1296: ‘Cathair’ (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
‘Cathair’ (2)
Bha mi a’ bruidhinn anns an Litir mu dheireadh mun fhacal cathair. Tha e a’ nochdadh an siud ’s an seo ann an ainmean-àite air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Uaireannan, tha e a’ seasamh airson ‘chair’ no ‘seat’. Ann an meadhan Earra-Ghàidheal, mar eisimpleir, tha Cathair Dhonncha Dhuibh. Tha e tuath air an Fhùirneis. Tha an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais ag ràdh gur e ‘rude seat’ a th’ ann. Bha i air a cruthachadh le cìobair air an robh Donncha Dubh mar ainm.
Ann an Gleann Tromaidh ann am Bàideanach, tha clach ri taobh na h-aibhne air an robh Cathair Fhearghais – Fergus’s chair. A rèir choltais, dh’atharraich an t-ainm gu Clach Fhearghais oir tha e a’ nochdadh mar sin air an dàrna mapa sia-òirlich aig an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais. Chan eil fhios a’m dè chanas muinntir an àite rithe an-diugh.
Tha am facal sìthean cumanta air feadh na Gàidhealtachd. Tha e aithnichte mar àite far am biodh sìthichean a’ fuireach. Ach, air taobh an iar Siorrachd Rois, nochdaidh am facal cathair airson an dearbh rud. Ma bheir sibh sùil air mapa de sgìre Gheàrrloch, chì sibh Portaigil no Port Henderson. Deas air a’ bhaile, tha Carr Dhubh ann. Tha an sàr-eòlaiche, Uilleam MacBhàtair, ag innse dhuinn gur e sin A’ Chathair Dhubh ‘the black fairy knoll’.
Cuideachd ann an Ros an Iar, faisg air An Leathad, tha loch ann air a bheil Loch na Cathrach Duibhe. Tha MacBhàtair a’ dearbhadh gu bheil sin a’ ciallachadh ‘the loch of the black fairy knoll’ – ged nach eil a’ Chathair Dhubh fhèin comharraichte air na mapaichean.
Tha am facal cathair, mar as trice, boireanta, ach bidh e a’ nochdadh an siud ’s an seo mar gu bheil e fireanta. Tha eisimpleir ann an Ros an Ear, faisg air Baile Dhubhthaich, far a bheil Cnoc an Dubh Chathair. Tha an t-ainm a’ ciallachadh ‘the hill of the black chair’.
Ma tha sibh a’ coimhead airson an fhacail cathair air mapaichean na Gàidhealtachd, nach dèan sibh cinnteach nach eil stràc air a’ chiad ‘a’. Ma tha stràc ann, tha facal eadar-dhealaichte agaibh. ’S e sin càthar, le ‘-ar’ aig an deireadh. Tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘boggy place’. Bidh e a’ nochdadh anns an tuiseal ghinideach le ‘-air’ aig an deireadh – mar eisimpleir anns an ainm-àite Druim a’ Chàthair ann an Gleann Moireasdain. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ‘the ridge by the boggy ground’.
Ach air ais gu cathair. Seo mar a nochdas e ann an caochladh shuidheachaidhean: cathair-shneadhan ‘anthill’; cathair-ghàirdeanach ‘armchair’; cathair-bhreitheanais ‘tribunal, judgement seat’; cathair-chuibhle ‘wheelchair’ agus cathair-iomchair ‘sedan chair’ – gu litreachail ‘carrying seat’.
Mu dheireadh, ’s e ‘A’ Chathair’ a chanas sinn ri reul-bhad ann an iarmailt an leth-chruinne mu thuath. Ann am Beurla, ’s e Cassiopeia a th’ air. Bha Cassiopeia na banrigh a chaidh a-mach air Poseidon, dia na mara. Chaidh a cur don iarmailt mar pheanas agus bhiodh i a’ dol timcheall a’ phòla mu thuath, a’ greimeachadh gu teann air an rìgh-chathair aice. ’S e cumadh a cathrach a chì na Gàidheil fhathast anns a’ bhad rionnagan air an oidhche.
Faclan na Litreach: meadhan Earra-Ghàidheal: Mid-Argyll; Gleann Tromaidh: Glen Tromie; Bàideanach: Badenoch; An Leathad: Laide; Uilleam MacBhàtair: William J Watson; mar as trice: usually; boireanta: feminine; tuiseal ghinideach: genitive case.
Abairtean na Litreach: tuath air an Fhùirneis: north of Furnace (Loch Fyne); bha i air a cruthachadh le cìobair air an robh X mar ainm: it was created by a shepherd called X; aithnichte mar àite far am biodh sìthichean a’ fuireach: recognised as a place where ‘fairies’ would be living; air taobh an iar Siorrachd Rois, nochdaidh am facal X airson an dearbh rud: in Wester Ross, the word X appears for the very same thing; tha MacBhàtair a’ dearbhadh gu bheil sin a’ ciallachadh: Watson confirms that that means; ged nach eil X fhèin comharraichte air na mapaichean: although X itself is not marked on the maps; bidh e a’ nochdadh an siud ’s an seo mar gu bheil e fireanta: it appears here and there as if it were masculine; tha eisimpleir ann an Ros an Ear, faisg air Baile Dhubhthaich: there is an example in Easter Ross, near Tain; tha facal eadar-dhealaichte agaibh: you have a different word; a chanas sinn ri reul-bhad ann an iarmailt an leth-chruinne mu thuath: that we call a constellation in the firmament of the northern hemisphere; bha Cassiopeia na banrigh a chaidh a-mach air Poseidon, dia na mara: Cassiopeia was a queen who fell out with Poseidon, the god of the sea; bhiodh i a’ dol timcheall a’ phòla mu thuath, a’ greimeachadh gu teann air an rìgh-chathair aice: she would go around the north pole, keeping a tight grip on her throne; ’s e cumadh a cathrach a chì na Gàidheil fhathast anns a’ bhad rionnagan air an oidhche: it’s the form of her chair that the Gaels see in the group of stars at night.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Seo mar a nochdas e ann an caochladh shuidheachaidhean: here’s how it appears in a variety of situations. Notice that the noun commanded by caochladh is in the genitive plural case (without the article). Here are some other examples: tha caochladh dhathan air na geansaidhean ‘the jumpers have a variety of colours’; cluinnear caochladh bheachdan air a’ ghnothach ‘a variety of opinions will be heard on the matter’; faodar sin a ràdh ann an caochladh dhòighean ‘that can be said in a variety of ways’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: nach dèan sibh cinnteach nach eil stràc air a’ chiad ‘a’: won’t you make certain that there is no accent on the first ‘a’.
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 992
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