11/01/2013

Bha mi a’ bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu ainmeachadh ainmhidhean, a th’ air a dhol à bith ann an Alba, air mapaichean na dùthcha. Chan eil an lioncs ann idir, chan eilear cinnteach mun mhadadh-allaidh agus tha am mathan a’ nochdadh dà thuras (’s dòcha).

             Ach dè mun torc? An torc-nimhe no torc-allaidh – the wild boar. Tha ainmean ann mar An Torc, Allt nan Torc, Allt nan Torcan, An Torc-choire, Allt an Tuirc, Beinn an Tuirc, Cruach Tuirc, Loch an Tuirc, Meall an Tuirc, Sròn an Tuirc agus Tòrr an Tuirc.

            Tha an t-uabhas de dh’ainmean mar sin ann. Ach a bheil sin a’ ciallachadh gun robh an torc fhèin pailt aig aon àm ann an Alba? A bheil na h-ainmean gu lèir a’ riochdachadh an tuirc-nimhe? Feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach mu dheidhinn sin.

            Anns a’ chiad dol a-mach, tha am facal torc cuideachd a’ ciallachadh cleft, notch, indentation. Tha torcan a’ ciallachadh little cleft. Mar sin, ’s iongantach mura h-eil Allt nan Torcan faisg air an Acha Mhòr ann an Leòdhas a’ ciallachadh the burn of the little clefts. Mas ann às an Acha Mhòr a tha sibh fhèin, ’s dòcha gum bi beachd no eòlas agaibh air an ainm sin. Tha cuideachd Meall an Torcain a chì gach dràibhear air an rathad eadar Gairbh agus Ullapul air taobh thall Loch a’ Ghlas Chàrnaich.

            Agus dè mu dheidhinn Allt nan Torc deas air Tobar Mhoire ann am Muile? The burn of the boars? Tha e faisg air Doire nan Damh agus an Cnoc Capallach, ach an urrainn a bhith cinnteach gur ann air ainmhidh a tha Allt nan Torc a-mach? Agus tha ciall a bharrachd air torc, a rèir Dwelly – Sod. A special use of it was the sod turned up as a mark to indicate divisions of arable land during the runrig system of cultivation.

            Tha Tòrr an Tuirc tuath air cladach Loch Shubhairne faisg air Creag an Taghain agus Creag an Fhithich. A bheil iad le chèile a’ riochdachadh àiteachan a bha ainmeil airson nam beathaichean sin? ’S dòcha.

            Ach dè mu na h-ainmean mar Bad an Tuirc ann an Athall, Beinn an Tuirc ann an Cinn Tìre agus Meall an Tuirc faisg air Baile Eòghainn ann an Ros an Ear? A bheil iadsan a’ riochdachadh an ainmhidh? A-rithist, ’s dòcha.

            Faisg air Meall an Tuirc ann an Ros an Ear, tha Meann Chnoc agus Druim nan Damh – beanntan eile a tha a’ giùlain ainmean bheathaichean. Ach tha Uilleam MacBhàtair ag innse dhuinn ann am Place Names of Ross and Cromarty gu bheil Cnoc Cèislein, a tha faisg air Meall an Tuirc, a’ ciallachadh cnoc na muice no cnoc na cràine, the hill of the sow. A rèir choltais, nuair a chithear paidhreachadh de dh’ainmean mar sin, tha ‘torc’ a’ buntainn ri cumadh na beinne – gu bheil druim oirre a bha a’ cur ann an cuimhne nan seann Ghàidheal druim an tuirc-nimhe. Bha ar sinnsearan eòlach gu leòr air an torc. Ach chan eil an t-ainm a’ ciallachadh gun robh an torc-nimhe uaireigin pailt anns a’ cheàrnaidh sin.

            Ri taobh rathad mòr an A9 aig Druim Uachdair, chì gach dràibhear beinn mhòr air a bheil An Torc, no ann am Beurla, The Boar of Badenoch. Innsidh mi tuilleadh dhuibh mu dheidhinn sin an-ath-sheachdain.

lioncs: lynx; madadh-allaidh: wolf; mathan: bear; torc: wild boar; Doire nan Damh: the copse of the stags; an Cnoc Capallach: the horse hill; Loch Shubhairne: Loch Hourn; Creag an Taghain: the crag of the pine marten; Creag an Fhithich: the crag of the raven; Athall: Atholl; Cinn Tìre: Kintyre; Baile Eòghainn: Evanton; Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; Meann Chnoc: kids’ hill (young goats); Uilleam MacBhàtair: William Watson; druim: back, ridge; pailt: plentiful.

ainmeachadh ainmhidhean, a th’ air a dhol à bith ann an Alba, air mapaichean na dùthcha: the naming of animals, which have become extinct in Scotland, on the country’s maps; gun robh an torc fhèin pailt aig aon àm: that the boar itself was once plentiful; a bheil na h-ainmean gu lèir a’ riochdachadh an tuirc-nimhe?: do all the names represent the wild boar?; feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach: we must be careful; ’s iongantach mura h-eil X faisg air an Acha Mhòr a’ ciallachadh: it’s likely that X near Achmore means; a chì gach dràibhear air an rathad eadar Gairbh agus Ullapul: that every driver sees on the road between Garve and Ullapool; taobh thall Loch a’ Ghlas Chàrnaich: the far side of Loch Glascarnoch; deas air Tobar Mhoire ann am Muile: south of Tobermory in Mull; beanntan eile a tha a’ giùlain ainmean bheathaichean: other mountains that carry animals’ names; nuair a chithear paidhreachadh de dh’ainmean: when pairing of names is seen; a’ buntainn ri cumadh na beinne: is concerned with the shape of the mountain; bha ar sinnsearan eòlach gu leòr air an torc: our ancestors were familiar enough with the wild boar.

It’s tempting to see the words torc, torcan and tuirc in place names representing the wild boar but the words do have other meanings that might be relevant in a landscape context. Torc can also mean a ‘cleft, notch, indentation’; the diminutive torcan is therefore a ‘little cleft’. Torc also means a sod of earth, sometimes one turned up to mark divisions of arable land under the old runrig system. And it appears that some place names that include torc represent a hill whose shape is reminiscent of a wild boar, rather than recalling the historical existence of the species. Also, as we’ll see next week, landscape references to the boar can be folkloric rather than ecological.

a bha a’ cur ann an cuimhne nan seann Ghàidheal: that reminded the old Gaels.

Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA