ENGLISH-GAELIC 

 NAMES OF FISHES 



The ancient Celts, according to York Powell, never loved the sea, 

 and had a prejudice, some even say a contempt, for fish. This has 

 been accounted for by a supposed veneration paid by them to the 

 waters, which it will be said appears somewhat paradoxical, though 

 it is supposed the knowledge that the fish-god "Dagon," being 

 half man, half fish, had something to do with it, though generally 

 asserted to be the god of the Philistines only. If such did exist, 

 civilisation overcame it, and the Celts and Highlanders of the 

 present day are as fond of fish as others, if not fonder. There are 

 some kinds, however, they will not eat willingly still, such as the 

 skate, the eel, turbot, and flat fish generally ; from our own experi- 

 ence of the West Coast, the eel and the dogfish were the only two 

 fish disliked. As to above, it is alleged that a proverb exists 

 implying the contempt of the Celts for fish-eaters, which we have 

 not come across however. Turbot is said to be, or to have been, 

 disliked in Fife, which at one time was pre-eminently Celtic. 



As regards the cases where the same names or terms, in 

 Gaelic or English, are given for fishes entered herein under 

 separate headings, it has to be stated that all are given as obtained, 

 or found in the various works, etc., consulted; and for what they 

 are worth. 



ANGLER (see also Gobie). — Carrachan (small), carran, clabaran, 

 clab or clar-cioch or cich, corran, corran-greusaiche, cuman 

 (Caithness) ; Garran or garrangainmhich, garrochan, greasaich, 

 grealsaich, greusaich, greusaiche, griasaich, gubarnach ; lasg-an- 

 Donais ; Lon-chraois ; Mac-lamhaich or lathaich, mersgirra ; 

 Pleaich (Ir.). 



Armed bullhead ; Briarbot, bullhead ; Carling, catfish, cobbler ; 

 Devil-fish ; Fishing-frog, friar, frog-fish ; Keddle-man or jnaul, 



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