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An Litir Bheag 888

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 888. This week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 22 May 2022 13:30

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An Litir Bheag 888

Dh鈥檌nns mi dhuibh mu Leum MhicGriogair, MacGregor鈥檚 Leap, ann an Litir Bheag 321. Tha e air Abhainn L矛omhann, faisg air Fartairchill ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. An turas mu dheireadh a bha mi ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, chaidh mi ann. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 cho fada 始s a bhiodh an leum bho chreag gu creag. Ach, gu dearbh fh猫in, cha bhithinn fh矛n ga fheuchainn!

Thug e orm beachdachadh air cho tric 始s a bhios am facal 鈥榣eum鈥� a鈥� nochdadh air mapaichean na G脿idhealtachd. Mar eisimpleir, air cladach sear Dhi霉ra, tha rubha air a bheil Leum Beathaig. Ann am Beurla, 始s e sin 鈥�Sophia鈥檚 Leap鈥�. Ann an Ros an Iar, deas air Ullapul, tha Leum Ruairidh no 鈥�Rorie鈥檚 leap鈥�. Tha e air abhainn faisg air eas.聽

Ann am Beinn a鈥� Bhaoghla, deas air Baile a鈥� Mhanaich, tha loch ann air a bheil Loch Leum Croisdaig air na mapaichean. Chan eil an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh dad dhomh. Tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gur d貌cha gu bheil e mearachdach. Air a鈥� chiad mhapa sia-貌irlich aig an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais, 始s e Loch Leum Criosdaig a bh鈥� air an loch. 始S d貌cha gur e 颁谤矛辞蝉诲补颈驳, le 鈥榠鈥� fada a bu ch貌ir a bhith ann.聽

Seo na tha sgr矛obhte ann an Leabhar nan Ainmean: 鈥�Meaning Christopher鈥檚 Leap Loch... applied to a small loch... to the north-west of Loch Eilean Iain. A marshy channel connects the two lochs鈥�. Air an t-seann mhapa, 始s e Leum Criosdaig no 颁谤矛辞蝉诲补颈驳 a tha air an amar eadar an d脿 loch.

Ann an Gleann Peathain ann an Loch Abar, tha Lochan Leum an t-Sagairt. 始S d貌cha gu bheil an t-ainm a鈥� dol air ais don linn nuair a bha an Creideamh Caitligeach ann an cunnart, agus na sagartan ag obair ann an d矛omhaireachd.

Uaireannan, 始s e ainmhidh, seach duine a tha air ainmeachadh anns an ainm-脿ite. Anns a鈥� Ch貌igich, tuath air Ullapul, tha Leum an Fh猫idh 鈥榯he leap of the deer鈥�. Tha e ri taobh na mara. Ann an Ceann T矛re, tha Abhainn Leum nam Meann 鈥榯he river of the jump of the kid goats鈥�. Nach snog an t-ainm sin?!

The Little Letter 888

I told you about MacGregor鈥檚 Leap in Litir Bheag 321. It鈥檚 on the River Lyon, near Fortingall in Perthshire. The last time I was in Perthshire, I went there. I don鈥檛 know how far the leap would be from rock to rock. But, certainly, I wouldn鈥檛 try it myself!

It made me think about how often the word 鈥榣eum鈥� appears on maps of the Highlands. For example, on the east coast of Jura, there is a point called Leum Beathaig. In English, that is 鈥楽ophia鈥檚 Leap鈥�. In Wester Ross, south of Ullapool, there is Leum Ruairidh or 鈥楻orie鈥檚 Leap鈥�. It鈥檚 on a river near a waterfall.

In Benbecula, south of Balivanich, there is a loch called Loch Leum Croisdaig on the maps. The name means nothing to me. I think that it is perhaps a mistake. On the Ordnance Survey鈥檚 first six-inch map, the loch was called Loch Leum Criosdaig. Perhaps it should be 颁谤矛辞蝉诲补颈驳 with a long 鈥榠鈥�.

Here鈥檚 what is written in the Name Book: 鈥楳eaning Christopher鈥檚 Leap Loch ... applied to a small loch ... to the north-west of Loch Eilean Iain. A marshy channel connects the two lochs鈥�. On the old map, the loch bears the name Leum Criosdaig or 颁谤矛辞蝉诲补颈驳.

In Glen Pean in Lochaber there is Lochan Leum an t-Sagairt 鈥榯he lochan of the leap of the priest鈥�. Perhaps the name goes back to the time when the Catholic religion was under threat, and priests working in secret.

Sometimes, it鈥檚 an animal rather than a person that is named in the place-name. In Coigach, north of Ullapool, there is Leum an Fh猫idh 鈥榯he leap of the deer鈥�. It鈥檚 next to the sea. In Kintyre, there is Abhainn Leum nam Meann 鈥榯he river of the jump of the kid goats鈥�. Isn鈥檛 that a lovely name?!

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  • Sun 22 May 2022 13:30

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