232 dntiquities in Scotland. May 1^- 



All the structures of this sort, and some particu- 

 lar places, are distinguifhed by the epithet dun ; 

 and as it has been said that this monosyllable, in the 

 Gaelic language, signifies a rock, a fortrel's, or place 

 of strength, many people have adopted the idfea that 

 this circumstance, decisively, points out the uses for 

 •which they have been originally and solely appropri- 

 ated. Arguments founded on etymology alone, are, 

 however, in my opinion, in general, of a nature too 

 equivocal to be relied on implicitly. Not to enter, 

 however, on this wide field at present, I ftiall here 

 only beg leave to observe, that little reliance can be 

 had on the argument founded on the name in the 

 present instance. The learned and ingenious colo- 

 jiel Vallancey observes, that the above is not, perhaps, 

 the scrict or the original meaning of that word, 

 *' In the Irilh language," says he," DUNN is z judge.- 

 But it is well known, in ancient times, that the 

 priests and judges were the same." In conformity 

 with this idea, he observes, in another place, that the 

 the word is derived from tlie Hebrew m dun. " ^Ke 

 ■uox-," says the learned Hutchison, '■'•per totam scrip- 

 turam significat qfficium in ecclesia, seu predicationem 

 qua arguimur, reprehendimur, discernimus bona a ma- 

 lts." Hence, adds Vallancey, the Irifh dunn, i. e. 01- 

 lamhtan a doctor, a driiid in his oracular ofiice. It 

 was therefore most natural to give this name to 

 those buildings, where the priest in his oracular 

 character, or dunn, performed the mysterious ritts 

 which peculiarly belonged to his sacred office. 



I mean to ground nothing more on this etymologi- 

 cal argument, than merely to. inculcate the propriety 

 cf being cautious about building any hypothesis on 



