ORTHOGRAPHY. 7 



letter ; or because, in default of y being sufficiently repre- 

 sented in the fount of type, the z was commonly used to 

 replace it, or vice versa. 



I may even go so far as to say that it was probably in 

 this way that the z came to be introduced into all the above 

 proper names, and into many others besides. There being no 

 z in Gaelic, it has no right to appear in words of Gaelic 

 origin : originating in error, it cannot be considered as good 

 Scotch. Indeed, spelling the word with either a y or a 2; is 

 perpetuating an error, arising from a misconception of a 

 Gaelic word by a Lowlander. Even Bellenden — good autho- 

 rity as he is justly considered as an author of Scotch writing 

 — cannot be followed in his spelling of this word, viz., Caper- 

 cailye. In Gaelic the II is liquid, like the French lie; 

 and, as explained to me by a good Gaelic scholar — D. Mac- 

 kinnon, Esq., of Edinburgh — when pronounced slowly, the 

 sound might fairly be represented in Scotch by lyie. As 

 the Eev. Mr. Macfadyen has pointed out to me (m lit.) this 

 pronunciation can best be accomplished by dwelling on the 

 second Z, and having the tip of the tongue " not touching the 

 roof or palate, close behind the teeth, but about an inch far- 

 ther back." This gives the ^/-sound in the Gaelic ; whence 

 the insertion in MS. by a Lowlander of the y ; whence, sub- 

 sequently, the substitution of a ;s by the old printers. Many 

 Highlanders at the present day pronounce the last half of 

 the word as in the French word " caille " — a quail ; and one 

 individual, when saying it, added — " without the ' eh' which 

 some give it." Mr. Macfadyen's name, as he himself shows 

 me, is another good illustration of the insertion of the y and 

 z. He says, "I spell it ' Macfadyen^ but others ' Macfad- 

 zean ; ' but in old registers it is without the y or z, thus — 

 ' Macfadean^ no doubt the original and correct spelling." 

 Even the name Mackenzie in the old Gaelic name has no 

 z. It was MacConnich — nn, like II, being liquid and pro- 



