Gaelic Word of the Week – North East Fife – Fìobh an Ear Thuath

Each week publish our Gaelic Word of the Week podcast which you can listen to at the link above. Here on the blog we add some extra facts, figures and photos for Gaelic learners who want to learn a little about the language and about the Scottish Parliament – Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. This week we continue looking at the Parliamentary constituencies and regions, this week with North East Fife – Fìobh an Ear Thuath.

This week we’re going back to Fife – Fìobha, often known as the Kingdom of Fife – Rìoghachd Fhìobha.

The word rìoghachd is often used in Gaelic to mean “country” as well as kingdom and you will often hear native Gaelic speakers say “an rìoghachd” as well as “an dùthaich” to mean “the country”.

This week’s constituency is North East Fife – Fìobh an Ear Thuath.
The biggest town in the sgìre – constituency is St Andrews. In Gaelic, the name of the town isn’t related to St Andrew at all – it is Cill Rìmhinn. This means church of Rìmhinn. In fact, the original English name of the town, Kilrymont, was an anglicisation of this. The name changed after the relics of St Andrew – Naomh Anndras, were supposedly brought to the town and it gained the name we know and love today. In Gaelic, though, it is still Cill Rìmhinn!

View of St Andrews – Cill Rìmhinn, from top of St Rule’s tower

Also in the constituency, but famous for its fine name rather than for golf or an ancient university is Auchtermuchty. This means “Upland of the place of pigs”. The Auchter part – uachdar – meaning uplands or upper part can also be seen in placenames like Auchterarder. And uachdar can also mean cream in Gaelic, called this because it is what you find at the top of the milk.

The element meaning pig is muc. You might recognise this from the Isle of Muck – Eilean nam Muc. However, in this case the “pigs” in question are “mucan-mara” – literally sea-pigs, that’s to say whales.
And in Gaelic, unlike in English, you don’t say “as fat as a pig” but rather “as fat as a seal” – cho reamhar ri ròn.

On the coast in the East Neuk too are many beautiful fishing villages. Crail is Cair Ail – the settlement at the rock and Pittenweem is Peit na h-Uamha – the estate of the cave.

And if you visit St Andrews – Cill Rìmhinn – or the East Neuk, you might get the train to Luacharas – Leuchars. This means “the place of rushes or reeds”.

Leuchars – Leucharas

This week’s Gaelic Word of the Week is North East Fife – Fìobh an Ear-Thuath:

This week’s Gaelic Word of the Week was written and read by Alasdair MacCaluim, Gaelic Development Officer who spent all his childhood holidays in Cair Ail and whose granny lived in Ladybank!

If you are interested in learning more about Gaelic in Fife, you might be interested in the following new video about Gaelic in the Kingdom by Welcome to Fife.

Alasdair MacCaluim, alasdair.maccaluim@parliament.scot

Fios naidheachd: Ceistean bunaiteach mu bhuaidh Brexit air sgaoileadh-cumhachd

Tha ceistean bunaiteach ann air an fheumar aghaidh a chur air mar a bhios sgaoileadh-cumhachd ag obair an taobh a-muigh an AE. Tha an rabhadh seo a’ tighinn bho aithisg ùr le Comataidh Bun-reachd, Eòrpa, Chùisean A-muigh agus Cultair aig Taigh an Ròid.

Anns an aithisg aice, tha a’ Chomataidh a’ cur cuideam air diofaran brìoghmhor eadar beachdan Riaghaltas na RA agus Riaghaltasan na h-Alba agus na Cuimrigh mu rèiteachadh ri lagh an AE san ùine romhainn.  

Tha aithisg na Comataidh a’ dèanamh soilleir gu bheil na diofaran seo a’ togail cheistean bun-reachdail bunaiteach, agus nam measg an ìre dhan fhaod an RA gabhail ri ceithir àrainneachdan riaghlachail eadar-dhealaichte ann am margadh air an taobh a-staigh air an aon rèir, agus a bheil na modhan instituideach a th’ ann gu leòr gus diofaran eadar na ceithir riaghaltasan an taobh a-staigh na RA fhuasgladh nuair a tha easaontaidhean bunaiteach ann mu rèiteachadh ri lagh an AE.

Tha ceist air a’ Chomataidh a thaobh mar a dh’fheumas sgaoileadh-cumhachd atharrachadh gus aghaidh a chur air na ceistean seo. Tha seo a’ gabhail a-steach obrachadh Cunnradh Sewell a tha fo uallach, tha a’ Chomataidh ag aontachadh, an dèidh Brexit agus ìre nan cumhachdan tiomnaichte ùra aig Ministearan na RA ann an raointean fo sgaoileadh-cumhachd a tha ionann, tha a’ Chomataidh ag aontachadh, ri atharrachadh bun-reachdail nach beag.  

Tha an aithisg ag ràdh gu bheil feum air deasbad poblach fada nas fharsainge air far a bheil cumhachd stèidhichte san rèiteachadh sgaoileadh-cumhachd an dèidh dhan RA an t-AE fhàgail. Feumaidh seo aghaidh a chur air ìre na saorsa riaghlachail an taobh a-staigh margadh na RA.  

Thuirt Neach-gairm na Comataidh, Clare Adamson BPA:

“Mar Chomataidh, tha sinn air na ceistean a th’ oirnn mu na cunnartan do Riaghaltasan fo sgaoileadh-cumhachd mar thoradh air Brexit a nochdadh. Ach tha na ceistean a thathar a’ togail anns an aithisg againn a’ dèanamh soilleir gu bheil ceistean bunaiteach ann air an fheumar aghaidh a chur gun dàil.  

“Gun deasbad nas fharsainge, an dà chuid anns a’ Phàrlamaid seo agus ann an àiteachan eile, bidh na ceistean bunaiteach seo gun fhuasgladh, agus bidh an dòigh sa bheil sgaoileadh-cumhachd ag obair an taobh a-muigh an AE mì-chinnteach fhathast.”

Thuirt Iar-neach-gairm, Dòmhnall Camshron BPA:

“Tha a’ Chomataidh againn den aon bheachd gu bheil feum air deasbad farsaing air na ceistean gu math mòr is toinnte a tha gan togail anns an aithisg againn.  

“Cha bhuin an deasbad seo, ge-tà, dìreach ri Riaghaltasan agus Pàrlamaidean, ach ri gnìomhachasan, ris an t-saoghal chatharra agus ris a’ phoball anns an fharsaingeachd cho math ach am faod sinn na ceistean a th’ ann an-dràsta a tha mu choinneamh chan e a-mhàin Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, ach modh-obrach sgaoileadh-cumhachd anns an fharsaingeachd, a sgrùdadh gu h-iomlan.”

Pàrlamaid na h-Alba gus beachdachadh air gluasad co-fhaireachdainn airson A Mòrachd a’ Bhanrigh

Coinnichidh Pàrlamaid na h-Alba Diluain 12 Sultain gus beachdachadh air gluasad co-fhaireachdainn às dèidh bàs A Mòrachd A’ Bhanrigh.   

Bheir seo cothrom do Bhuill air feadh na Pàrlamaid cnuasachadh air beatha seirbheis phoblaich A Mòrachd agus air an dlùth cheangal maireannach aice ri Alba. 

 Air an latha, cuiridh an t-Oifigear Riaghlaidh, Alison Johnstone BPA fàilte air A Mhòrachd An Rìgh agus A’ Bhanrigh Chèile don t-Seòmar mus toir iad cuireadh do gach Ceannard Pàrtaidh bruidhinn air a’ ghluasad.  

  Bheir A Mhòrachd an uair sin seachad freagairt dhan ghluasad. 

Thuirt Oifigear Riaghlaidh Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, Alison Johnstone BPA: 

“Tha daoine air feadh na h-Alba fhathast a’ caoidh bàs A Mòrachd A’ Bhanrigh agus tha mi airson ar fìor cho-fhaireachdainn a chur an cèill às leth Pàrlamaid na h-Alba do A Mhòrachd an Rìgh agus dhan Teaghlach Rìoghail. 

“Bheir an gluasad co-fhaireachdainn seo cothrom don Phàrlamaid tighinn còmhla mar gus beatha seirbheis phoblaich na Banrigh agus a dlùth cheangal maireannach aice ri Alba a chomharrachadh. 

“Bidh an latha seo cuideachd na chlach-mhìle don dùthaich agus sinn a’ cur fàilte air A Mhòrachd an Rìgh gu Pàrlamaid na h-Alba airson a’ chiad uair mar mhonarc.” 

  Cùl-fhiosrachadh 

Chaidh fiosrachadh mu rèiteachaidhean nam meadhanan airson a’ ghluasad co-fhaireachdainn a chur a-mach ann am fios eile. 

Fios do na meadhanan

Oifis Conaltraidh na Pàrlamaid 

communications@parliament.scot