210 MR W. F. SKENE ON THE CELTIC TOPOGRAPHY OF SCOTLAND, 



was formed. The topographical expressions, too, go through a process of change 

 and corruption till they diverge still further from the spoken form of the language 

 as it now exists. 



This process of change and corruption in the local names varies according to 

 the change in the population. When the population has remained unchanged, 

 and the language in which the names were applied is still the spoken language 

 of the district, the names either remain in their original shape, in which case they 

 represent an older form of the same language, or else they undergo a change 

 analogous to that of the spoken language. Obsolete names disappear as obsolete 

 words drop out of the language, and are replaced by more modern vocables. 

 Where there has been a change in the population, and the older race are replaced 

 by a people speaking a kindred dialect, the names of places are subjected to the 

 dialectic change which characterises the language. There are some striking 

 instances of this where a British form has been superseded by a Gaelic form, as, 

 for instance, Kirkintulloch, the old name of which, Nennius informs us, was 

 Cserpentaloch, kin being the Gaelic equivalent of the Welsh pen ; Penicuik, the 

 old name of which was Penjacop ; Kincaid, the old name of which was Pencoed. 



When, however, the new language introduced by the change of population is 

 one of a different family entirely, then the old name is stereotyped in the shape in 

 which it was when the one language superseded the other, becomes unintelligible 

 to the people, and undergoes a process of change and corruption of a purely 

 phonetic character, which often entirely alters the aspect of the name. In the 

 former cases it is chiefly necessary to apply the philologic laws of the language to 

 its analysis. In the latter, which is the case with the Celtic topography of the 

 low country, it is necessary, before attempting to analyse the name, to ascertain 

 its most ancient form, which often differs greatly from its more modern aspect. 



It is with this class of names we have mainly to do, as presenting the pheno- 

 mena I am anxious to investigate. 



When the topography of a country is examined, its local names will be found, 

 as a general rule, to consist of what may be called generic terms and specific 

 terms. What I mean by generic terms are those parts of the name which are 

 common to a large number of them, and are descriptive of the general character 

 of the place named ; and by specific terms, those other parts of the name which 

 have been added to distinguish one place from another. The generic terms are 

 usually general words for river, mountain, valley, plain, &c. ; the specific terms, 

 those words added to distinguish one river or mountain from another. Thus, in 

 the Gaelic name Glenmore, glen is the generic term, and is found in a numerous 

 class of words — more, great, the specific, a distinguishing term, to distinguish 

 it from another called Glenbeg. In the Saxon term Oakfield, field is the generic 

 term, and oak the specific, to distinguish it from Broomfield, &c. 



When the names of places are applied to purely natural objects, such as 

 rivers, mountains, &c, which remain unchanged by the hand of man, the names 



