( 207 ) 



XVII. — On the Celtic Topography of Scotland, and the Dialectic Differences 

 indicated by it. By W. F. Skene, Esq. 



(Read 17th April I860.) 



The etymology of the names of places in a country is either a very important 

 element in fixing the ethnology of its inhabitants, or it is a snare and a delusion, 

 just according as the subject is treated. When such names are analysed accord- 

 ing to fixed laws, based upon sound philological principles, and a comprehensive 

 observation of facts, they afford results both important and trustworthy ; but if 

 treated empirically, and based upon resemblance of sounds alone, they become a 

 mere field for wild conjectures and fanciful etymologies, leading to no certain 

 results. The latter is the ordinary process to which they are subjected. The 

 natural tendency of the human mind is to a mere phonetic etymology of names, 

 both of persons and of places. It is this tendency which has given rise to what 

 may be called punning etymologies, in which the King of Scotland plays so 

 facetious a part, when the first Guthrie had that name fixed upon by the king, 

 from his proposing when asked, how many fish should be prepared, to gut three ; 

 and when Rosemarkie received its name because the king, on asking what land 

 he neared, was answered, Ross mark ye. This illustrates the natural tendency to 

 suggest a mere phonetic etymology, in which the sounds of the name of the place 

 appear to resemble the sounds in certain words of a certain language, the 

 language from which the etymology is derived being selected upon no sound 

 philological grounds, but from arbitrary considerations merely. 



Unhappily, an etymology founded upon mere resemblance of sounds has 

 hitherto characterised all systematic attempts to analyse the topography of Scot- 

 land, and to deduce ethnologic results from it. Prior to the publication of the 

 " Statistical Account of Scotland" in 1792, it may be said that no general attempt 

 had been made to explain the meaning of the names of places in Scotland, or 

 to indicate the language from which they were derived. We find occasionally, 

 in old lives of the saints, and in charters connected with church lands, that names 

 of places occurring in them are explained ; and these interpretations are very 

 valuable, as indicating what may be termed the common tradition of their mean- 

 ing and derivation at an early period. Of very different value are a few similar 

 derivations in the fabulous histories of Boece, Buchanan, and John Major, 

 which are usually mere fanciful conjectures of pedantry. 



The first impetus to anything like a general etymologising of Scottish topo- 

 graphy was given when Sir John Sinclair projected the " Statistical Account of 

 vol. xxiv. part i. 3 k 



