302 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITCTE. [VOL. V. 



language of the kings and queens of Scotland. Malcolm had little or 

 no education. He acted as interpreter between Queen Margaret and 

 his Gaelic subjects, seeing that he was able to converse with equal 

 facility in English and in Gaelic. It is with some Gaelic elements of 

 sadness to be admitted, that the reign of Malcolm was in reality the 

 commencement of a revolution in the language and people as well as in 

 the laws and manners of northern Britain. The Albanic Duan is an 

 important relic of Gaelic literature. It is to be found in the Chronicles 

 of the Picts and Scots. It is supposed to have been taken from the 

 MacFirbes MS. in the Royal Irish Academy. It is said to have been 

 sung by the Gaelic bard of the royal house at the coronation of Malcolm 

 Canmore. It narrates in detail the names of those who preceded 

 Malcolm in the kingly office in Albion. It is the oldest and most 

 authentic record of the Scottish kings. Its Gaelic is very similar to that 

 of the Book of Deer. This reference to the Cruithne occurs in it : 



Cruithnigfh ros g"abhsad iarrtam. 

 Tar ttiachtain a h-Erean mhuig-h. 

 X rigfh tri fichid r'lgh ran. 

 Gabhsad diobh an Cruithean chlar. 



The Cruithne took it (i.e. the land of Alban) after that 

 On comingf out of Erin of the plain, 

 Seventy noble kings of them 

 Took the Cruithnean plaid. 



May not the consideration that the Albanic Duan, setting forth as it 

 does the genealogy and names of the kings of Scotland, is written in 

 Gaelic, lead of itself to the strong presumption that all the kings, whose 

 names and lineage are mentioned spoke Gaelic, and that Gaelic was the 

 language of their court and people down to the time of Malcolm 

 Canmore ? 



Pictish words survive, that reveal their Gaelic lineage at a glance. 

 Much used to be made of Peanfahel which Bede mentions as being the 

 name of Abercurnig (Abercorn), in the Pictish language. 



Peanfahel can readily take on a Gaelic garb, and appear as Ceann a 

 bhalla or the head of the wall. P and c are convertible letters in Gaelic, 

 and so are b and f ; and such being the case, there is no reason what- 

 ever for hesitating to regard Peanfahel as a purely Gaelic word. Such 

 Pictish words as Bede, Bred, Brude, Canaul, Cartit, Cruithneach, Ceann- 

 aleph, indicate a very close affinity, if not an absolute identity, with the 

 normal Gaelic of Albion. Ceannfota is Ceannfada or long head ; Cin- 

 noch cinic, is Cinneach tribe or nation : Donnel Domhnull is Donald ; 



