551: Barbrag
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.
Barbrag
Tha mi a’ dol a thoirt facal ùr dhuibh. Barbrag. Uill, tha mi an dùil gu bheil e ùr don chuid as motha agaibh. Dè th’ ann am barbrag? ’S e lus a th’ ann – lus dùthchasach air a bheil barberry ann am Beurla. Tha luchd-saidheans eòlach air mar Berberis vulgaris.
Chan eil an t-ainm barbrag ag innse dhuinn mòran mun lus fhèin. Ach tha dà ainm Ghàidhlig eile air a shon a tha a’ dèanamh nàdar de thuairisgeul air – am preas deilgneach agus preas nan geur-dhearc. Tuigidh sibh gu bheil an lus deilgneach, no droighneach. Agus tuigidh sibh nach eil blas milis air a chuid dhearcan.
Carson a tha m’ inntinn air a’ bharbraig an-diugh? Uill, tha a chionn ’s gun robh mi a’ coimhead airson ainm Gàidhlig air lus de sheòrsa eile – am Mahonia. Cha do lorg mi a leithid – ach tha Mahonia agus Berberis dlùth-chàirdeach do chèile. Tha iad anns an aon teaghlach – na Berberidaceae.
Tha Berberis de sheòrsa eile a’ fàs anns an leas agam. Tha, agus dà sheòrsa de Mahonia. Tha Mahonia aquifolium agam – lus brèagha leis an ainm Bheurla Oregon Grape. Tha e dùthchasach do thaobh an iar Ameireagaidh a Tuath. Agus tha Mahonia napaulensis agam – lus làidir le duilleagan car coltach ri duilleagan cuilinn, air am bi dìtheanan buidhe a’ nochdadh – gu snog – ann am meadhan a’ gheamhraidh.
Ach carson a tha Mahonia napaulensis air m’ inntinn? Uill, a chionn ’s gum faca mi e o chionn ghoirid a’ fàs – gu nàdarrach ann an coille – anns an dùthaich dham buin e. Ma tha sibh tuigseach mu ainmean lusan, tuigidh sibh gum buin Mahonia napaulensis do Neapal. Bha mi anns a’ Hiomaileatha. Agus tha an lus sin a’ fàs anns na coilltean Hiomaileathach mar phreas no eadhon mar chraobh bheag.
Chan eil ainm Gàidhlig agam air a shon ach, mar a bhiodh dùil, tha ainm Neapalach ann – mandre chutro. Agus thathar ga chleachdadh anns an dòigh seo gu traidiseanta: bithear a’ faighinn sùgh bhon rùsg, bithear ga ghoil agus, nuair a tha e fuar, bithear ga chur air sùil duine a tha feumach air. Tha e na leigheas airson neul-sùla, rud ris an canar ann am Beurla “cataract”– neul-sùla. Chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh co-dhiù tha e ag obair mar leigheas gus nach eil.
Chan eil fios agam cò a’ chiad duine a thug Mahonia napaulensis a-mach à Neapal gu ruige dùthchannan an taoibh an iar, ach tha deagh theans gur e Albannach a bh’ ann. Tha e iongantach na bh’ ann de dh’Albannaich a chruinnich lusan thall thairis anns an ochdamh is naoidheamh linn deug. Tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh mu Dhaibhidh Dùbhghlas à Siorrachd Pheairt a thug ainm do Ghiuthas an Dùbhghlasaich no an Douglas Fir.
Ach bha gu leòr eile ann à Alba a rinn an dearbh sheòrsa rud thall thairis – daoine mar Sheòras Forrest ann an Sìonaidh, Daibhidh Lyall ann an Ameireagaidh a Tuath agus Sealan Nuadh, agus Raibeart Fortune ann an Sìonaidh agus Iapan; ’s e Fortune a thug Mahonia japonica a Bhreatainn.
Am measg an luchd-cruinneachaidh bha co-dhiù dithis aig an robh Gàidhlig. Bheir sinn sùil air beatha fear aca an ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: barbrag: barberry; luchd-saidheans: scientists; deilgneach,droighneach: thorny; leas: garden; Hiomaileatha, Hiomaileathach: Himalaya, Himalayan; sampaill: samples; Sealan Nuadh: New Zealand.
Abairtean na Litreach: a tha a’ dèanamh nàdar de thuairisgeul air: that make a sort of description of it; preas nan geur-dhearc: (lit) bush of the sharp-tasting fruit; cha do lorg mi a leithid: I didn’t find the like; dlùth-chàirdeach do chèile: closely related to each other; dùthchasach do thaobh an iar Ameireagaidh a Tuath: native to the western side of N. America; car coltach ri duilleagan cuilinn: a little like holly leaves; dìtheanan buidhe: yellow flowers; meadhan a’ gheamhraidh: the middle of winter; gu nàdarrach ann an coille: naturally in a forest; anns an dùthaich dham buin e: in the country to which it belongs; mar phreas no eadhon mar chraobh bheag: as a bush or even as a small tree; bithear a’ faighinn sùgh bhon rùsg: juice is obtained from the bark; bithear ga ghoil: it is boiled; bithear ga chur air sùil duine a tha feumach air: it is put on the eye of a person who needs it; chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh: I can’t say; co-dhiù tha e ag obair mar leigheas gus nach eil: whether or not it is effective (works) as a cure; gu ruige dùthchannan an taoibh an iar: to the countries of the west; tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh mu Dhaibhidh Dùbhghlas à Siorrachd Pheairt: I’m certain you [have] heard of David Douglas from Perthshire; a rinn an dearbh sheòrsa rud thall thairis: who did the same sort of thing overseas; ann an Sìonaidh agus Iapan: in China and Japan; bha co-dhiù dithis: there were at least two people.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: neul-sùla: cataract (of the eye). Neul has a variety of meanings – you will probably be familiar with it representing a ‘cloud’; it can also stand for a ‘cloudy film’ or ‘mistiness’. It is related to the Latin word nebula. Neultach is an adjective meaning ‘cloudy, misty’ (and ‘dark’), neulmhor means ‘cloudy’ or ‘cloud-bearing’ and neultachd means ‘cloudiness’, ‘mistiness’ or ‘gloominess’. Neulaich is a verb meaning to ‘obscure, darken, cover as with a cloud’. I hope you can see what a neat and meaningful expression neul-sùla is - literally ‘clouding of (the) eye’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Tha e iongantach na bh’ ann de dh’Albannaich: it’s amazing how many Scots there were.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 247
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn