An
introduction to place-names and their study
The list of elements of place-names given here was drawn up
to include all place-names on the parts of the O.S. Landranger maps (sheets 19,
20 and parts of 24 and 25) covering the Munros of Northern Ross-shire,
i.e. An Teallach and the ‘Fisherfield
Six’, Slioch and the Torridon Hills, Beinn Dearg and surrounding hills, the Fannich
Hills, Ben Wyvis. It is being extended to include elements appearing on other
parts of these maps and, in particular, the area around Gairloch. Additions to the list since it was published in print are
included in red.
Transfer
to a web page has affected formatting of columns to some extend.
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U
Dedication
This work is dedicated to the
memory of Roy Wentworth who died in October 2003. He provided inspiration and
guidance and was of great help in compiling this work. His expertise is badly
missed.
Nevis Hulme, 6 Allt Grìsean, Geàrrloch,
A. An introduction to place-names and their study
The accuracy of place-names on O.S. maps
A note on using
Gaelic place-names
A guide to pronunciation of Gaelic place-names
The IPA and the imitated system
D. Place-name elements (Ross and Cromarty)
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U
A recurrent problem for the
majority of people who regularly use maps in their activities is that the bulk
of the place-names in the Highlands of Scotland is in Gaelic. While various
guides are available to assist with the meanings of these (though often these
are simply copied from inaccurate sources) and some give help in the
pronunciation, there is no source combining these in a readily accessible form.
The maps included with this booklet have been produced to meet such a need. It
is hoped that they will lead to greater accuracy of pronunciation than is
commonly heard, promote the use of the Gaelic language and help to preserve the
cultural heritage of the
It should be noted that
the pronunciations given on the maps are, where possible, those used in speech
by local native speakers of Gaelic within the limitation of the system used.
This means that the pronunciation is often at variance with the name given on
the map. A common reason for this is the addition of the definite article which
the O.S. usually omits at the start of the name. A further reason is that the
locally used name does not coincide with that given on the map (see below for a
discussion on this). 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. Another reason is that the undefined final vowel
sound is often dropped at the end of words, as in ‘muice’, for example.
The accuracy of place-names on O.S. maps
(* before place-names in this section is used to show
incorrect forms)
It is probable that few users of maps
consider that their content is anything but true and accurate. The reality,
though, is quite the opposite. In the 1870s, what is now the Ordnance Survey
(O.S.) carried out its first detailed mapping of the
Sometimes these people who gave
the names were the estate owners or people whose residence was distant from the
area in question; their knowledge of the land and its names was not always as
reliable as those of the crofter or farmer who worked the land. In some cases,
names were possibly made up to keep the men from the O.S. happy. A modern
example of this is Lochan Uaine, Beinn Eighe (1:25 000, Outdoor Leisure Map 8,
NG9660). It is not named on maps before the 1960s and was invented by a manager
of the nature reserve.
Sometimes the information gathered
was wrongly recorded. ‘*Port an Amaill’ (Landranger, sheet 19,
NG7492) is shown to the north of the lighthouse at Rubha Rèidh. Older,
long-standing residents of the area know this name to indicate a landing place
immediately to the south of the lighthouse. This error possibly arose as a
result of misplacing another feature to the south of here (*Sròn na
h-Airde Fholaich, Explorer 434, NG7391) some 400 metres too far to the north;
Port nan Amall (as it should be) was in consequence shifted in its relative
location.
On other occasions, errors arose
because those making the enquiries did not understand what was being said or,
perhaps, heard what they wished to hear. On the O.S. map (Landranger, sheet 19,
NG8073) the name, ‘*Ard Ialltaig’ is shown. This name would suggest
the meaning ‘Bat Promontory’ yet this headland is adjacent to Shieldaig, Loch
Gairloch, which, when combined with ‘Àird’ would give ‘Àird Shìldeag’ which is
very close in pronunciation to the name on the map. Whether this is coincidence
cannot be proven since the name is not known today. The name ‘A’ Chreag
Mhòr’(the big rock) is used to refer to it by the few Gaelic speakers remaining
in the area. The word ‘Bidein’ is not used in Wester Ross but the name given
for a summit of An Teallach contains it. This is an example of the O.S.
standardising its usage. It may be confusing but the locally used ‘Spidean’ has
been given since this is what is known to be the correct name of the top.
A further source of error came
about when names were ‘corrected’ or copied incorrectly for later editions of
the maps. It was very common for the O.S. map-makers to change names to fit
what they believed must be correct in terms of any of spelling, meaning or
position. An example of the incorrect copying is found near Inverasdale at the
place shown as ‘*Creag Choic’ (Landranger, sheet 19, NG8085). This
is shown on the original map as ‘*Creag Choie’ but the last letter
was copied wrongly on to later maps probably because of the confusion caused by
rock outcrop symbols. It is still known today as ‘A’ Chreag Chaoidh’ which is
just a better spelling of the original collected.
When the O.S. started representing
place-names on its maps it was decided to omit the definite article at the
start of most names which should have one. So, ‘*Beinn Bheag’,
translating as ‘little mountain’ or ‘a little mountain’, is shown when it would
be named ‘A’ Bheinn Bheag’, ‘the little mountain’, in Gaelic. In the following
work, definite articles have been indicated on names that require them. This,
however, has introduced added difficulties. Firstly, in some cases, it is
difficult to tell if a place-name should have the definite article. This occurs
where there is uncertainty over the meaning and it is not known whether the
place-name includes a proper name. In this case the definite article would not
be required. There is inconsistency with the definite article though. For
example, ‘Beinn Eighe’, ‘file mountain’ is the correct name for that hill; one
would expect the definite article before the name but it seems not to be used
in this case. Secondly, the addition of the article often changes the sound of
the first letter of the name. In the example above, using ‘*Beinn
Bheag, the ‘b’ sound changes to ‘v’. A table has been supplied as an aid if
users wish to give names as they would be used in Gaelic. It is hoped that the
O.S. will rectify the omission of articles as it reviews place-names in line
with a newly adopted policy on Gaelic place-names.
There is no doubt that, for
place-names, the first edition of the O.S. map, available for study from
libraries and on the internet (at www.old-maps.co.uk), is the best source of
information. It is to the great credit of the researchers of the 19th century
that so much of what was recorded is accurate. Anyone who has tried to pinpoint
the location of a name for a moorland area given by an informant will
appreciate the achievement.
Reference has been made to
reliable sources both published and personal contact. Of the latter, Roy
Wentworth spent many years studying place-names in Wester Ross and provided
much advice on the representation of the names given here. Where possible,
local usage has been included even where this is markedly different from that
given on other published maps. Reference is made to these variations above.
Despite this, for many names, doubt will exist as to the correct form and
pronunciation of place-names used by those who lived on the land for centuries.
This is compounded by the difficulties caused by Gaelic dialect. An attempt has been made to adopt that used
in the area concerned but, for the reason given above, uncertainty must exist.
The author accepts responsibility
for errors in this work and would gratefully receive comments from users
(e-mail: nevis@macmail.com)
A note on using Gaelic place-names
The grammar of Gaelic is markedly
different from that of English and causes many difficulties for the unwary. In
English, descriptive words can be joined by using the phrase ‘of the’ as in
‘the loch of the hollow of the lochan.’ Any of the parts of this name could be
used independently with no change in spelling. In Gaelic, however, the spelling
of the word depends on how the word is used. For example, ‘hollow’ is ‘toll’
but, if used in the form ‘of the hollow’, becomes ‘a’ thuill’ unless it is
followed by another word in the form ‘of the’ in which case it remains
unchanged. So, ‘the loch of the hollow’ would be ‘
For example, near Lochan na Bearta (Landranger, sheet 19, NG9980) climbers have named a crag ‘*Na Bearta Buttress’ after the nearby loch. ‘Na Bearta’ means ‘of the deed’ so the name translates as ‘Of the deed buttress’. This climbing area would have been better named ‘A’ Bheart Buttress’, meaning ‘The Deed Buttress’. Reference was often made to ‘*A’Ghlas Thuill’ for a corrie (Landranger, sheet 19, NH0784) on An Teallach. This has been taken from the name shown for the adjacent summit, ‘*Bidein a’ Ghlas Thuill.’ This means ‘the peak of the grey hollow’ and so to use ‘*A’Ghlas Thuill’ alone means ‘Of the grey hollow.’ The correct Gaelic for the corrie is ‘An Glas Tholl’ as, more or less, appears on Landranger maps since 1997.
This has been a major problem for
those with a casual interest in Gaelic place-names as, at best, there was need
to refer to a book to find a guide to pronunciation. The only entirely accurate
method of representing this is using the International Phonetic Alphabet. This
is, unfortunately, somewhat complicated and it is realised that most with an
interest in being able to say place-names with a degree of accuracy are not
prepared to go to the trouble of learning this system. For this reason, and to
overcome inadequacies in other methods of pronunciation, a system of imitated
pronunciation has been devised specifically for the purpose.
Careful reference to this imitated
pronunciation is essential for reasonably accurate pronunciation. This system
has been tested with a variety of British speakers of English but cannot be
guaranteed to work with other speakers. A guide to phonetic equivalents is
given for those with knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet.
It has been argued by some that
attempting to pronounce place-names correctly may cause confusion especially
where many have come to use a common form amongst a group, for example, a
climbing club. This argument does not stand up since a new acquaintance may
have a completely different pronunciation for the same place. It is entirely
possible that ‘An Teallach’ could be called ‘antilock’ by someone with no
knowledge of Gaelic. Variations of this type are to be heard from time to time,
e.g. (these should be read as if English) ‘ben a clad hyme’ (Beinn a’
Chlaidheimh) or ‘skur rood’ (Sgùrr Ruadh).
It should be noted that, as stated
earlier, the pronunciation given here is that which is or would have been used
by a Gaelic speaker from Wester Ross. Unlike many other popular pronunciation
guides, it is not based on Lewis, Skye or a standardised form of Gaelic but
that used in the area of interest.
A guide to pronunciation of Gaelic
place-names [ note ∂ ao
y in particular ]
a. Vowels: short sounds
∂ = e in ‘butter’ or ‘paper’ (undefined vowel sound)
a = a in ‘cat’ A
= a in ‘say’ ao = ea in
‘earn’ or eu in French ‘fleur’
e = e in ‘pet’ E = ee in ‘see’ i = i in ‘pit’
o = o in ‘cot’ O = o in ‘comb’ ow = ow in ‘cow’ oo = oo in ‘toot’
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’. The following are long equivalents of the first group of
sounds given above:
a: A: e: ao: E: o: O: oo:
c. Consonants
The first letter of the following words give the pronunciation for these letters:
bat, dog, fat, gap, hat, map, not, pot,
run, sad, top, van
l represents the l in ‘list’ and
in ‘table’
ch = ch in ‘loch’ gh =
equivalent of ch, but with a ‘g’instead of ‘c’
j = j in ‘judge’ k = c in
‘cat’
sh = sh in ‘shut’ tj = tch in
‘catch’
y = y in 'yes', e.g. by = b in
‘beauty’ or ly = l in ‘lure’, similarly for f, g, k, m, v
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 sròin, 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 Mòr’,
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 and certain distinctions
within Gaelic are not realised in this system.
(This is not included because of
difficulties with typefaces.)
As stated above, this has been
added where the form of the place-name suggests that it should come before the
name. The forms of the article are given below and from this, it is hoped, an
understanding of the pronunciation may be developed. This is only a brief
synopsis!
Nominative case (e.g.
nouns in italics here: A’ Chreag Mhòr,
An t-Allt Loch Ghiùthsachan)
1. A’ before feminine nouns beginning with:
B spelling
changes to A’ Bh . . . pronounced ∂ v . . .
C spelling
changes to A’ Ch . . . pronounced ∂ ch . . .
G spelling
changes to A’ Gh . . . pronounced ∂ gh . . .
M spelling
changes to A’ Mh . . . pronounced ∂ v . . .
P spelling
changes to A’ Ph . . . pronounced ∂ f . . .
2a. An t- before masculine nouns beginning with a vowel pronounced ∂n
t
b. before feminine nouns beginning with S +
vowel, pronounced ∂n t
Sl,
Sn or Sr (sound
of S lost)
3a. Am before masculine nouns beginning with B, M, P pronounced ∂m
b.
Am before masculine
nouns beginning with F pronounced ∂
e.g.
Fuaran, foo∂ran becomes Am Fuaran, ∂ foo∂ran
(compare
with feminine F below; this is a Wester Ross dialect variation)
4a. An before nouns
beginning with L, N, R and S pronounced ∂
(this
is a Wester Ross dialect variation)
b. An before feminine
nouns beginning with F pronounced
∂n
e.g.
Faoilin, faolEn An Fhaoilinn, ∂n
aolEn
(sound of F lost)
5. An before other letters pronounced ∂n
6a. Na before plurals
beginning with a consonant pronounced n∂
b. Na h- before plurals beginning with a vowel pronounced n∂ h
Genitive case (e.g.
nouns in italics here: Coir’ a’ Bhristidh,
Creag na Corcurach, Leac na Tuatha)
7. A’ before masculine genitive beginning with:
B spelling
changes to A’ Bh . . . pronounced ∂ v . . .
C spelling
changes to A’ Ch . . . pronounced ∂ ch . . .
G spelling
changes to A’ Gh . . . pronounced ∂ gh . . .
M spelling
changes to A’ Mh . . . pronounced ∂ v . . .
P spelling
changes to A’ Ph . . . pronounced ∂ f . . .
(cf.
rule 1 above)
8. An t- before masculine genitive nouns beginning with pronounced ∂n t . . .
S
+ vowel, Sl, Sn or Sr (cf. rule 2b. above) (sound
of S lost)
9a. An before masculine genitive nouns beginning with pronounced ∂n
a
vowel
b. An before masculine
genitive nouns beginning with pronounced ∂n . . .
F
(cf. rule 4b. above) (sound
of F lost)
10a. Na before pronounced n∂ .
. .
a consonant
b. Na h- before feminine genitive nouns beginning with pronounced n∂ h
a vowel
11a.
(this is a Wester Ross dialect variation)
b.
(In general, the dative case is not needed in the study of place-names.)
D. Place-name elements (Ross and Cromarty)
The list of elements of place-names given here was drawn up
to include all place-names on the parts of the O.S. Landranger maps (sheets 19,
20 and parts of 24 and 25) covering the Munros of Northern Ross-shire, i.e. An Teallach and the ‘Fisherfield Six’, Slioch
and the Torridon Hills, Beinn Dearg and surrounding hills, the Fannich Hills, Ben
Wyvis.
It
is being extended to include elements appearing on other parts of these maps and,
in particular, the area around Gairloch.
Additions to the list since it was published in print are included
in red.
The following columns are used.
Gaelic
The Gaelic spelling of the word is given. Those names given in italic type are errors on at least one version of the O.S. map or less favoured spellings; references are given, where possible, to correct or preferred spellings
This list is in alphabetical order ignoring the definite
article (a’, am, an, an t-, na, na h- and nan) on the left-hand side.
Say
This gives the pronunciation as oultined on page 4.
Pronunciation may vary where words are in unstressed positions, e.g. while one may consider ‘An t-Sàil Mhòr’ to be said as ‘∂n ta:l vO:r’, it is actually pronounced ‘∂n tal vO:r’. ‘allt’ will only rarely appear in a stressed position in a place-name so will usually be pronounced ‘alt’. This applies to most generic elements (i.e. those which signify the main part of the name) but the stressed form is given for completeness.
Unexpected vowel sounds may be encountered between words on the maps; these are used in Gaelic to allow sounds to flow just as is found within words, e.g. ‘dearg’ pronounced ‘jerek’. An example would be ‘Am Meall Mòr’ which is pronounced ‘∂ mEel∂ mO:r’
Meaning
The meanings given refer to place-names and may be different from those used in everyday speech.
? means uncertainty in meaning.
Where the meaning given by authorities is highly speculative, a meaning has not
been included. Brackets following a question mark are used in meanings to
indicate that a whole phrase is uncertain rather than a single word, e.g.
?(foolish woman)
The case of each element (nominative or genitive) appears as it is used on the maps. The genitive case of nouns is indicated by ‘of the’ or ‘(of)’ in the ‘meaning’ column.
For adjectives, the following is shown in brackets after meanings to indicate case, gender and number:
g genitive case (e.g. in ‘of the green hill’, green is in the genitive case)
n nominative case (e.g. in ‘the green hill’, green is in the nominative case)
f feminine (all nouns in Gaelic are either feminine or masculine and adjectives
m masculine change to match this)
s singular
p plural
Comments
This includes any additonal points
relevant to the word, its
pronunciation or meaning.
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
abhainn
owEn river
acha’ ach∂ hill-field see ‘achadh’
achadh ach∂gh hill-field ‘achk’ or ‘ach∂’ unstressed
an achaidh ∂ nachE
of the
hill-field
achd achk hill-field see ‘achadh’
achlais achlash hollow (armpit)
na h- achlaise n∂ hachlash of the hollow
an aghaidh ∂n ∂ghE the face
na h- aghaidh n∂ h∂ghE of the face
na h- aibhne n∂ haEn∂ of the river
Àiliginn a:lEgin ?
àinich a:nEch of
?panting (assumes accent
on ‘a’)
àird a:rt promontory
àird
easaidh art esE promontory
of the (water)fall stream
na h- airbhe n∂ hara of
the wall
an t- aircill an
terkyEl the
?(hiding place)
àirigh a:rE shieling ‘arE’ unstressed
(an t-) allt (∂n t)owlt (the) burn ‘alt’ unstressed
nan allt n∂n owlt of the burns
alltan owltan wee
burn ‘altan’
unstressed
Antonaidh antonE
àth a: ford ‘a’ unstressed
àthann a:han kiln
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
bad bat clump
badan batan wee
clump
badhaisbheinn bao∂shv∂n mountain of the ?hunt
baile bal∂ township
bàine ba:n∂ fair (gfs)
a’ bhàird ∂ va:rd of the bard (poet)
am bàgh ∂m ba:gh the
bay
a’ bhàigh ∂ va:E of
the bay
bàn ba:n fair
(nms)
na bana-mhorair n∂ ban∂ vor∂r of the lady
am beacan ∂m behkan the
wee point
beag bAk wee
(nms)
beaga bAk∂ wee (p)
am bealach ∂m byaloch the
pass
na bearta n∂ byarsht of
the deed said as ‘na
Beart’
beinn bEn mountain English ‘ben’
na beinne n∂ bEny of
the mountain
na bèiste n∂ bAshtj∂ of the beast
beithe bAh∂ (of) birch
a’ . . . bhaid ∂ .
. . vatj of the . . .
clump
an . . . bhaile ∂n
. . . val∂ of
the . . . township but ∂ . . . before ‘seana’
in
‘An Seana Bhaile’
bhàin va:n fair (gms)
a’ bhainne ∂ vany of the milk
a’ bhàird ∂ va:rt of
the bard (poet)
bhanbhaig vanavAk wee pig-like burn
a’ bharranaich ∂ varanEch of the sedge
Bhàtair va:ht∂r Walter’s
a’ bhàthaich va:Ech of
the byre
bheag vAk wee
(nfs)
a’ bhealaich ∂ vyalEch of the pass
bheinn vEn mountain ‘v∂n’
unstressed
a’ bheucaich vEahkEch the
bellowing
bhig vEk wee (gms)
a’ bhinnein ∂ vEny∂n of the pinnacle
a’ bhodaich ∂ votEch of the old man
a’ bhràghad ∂ vra:∂t of the upland
an . . . bhràigh ∂n
. . . vraE the . . .
upland but ∂ .
. . before ‘seana’
in
‘An Seana Bhràigh’
a’ bhràighe ∂ vra:E of the upland
bhraoin vraon (of)
damp place
a’ bhreabadair ∂ vreb∂tar of the weaver
bhreac vrehk speckled
(nfs) ‘vrEhk’ locally
a’ bhric ∂ vrEhk of the trout
a’ bhrisdidh ‘bhristidh’ preferred, q.v.
a’ bhristidh ∂ vrEshtjE of the breach
a’ bhrisidh ‘bhristidh’ preferred,
q.v.
bhriste vrEshtj∂ broken (nfs)
bhuidhe vooE yellow
(nfs)
a’ bhùtha ∂ voo: of the green patch (by a river)
nam biast n∂m bE∂st of the beasts
bidein
see ‘spidean’ and ‘spiodan’(‘bidein’ not used in W. Ross)
bige bEk∂ wee (gfs)
biorach bEroch sharp
(nms)
am blàr bla:r the
peat moss
am bodach botoch the
old man
nam bradan leathan n∂m bratan lyeh∂n of the ?turbots
na bradhan n∂ bra:∂n of the ?quern or error for ‘nam bradhan’
nam bradhan n∂m bra:∂n of the ?querns
am bràigh’ ∂m bra:E the
upland before a vowel
am bràighe ∂m bra:E the
upland
breabaig brApak ?kicking
breac brAhk speckled
(nms)
brice brEhk∂ speckled (gfs)
brisdeadh ‘bristeadh’preferred,
q.v.
am briseadh ‘bristeadh’ preferred,
q.v.
am bristeadh ∂m brEshtj∂gh the breach
briste brEshtj∂ broken (nms)
bruthach broooch brae variation of
‘bruthaich’
bruthaich brooEch brae variation of
‘bruthach’
buaile boo∂l∂ the (cattle) fold
nam buailtean n∂m booaltj∂n of the (cattle) folds
buidhe booE yellow
(nms)
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
an cabar ∂n kap∂r the height
nan cabar n∂n kap∂r of the heights
na cabhaig n∂ kavak of the hurrying water agitated by wind across a loch
cachaileath kach∂la gateway
an cadha ∂n ka,a the rough path or the pass ‘ka’ unstressed
na cadhachan n∂
ka,och∂n the
passes
nan cadhaichean n∂n kaEch∂n of the passes
càil ka:l ?
na caillich n∂ kalyEch of
the old woman
nan càiseachan n∂n ka:shoch∂n of the place of cheeses
an caisteal ∂n kasht∂l the castle
caime kaEm crooked or
hidden or one-eyed (gfs)
cam kowm crooked or hidden or one-eyed
an camas ∂n kamas the bay
camas kamas ?(crooked burn) usually, ‘bay’ but not in
NH1363
na canaich n∂ kanEch of
the bog cotton a plant
caochan kaochan wee
burn
caol kaol narrow (nms)
caolas kaol∂s narrows
caolaisidh kaolEshE the
narrows
nan caorach n∂n kaoroch of
the sheep
an càrn ∂n ka:rn the cairn (natural or built) ‘karn’
unstressed
an càrnan ka:rnan the
wee cairn ‘karnan’
unstressed
cathair kah∂r fairy
knoll
na cathrach n∂ karoch of
the fairy knoll
an ceann ∂n kyown the
end or the head ‘kyan’ or ‘kyow’ unstressed
nan ceann n∂n kyown of
the heads
nan ceapraichean n∂n keprEch∂n of the stubby hillocks
nan cearca-fraoich n∂
gyerk∂ fraoEch of the red grouse
ceàrd kya:rt tinker
a’ chadail ∂ chat∂l of the sleeping
a’ chadh’ ∂ cha of the rough path before a vowel
a’ chadha ∂ cha,a of the rough path ‘∂ cha’ unstressed
a’ chailleach ∂ chalyoch the old woman
a’ chaillich grammatical
error; see ‘caillich’
chaim
chaEm crooked
or hidden or one-eyed (gms)
a’ chàisgean ∂ cha:shkan of the Cashken ‘∂ chashkan’
unstressed
chaol chaol narrow
(nfs)
a’ chaorainn ∂ chaor∂n of the rowan
a’ chaorrainn ‘chaorainn’ preferred, q.v.
a’ chaorruinn ‘chaorainn’ preferred, q.v.
chaorachain chaorochan of the place of the
mountain torrents
chàrnaich cha:rnEch (of)
stony place
cheann chyown head
a’ chearcaill ∂ chyerk∂l of the circle
cheiridh cherE ?
cheud chE∂t hundred
a’ chinn ∂ chEn of the end or head
a’ chìoch ∂ chE∂ch the breast
a’ chlaidheimh ∂ chlaE of the sword
a’ chlaiginn ∂ chlakEn of
the skull or best land
a’ chliabhain ∂ chlE∂van of the
chest or small creel
a’ chnapaich ∂ chnahpEch of the knobbly place
chnoc chrohk of
knolls after ‘cheud’
(of
a hundred knolls)
an . . . choille ∂n
. . . chaoly the . . . wood e.g. an dubh choille
na . . . choille n∂
chaoly of the . . .
wood e.g. na gearra choille
a’ choin ∂ chon of the dog ‘a’ choin uidhre’ is of the
otter
a’ chòineach ∂ chO:nyoch the moss
a’ chòinteach ∂ chO:ntjoch the moss ‘chOntjoch’ unstressed
an . . . choire ∂n
chor ∂ of the . . . corrie e.g. an garbh choire
a’ choire ∂ chor∂ of the corrie
a’ choireag ∂ choryak of the wee corrie
chòmhla ∂ cho:l∂ (of) door
leaf
a’ chorrag ∂ chorak the finger
a’ chrasgaidh chraskE of
the ?crossing
a’ chreag ∂ chrAk the crag
chrom chrOoom curved or crooked
chrombuill chrOoombool winding
a’ chroisg ∂ chroshk of the cross
a’ chruidh ∂ chraoE of
the cattle
chuaich chooEch of
a quaich
a’ chuaille ∂ choo∂ly∂ ?rafter
chuilinn choolEn of
holly
a’ chùl ∂ choo:l the back ‘chool’ unstressed
Chullaich choolEch of
Culloch (a name)
a’ chùirn ∂ choo:rn of
the cairn
cidhe kE,E jetty
clach klach stone
nan clach n∂n klach of
the stones
cladh klaogh graveyard
clàir kla:r flat
clais klash gully
na claise n∂ klash∂ of the gully
nan cleireach n∂n klA:roch of the clerics
na cloiche n∂ klohE of
the stone W. Ross
pronunciation without ‘ch’ sound
cnap krahp lump
cnapach krahpoch lumpy
cnoc
krohk knoll
cnuic kraohk (of) knoll
an coileachan ∂n kaoloch∂n the cockerel or the place of grouse cocks
coille kaoly wood
na coille n∂ kaoly of
the wood
collaidh kOlE of
hazel
còinnich ko:nyEch mossy
or of moss
an coire ∂n kor∂ the corrie (hollow)
coireag koryak wee
corrie
coir’ kor corrie (before a vowel)
nan con n∂n kon of
the dogs
cona’
kon∂ ?(joined on)
nan con-easan n∂n konyes∂n ?(of the joined waterfalls)
na corcurach n∂ korkoroch of the boggy places
corrag korak finger
na còsaig n∂ ko:sak of the
neuk or crevice
crait kratj croft variation of ‘croit’
creachan krech∂n rocky
summit
creag krAk crag
(on land) or rock (in water)
creagan krAkan little
crag
na creige n∂ krAk∂ of the crag
na crìche n∂ krEch∂ of the boundary
crìoch krEoch boundary
crom krOoom curved
or crooked
an cromfhasadh ∂n krOm∂s∂k the curved dwelling-place
na croise n∂ krosh of
the trouble (NH0671) elsewhere, of
the cross
cùil koo:l neuk
(nook)
cuileag koolak fly
nan cùileagan n∂n koo:lak∂n of the neuks (nooks)
cuileann kool∂n holly
cùl koo:l back
cùmhlainn koo:lEn collection
of enclosures
na curra n∂ koora heron
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
dail dal valley
an daimh ∂n day of
the stag
nan damh n∂n dav of
the stags
darach daroch oak
an daraich ∂n darEch of
the oak
dearg jerek red
(nms)
dearga jerek∂ red
(p)
deirg jArAk red
(gfs)
dharaich gharEch (of)
oak
dhearg yerek red
(nfs)
dheirg yArAk red (gms)
dhiongaig yEnkak of a hillock
Dhomhnaill gho:ol Donald’s see also ‘Domhnaill’
dhubh ghoo black
(nfs)
dhuchairidh ghoocharE (of)
black broken moor
dhuibh ghooE black
(gms)
an diabhaidh ∂n jEavE of
the shrinking or drying
diollaid jE∂l∂tj saddle
an dìridh ∂n jE:rE the
ascent ‘jErE’
unstressed
doir’ daor grove before a vowel
an doire ∂n daor∂ the grove e.g.
An Doire Beithe
an doire ∂n daor∂ of the grove e.g.
Allt an Doire Dharaich
na doire error; ‘doire’ is masculine
in Wester Ross
doireachan daoroch∂n groves
nan doireachan n∂n daoroch∂n of the groves
domhainn doEn deep (nms)
Domhnaill do:ol Donald ‘Donald’s’ after some letters (l, n, r)
doimhne daon∂ deep
(gfs)
donn dOoon brown
(nms)
drochaid drohEtj ridge
(from bridge) W. Ross pronunciation without ‘ch’ sound
na drochaide n∂ drohetj∂ of the ridge
na droma n∂ drom∂ of the ridge
nan druidean n∂n drootj∂n of the starlings
druim drooEm ridge (back)
dubh doo black
(nms)
dùbh doo: black (strongly) stressed
na dubhchlais n∂ doochlash of the black hollow
dubha doooo black (p)
an ducharaich ∂n doocharEch the black boggy moor
ducharaidh doocharE place
of the black boggy moor
duibhe dooE black
(gfs)
an duine doony the
man
dùn doo:n fort ‘doon’ unstressed
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
each e∂ch horse
nan each n∂ nye∂ch of the
horses
Eachainn ech∂n of Hector
na h- èarra n∂ hE:ar∂ of the ?extremity (assumes accent on ‘e’)
an eas ∂ nyes of the waterfall
(an t-) eas (∂n tj)es (the) waterfall
an easain ∂ nyesan of the
wee waterfalls
an eich ∂ nyAch of
the horse
èideadh A:tj∂gh garment
eighe A,A file
èiginn A:kEn (the
hill) difficulty
(an t-) eilean (∂n tj)Alan (the) island
nan eilean n∂ nyAlan of the islands
an eilein ∂ nAl∂n of the island
enaiglair error; see ‘eunacleit’
an eòin ∂ nyo:n of the bird
eun Ean bird
nan eun n∂ nEan of
the birds
eunacleit
Ean∂klAtj brow-cliff
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
fada fat∂ long (nms or p)
fàid fa:tj of
a (single) peat
faithir fa,Er shore-land
fanaich fanEch ?
am faochagach ∂ faochakoch ?
am fasadh ∂ fas∂gh the dwelling-place
na fasraidhean n∂ fasrE∂n the passes
feadan fetan gully
feàrna fya:rn∂ alder
nam fear n∂ fer of
the men
fèith fe: bog ‘fe’ unstressed
na fèithe n∂ fe:h∂ of the bog ‘n∂ fe’ unstressed
nam fèithean n∂ fe:h∂n of the bogs
na feòl(a) n∂ feo:l(∂) of the flesh
am feur ∂ fEar the grass
Fhearchair erech∂r of
Farquhar
fheàrna ya:rn∂ of alder
an fhiaclaich ∂ nE∂klEch the place of teeth
fhiadhaich E∂Ech wild
an fhiodha ∂ nigh∂ of the wood (timber)
an fhiodhaidh ∂ nyighE of
the place of wood (timber)
an fhithich ∂ nE,Ech of
the raven
an fhomhair ∂ noar of the giant
a’ fhrithealaidh ∂ rEhalE of the ?serving
fhuar hoo∂r cold
(nfs)
fhuaran oo∂ran well
an fhùdair (∂ n)oo:t∂r of the powder
na fideil n∂ fEtj∂l of the ‘Fideal’ a
water monster
fionn
fyoon white
fiona fE∂n∂ ? not meaning ‘Fiona’
am fireach ∂ fEroch the
hill ground
frìth frE: small ‘frE’ unstressed
na frithealaidh error; see ‘fhrithealaidh’
fuar foo∂r cold (nms)
am fuaran
∂ foo∂ran the well
na fùirneis n∂ foo:rnash of the furnace
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
gaineamhach ‘gainmheach’ preferred, q.v.
gaineamhaich ‘gainmhich’
preferred, q.v.
gainmheach gana,och sand
or sandy
gainmhich ganaEch sandy
na gairbhe n∂ garaE of the rough (river)
na gaoithe n∂ gaohE of
the wind
garbh garav rough (nms) also
‘gara’
garbhaig garavak (of) rough place
geo gyo narrow
inlet
geala gyal∂ white (p)
geàrr gya:r short ‘gyar’ unstressed
gharbh gharav rough
(nfs)
a’ ghairbhe ∂ gharaE the rough (river) used for other features
a’ gharbhrain ∂ gharav∂ran of the rough
place
a’ ghàraidh ∂ gha:r E of
the dyke in other areas,
‘garden’
a’ gharaidhe ∂ gharooE of the dyke variation of ‘a’ ghàraidh’
a’ gharuidhe ‘gharaidhe’ preferred, q.v.
a’ ghlac ∂ ghlahk the hollow
na glaice n∂ glahk of
the hollow
ghlais ghlash grey
or green (gms)
ghlas ghlas grey
or green (nfs)
a’ ghléibh ∂ ghlA:v ?
a’ ghlinne ∂ ghlEny of the glen (valley)
a’ ghiubhais ‘ghiuthais’ preferred, q.v.
ghiubhsachain ‘ghiùthsachan’ preferred, q.v.
a’ ghiuthais ∂ yoo,oosh of the fir
ghiùthsachan yoo:soch∂n place
of fir-wood
a’ ghobha ∂ ghOoo of the smith
a’ ghobhann ∂ ghOoon of the smith
ghorm ghorom green
or blue (nfs)
ghrànda ghra:nt∂ ugly or nasty
(nfs or p)
ghrùididh ghroo:tjE (of) ?gravelly river
giubhais ‘giuthais’ preferred, q.v.
giuthais gyoo,oosh fir
glac glahk hollow
glas glas grey
or green (nms)
glasa glas∂ grey or green (p)
glaise glash∂ grey
(gfs)
gleann glown glen
(valley) ‘glen’ unstressed
na glinne error; see ‘ghlinne’
gob gOp point
goban gOpan wee
beak
gobha gOoo (black)
smith
nan gobhar n∂n gOoor of
the goats
gobhlach gO:loch forked (nms)
na goibhre n∂ gaoEr∂ of the goat
goraig gorak ?
gorm gorom green or
blue (nms)
gròbaig gro:pEk (of) ?(little grooves)
an gròban ∂n gro:pan the
grooved hill
na gruagaich n∂ groo∂gEch of the maiden
grùididh groo:tje ?gravelly
river
guirm gooroom green or blue (gfs)
gun g∂n without
gus-ligh goos lE (of)
?(fir-wood of the spate)
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
an iasgaich ∂ nE∂skEch of the (good) fishing
idhir ‘uidhir’ preferred,
q.v.
na h- ighine ‘nighinn’ preferred,
q.v.
na h- imrich n∂ hEmErEch of the flitting
inbhir EnEoor bay or confluence
innis EnEsh haugh
(hollow)
na h- innse n∂ hEnsh∂ of the haugh (hollow)
na h- iolaire n∂ hElar∂ of the eagle
iorguill ErEg∂l ?
ìosal E:os∂l low (ns or
p)
ìsle E:shl∂ low (gs)
is is and n.b. say ‘is’, not
‘iz’
iù Eoo: ?yew ‘oo:’ in speech
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
lag lak hollow
làir la:r (of)
mare
na làirige n∂ la:rEk∂ of the pass
na laocainn n∂ laohkan of the
calf-skin
laogh laogh calf
nan laogh n∂ laogh of
the calves usually, deer
calves
an laoigh ∂ looE of
the calf
làrach la:roch remains
(of building) ‘laroch’ unstressed
làthail la:∂l low
hollow
leac lyehk slab
a’ leacachain ∂ lyehkoch∂n of the place of the slabs
leacaidh lyehkE / lehkE place of slabs pron. depends on gender
an leacann ∂ lyehk∂n the ?(broad slope)
nan leacann n∂ lyehk∂n of the ?(broad slopes)
an leathad ∂ lye,at the
slope ‘le,at’ or
‘let’ unstressed
leathan leh∂n / lyeh∂n broad (nm/fs or, 2nd, p) depends on gender
lèith le: / lye: grey or hoary (gm/fs) depends on gender
an leitir ∂ lyAhtj∂r the hillslope
na . . . leitire n∂ .
. . lAhtj∂r of the hillslope
liaghach lyE∂ghoch the
hoary place
liath lyE∂ / lE∂ grey or hoary (nf/ms) depends on
gender
na lice n∂ lyEhk∂ of the slab
ligh lyE spate
an loch ∂ loch the loch
lochaidh lochE wee
loch
lochain lochan wee
lochs or of a wee loch
an lochain ∂ lochan of
the wee loch
lochan lochan wee
loch
an lochan ∂ lochan the wee loch
an lòin ∂ lO:n of the moist flat
lòn lO:n moist
flat
lota lohta croft
lùb loo:p bend
(in river) or bay (in sea)
luchd loochk ?
na lùib n∂ loo:∂p of the bend or bay
lùchairt loo:charsht (of)
shieling
lungard loongarsht encampment
or shieling
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
mac mahk son
nam madadh n∂ matE of
the foxes
maol maol bare
hillside
Ma-Ruibhe maraoE (name
of saint)
màthair ma:h∂r mother
meadhanach mEanoch middle
am meall ∂ mEowl hill ‘mEel’ unstressed
am meallan ∂ mEelan hillock
a’ meitheach
∂ mAhoch ? grammatically wrong
na mèinne n∂ me:n of the ore
a’ mhadaidh ∂ vatE of the fox
a’ mhaighdean ∂ vaoEtj∂n the maiden
a’ mhaoile ∂ vaol∂ of the bare hillside
Mhathain va,an of
mheadhanach vEanoch middle
an . . . mheall ∂n
. . . vEel the . . . hill unstressed
mheallan vEelan hillock
a’ mheallain ∂ vEel∂n of the hillock
mhellan error; see ‘mheallan’
mhic vEhk of
the son
Mhic-’illean error; see ‘mhic ’illeathain’
Mhic
’illeathain vEhkEly∂n of Maclean
a’ mhill ∂ vEl of the hill
mhiosaraidh vEsarE (of)
dairy produce
mhòir vO:r big
(gms)
a’ mhòine ∂ vo:ny the peaty ground ‘vony’ unstressed
mholach voloch ?rough
mhòr vO:r big
(nfs)
mhucarnaich voohkarnEch (of)
place of pigs
a’ mhuidhe ∂ vooE of the churn
Mhurchaidh vooroochE of
Murdo
na mill n∂ mEl the hills
miosaraidh mEsarE (of)
dairy produce
mòine mo:ny peatland
na mòine n∂ mo:ny of
the peaty ground ‘mony’ unstressed
mointeach montjoch peaty
ground
mòire mO:r∂ big
(gfs)
mòr mO:r big (nms)
mòra mO:r∂ big (p)
nam muc n∂ moohk of
the pigs
na muice n∂ maohk of
the pig
na mulcanan n∂ moolkan∂n the hummocks
am mullach ∂ mooloch the
summit
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
nead nyet nest
nid nyEtj (of)
nest
na nighinn n∂ nyE,En of the
daughter variation of ‘na h-inghe’
but ‘na h-inghinn’ (n∂ hEnE,En) in Gairloch
Nòbuil
no:p∂l Noble
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
òb o:p bay ‘op’ unstressed
odhar Ooor light
brown (ns)
na h- oidhche n∂ haoEch∂ of the night
òrd o:rd (steep, round) hill
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
pàirce pa:rk∂ park
pasaid pasatj passage
(access way through crofts)
nam peithirean n∂m pAhEr∂n of the foresters
am poca ∂m pohk∂ the bag
poll pOool pool
am pollan ∂m pOlan the
wee pool
port porsht landing
a’ phàirce ∂ fa:rky∂ the park
a’ phasaid ∂ fasatj the
passage
a’ phuill ∂ fooEl of the pool
a’ phuirt ∂ foorsht of
the landing
am ploc ∂m plohk the
lump
prille prEly ?(wee
burn)
na prosbaig n∂ prospEk of the
telescope
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
raon raon field
rainich ranyEch of
the rushes
raineach ranyoch rushes
rairigidh rarEkE ?
nan ramh n∂ ra:v of
the oars
rathad rahat road
an rathain ∂ rahan
of the pulley
na rathanan n∂ rahan∂n the pulleys
rèidh re: smooth
(g/ns)
riabhach rE∂och brindled
(ns or p)
riabhaich rE∂,Ech brindled
(gs)
na rianaich n∂ rEanEch ?
roag
roak ?
rointeach rontjoch rushes
ruadh roo∂gh reddish-brown
(ns)
ruaidhe roo∂E reddish-brown
(gfs)
an ruigh ∂ rE the shieling ground
an ruighe ∂ rE of
the shieling ground
rubha roo,oo headland or point ‘roo’ unstressed
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
nan sac n∂ sahk of
the burdens
sàil sa:l heel
an t- sàil ∂n ta:l the
heel ‘∂n
tal’ unstressed
na saobhaidhe n∂ saovE of
the (fox’s) den
nan sealg n∂ shalak of
the hunts
seana shen∂ old
seann shown old
seileach shAloch willow ‘of willow’ in Uchd na Fèithe-seileach (NH0969)
seilich shAlEch of
willow
an sgeir ∂ skAr the skerry
sgeireach skAroch rocky
sgeirich skArEch ?rocky
na sgoinne n∂ skaon of the salmon trap
an sgòr ∂ sko:r the cleft ‘skor’ unstressed
sgorr skor the
peak
sgoilte skoltj∂ split
na sguaib n∂ skooEp of
sweeping
an sgùman ∂ skoo:m∂n peak
an sgùrr ∂ skoo:r the peak ‘skoor’ unstressed
shaillidh
halyE (of)
fatness
sìldeag shE:ljak ?island
bay
siolar shE∂l∂r ?productive
an sìthean
∂ shE:han the fairy hill ‘shEhan’ unstressed
nan slatach n∂ slahtoch of the ?(stalks)
na slataich n∂ slahtEch of the ?(stalk)
an t- sleaghach ∂n tlAoch the
spear
na sleaghaich n∂ shlAEch of
the spear
slios shlEs slope
an slugaid ∂ slookEtj the deep, miry place
an t- slugain ∂n tloogan of the
?(wee pool)
an socach ∂ sohkoch the
pointed hill
nan soithichean n∂ saEch∂n of the ?vessels
na speireig n∂ spArAk of the
sparow-hawk
spidean spEtjAn pinnacle (‘bidein’ not used in W. Ross)
spiodan spEtan pinnacle (‘bidein’ not used in W. Ross)
sràid stra:tj street
srath stra strath
(broad valley)
sròin stro:n point
sròn stro:n point ‘stron’ unstressed
an t- sròn ∂n tro:n of
the point ‘tron’ unstressed
sruaban stroo∂p∂n (of)
? ‘stroo∂p∂n’
unstressed
stac stahk steep
hill or stack
staca stahk (of)
steep hill or stack
an steall ∂ styowl the
spout (of water)
na still n∂ shtEl of the spout (of water)
stùc stoo:hk peak ‘stoohk’ unstressed
sùil soo:l ‘sùil’ (i.e. lying water
in a bog)
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
taigh taE house
an taighe ∂n tahE of
the house ‘ta’ unstressed
an tairbh taray of
the bull
tarsainn tars∂n transverse
transverse or sideways
tarsuinn ‘tarsainn’ preferred, q.v.
na tathagan n∂ ta,ak∂n the wee in-fields
an teallach ∂n tjaloch the
forge
an teallaich ∂n tjalEch of
the forge
teanga tjega tongue
na teangaidh n∂ tjeghE of the tongue
tharsuinn error; see ‘tarsainn’
thealldhadal helao,aot∂l ledge-dale
thoirbheartan haoraoh∂tan of
place of transference
an . . . tholl ∂n
haol the . . .
hollow
a’ . . . thuill ∂ . . . hooEl of the hollow ‘haol’ unstressed
tobhta
tOhta ruin
toirbheartan taoraoh∂tan place
of transference
an toll ∂n tOool the
hollow ‘tOl’ unstressed
an tom ∂n tOm hill
an toman ∂n toman the
hillock
an torcain ∂n torkan of the
wee boar
tòrr
to:r hill
an torran ∂n toran the
hillock
an torrain ∂n toran of
the hillock
nan tri-eileanan n∂n
trE Alan∂n of the three islands
tuath tooa north
na tuatha n∂ tooa of
the peasantry
tuathanas tooan∂s farm
a’ . . . tuill ∂ .
. . taol of the . . . hollow
an tuill ∂n tooEl of the hollow ‘taol’ unstressed
an tuim ∂n taoEm of the hill ‘toom’ unstressed
tulach tooloch hillock
nan tunn n∂n toon of
the ?barrels
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents
an uain ∂n ooan of the lamb
uaine ooany green
uais oo,ash ?high
uan ooan lamb
nan uan n∂n ooan of the lambs
uchd oochk hillside
ùidh oo:E channel
(between lochs)
na h- ùidhe n∂ haoE of
the channel
uidhir aoEr light brown (gs) variation of ‘uidhre’
an uillt ∂n ooltj of
the burn
uisg’ aoshk water
ùmh oo: cave
Link to list of elements: A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U Contents