Words from old Gaelic dictionaries
What’s the Gaelic for “elephant”?
Ailbhean, isn’t it? Ailbhean. But in
the old dictionaries there are many
words. Here are examples: ailp,
boir, oileabhan, oilleabhaint and
albhan dubh. It’s amazing, isn’t it?
The English word elephant
comes from the Latin elephantus.
That came from the Greek elephas.
But some of the words connected
to elephants in English come from
Hindi. For example mahout – a
man who controls an elephant.
And howdah – a large seat on the
back of an elephant.
A few months ago I was
myself in a howdah on the back of
an elephant. I was in it for two and
a half hours. That was long
enough! It wasn’t very comfortable. But it was good for seeing
wildlife. I was in a national park in
Nepal.
How familiar were the old
Celts with elephants? Well,
recently I was reading an old
paper in French called The Celts
and the Elephants. The author,
Prof. Gaidoz, was saying that the
first time many Celts saw elephants was when Hannibal was crossing the mountains. That was
in the year 218 BC. I’m sure you’ll
know the story of Hannibal – the
Carthaginian leader.
The Celts tried to stop
Hannibal. That was at the River
Rhône. But Hannibal defeated
them. He had fifty thousand
soldiers. And he also had nearly
forty war elephants. Hannibal
involved the elephants against the
Celts. The Celts were frightened of
the elephants. It’s hardly surprising!
Other Celtic tribes
living in the Roman territory.
Some of the tribes were living
where the north of Italy is today.
They saw Hannibal’s elephants as
well.
And the Romans learned from
Hannibal. A hundred years after
Hannibal the Romans involved
elephants against Celtic
We’ll look at that next week.
Faclan à seann fhaclairean Gàidhlig
Dè a’ Ghàidhlig a tha air elephant?
Ailbhean, nach e? Ailbhean. Ach anns
na seann fhaclairean tha mòran fhaclan
ann. Seo eisimpleirean: ailp, boir,
oileabhan, oilleabhaint agus albhan
dubh. Tha e iongantach, nach eil?
Tha am facal Beurla elephant a’
tighinn bhon Laidinn elephantus.
Thàinig sin bhon Ghreugais elephas.
Ach tha cuid de na faclan co-cheangailte ri ailbheanan ann am
Beurla a’ tighinn bho Hindi. Mar
eisimpleir mahout – fear a bhios a’
stiùireadh ailbhean. Agus howdah –
suidheachan mòr air muin ailbhein.
O chionn beagan mhìosan bha
mi fhìn ann an howdah air muin
ailbhein. Bha mi ann airson dà uair a
thìde gu leth. Bha sin fada gu leòr! Cha
robh e uabhasach cofhurtail. Ach bha e
math airson fiadh-bheatha fhaicinn.
Bha mi ann am pàirc nàiseanta ann an
Neapal.
Dè cho eòlach ’s a bha na seann
Cheiltich air ailbheanan? Uill, o chionn
ghoirid bha mi a’ leughadh seann
phàipear ann am Fraingis air an robh
Les Celtes et Les Éléphants. Bha an t-ùghdar, am Proif. Gaidoz, ag ràdh gur
e a’ chiad turas a chunnaic mòran
Cheilteach ailbheanan nuair a bha
Hannibal a’ dol tarsainn nam beann.
Bha sin anns a’ bhliadhna dà cheud is
ochd-deug (218) RC. Bidh sibh eòlach
air eachdraidh Hannibal – an ceannard
Carthaginianach – tha mi cinnteach.
Dh’fheuch na Ceiltich ri stad a
chur air Hannibal. Bha sin aig Abhainn
Rhône. Ach rinn Hannibal a’ chùis
orra. Bha leth-cheud mìle saighdear
aige. Bha, agus faisg air ceathrad
ailbhean-cogaidh. Chuir Hannibal na
h-ailbheanan an sàs an aghaidh nan
Ceilteach. Bha eagal air na Ceiltich ro
na h-ailbheanan. Is beag an t-iongnadh!
Bha treubhan Ceilteach eile a’
fuireach ann an tìr nan Ròmanach. Bha
feadhainn de na treubhan a’ fuireach
far a bheil ceann a tuath na h-Eadailt
an-diugh. Chunnaic iadsan ailbheanan
Hannibal cuideachd.
Agus dh’ionnsaich na Ròmanaich bho Hannibal. Ceud bliadhna às
dèidh Hannibal chuir na Ròmanaich
ailbheanan an sàs an aghaidh
threubhan Ceilteach. Bheir sinn sùil air
sin an ath-sheachdain.
