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The Scottish Gaelic Column
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| Tha an colbh Gàidhlig seo air a tharraing à "Cothrom", an ràitheachan dà-chànanach aig CLI. Thèid "Cothrom" fhaighinn an asgaidh le buill ChLI, an carthannas airson luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig. | This Gaelic column is drawn from "Cothrom", the bilingual quarterly magazine from CLI. "Cothrom" is distributed free to members of CLI, the charity for learners and supporters of Scots Gaelic |
| Cuir thugainn do sheòladh airson samhla às an ràitheachan dhà-chànanach Cothrom gu cli@sol.co.uk ag innse gur ann tro "Scottish Radiance" a fhuair thu fios air CLI. | For a sample extract from the bilingual quarterly Cothrom, send your address to cli@sol.co.uk, saying that you heard of CLI through "Scottish Radiance". |
| Mar Shneachd Ur ri Aiteamh Trom | Like Snow Off a Dyke |
| Aig a' chiad cho-labhairt de Chomann Ainmean Aite na h Alba, dh'innis Ròidh Wentworth mu mar a chaidh e mun cuairt air a bhith cruinneachadh ainmean ann an Taobh Siar Rois. Seo an dara leth dhen òraid aig Ròidh, anns an tug e sùil mhionaideach air aon ceàrnag 1km2 air cùl Dhìobaig. Fios mun chomann: Oll Sìm Mac an Tàilleir, Institiut Eòlas na h Alba, Oilthigh Chill Rìmhinn KY16 9AL | At the first conference of the Scottish Place-Name Society, Roy Wentworth told of his experiences in collecting Gaelic place-names in Wester Ross. Here is the second part of Roy's talk in which he concentrates his attention on a single 1km2 grid square behind Diabaig. Details of the society: Dr Simon Taylor, Institute of Scottish Studies, St Andrews University KY16 9AL. |
| Ann a bhith a' feuchainn ris na h ainmean-àite a bhuineas don cheàrnaig seo a thional, thug mi sùil an toiseach air mapaichean sia-òirlich an t Suirbhidh Òrdanais, gan coimeas ri leabhraichean-ainmean an t SO, agus cha d'fhuair mi ach a mhàin an dà ainm "Loch nam Ball" agus "Lochan Dubh". Cha do lorg mi gin eile a mhapaichean no a phlanaichean a bha a' sealltainn ainmean sam bith sa chriomaig seo de thalamh monaidh, no bunan sgrìobhte eile airson ainmean, saor on obair a rinn Bridget Gordon cuide ri muinntir an àite an 1961. | In attempting to collect the place-names in the area of this square, a first look at the Ordnance Survey six-inch maps, checked with the OS name books, gave just the two names "Loch nam Ball" (loch of the ropes) and "Lochan Dubh" (black lochan). I found no other maps or plans that gave any names in this patch of hill ground, and no other written sources for names apart from the work of Bridget Gordon with local informants in 1961. |
| Agus mar a tha tachairt na liuthad àite air Ghàidhealtachd, dh'fhaodadh an neach a bhitheas a' foghlam nan ainmean-àite smaoineachadh, mar a bha mi fhèin an toiseach, a rèir nam bunan sgrìobhte a tha rim faighinn, gu bheil againn an seo ceàrn iomallach de sgìre iomallaich, agus gur dòcha nach robh riamh mòran a bharrachd de dh'ainmean gan cleachdadh ann seach na dhà a thionail saparan an t SO o mhuinntir na sgìre mu thimcheall 1874; ach dh'fhaodadh sinn co-dhiù a chreidsinn gu bheil an dà ainm seo againn gu h earbsach. | So, as is the case in so many areas of the Highlands, the place-name student might think, as I did at first, on the basis of available written sources, that we have here a remote corner of a remote parish, and that there might not ever have been a great many more names used here than the two collected by the OS sappers from local people around 1874; but at least, we might believe, we have these two names securely. |
| Ach 'sann a bhitheadh an dà cho-dhùnadh seo ceàrr. | In fact both these conclusions would be wrong. |
| Sa chiad àite, nuair a thug mi sùil sna leabhraichean-not aig Bridget Gordon thug mi an aire gu robh ise air faighneachd mu ainmean nan lochan seo, agus gun d'innis daoine an àite dhi gu robh an SO air ainmean nan dà loch seo chur troimhe-chèile, còmhla ri ainm an loch chon a tuath (ann an NG7862). 'Se a bha air tachairt, gu robh na h ainmean ceart aig an t SO do na trì lochan seo, ach gu robh iad mur gum b'eadh san òrdugh cheàrr. | Firstly, when I looked at Bridget Gordon's notebooks I discovered that she had checked the names of these lochs, and that local informants had told her that the OS had mixed up the names of these two lochs, along with the name of the loch to the north (in NG7862). In fact the OS had, as it were, the right names for the three lochs but in the wrong order. |
| An loch air an tug an SO "Loch nam Ball", 'se Loch Àirigh 'Mhill a th'aig daoine an àite air; an loch ris an can an SO "Lochan Dubh", 'se Lochan nam Ball an t ainm ceart a tha air; agus an loch ris an can an SO "Loch Àirigh a' Mhill", 'se Lochan Dubh a' Mhill a bu chòir a bhith air. Mar sin às aonais na h obrach aig Bridget Gordon cha bhitheadh fhios againn idir, bho na h ainmean a chaidh a chlàrachadh roimhe, gur ann air na feartan-tìre ceàrr a tha an dà ainm seo a fhuaradh air an cur. | What the OS calls "Loch nam Ball" is in fact called locally Loch Àirigh 'Mhill (the loch of the shieling of the [Diabaig] hill); what the OS calls "Lochan Dubh" is actually Lochan nam Ball; and what the OS calls "Loch Airigh a' Mhill" is actually Lochan Dubh a' Mhill, (the black lochan of the hill). So without Bridget Gordon's work we should not have known, on the basis of previously recorded names, that the only two names we have for features in NG7861 in fact refer to the wrong features. |
| An uair sin thug mi sùil air na h ainmean seo anns a h uile mapa SO agus fhuair mi a mach gu bheil na h ainmean seo air an cur sìos ceart air a' mhapa SO aon-òirleach de 1927 (a mhàin), ach air a' mhapa aon-òirleach de 1957 agus air a h uile mapa an dèidh sin tha a' mhearachd a' nochdadh a rithist. | At this point I checked these names on all the OS maps and found that the OS one-inch map of 1927 (alone) has these names corrected, but the 1957 one-inch map and all subsequent maps have returned to the original mistake. |
| A thaobh an dara co-dhùnaidh, nach bitheadh mòran a bharrachd de dh'ainmean rim faighinn ann an àite cho iomallach seo, 'sann a tha e a' tionndadh a mach gu bheil seo buileach ceàrr cuideachd. | The second conclusion, that there would not be many more names in such a remote area than the two appearing on the OS map, turns out to be quite incorrect also. |
| B'e fear de na daoine a thug fiosrachadh do Bhridget Gordon san obair a rinn i an 1961 Iain MacCoinnich (Iain a' Bhealaich) à 24 Dìobaig, a bha aithnichte san àite mar chìobair is stàcair. Nuair a thòisich mi air tional nan ainmean a bhuineadh do mhapa NG76SE ann an 1987 fhuair mi a mach gur e Iain MacCoinnich an aon duine a bha fhathast beò den luchd-fhiosrachaidh a bha aig Bridget Gordon, agus a bharrachd air a seo a h uile uair a dhèanainn feòrach ann an Dìobaig mu ainmean-àite reaghadh mo sheòladh gu Iain mar an neach a b'eòlaiche de na bha fhathast beò air na h ainmean-àite agus air an eachdraidh timcheall air Dìobaig. | One of Bridget Gordon's main informants in her 1961 work had been Iain Mackenzie (Iain a' Bhealaich) of 24 Diabaig, who was well known locally as a stalker and shepherd. When I began collecting names for sheet NG76SE in 1987 I discovered that Iain Mackenzie was in fact the only of Bridget Gordon's informants who was still alive, and further that whenever I enquired in Diabaig about place-names I was always referred to Iain who, I was told, was the most knowledgeable person still living on place-names and (traditions) of the Diabaig area. |
| Mar sin chaidh mi a thadhal air Iain, is mi air coinneachadh ris grunnan de thurasan roimhe san dol seachad, agus cha robh mi fada mus do thuig mi gu robh stòras dha-rìribh aige de dh'ainmean-àite na sgìre, a bha e air ionnsachadh na òige o athair (a bha cuideachd na chìobair is na stàcair) agus o fhir-mhonaidh eil mun cuairt air Dìobaig. A bharrachd air a seo, bha cuimhne iongandach aige air cruth is coltas gach àite, agus comas aige air cunntas a thoirt orra seo gu fileanta an Gàidhlig Dhìobaig. | Accordingly I went to see Iain, whom I had met on a number occasions before in a general way, and soon realised that he had a vast store of place-names of the area, which he had learnt in his youth from his father (who had also been a shepherd and stalker) and from the other hill men around Diabaig. Further he had, it almost seemed, a photographic memory for the appearance of each place and was able to describe each fluently in his Diabaig Gaelic. |
| Uaireannan, airson sealltainn dhomh far an robh feart air choreigin suidhichte air nach robh mi fhathast eòlach, tharraingeadh Iain dealbh den àite mar a bhitheadh e a' coimhead bho bhad eile den mhonadh air an robh fios agam. Is tric a smuainich mi gur e nì sònraichte a bha seo a thaobh cuimhne cho glan a bhith aige an riochd dealbh na inntinn. | On occasion Iain would also, in order to show me where a feature which I did not yet know was situated, make a sketch of the feature as it would appear from another spot on the hill which I did know. This often struck me as a remarkable feat of "visual" memory. |
| Bha Iain (a bha na thrì ficheadan) agus a bhean Ciodaidh le chèile fìor aoigheil, furmailteach dhomh, agus tha cuimhne agam a bhith a liuthad uair cho toilichte a staigh aca, aig ceann an iar rathad "a' Bhealaich" an Dìobaig, a' dèanamh chlàraidhean de dh'Iain agus a' bruidhinn air ainmean-àite gu meadhan-oidhche no gu uair sa mhadainn, agus Ciodaidh a' dèanamh theathachan gun àireamh dhomh (agus gu tric dìnnearan nan trì cùrsaichean cuideachd). | Both Iain (who was in his sixties) and his wife Kitty were extremely hospitable to me, and I have very good memories of being in their house, at the end of the west "Bealach" road in Diabaig, making recordings of Iain and talking about place-names till midnight or one in the morning, while being given innumerable teas (and often three-course dinners as well) by Kitty. |
| Ann a bhith ag obair air ainmean-àite le Iain dh'fhaodadh gun dèanainn an toiseach coiseachd tron àite gus beachd fhaighinn air dè an coltas a bha air an talamh. An uair sin thadhailinn air Iain is dh'fhaighnichinn ris dè na h ainmean a bha a' buntainn don àite a bh'ann. Mar bu trice bheireadh esan dhomh àireamh mhòr de dh'ainmean, a ghabhainn not dhiubh no a chlàrainn air teip, agus on chunntas a bheireadh e air far am faighte iad thillinn chon an àite agus sa chumantas dh'aithnichinn a' mhòr-chuid de na feartan air an tug e ainm dhomh. | In working on place-names with Iain Mackenzie, I might walk over an area of ground first, to get a rough idea of the lie of the land. I would then visit Iain and ask him what names there were in that particular area. He in turn would usually give me a whole number of names, which I would note down or record on tape, and from his descriptions of their locality I would return to the area in question and generally be able to recognise the features to which most of his names referred. |
| Dh'fhalbhainn a mach latha eile air a' mhonadh còmhla ri Iain ach an comharraicheadh e a mach na feartan dhomh, cuide ris na h ainmean nach do thuig mi roimhe; agus gu tric thigeadh an tuilleadh ainmean am bàrr an lùib seo. Mu dheireadh thòisichinn air sgrìobhadh suas nan ainmean, agus dh'fhaodadh gu feumainn tadhal a rithist no fiosan-fòn a chur gus puingean teagmhach a shoilleireachadh. | I would then go out another day on the hill with Iain so that he could point out the features to me, along with names I had not understood before; this would often elicit further names. Finally I would begin to write the names up, and this also might necessitate further visits or phone calls to clear up doubtful points. |
| A thaobh ceàrnaig-clèithe NG7861, aon uair is gu robh an sgrìobhadh-suas crìochnaichte 'sann a bha 35 ainmean agam. Cuimhnich mus do thòisicheadh air tional ainmean bho Iain MacCoinnich cha deach ach a dhà a mhàin de na h ainmean seo ('se sin na h ainmean aig an t SO, ceartaichte le Bridget Gordon) a chlàradh riamh roimhe. | For grid square NG7861, once the work of writing up was complete I in fact ended up with about 35 names. Remember that before the work of collection with Iain Mackenzie only two of these names (the OS names, corrected by Bridget Mackenzie) had ever been recorded. |
| A thaobh eachdraidh sòisealta, chì sinn am measg rudan eile gu bheil againn: iomradh air àirighean; iomradh air àiteach-monaidh san àm ro chroitearachd sna h-ainmean le achadh; iomradh air obair na mòine sna h ainmean Glac a' Mhòine Fhliuch, Blàr Rogaidh, agus Creagan na h-Analach; iomradh air fiodh do mhullach thaighean a bhith air a thoirt às na blàir-mhòine ann am Blàr nan Tùbhan; iomradh ann am Fuaran an Inspector air an fhear-rannsachaidh a bhitheadh a' tadhal air an taobh-sgoil anns a' Chreig gu ruig an ama a chaidh an sgoil a dhùnadh sna 1920'n. | From the point of view of social history, we see that we have amongst other things: references to shielings in the àirigh names; references to pre-crofting outby cultivation in the achadh names; mention of peat-working in Glac a' Mhòine Fhliuch, Blàr Rogaidh, and Creagan na h Analach; a reference to the taking of roof-timber from peat-bogs in Blàr nan Tùbhan; mention in Fuaran an Inspector of the school inspector who used to visit the side-school at Craig up to the time of the school's closure in the 1920's. |
| A thaobh cànanachais tha eisimpleirean againn de dh'àireamh de riochdan agus de chleachdaidhean dualchainnteach air faclan: eisimpleirean den atharrachadh bho /ao/ to /ù/ a tha a' bualadh air cuid a dh'fhaclan ann an dualchainnt Gheàrrloch; an cleachdadh a bha roimhe san dualchainnt den ghinideach n san fhacal criùbhann (an ginideach de criùbh, 'se sin "craobh") fhathast air mhaireann ann an ainm-àite; eisimpleirean den fhacal sùil a bhith ga chleachdadh airson òb de dh'uisge fosgailte ann am fèithean. | From the point of view of linguistics we have examples of a number of dialect forms and usages of words, for instance: examples of the change of /ao/ to /ù/ which affects some words in the Gairloch dialect; retention of the former dialect use of the n genitive in the word criùbhann (genitive of "tree") in a place-name; examples of the use of the word sùil (primarily meaning "eye") to refer to a pool of open water in bogs. |
| An dèidh dhomh a bhith ùine ag obair cuide ri Iain MacCoinnich, agus tro bhith a' còmhradh ris, saoilidh mi gun do thòisich mi air tuigse fhaighinn air mar a bha siostam aige na inntinn, mar gum b'eadh, a thaobh a bhith a' toirt ainmean air àiteachan. | After having worked with Iain Mackenzie for some time, and in the course of conversations with him, I began to understand, I think, to some degree how he had what one might call a mental system of naming. |
| Mar eisimpleir, sa ceàrnaig seo tha 21 "prìomh" ainm ann, agus 14 ainmean a bharrachd a thàinig o na prìomh ainmean seo. Ge brith dè eile bhitheas seo a' dèanamh, saoilidh mi gu bheil e a' tòiseachadh air seòrsa de phàtran a chur air na h ainmean. Oir an àite 35 ainmean gun cheangal ri chèile a bhith gan gleidheadh sa chuimhne, chan eil ann ach 21 prìomh ainm a mhàin, agus gheibhear an 14 eile de dharnacha ainmean le glè bheag a bharrachd de dh'obair inntinne, mar gum b'eadh. | For instance, the area of this grid square has 21 "primary" place-names, and another 14 names derived from these primary names. Whatever else it may do, this I think serves to begin impose a kind of pattern on the names of an area. Rather than having 35 unrelated names to be kept in the memory, one has the 21 primary names only, and gets the extra 14 derived names with, as it were, little extra mental work. |
| Faodar na h ainmean a dhèanamh nas "mionaidiche" fhathast, a chum a bhith ag amas air àite, le bhith a' cleachdadh roimhearan no ainmearan gus mion-atharrachadh a dhèanamh air an ainm: mar eisimpleir fos cinn (os cionn), fo, bràigh, bonn, agus shìos is shuas a tha doirbh am mìneachadh, ach aig a bheil a' chiall bhunaiteach mu seach "a' dol a dh'ionnsaigh tuath a' leantainn loidhne a' chladaich" agus "a' dol a dh'ionnsaigh deas a' leantainn loidhne a' chladaich". | The place-names can be further "fine-tuned" for purposes of location by using prepositions or nouns to modify the name: for instance fos cinn (os cionn) "above", fo "below", bràigh "top end of", bonn "bottom end of" and shìos and shuas - which are difficult to translate, but which mean basically "tending northwards along the line of the coast" and "tending southwards along the line of the coast" respectively. |
| Leis a seo, mar a mhìnich Iain dhomh, thèid agad air innse gu mionaideach far am faca tu caora no fiadh; mar eisimpleir "aig bràigh nan Glacan Beaga", no "mu dà cheud slat shìos air Tobar a' Chuaill". | With these, as Iain explained, you can tell exactly where you saw a sheep or a deer: for instance at the top end of na Glacan Beaga, or about two hundred yards north-west of Tobar a' Chuaill. |
| Glè thric bha e doirbh dhomh a bhith cinnteach an e ainmean-àite nan seilbh fhèin a tha anns na h ainmean "mion-atharraichte" seo ('se sin na h ainmean air am mion-atharrachadh le roimhearan). Tha cuid dhiubh agus coltas orra gun teagamh gum bithear gan cleachdadh mar ainmean-àite iomlan, mar eisimpleir bràigh nan Glacan Beaga, agus gu sònraichte ainm faisg air làimh (ged nach eil e sa cheàrnaig-chlèithe seo), 'se sin fo Leitheach Slighe. | I have often found it very difficult to judge whether these "modified" names (names modified with prepositions) are place-names in their own right or not. Some of them certainly seem to be used as full place-names, for instance bràigh nan Glacan Beaga, and in particular a name nearby (though not in this grid square), fo Leitheach Slighe "below the halfway point". |
| Mar sin saoilidh mi a thaobh neach mar Iain MacCoinnich a bhitheas a' dèanamh feum de dh'ainmean-àite le làn ìre de "dh'fhileantachd" mar gum b'eadh, gu bheil an talamh air a bhriseadh sìos na cheàrnan agus gach aon dhiubh comharraichte le prìomh ainm. | So it seems to me that to a person like Iain Mackenzie, who makes use of place-names to a full degree of "fluency" as it were, the ground may be broken down into areas each of which is designated by a primary name. |
| Tha gach "prìomh" cheàrn an uair sin air a bhriseadh sìos na "dharnacha" ceàrnan, an dara cuid le bhith a' cleachdadh ainmean bunaichte (me, Meall an t-Saibheair Bhrist bho a' Saibheair Brist, agus Druim Àirigh 'Mhill bho Àirigh 'Mhill), neo le bhith a' cleachdadh mion-atharraichean roimhearach no an leithid (me, bràigh nan Glacan Beaga bho na Glacan Beaga, agus shìos air Tobar a' Chuaill bho Tobar a' Chuaill). | Each "primary" area is then itself broken down into smaller "secondary" areas, either by using derived names (eg Meall an t-Saibheair Bhrist from a' Saibheair Brist, and Druim Àirigh 'Mhill from Àirigh 'Mhill), or by using prepositional or similar modifiers (eg bràigh nan Glacan Beaga from na Glacan Beaga, and shìos air Tobar a' Chuaill from Tobar a' Chuaill). |
| Mas fhìor e dha-rìribh gu bheil an talamh briste sìos na "raointean buaidh" de phrìomh ainmean san dòigh seo, fàgaidh sin gu faod e bhith gun tèid feartan sreathach tro bharrachd is aon raon buaidh a mhàin, agus mar sin gum bi sreath de dh'ainmean orra a tha a' leantainn a chèile. Agus 'se a' chùis gu bheil seo a' tachairt am measg nan daoine as fhileanta no as eòlaiche ann an ainmean-àite, co-dhiù a thaobh nan allt beaga; agus airson iomadach bliadhna bha seo gam chur fìor iormall. | If it is really the case that the ground is broken down into "spheres of influence" of primary names in this way, then it follows that linear features may pass through more than one area of influence, and so should have a succession of names. In fact, we find that, in the case of at least the smaller burns, this does happen with the most fluent or knowledgeable users of place-names; and for years this fact confused me immensely. |
| Nuair a thòisich mi air obair air ainmean-àite saoilidh mi gu robh seòrsa de bheachd daingeann agam nam inntinn, seach gur e nì suidhichte le ainm suidhichte a tha ann am meall no cnoc (me, ann an NG7861 tha Meall na Falaisg an còmhnaidh na Mheall na Falaisg), mar sin 'se nì suidhichte le ainm suidhichte a tha ann an allt cuideachd. | When I started work on place names I had, I suppose, a mind-set that, just as "a hill is a hill is a hill" with a fixed name (eg in NG7861 Meall na Falaisg is always Meall na Falaisg), so a "burn is a burn is a burn" with a fixed name. |
| Ach 'sann a bha mi an còmhnaidh a' faighinn o dhaoine àireamh gu math nas motha de dh'ainmean do dh'uillt na bha ann de na h-uillt fhèin anns an àite (chan eil mi a' ciallachadh nach robh mi a' gabhail cunntais air na meur-uillt, ach gu robh fhathast cus ainmean ann fiù is an dèidh do na meur-uillt a bhith air an toirt a steach sa chunntas), agus cha b'urrainn dhomh a thuigsinn dè bha a' dol air adhart. Airson ùine mhòr 'sann a bha mi den bheachd gu robh an luchd-fiosrachaidh a' dèanamh iormaill neo gu robh a' chuimhne aca ceàrr. | But I kept getting given many more names for burns than there were actual burns in existence on the ground (I don't mean I wasn't taking account of tributaries, but that there were still too many names even after taking the tributaries into account), and I couldn't work out what was going on. Indeed, for a long time I assumed that the informants were making mistakes or misremembering. |
| Dh'fhaodadh gu robh mi caran slaodach no claon ach, mar a thubhairt mi, bha am beachd daingeann agam seach gu robh ainm suidhichte aig na mill, mar sin gum bitheadh ainm suidhichte aig na h-uillt. | Perhaps I was a bit slow and stupid but, as I say, I had a mind-set that a hill is a hill with its name, and a burn is a burn with its name. |
| Mu dheireadh thall bhris e a-steach orm, an dèidh bhith a' còmhradh tric le Iain MacCoinnich, gu faod na h uillt na h ainmean aca atharrachadh a rèir dè an talamh tro bheil iad a' sruthadh. Mar a mhìnich Iain e, dh'fhaodadh na h ainmean aca a bhith diofarach "ged as e an aon uisge th'annta". | It finally dawned on me, after conversations with Iain Mackenzie, that burns may "change their names" according to which ground they are running through. As Iain explained it, their names may be different though they are the same water. |
| Mar sin 'se a' chùis, mar eisimpleir, gum bithear a' toirt tarraing air an allt a tha a' tighinn à Lochan Dubh a' Mhill anns na dòighean a leanas, agus e a' sruthadh tro shreath de "cheàrnan de bhuaidh" a bhuineas do na prìomh ainmean: Ruith a' Lochan Duibh, Allt Àirigh 'Mhill, Allt Glac nan Cnàimhean, Allt Achadh a' Ghàrraidh, agus mu dheireadh thall, san earrainn as ìsle de chùrsa far a bheil e a' ruith a steach don mhuir tha prìomh ainm, is dòcha, air an allt fhèin, Allt a' Ghàrraidh. | So it is the case, for instance, that the burn which issues from Lochan Dubh a' Mhill is referred to in the following ways, as it passes through the successive "areas of influence" of the primary names: Ruith a' Lochan Duibh (the run from an Lochan Dubh), Allt Àirigh 'Mhill (the burn of the shieling of am Meall), Allt Glac nan Cnàimhean (the burn of Glac nan Cnàimhean), Allt Achadh a' Ghàrraidh (the burn of Achadh a' Ghàrraidh), until finally, in the lowest part of course where it falls into the sea the burn itself has what is perhaps a "primary" name, Allt a' Ghàrraidh (the burn of the dyke). |
| Aon uair agus gun do thuig mi dè bha a' tachairt a thaobh nan ainmean seo air na h-uillt, dh'fhàs an suidheachadh a thaobh nan ainmean air na h-uillt ann an àiteachan eile, a bha mi air am faighinn bho luchd-fiosrachaidh eile, na bu shoilleire dhomh. | Once I had realised what was happening with these stream names, then some names of burns in other areas, that I had got from other informants, at last became clear to me. |
| Ach shaoil mi gur nì iongantach e gu faodadh allt, a thaobh a bhith ga ainmeachadh, a bhith na àireamh de dhiofar nithean (ma dh'fhaodar a chur mar sin), ged a tha "an aon uisge" a' ruith tromhpa seo. | But I thought it a remarkable thing that a stream could, from the naming point of view, consist of a number of separate entities (if one might put it like that), though these have the "same water" running through them. |
| Dh'fheuch mi ri sealltainn san òraid seo co mheud ainm agus dè an uimhir a dh'fhiosrachadh a thèid againn air faighinn bho shluagh an àite nuair a bhitheas sinn ag obair air ainmean-àite sgìre sam bith. Cha tubhairt seo idir gu faod sinn dearmad a dhèanamh air bunan sgrìobhte; ach 'se an fhìrinn a th'ann nach bitheadh againn as aonais Iain MhicCoinnich ach dà ainm chlàraichte ann an sgrìobhadh a bhuineas do cheàrnaig-clèithe NG7861. Anns an eisimpleir seo chan eil comas idir eadar an uimhir de dh'fhiosrachadh a gheibh sinn às na bunan sgrìobhte agus na gheibh sinn a bharrachd le bhith a' tional bho mhuinntir an àite. | I have tried to show in this talk how many names, and how much information, we can get from local people when we work on the place-names of an area. This is not by any means to say that we should neglect written sources; but the fact remains that without Iain Mackenzie we should only have two names on record in the area of grid square NG7861. In this case there is simply no comparison between the amounts of information we can get, in addition to written sources, from local collection. |
| Mu dheireadh, feumaidh mi a ràdh gu bheil am fiosrachadh seo a' dol à bith gu luath, agus a' Ghàidhlig (co-dhiù an Ros an Iar) a' falbh "mar shneachd ùr ri aiteamh trom". 'Sann a bha mi an dùil gluasad air adhart gu bhith ag obair cuide ri Iain air an ath mhapa 1:10,000 chon an ear. Ach gu duilich chaochail Iain MacCoinnich san Dùbhlachd 1995, agus chaill sinn cuide ris stòras mòr de dh'ainmean-àite a bhuineadh do sgìre Dhìobaig agus de dh'fhiosrachadh co-cheangailte riutha nach deach a chlàradh riamh. | Finally, I must say that this information is disappearing, with the Gaelic language (at least in Wester Ross) "like snow off a dyke". I had intended to move on to work with Iain on the next 1:10,000 sheet to the east. Sadly Iain Mackenzie died in December 1995, and with him went a huge amount of unrecorded place-names and related information for the Diabaig area. |
| Tha fhathast luchd-fiosrachaidh math air fhàgail an Ros an Iar (ged a tha iad a' dol sìos an àireimh), agus chan eil e ro fhadalach mòran ainmean a shàbhaladh fhathast. Gu mì-fhortanach dh'fhairtlich air feadhainn o chionn goirid maoineachadh sam bith fhaighinn gus an obair seo a thoirt air adhart. Chan urrainn do chomhairlichean agus don Bhuidhinn Iomairt Ionadail luach fhaicinn ann, tha eagal orm. Is mòr am beud seo, oir aon uair agus gun tig coimhearsnachd de dhaoine aig a bheil fios air ainmean neo-chlàraichte gu crìoch, 'sann a tha na h ainmean sin air an call; agus aon uair is gu bheil iad air an call, 'sann a tha iad air chall gu bràth. | There are still a (declining number) of good informants left in Wester Ross, and it is not too late to save many names still. Unfortunately it had proved impossible recently to get any funding to carry on this work. Councillors and the Local Enterprise Company just do not appear to be able to see value in it, I'm afraid. This is a great pity, for once a community of people knowing unrecorded names has come to an end, then these names are of course gone; and once gone they are gone for ever. |
| Ròidh Wentworth |
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