Ainmean-ŕite tuath air Mealabhaig
Place-names north of Melvaig
Extract from ‘Ainmean-ŕite
A’ Rubha Rčidh / Place-names of A’ Rubha Rčidh’
(still to be produced!)
Second provisional edition
© Nevis Hulme,
2004
This document
may be printed for personal study so long as it is not redistributed or used
for profit.
Nevis Hulme, 6 Allt Grěsean, Geŕrrloch,
Dedicated to the memory of Roy Wentworth
Contents
Introduction and acknowledgements
Guide to
pronunciation
Area covered by this booklet; notes; symbols
Sources of supplementary information; references
Introduction and
acknowledgements
The place-names contained in this booklet were collected from a number of sources. In the 1870s, sappers with the Royal Engineers collected names from local people for inclusion on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps that were published 1881. In 1987, Roy Wentworth recorded the late Donald MacAskill ‘Dňmh’all Ruadh’ and his wife, Lexie, from Mealabhaig. In less than one and a half hours, a remarkable 200 place-names were given from the whole of the area covered by this booklet. Since 1997, the writer has worked to identify the location of these and others collected from local Gaelic speakers. This booklet can only be termed a draft because locations still have to be verified, spellings confirmed and local pronunciations checked. On this basis, it is made available to those interested in the rich cultural heritage that is so rapidly being lost.
An important aspect of this booklet is to help those unfamiliar with Gaelic to make a reasonable effort at pronunciation so that the names may continue to be used by those living in or visiting the area. The system adopted is one that has been developed over the years by the author as a compromise between the International Phonetic Alphabet and the English-word-based systems commonly encountered. For English speakers, it should be largely intuitive with only one or two points requiring particular attention.
It should be noted that
the place-names and pronunciations given in this list are, where possible,
those used in speech by local native speakers of Gaelic. This means that is
often a difference with the names given on the O.S. map. A common reason for
this is the addition here, where required, of the definite article that the
O.S. usually omits where required at the start of the name. A further reason is
that the locally used name does not coincide with that given on the map. Local
pronunciation may also cause a variation from that expected, e.g. because ‘n’
in the article ‘an’ is omitted before l, n, r, s and some words beginning with
f.
Thanks must go to the following for their help in bringing this booklet into being. Without their help, given freely at no benefit to themselves, we would have only those names that appear on O.S.maps
Sources of place-names
The late Donald MacAskill, Mealabhaig (Melvaig)
Lexie MacAskill, Mealabhaig (Melvaig)
Donald Iain MacAskill, Mealabhaig (Melvaig)
Roderick Mackenzie, Portaigil (Port Henderson)
Duncan Chisholm, Meallan a’ Ghamhna (Mellangaun)
Norman MacIver, Inbhir-ŕsdal (Inverasdale)
John Murdo Mackenzie, An Uamhghaidh (Cove)
Explorer is a trademark of the Ordnance Survey
The assistance of any users of this booklet in correcting or adding to the contents would be very welcome. The author is to be blamed for any errors in this booklet.
A guide to
pronunciation of Gaelic place-names note ∂ ao
y in particular
a. Vowels: short sounds
a = a in ‘cat’ A
= a in ‘say’ ao = ea in
‘earn’ or eu in ‘fleur’
e = e in ‘pet’ E = ee in ‘see’
o = o in ‘cot’ O = o in ‘comb’ ow = ow in ‘cow’ oo = oo in ‘toot’
i = i in ‘pit’ I = ie in ‘tie’ (these two are not common)
∂ = e in ‘butter’ or ‘paper’
b. Vowels: long sounds
These are shown with the addition
to the above of a colon. The sounds correspond to those above but the vowel
sound is extended, e.g.
e: = eee in ‘atte-e-ention’ (as
pronounced by a sergeant-major!)
The following are long equivalents
of the first group of sounds given above:
a: A: e: ao: E: o: O: oo:
c. Consonants
b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, v
are used as commonly in English
ch = ch in ‘loch’ j
= j in ‘judge’
g = g in ‘gap’ s
= s in ‘sit’ (not as in ‘is’)
gh = equivalent of ch, tj
= tch in ‘catch’
but
with a ‘g’ instead of ‘c’ y = y in 'yes', e.g.
by = b in ‘beauty’
h = h in ‘hat’ ly = l in ‘lure’
d. Stress
This is shown using bold type. This generally falls on the first syllable of the word, e.g. ‘achadh’
pronounced achugh. The main stress
generally falls on the first syllable of the last word of a place-name. Because
of this, elements of a place-name preceding this are shortened in speech, so
for example srňin, stro:n becomes
stron in unstressed positions.
In general, only the main stress
is shown and this generally occurs on the last word, e.g. ‘An Caisteal Mňr’,
pronounced ‘∂n kasht∂l mO: r’.
Secondary stress is shown in some cases.
e. Other
, (comma) is used to separate
vowel sounds where necessary
f. Advanced (ignore
until the basics have been mastered)
n = n in ‘onion’, like
ny k = k in ‘
As with any system other
than the International Phonetic Alphabet, this system only approximates Gaelic
pronunciation. The quality of consonants in Gaelic does vary from English
usage; these and other distinctions are not realised by this system.
Area covered by this booklet (sections F to I)
(A’ Rubha, Mealabhaig, Geŕrrloch, Siorrachd Rois; O.S. 100 km. square NG)
Notes
Each place-name has a
unique number relating to its location. Locations of places are given with
six-figure grid references, or four-figure references where more appropriate or
where the precise location is not known. It is hoped that further field trips
will answer a number of outstanding locational queries for the next edition.
The place-names given
after ‘O.S. map:’ are those given on
the first edition of the O.S. map. That given on O.S. Explorer sheet 434, where
different, follows this. It is generally thought that the first edition maps
are a better source than the oft-corrupted later renditions. O.S. map
information is given in italics as are spellings from O.S. maps used to help
identify locations.
A number of quotes from
have been included in Gaelic. These have been given in a spelling that reflects
the local dialect.
Symbols
? uncertainty. After meanings, this refers to the word preceding the question mark. Where uncertainty extends to more than one word, these are hyphenated.
--? word untranslated
• place-name repeated in at least one other section. Grid references may vary.
Ř not given orally in recent years, i.e. place-name only known from O.S. map or other published source. Name and pronunciation modified to local usage as necessary
* constructed form of name, i.e. not recorded
Ď not named on O.S. Explorer map 434
Sources of supplementary
information
D
MWHTv.1 Campbell, J. F., More West Highland Tales, volume 1, 1940, Birlinn 1994
Mac Gille Mhaoil na Cruit, pp. 462-472
Gille Dubh Locha Dring, pp.480-485