Criomag Ghàidhlig Ghall-Ghàidhealaibh

 

 

Seo agaibh clàr-fuaime bho 1972 de Mhr MhacLaomaiad à Cille M'Eudain ann an Ceann Deas nan Rannaibh. Anns a' chlàr, cluinnidh sinn na h-ainmeanan àite a leanas: 

 Starting north of Slockmill: 

the point of Cleugh, 

Norway Craig, 

 Norway Hole, 

Isle of Partan, 

[Ebbsie?] Craig, 

[Milbuie?], 

the [Scannan?] Rock, 

the Hole of the Heel, 

the Grennan, [

Slagullie?], 

Cranmag Head, 

Gabarunning, 

the Hawk's Hole, 

the Round Craig (too steep a descent for fishing),

the Sloucheen Slunk (a favourite fishing seat) at the face of the Carrick [Hill]. 

 Tha neart eisimpleirean de Ghàidhlig Ghall-Ghàidhealaibh an seo m.e. Craig/Carrick/ - Carraig, Partan, Maol Buidhe?, Grennan - Grianan?, Sloucheen Slunk - sluicín slonc? 

 'S e am fear mu dheireadh dhiuibh a thog m' ùidh shònraichte anns a' chlàr. A réir Mhgr. MhicLaomaid 's e slonc a bh' aca air gully. Cha chreid mi nach e aon fhacal a tha seo agus GD: sloc GA: slogtha GM: slogh B: hollow 

  Tha dà rud sònraichte a' tachairt le sloc ann an Gàidhlig Ghall-Ghàidhealaibh: A' chiad rud, 's e nach cluinnear ro-analachadh. Tha seo ann an cumantas le dualchainntean eile a bhitheadh mun cuairt air an sgìre, an leith Uladh an Ear, Ceann Deas Earra-Ghàidheil, Arainn agus Gaelg Mhanainn. 

 An dara rud, 's e an fhuam /n/ a chluinnear, dìreach mar a chluinnear cronk (cnoc) anns an Eilean Mhanainn. 

Ged nach b' urrainn dhuinn a bhith cinnteach às aonais fianaise a bharrachad, tha a h-uile coltas ann gur e dà fheart cànanachais a bhunadh ri dualchainnt na sgìre, aon ainm-àite làn fhiosrachaidh. Bidh fada a' bharrachd Gàidhlig Ghall-Ghàidhealaibh ri chluinntinn, ann an dualchainntean Bheurla 's Bheurla Ghallda na sgìre, agus ainmean-àite. Cuspair air a bheil fada a' bharrachd rannsachadh a dhìth.

Pre-aspritation in Carrick and Galloway Gaelic

In this article I'm going to be looking at the patterns of pre-aspiration that might have been heard in the Gaelic dialects of Carrick and Galloway. This article, as well as some future article will be making use of isogloss maps. More information on the structure and format of these maps can be read here: Understanding the Isogloss Maps.

In simple terms, with regards to Scottish Gaelic, pre-aspiration is essentially the equivalent of a [h], [x] or [ç] sound before a [t], [k] or [p]. Apart from it's presence in Scottish Gaelic, pre-aspiration is most often associated with North Germanic languages. In particular, it is associated with the Icelandic and Faroese languages, but in addition to this, it can also be heard in some dialects of Norwegian and Swedish.

One theory of it's presence in Scottish Gaelic is that it is an example of the Norse influence on the Gaelic language of Scotland. The presence of pre-aspiration makes Scottish Gaelic unique among her sister languages, Irish and Manx, where no evidence of pre-aspiration is to be found in any dialect. In addition to this, the patterns of pre-aspiration vary from dialect to dialect with some dialects showing no evidence of pre-aspiration at all. 

There are five patterns of pre-aspiration to be found within the study area, detailed as follows:

Pattern 1: / h / before / t / and / p / but no sound before / k /
Pattern 2: / x / or / ç / before / t /, / p / and / k /
Pattern 3: No sound before / t / or / p / but / x / before / k /
Pattern 4: No pre-aspiration
Pattern 5: / x / before / t /, / h / before / p / and / x / before / k /

Pattern 1 - This pattern was to be found largely in the islands in Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Jura as well as parts of Islay, Mull. In addition, isolated occurances of this pattern were recorded on the mainland in Ardnamurchan, Stronmilchan, Craignish and Tayvallich.


Pattern 2: This pattern was recorded in North Argyll, including the islands of Luing, Lismore and East Mull. One isolated occurrence was recorded in Bowmore on Islay.


Pattern 3 - This was the pattern recorded in Mid-Argyll, with the exceptions of Tayvallich and Craignish. In addition, the pattern was also recorded in Gigha and the Rinns of Islay as well as one isolated occurrence in Kintyre.

Pattern 4: This was the pattern recorded in all areas of East Ulster and Mann. In addition to this, it was the pattern recorded in Arran and in most parts of Kintyre.


Pattern 5: Only one occurrence of this pattern was recorded in Morvern. 


It is clear to see from the isogloss maps that the dialects of Carrick and Galloway would have fallen into line with the neighbouring dialects of Kintyre and Arran, as well as those of East Ulster and Mann. As well as making a fairly educated guess based on geographically proximity, we can also look to place-names for further clues.

Girvan MacKay points to two examples of the local pronunicaiton of placenames: Beinn Bhreac (Benbrack) and Achadh nam Breac (Auchenbrack). The local "Anglicised" pronunciation gives us an indication that the pre-aspiration was absent from the dialects of Carrick and Galloway.

Had pre-aspiration been an aspect in these dialects then it certainly would have made it an outlier among the surrounding forms of the Gaelic tongue. 

Understanding the Isogloss Maps

This is an example of the isogloss maps that will be used throughout the project.

The maps show the various dialects that would have neighboured the Gaelic of Ayrshire and Galloway. 

These include the Scottish Gaelic dialects of Argyll and Rathlin, the Irish dialects of East Ulster and the dialects of Mann.

The numbers for the Argyll dialects correspond with the informants for the Scottish Gaelic Dialect Survey (SGDS). This was also the source used for evidence. Additional evidence for the Gaelic of Arran and Kintyre was drawn from Holmer (1957 & 1962).

The dialect CMD stands for Ceann mu Dheas (Southend, Kintyre). The evidence for this was drawn from two sources, Holmer (1962) and Campbell & Thomson (1963).

Points for A' Charraig (Carrick) and Gall-Ghàidealaibh (Galloway) can be see with the codes C and GG respectively.

The numbered dialects of East Ulster correspond with the informants for the Linguistic Atlas & Survey of Irish Dialects (LASID). These dialects are as follows: L65 - Lú (Louth), Point 65; TE66 - Tír Eoghain (Tyrone), Point 66; ER67 - Eilean Reachlann (Rathlin Island), Point 67; IE68 - Inis Eoghain (Inishowen) Point 68.

Additional evidence for these dialects was drawn from the sources as follows: L65 - (Dunbar, 2012); TE66 (Ó Baoighill, 2009), (Ó Baoill,1978), (Stockman & Wagner, 1965) & (Ní Bhaoill, 2010); ER67 (Holmer, 1942) & (Dunbar, 2008).

In addition to the dialects of East Ulster recorded in LASID, the following dialects have been included: GA - Gleannta Aontroma (Glens of Antrim); SD - Speiríní Dhoire (Sperrings of Derry); AD - An Dún (Down); AM - Ard Mhacha (Armagh). 

Evidence for these dialects came from a variety of sources as follows: GA - (Holmer, 1940); SD - (Coyle, 1968); AD - Neilson (1808), Ó Duibhin (2016), Dunbar (2012); AM - Sommerfelt (1926).

Evidence for the dialects of Mann are drawn from two sources, LASID, Point 88 and Broderick (1984).

Bibliography and Further Reading 

Books


Broderick, G (1984). A Handbook of Late Spoken Manx Vol. I-III. Berlin: De Gruyter. 
Campbell & Thomson (1963), Edward Lhuyd in the Scottish Highlands 1699-1700. Oxford. The Clarendon Press.
Dunbar, C (2008). Dhá Scéal Reachlann agus eile. Dublin: Coiscéim.

Dunbar, C (2012). Cnuasach Focal as Oirialla. Dublin: Coiscéim.

Holmer, NM (1940). On Some Relics of the Irish Dialect Spoken in the Glens of Antrim (with an Attempt Toward the Reconstruction of Northeastern Irish): Being a Report of a Visit to the Glens of Antrim in 1937, Under the Sponsorship of the Royal Irish Academy. Uppsala: A-B Lundequistska Bokhandeln.

Holmer, NM (1942). The Irish Language in Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim. Dublin: RIA. 

Holmer, NM (1957). The Gaelic of Arran. 3rd ed. Dublin: DIAS.

Holmer, NM (1962). The Gaelic of Kintyre. Dublin: DIAS.

Neilson, W (1808). An Introduction to the Irish Language. Reprint. Belfast: Iontaobhas ULTACH. (1990).

Ní Bhaoill, R (2010). Ulster Gaelic Voices: Bailiúchán Doegen 1931. Belfast: Iontaobhas ULTACH.

Ó Baoighill, P (2009). Padaí Láidir Mac Culadh & Gaelteacht Thír Eoghain Eagrán Nua. 2nd ed. Dublin: Coiscéim.

Ó Baoill, C (1978). Contributions to a comparative study of Ulster Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queens University.

Ó Dochartaigh, C (1997). Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland Vol. I-V. Dublin: DIAS.

Wagner, H (1958). Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects Vol. I-IV. Reprint. Dublin: DIAS. (1981). 

Newspapers & Journals

Coyle, H. (1968). Gaeilge Dhoire. An tUltach. February, d. 4-7.

Coyle, H. (1968). Gaeilge Dhoire. An tUltach. March d. 4-7.

Coyle, H. (1968). Gaeilge Dhoire. An tUltach. April, d. 18.

Sommerfelt, A. (1929). South Armagh Irish. Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap . II, d. 107-191.

Stockman, G & Wagner, H. (1965). Contributions to a Study of Tyrone Irish. Lochlann. III, d. 43-236.

Online Sources

Ó Duibhín, C. (1991) The Irish Language in County Down. Available at: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~oduibhin/oirthear/down.doc Last Accessed: 08/04/2018. Updated: (1997), (2016).

 

Gaelic in Ayrshire Part 2

Ayrshire coastline looking southwards towards
Creag Aillse (Ailsa Craig).

The following article is a translation of the original Gaelic article written by Girvan MacKay which appeared in the magazine Gairm.

MacAoidh, G. (1979). Gàidhlig ann an Siorramachd Inbhir-Àir. Gairm. 106, 134-40.

Continued from Part 1 

Perhaps Gaelic had an impression on the way that Ayrshire folk speak English, and indeed Scots. There are two sounds that are very common in Ayrshire (they are almost universal in the area) a "ü" umlaut; / y /: and the glottal stop, like the funny old story about the soldier that answered, when the sergeant asked what his name was "Pa'erson wi' twa t's" (Patterson with two t's.) This sound is common in one or two places in the Gàidhealtachd of Argyll (Isn't this a sound we hear in the Gaelic of Tiree for example?). As we don't hear these sounds in any of the dialects of English or in places where Scots is spoken widely (Aberdeenshire for example) it's likely that the ü and the glottal stop came from Gaelic as it was spoken in Ayrshire. 

Now, these two sounds are now part of the accent (in English and in Irish) of Ulster, and it's there that we find the most hopeful clue as to what shape and form the Gaelic of Ayrshire had. There was barely a difference between the Gaelic of Scotland and that of the Glens of Antrim. However, it was the Gaelic of Rathlin Island, in the Straights of Moyle between Scotland and Ireland, that was most like the Gaelic of Scotland, and Irish scholars are of the opinion that this is the sort of Gaelic that the Gaels of Ayrshire had.

Rev. Cosslett Quinn, a scholar who translated the Revised Standard Version of the New Testament into Irish, and who conducted research on the Irish of Rathlin, wrote in a letter to [Girvan MacKay] on the 20th of November 1977:

"I would say that the Gaelic they had in Kintyre and in Ayrshire a hundred years ago was very like that of Rathlin."

He is the author of the paper "Iarsmaí ó Oilean Reachrann" (Remnants from Rathlin Island) that paints a clear picture of the dialect, with sample of folklore he recorded when he visited the island in 1932 and again in 1940. Among them are stories, poetry, words and phrases, plants, birds, insects, animals, ointments, parts of the body, fish and sailing terminology. Among these are only a very small few words that every Scottish Gael would not understand. Here is an example:

"There was once a man with a humped back and he went up to fetch the cows from the hillside one evening, and he heard people making music. The song went: 'Monday, Tuesday, Monday, Tuesday.' 'Wednesday' he said himself. The removed the hump from his back as he made their song better. 

There was another man in the town. He also had a humped back also, and he went up the next evening to fetch the cows. They were singing 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.' He sang 'Thursday.' Then, that ruined the song. Then, instead of taking the hump away from him, they gave him another."

"Bhá duine ann a bhá cruit air is chaidh é suas ag iarraidh nam bó coinfheascar ar an tsliabh, agus chuala é daeine ag gabhail ceol; agus an ceol a bhá ann: 'Dia Luain, Dia Mairt,
Dia Luain, Dia Mairt.'  'Dia Ceadaoine.' ars eisean. thug iad an cruit de n' air a rainn é an ceol n' a b'fhéarr. Bhá duine eile ar a' bhaile. Bhá cruit air cuideacht, is chaidh é suas an áthchoinfheascar ag iarraidh nam bó. Bhá iad ag gabhail an ceol an áthchoinfheascar cuideacht. Bhá iad ag ceol 'Dia Luain, Dia Mairt, Dia Ceadaoine.' Ars eisean 'Diardaen.' Annsin mhill sin an ceol. Annsin, in áite an cruit a thabhairt de, chuir iad cruit eile air.'

"Bhá dá dhaeine ann ráimhe seo, Gígeam agus Geógam, agus rainn iad bannach. Bhá bannach aca annsin, agus bhá iad a' dol amach ar a chéile cionn ar a' bhannach. Bhá a haen aca nach robh gan ngabhail a bheag de na bhannach. Chuir an ceann eile smog ar a' bhannach is n' air a fuair a' bhannach as an doras foscailte léim é de'n teine agus chaidh é amach ar an doras, is lean Gígeam agus Geógam é."

A view over Rathlin Island (Reachrainn), Co. Antrim (Contae Aontroma.

If Fr. Quinn is correct, and I believe he is, then this is the kind of Gaelic that was spoken by the people of Ayrshire (Or at least something very similar to it).

With regards to the sound of Rathlin Irish, Fr Quinn wrote (Op. cit. pg. 248):

"It is little surprise that the accent I heard pertaining to Rathlin is the accent you would hear from Scottish Gaelic speakers on the radio. However, although the d in indiu is heard, you wouldn't hear machg or bochg as you would in Scotland."

I don't believe that the Scottish Gaels of Southend of Kintyre used this chg sound. (Nils Holmer did not hear it in Southend of Kintyre, where there was - according to Cosslett Quinn - a dialect very similar to Rathlin and Ayrshire Gaelic).

I am very grateful to Fr. Quinn for this information and I hope that these short notes will be of assistance to any scholar who is willing to conduct research on this interesting subject, and is of encouragement to the people of Ayrshire who have an interest in their old native language.

Bibliography

List of writings on the subject:

Watson, Wm. J. (1932). Bàrdachd Ghàidhlig. Glasgow: An Comunn Gàidhealach.

Lorimer, W. L. (1949). "The Persistence of Gaelic in Galloway and Carrick" Scottish Studies, VI & VII.

Ó Snodaigh, P. (1973). Hidden Ulster. Dublin: Clodhanna Teo.

Johnston, J.B. & Murray, J. (1934). The Place-names of Scotland. London. Reprinted by S.R. Publishers, Wakefield (1972).

O'Rahilly, T.F. (1932). Irish Dialects Past & Present. Dublin.

Pedersen, R.N. (1972). Alba Map. 6 Drumdevan Road, Iverness.

Holmer, N.M. (1966). The Gaelic of Arran. Dublin: Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS).

Quinn, C. (1951). Iarsmaí ó Oileán Reachrann [Remnants of Rathlin Island]. Éigse VI, Part III.

Holmer, N.M. (1942). The Irish Language in Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.

More to come...

Apologies for the inactivity on this blog over the past few months due to work on my dissertation. The good news is that not only is the dissertation complete but it will feeding into this blog and research.

The dissertation focussed on the linguistic links between the Gaelic dialects of Argyll and East Ulster, also looking at the dialects of Mann for wider context. During the research it was quite obvious that the absence of the Lowland Gaelic dialects of Galloway, Carrick and Ayrshire left a rather gaping hoping in the picture. 

I'll be looking to fill this void based on was evidence we do have of Lowland Gaelic and hopefully be able to demonstrate the place that those dialects occupied within the wider Gaelic world. 

Until then, here's a teaser. The following isogloss map shows the patterns of pre-aspiration to be found in various dialects. I'll go into an explanation of what this means in the full post to come. As you can see, the Lowland dialects would have agreed with the dialects of Ulster, Mann and South West Argyll. 

More to come on this subject soon...

Gaelic in Ayrshire Part 1

Siorramachd Inbhir Àir (Ayrshire) agus Gàidhealtachd na Carraige (Carrick).

The following article is a translation of the original Gaelic article written by Girvan MacKay which appeared in the magazine Gairm.

MacAoidh, G. (1979). Gàidhlig ann an Siorramachd Inbhir-Àir. Gairm. 106, 134-40.

When the daughter of our old school master married, she left the island and went to live in Irvine, Ayrshire. The last time we heard from her she said that she couldn't keep up with the number of people in the town that wanted to learn Gaelic. They heard that she was a Skye woman and a number of people came to her asking her to teach "our old language" to them. As she had studied Gaelic at Higher level, she was not unwilling and she started a small class.

Now, Irvine is bang in the middle of the area that the call "Burns Country", and if anyone thinks, (particularly Ayrshire folk) about the speech of area, it's Scots, or at least a mixture of Scots and English, like that which Burns used, that comes to mind. If we look carefully at the map of Ayrshire we'll see that the majority of place-names are Gaelic. There are English place-names there too, especially in the North, but these are neither the oldest, nor the most common in the area. The further we go towards South Ayrshire and Carrick, the more scarce the English names become and the more common the Gaelic names become and the more it becomes clear that Carrick was the heart of the Southern Gàidhealtachd (Gaelic speaking area), and in an era not too far from us that part of the country was more Gaelic than the Western Isles. The people of Irvine were therefore correct when they said that they wanted to learn "our old language".

Certainly its not too far back in the history of Scotland that the people of Ayrshire ceased to speak Gaelic. It's surprising how long the language endured in the South. In the book Leabhar Bàrdachd na Gàidhlig, t.d.  xxi, Dr William Watson wrote:

"As regards to the geographical distribution, we find no poets south of the Firth or Clyde: Gaelic was becoming obsolescent in Galloway and Ayrshire by the beginning of the modern period i.e. ca. (1600).

"Dr T. M. Murray Lyon, Edinburgh  has informed me of a note left by his father, as follows; 'My grand-aunt, Jean MacMurray, who died in 1836 at the age of 87, has informed me that Margaret MacMurray, the representative of the elder branch of the MacMurrays of Cultzeon, near Maybole, who died at a very advanced age about the year 1760, was long talked of as having been the last Gaelic-speaking native of Carrick.' Robert was born near Ayr in 1759 - 'upon the Carrick border' ".

However, the dear doctor was not completely correct at all when he said that the language was becoming 'obsolescent' as early as that. On the authority of papers such as "The Persistence of Gaelic in Galloway and Carrick" (W.L. Lorimer), and other sources, Pádraig Ó Snodaigh attested in his book Hidden Ulster that Gaelic was spoken in the South of Scotland as late as the nineteenth century at least. Someone once said to me that there were a small handful of people Gaelic speakers alive in Galloway in our own century (i.e. 20th century). Ó Snodaigh wrote as follows;

"Always to be remembered in the context of the language question is that the Gaelic language was spoken over a much wider area of Scotland in the 17th. century than is often realised. Galloway and Ayrshire, for example - areas from which many of the Scottish planters came - were to a considerable extent Gaelic-speaking then (T.F. O'Rahilly, Irish Dialects Past and Present, pp. 161-164); it is said that the last record Gaelic speaker in Carrick, Ayrshire, died as late as 1760, though there is evidence for continuity in the area much later than that [W.J. Watson, Bàrdachd Ghàidhlig, for the Carrick reference. But old people still spoke Gaelic in Glen Barr in 1820; an elderly woman spoke it in Ballantrae c. 1830; and Alexander Murray (1775 - 1813), sometime professor of Oriental Languages at Edinburgh University - a herd's son from Kirkcudbright - had Gaelic as his first language (A. Archibald, Letters to Me, October, 1972)].

Gàidhealtachd na Carraige (Carrick): Looking out to Creag Aillse (Ailsa Craig) from Tùrnbuirg (Turnberry)

We have evidence therefore that Gaelic was spoken in Glen Barr, close to Girvan, and in Ballantrae. 

There are Gaelic place-name elements in some of the most common names of the map of the Scottish mainland, e.g.: 

Achadh - Field
Allt - Stream
Baile - Town
Bàrr - Summit, peak 
Bealach - Mountain pass
Beinn - Mountain
Beith - Birch
Cathair -  City
Carraig - Rock
Cill(e) - Chapel, Church, Cell
Cnoc - Hill 
Coire - Corrie
Craobh - Tree
Cùil - Recess
Dail - Field
Darach - Oak
Dealg -  Pin
Driseag - Thorn bush
Druim - Ridge
Dubh - Black
Dùn - Fort
Eaglais - Church
Eala - Tomb, sepulchre
Eun - Bird
Gall - Foreigner
Gart - Field 
Gleann - Glen
Iubhar - Yew
Leac - Flagstone
Lag - Hollow
Lèana - Water meadow
Linn - Deep pool
Loch - Lake
Magh - Plain 
Maol -  Mull, rounded promontory
Peighinn - Pennyland
Roinn - Partition
Sràid - Street
Sròn - Promontory (lit. Nose)
Tiobar (Tobar) - Well
Tòrr - Mound
Tràigh - Beach

As there were no recording devices around before the last native speaker died, we cannot be sure what the Gaelic of Ayrshire sounded like. Perhaps we can learn something from the form of place-names in English. However, there are sounds that are not at all certain. At any rate, the majority of Gaelic place-names here are easily recognisable, even in English form, and the sound is not massively different from the words as they would have been heard in other parts of the Gàidhealtachd where the language was not too extensive or too rare.

To be continued in Part 2...

"The Gaelic of Galloway and the South of Scotland" Part 2

A digitised version of the original hand drawn by Gaelic map of Galloway, Carrick & Cumbria by Girvan MacKay.

The following article is a translation of the original Gaelic article written by Girvan MacKay which appeared in the magazine Gairm.

MacAoidh, G. (1977-8). Gàidhlig Ghallghallaibh agus Alba-a-Deas. Gairm. 101, 83-89.

Continued from Part 1


Theses elements can be found in many place-names in the Lowlands: Bail' an Tràigh (Ballantrae), Machair na Sgitheig (The name for Cairnryan prior to the 18th century when the Post Office changed it), Loch Ruighinn (Loch Ryan), Na Roinnean (The Rhinns), Sròn Reamhair (Stranraer), Port Phàdraig (Port Patrick), Gleann Luis (Glenluce), Bàigh Luis (Luce Bay), Port Lagain ( Port Logan), Maol nan Gall (Mull of Galloway), Na Machraichean (The Machars), Gleann an t-Sruthail (Glentrool), Gleann Càin (Glenkens), Fleòd (Fleet), Taigh Mhàrtainn (The old name for Whithorn according to D.D.C. Pouchin Mould: Scotland of the Saints), Càrn Eideird (Cairn Edward), Loch Dùin (Loch Doon), Dail Meallain (Dalmellington), Dùn Phrìs (Dumfries; Although apparently this name is incorrect; Drumfries can be seen in older records - Druim Phrìs) Dornag (Dornock).

It's surprising that this last place, Dornag (Dornock) is so close to the border, and even on the other side in England we can see a Gaelic name or two: Cardurnock (Cathair Dornaig - City of the First Sized Stone), Glassan (Glasan - Green Place), Drumburg (Druim Burgh - Burgh of the Ridge), Eden (Aodann - Face), Glendhu (Gleann Dubh - Black Valley).

Back over on this side again, there are plenty of names that are very Gaelic, even close to Ayr (Inbhir Àir) to the North and Ananndale (Srath Anainn) and Nithsdale (Srath Nuadh) to the East: Magh Baoghaill (Maybole), Eaglais Fiachain (Ecclefechan), Eunach (Enoch), Bàrr Daingneach (Bardennoch), Druim Lannraig (Drumlanrig), Druim Sionnach ( Drumshinnoch), Meurach (Merrock), Loch Móna (Loch Moan), Crìoch or Crìche (Cree), Loch an t-Suidhe (Loch Suie), Lothair (Lowther), Lag Uaine (Lagwine), Poll Madaidh (Polmaddie), Cnoc Greighe (Knock Grey), Cnoc nam Ban (Knockban), Uileanna/Uilne (Willianna), Dail Cheathairn ( Dalquhern), Am Bogha (The Bow), Am Meall (The Meaul), A' Chreig (The Craig), Càrn 'n Abhaill (Carnavel), Creag nan Gillean (Craigengillan), Fhionnghlas (Finlas), Beinn Bhreac (Benbrack), Achadh nam Breac (Auchenbrack), Achadh na Boinne (Achenbainzie), Dail Uaine (Dalwine), Loch nam Muc (Loch Muck), Srath Aibhne (Strathaven), Dail Seangain (Dalshangan), Druim Buidhe (Drambuie), Sròn (Stroan), Gleann an Ceàrd (Glencaird), Baoghan (Buchan), Bàrr Grianain (Bargrennann), Meall Eighe (Milyea), Baile MhicIlleFhinnein (Balmaclellan, founded in 1466 AD), Gleann Lighe (Glenlee), Ceann Mór (Kenmure).

2) Gaelic Words in Local Speech

Here are some of the words that are, or at least were, common in the speech of the local populace: Bealltainn (May Day), crùisgean (oil lamp), ciste (chest, possibly via Scots), ceir (tail), dreug (mare), mart (cow), àird (point of the compass), bean-sìthe (banshee), gobhlachan (earwig; lit. little forked object), Lùnastal (Lammas Day/August), lochan (small loch), féileadh beag (kilt), seun (magic/charm), taom (splash), brat (carpet/mat), céis (farrow sow), claist (listen), clamhsa (close e.g. of a tennament, via Scots), cog (drinking vessel), creag (rock or cliff), cròn (swarthy), dinn (cram), diamharan (hermit), fàl (scythe), gad (withe), cubhag (cuckoo), griosach (something roasted), càl (cabbage), cnapag (shinty ball), cnoc (hill), lod (small pool), làr (floor), linn (deep pool), lùb (bend or curve), làmh (hand), mol (praise), pàirc (field), prìne (pin) preas (bush), stùr (stoor); the last four examples likely coming from Gaelic via English or from Scots.

Ceann mu Dheas (Southend): Where possibly the closest recorded dialect to Lowland Gaelic was spoken.

3) Gaelic of Southend, Kintyre

Examples of this dialect can be found in pages 106-116 of the book The Gaelic of Kintyre by Nils Holmer (Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, 1962). Holmer wrote the following about this dialect: "The Gaelic was always said to be more 'Irish' than in any other part of Kintyre... The thing which first strikes the observer... is the retention of the voiced g, b, d, in all positions, e.g. drochaid (DrOXidzh), bodach (boDaX), maide briste (mèdhze brisht'e: 'fire-tongs'), rodagach (rodeagaX) 'bog myrtle', deich mionaidean (dzheç minedzhen)... The original voiced sounds were always distinct from the corresponding voiceless sounds (c, p, t)... Aon (e : n), 'one' is still heard from Southend speakers as an indefinite pronoun... naoi(dh) Ne: 'nine'... Bainne (ben'e) and maide (medzhe)... also represent the modern pronunciation, but teine  (tshin'e)... if correct, is Irish... further the use of e, i for ö in the words oidhche (i : çe), coilleach (kel'aX), maol (me : l)*... Some words are not used by other speakers today, as: maide briste... which is common in the Glens of Antrim, deich mionaidean a dh'easbhaidh do (ten minutes [wanting] to), tarraing an fhraoich 'heath rush', ainmidh 'horse'... eclipsis in Eilean nan Caorach (ilen (n)e gE : reX)


In the examples of conversation we have in this book, we can see how alike this Southern dialect of Scottish Gaelic and the Irish of Ulster and of Rathlin Island were. Occasionally there is a Manx accent on a word or two, e.g. d instead of g in the word tig (tid): Xa dshid for "cha tig" (Cf. Manx Gaelic eeast for iasg i.e. "fish"). As in the Lowlands, o was used instead of a e.g. smolan (smalan). On page 116 we read The Lord's Prayer in the Gaelic of Southend, Kintyre and the phonetic sound is surprisingly like that of Irish. (It is clear that the Gaelic of the Lowlands was very Irish also e.g. "brack" for "breac" in place-names.) We find plenty of Irish words in the Southern dialect, e.g. fiafraich (feòraich)  from Southend, Kintyre; cos (cas; foot), capull (each; horse), madadh (cù; dog) among others from Galloway. 

If we put these clues altogether, we'll have a good picture of the Gaelic spoken in Galloway and the South right down to the Scottish Borders and even over the other side. The English veneer is very thin in this quarter, and it's clear there's no other language in this country of ours that's as "national" as Gaelic. 

*C.f. Rathlin

Bibliography for Further Research 

A Forgotten Heritage, Hannah Aitken, Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh, 1973.

Remains of Galloway and Nithsdale Song, R.H. Cromek, London, 1810.

Dumfries and Galloway Naturalist and Antiquarian Society Transactions, The Gallovidian Encylopedia, John MacTaggart, London, 1824.

Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish, Christian Brothers, M.H. Gill & Son Ltd., Dublin, 1922.

Foclóir Béarla agus Gaedhilge, L. McCionnaith, Oifig Dhíolta Foillseacháin Rialtais, Dublin, 1935. 

The Gaelic of Kintyre, Nils Holmer, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, 1962.

Scotland of the Saints, James B. Johnston, John Murray, London, 1934.

Witchcraft in South-West Scotland, T. Maxwell-Wood, J. Maxwell & Son, Dumfries, 1911.