Rathlin Gaelic.

听

听听听听听听听 Now, the Gaelic in Rathlin, and on the mainland of Antrim, is somewhat like the Gaelic of Scotland. Mh or bh before a broad vowel make a 鈥渧鈥� rather than a 鈥渨鈥� as in Ballyvaddy or Baile a鈥� Mhadaidh. The 鈥渦鈥� is somewhat like the 鈥渦鈥� in Gaelic. They say 鈥渃ur鈥� rather than 鈥渃ur鈥� and 鈥渞ud鈥� instead of 鈥渞ud鈥�. They say 鈥渄eas鈥� instead of 鈥渄eas鈥�. And they say 鈥渃ha鈥� instead of 鈥渘铆鈥� in verbs. Cha robh rather than n铆 raibh.

听听听听听听听 Anyway, back to the fingers. Alex Morrison called the longest finger m茅ar fada. And the ring finger? Mac an fhada. Mac a鈥� mhe貌ir fhada. Mac an fhada. Literally, 鈥渢he son of the long finger鈥� or 鈥渢he smaller one next to the long finger鈥�. That makes sense, doesn鈥檛 it?