627: Is the word ‘siùcar’ in the Bible? (1) 627: A bheil am facal ‘siùcar’ anns a’ Bhìoball? (1)
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag 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 little 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.
A bheil am facal ‘siùcar’ anns a’ Bhìoball? (1)
Dè cho sean ʼs a tha am facal ‘siùcar’ ann an Gàidhlig? Tha MacBheathain ag innse dhuinn anns an fhaclair aige – Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language – gur ann às a’ Bheurla Mheadhanaich sugre a thàinig e. Bidh sibh eòlach air an fhacal ann an grunn chànanan Eòrpach – mar eisimpleir, siùcra ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann, zucker ann an Gearmailtis agus sucre ann am Fraingis. Tha na faclan sin uile càirdeach do chèile.
Chan eil am facal siùcar anns a’ Bhìoball Ghàidhlig, ge-tà. No, ma thà, cha d’ fhuair mise lorg air. A bheil sin na iongnadh? Chanainn nach eil. Cha robh muinntir na Roinn Eòrpa eòlach air siùcar ri linn sgrìobhadh a’ Bhìobaill.
A rèir choltais, thòisich mac-an-duine air cuilc an t-siùcair fhàs ann an eileanan a’ Chuain Sèimh. Sin sugar cane – cuilc an t-siùcair. Chaidh an t-eòlas sin chun nan Innseachan, an uair sin gu Persia agus an uair sin do na dùthchannan Arabach. Agus chaidh am facal leis an lus.Shakar ann am Persianais, sukkar ann an Arabais, sucre ann am Fraingis.
Thathar dhen bheachd gun do ràinig siùcar Sasainn anns an aonamh linn deug. Bha ridirean nan cogaidhean-croise a’ tilleadh dhachaigh bhon ear-mheadhanach. Thug iad fios mu shiùcar leotha. Aig an àm sin, bha siùcar gu math daor.
Ach cuin a thuirt Gàidheal am facal ‘siùcar’ airson a’ chiad turais? Chan eil fhios a’m. Agus, ged a tha muinntir ceann a tuath na Roinn Eòrpa a’ fàs biotais siùcair an-diugh, cha do thòisich sin gu timcheall Bliadhna Theàrlaich anns an ochdamh linn deug.
Ged nach eil am facal siùcar anns a’ Bhìoball, tha cuid dhen bheachd gu bheilear ag ainmeachadh cuilc an t-siùcair ann. Mar eisimpleir, ann an Leabhar Ieremiah Caibideil 6, Rann 20 tha seo ann (tha an Tighearna a’ bruidhinn): C’uim an tig tùis o Sheba thugam-sa, agus a’ chuilc chùbhraidh o dhùthaich fad-às?
Tùis o Sheba – incense from Sheba. Bha Seba ainmeil airson malairt spìosraidhean. Agus a’ chuilc chùbhraidh o dhùthaich fad-às. Thathar ag eadar-theangachadh sin mar sweet cane from a distant land. An e sin cuilc an t-siucair? Tuilleadh air a’ chuspair seo an-ath-sheachdain!
Is the word ‘siùcar’ in the Bible? (1)
How old is the word siùcar [sugar] in Gaelic? MacBain tells us in his dictionary – Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language – that it came from the Middle English sugre. You’ll know the word in several European languages – for example, siùcra in Irish Gaelic, zucker in German and sucre in French. All those words are related to each other.
The word siùcar isn’t in the Gaelic Bible, however. Or, if it is, I haven’t found it. Is that a surprise? I’d say not. The people of Europe weren’t familiar with sugar at the time of the writing of the Bible.
Apparently, humans started growing ciulc an t-siùcair in the Pacific Islands. That’s sugar cane – cuilc an t-siùcair. That knowledge went to India, then to Persia and then to the Arab countries. And the word went with the plant. Shakar in Persian, sukkar in Arabic, sucre in French.
It’s thought that sugar reached England in the eleventh century. The knights of the crusades were returning home from the middle east. They took knowledge about sugar with them. At that time sugar was very expensive.
But when did a Gael utter the word ‘siùcar’ for the first time. I don’t know. And, although the people of northern Europe grow sugar beet today, that didn’t start until around ‘the year of Charlie’ (1745-6) in the eighteenth century.
Although the word sugar isn’t in the Bible, some people think that sugar cane is named there. For example, in the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 6, Verse 20 there is this (the Lord is speaking): What use is it should incense come to me from Sheba, and sweet cane from a distant land?
Tùis o Sheba – incense from Sheba. Sheba was famous for trading spices. And the sweet-smelling cane from a distant land. That is translated as ‘sweet cane from a distant land’. Is that sugar cane? More on this subject next week!
A bheil am facal ‘siùcar’ anns a’ Bhìoball? (1)
Dè cho sean ʼs a tha am facal ‘siùcar’ ann an Gàidhlig? Tha MacBheathain ag innse dhuinn anns an fhaclair aige – Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language – gur ann às a’ Bheurla Mheadhanaich sugre a thàinig e. Bidh sibh eòlach air an fhacal ann an grunn chànanan Eòrpach – mar eisimpleir, siùcra ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann, zucker ann an Gearmailtis agus sucre ann am Fraingis. Tha na faclan sin uile càirdeach do chèile.
Chan eil am facal siùcar anns a’ Bhìoball Ghàidhlig, ge-tà. No, ma thà, cha d’ fhuair mise lorg air. A bheil sin na iongnadh? Chanainn nach eil. Cha robh muinntir na Roinn Eòrpa eòlach air siùcar ri linn sgrìobhadh a’ Bhìobaill.
A rèir choltais, thòisich mac-an-duine air cuilc an t-siùcair fhàs ann an eileanan a’ Chuain Sèimh. Sin sugar cane – cuilc an t-siùcair. Chaidh an t-eòlas sin chun nan Innseachan, an uair sin gu Persia agus an uair sin do na dùthchannan Arabach. Agus chaidh am facal leis an lus.Shakar ann am Persianais, sukkar ann an Arabais, sucre ann am Fraingis.
Thathar dhen bheachd gun do ràinig siùcar Sasainn anns an aonamh linn deug. Bha ridirean nan cogaidhean-croise a’ tilleadh dhachaigh bhon ear-mheadhanach. Thug iad fios mu shiùcar leotha. Aig an àm sin, bha siùcar gu math daor.
Ach cuin a thuirt Gàidheal am facal ‘siùcar’ airson a’ chiad turais? Chan eil fhios a’m. Agus, ged a tha muinntir ceann a tuath na Roinn Eòrpa a’ fàs biotais siùcair an-diugh, cha do thòisich sin gu timcheall Bliadhna Theàrlaich anns an ochdamh linn deug.
Ged nach eil am facal siùcar anns a’ Bhìoball, tha cuid dhen bheachd gu bheilear ag ainmeachadh cuilc an t-siùcair ann. Mar eisimpleir, ann an Leabhar Ieremiah Caibideil 6, Rann 20 tha seo ann (tha an Tighearna a’ bruidhinn): C’uim an tig tùis o Sheba thugam-sa, agus a’ chuilc chùbhraidh o dhùthaich fad-às?
Tùis o Sheba – incense from Sheba. Bha Seba ainmeil airson malairt spìosraidhean. Agus a’ chuilc chùbhraidh o dhùthaich fad-às. Thathar ag eadar-theangachadh sin mar sweet cane from a distant land. An e sin cuilc an t-siucair? Tuilleadh air a’ chuspair seo an-ath-sheachdain!
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 Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 931
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