Gaelic Place-names of North-East Scotland “Our Gaelic place names are, for the most part, not sermons, but songs in rocks and stones” Dr Jake King Gaelic in North East Scotland • ‘Pictish’ is the first language known to have been spoken in the area Gaelic in North East Scotland • ‘Pictish’ is the first language known to have been spoken in the area • By about the twelfth century, Gaelic was spoken right up to the coast in the North East. Gaelic in North East Scotland • ‘Pictish’ is the first language known to have been spoken in the area • By about the twelfth century, Gaelic was spoken right up to the coast in the North East. • By 1500-1600 Gaelic has ceased to be commonly spoken in the lowland regions of North East Scotland. Gaelic in North East Scotland • ‘Pictish’ is the first language known to have been spoken in the area • By about the twelfth century, Gaelic was spoken right up to the coast in the North East. • By 1500-1600 Gaelic has ceased to be commonly spoken in the lowland regions of North East Scotland. • 1600 onwards marks a period of decline and bilingualism between Gaelic and Scots (or English). Gaelic in North East Scotland • ‘Pictish’ is the first language known to have been spoken in the area • By about the twelfth century, Gaelic was spoken right up to the coast in the North East. • By 1500-1600 Gaelic has ceased to be commonly spoken in the lowland regions of North East Scotland. • 1600 onwards marks a period of decline and bilingualism between Gaelic and Scots (or English). • In 1900 Gaelic was still spoken in Upper Deeside Gaelic in North East Scotland • ‘Pictish’ is the first language known to have been spoken in the area • By about the twelfth century, Gaelic was spoken right up to the coast in the North East. • By 1500-1600 Gaelic has ceased to be commonly spoken in the lowland regions of North East Scotland. • 1600 onwards marks a period of decline and bilingualism between Gaelic and Scots (or English). • In 1900 Gaelic was still spoken in Upper Deeside • Traditional Gaelic now effectively extinct in North-East Scotland Gaelic in North East Scotland Auchintoul school in Glen Gairn had about forty scholars in 1712: “The half of which at May day last, knew not a letter, nor could speak one word of English, and now they can read some of them in the Bible, and many of them answer the questions in the Catechism.” SPCK Records 1834-37 Gaelic in North East Scotland Leochel-Cushnie, Keithall and Kinkell, Lumphannan all report English only spoken in those parishes. Old Statistical Accounts 1792-3 Gaelic in North East Scotland “The Gaelic language is very generally spoken throughout the whole parish… There are, however, very few, if any of the inhabitants, who are not so well acquainted with the English language.” Crathie and Braemar 1842 New Statistical Accounts Gaelic in North East Scotland 1951 Census showed three Aberdeenshire Gaelic monoglots. In 1974 an Aberdeenshire Gaelic speaker was discovered. Book of Deer c. 1150 AD Earliest Scottish Gaelic MS gonige in gorthe mor i gginn in fris is nesu daldín alenn o dubuci go lurchari etar sliab acus achad “as far as the great pillar-stone at the end of the thicket nearest to Ailldín Ailenn, from Dubuci to Lurchaire, both rough-grazing and pasture” Ailldín Ailenn, from Dubuci to Lurchaire alltan, ‘little gully’ + ailenn < ail, ‘rock’ Possibly Aden perhaps referring to the rocky heights at Aden past which the South Ugie flows. Dubuci ~ South River Ugie, ‘the black Ugie’ dubh + uige (North Ugie = *finduci?) Lurchaire ~ Pitlurg? Back-EVGY R: c. 1591 Pont map 10 Fore and back of Ugie: 1751 Macfarlane Geog. Coll. V1 p70 Ailldín Ailenn, from Dubuci to Lurchaire alltan, ‘little gully’ + ailenn < ail, ‘rock’ Possibly Aden perhaps referring to the rocky heights at Aden past which the South Ugie flows. Dubuci ~ South River Ugie, ‘the black Ugie’ dubh + uige (North Ugie = *finduci?) Lurchaire ~ Pitlurg? Achad na glérec: ‘Field of the Clerics’ Modern Gaelic: Achadh nan Clèireach Bidbin, ‘birch place’ now Biffie. Modern Gaelic: beith (Welsh bedw) + in. Francis C. Diack (1865-1939) Aberdeen Spec. Coll. MS2276 Aberfoyle, Strathardle, Braemar, Strathspey, Inverness, Strathtay 1910-1935 Approximately 2600 place-names (and some songs, anecdotes, sayings and notes on dialect) “the last generation of Gaelic speakers possessing a sure grip of the place-names in their true form.” W. M. Alexander (1881-1959) School of Scottish Studies • Sound clip • Jessie Macdonald - PN1960.2/ 6.10 never interested • 5.03• Invercauld, Keiloch, Felagie, Meall Alvie, • 5.43 – 7.43 • Clagganghoul, Ballochbuie, Dansig Shiel, Garbh Allt Peterhead Inuerugy Petri 1274 Reg Epis Aberdon, ii, pp 52, 56 Pettirugy 1495 Book of Deer p xii [?] Petyrheid 1544 Ill. Top. Antiq. Aberd., iv, p. 20 Peeterhead c. 1591 Pont text 82v Peterhead Ceann Phàdraig or Inbhir Ùige? Inuerugy Petri 1274 Reg Epis Aberdon, ii, pp 52, 56 Pettirugy 1495 Book of Deer p xii [?] Petyrheid 1544 Ill. Top. Antiq. Aberd., iv, p. 20 Peeterhead c. 1591 Pont text 82v Cf. “Moch Di-luain ann an Ceann Phàdraig” 1799 Òran na Gasaid, Donnchadh Bàn kyãũn fa:drig: Golspie fisherfolk informants recorded by Nancy Dorian Peterhead Ceann Phàdraig or Inbhir Ùige? Inuerugy Petri 1274 Reg Epis Aberdon, ii, pp 52, 56 Pettirugy 1495 Book of Deer p xii [?] Petyrheid 1544 Ill. Top. Antiq. Aberd., iv, p. 20 Peeterhead c. 1591 Pont text 82v Cf. “Moch Di-luain ann an Ceann Phàdraig” 1799 Òran na Gasaid, Donnchadh Bàn kyãũn fa:drig: Golspie fisherfolk informants recorded by Nancy Dorian Peterhead know to one old woman as Enner-ūgi: Diack MS2276 Peterhead Ceann Phàdraig or Inbhir Ùige? *Inbhir Ùige > *Inbhir Ùige Pheadair > Inverugie Peter > Peterheid > Peterhead (> Ceann Phàdraig) Cill- names Latin cella, ‘monks’ cell’ Denotes sites of early churches i.e. Kiltarlity, Killin “The Kirk of Tullich is known to a few old informants as Cill Nachlan”: Diack MS2276, church of Tarland, cill ma-luak: Diack Ms2276 “Old church of Glengairn = cill macha”: Diack MS2276, 66 “Cill ma Thadha = Abergairn Ch.”: Watson CW67, 60v “Cill ma Nũar, naoimhear, Crathie.”: Watson CW67, 60v Cill- names Lochnagar Lochnagar Lochan-a-gharr and Lochan gharr: Diack MS2276 The name, as is obvious, properly belongs to the little loch on the north face of the mountain. In Gaelic it is Lochan a' ghair (ai as in “mar”)... Diack, Aberdeenshire Free Press, 1910 Lochnagar is Loch na gàir: Watson notebook CW9 in Gaelic Loch na Gàire, the loch of the outcry, which reference to the howling of the wind among the rocks. It is hardly necessary to say that now the name has been transferred from loch to mountain: Watson (1913), 136 Loch na Gàire: Watson in Dwelly Lochan ghàir: Diack letters to Robertson 1915 Lochnagar “towering mountains called Bennyhigh or Benchichin Mountains”. James Robertson on 5 June 1771 A naturalist in the Highlands “One old man (MacDonald) has heard the Meikle Pap called chioch vor. The highest top of Lochnagar is carn nan gobhar; the well on the top called Queens Well is Fuaran Toll Bhalgair”: Diack MS2276 “The name, as is obvious, properly belongs to the little loch on the north face of the mountain. In Gaelic it is Lochan a' ghair (ai as in “mar”)... The old name of the hill proper seems to be obsolete in the district, but it is given in Gordon of Straloch's map… The whole range westwards as far as Cairn Taggart is, or was till lately, known as Am mon' geal, “the white mounth”: Diack, Aberdeenshire Free Press, 1910 Lochnagar Lochnagar Beinn nan Cìochan ˌbɛɪnˌnənˈ kiəçɐn , hill of the paps... The old name for the Lochnagar massif including the White Mounth and also for the rest of the hill ridge...: A. Watson, 22 The original name for the hill was Beinn nan Ciochan.. with different named for the individual tops: A. Watson, 105. The mountain is Beinn nan Cìochan (beeng ning CEEICHin) - Mountain of the Paps (Breasts).: S. Grannd, Place-Names of the Cairngorms Park “One of my informants Charlie Wright a Balmoral deerstalker had heard an old Ballater man call it Beinn nan Ciochan.” A. Watson pers. comm. Lochnagar The loch: Lochnagar ~ Loch na Gàire (/ Lochan a’Ghair) ‘loch of the howling’ The mountain: Lochnagar ~ Beinn nan Cìochan ‘hill of the paps’ Cf Meikle Pap Ordnance Survey “Cac” is a pronunciation for broken ground, and cannot be altered in this name which has been twice referred to the examiner. Suspect it is slang. It should not be written at all. Surely Allt Caoch Dubh, the Black Blind Burn, if it is a ‘blind burn’. In “Cac Carn Beag” we have, I think, another instance of O.S. Gaelic, which, unlike Caesar’s wife, is not entirely above suspicion. Cac means dirt, etc. so, being interpreted, the OS form would read “Dirt-Cairn-little” which may do very well for O.S. scholars, but is not to be understood of the Gaelic, or any other people. Anyhow whatever it may mean, it is obvious the words following Cac should be in the genitive case:- “Cac cuirn bhig” Doubtless then, Cac cuirn bhig (which I leave the curious to translate) is the correct form; all which leads me to remark that I hope that when next the land of bens and heroes is “surveyed” more care will be taken to have our Gaelic placenames properly spelled….. Hon. R. Erskine, Aberdeen Daily Journal September 4, 1912. Allt Cac Dubh: Cathach Dubh, Gleney ca-ach dubh: Diack Allt Cadhach Dubh: A. Watson 1984, 8 Cac Càrn Beag / Mòr Cadha Chuirn Beag / Mòr: A. Watson 1984, 32 Mòran Taing Dr Jake King fios@ainmean-aite.org