AND THE DIALECTIC DIFFERENCES INDICATED BY IT. 213 



are distributed in a curious and instructive manner. If we draw a line across 

 the map from a point a little south of Inveraray to one a little north of Aberdeen, 

 we shall find that (with very few exceptions) the Invers lie to the north of the 

 line and the Abers to the south of it. This line nearly coincides with the present 

 southern limit of the Gaelic tongue, and probably also with the ancient division 

 between the Picts and the Scots." 



Nothing can be more inaccurate than this statement. Ben is by no means 

 confined to the west and north ; and as examples of Pen, he refers, among others, 

 to the Pentland Hills, Pentland being a Saxon word, and corrupted from Pectland ; 

 and to Pendriech in Perthshire, which is a corruption from Pettindriech. 



So far from Inver being common in Ireland, it is very rare. The Index 

 locorum of the Annals of the Four Masters shows only six instances. On the 

 other hand, Aber is not unknown in Ireland. It certainly existed formerly, to 

 some extent, in the north of Ireland ; and Dr Reeves produces four instances 

 near Ballyshannon. 



The statement with regard to the distribution of Aber and Inver in Scotland 

 here is, that there is a line of demarcation which separates the two words — that, 

 with few exceptions, there is nothing but Invers on one side of this line, nothing 

 but Abers on the other; and that this line extends from a point a little south of 

 Inveraray to a point a little north of Aberdeen. This is the mode in which the 

 distribution of these two words is usually represented ; but nothing can be more 

 perfectly at variance with the real state of the case. South of this line there are 

 as many Invers as Abers. In Perthshire, south of the Highland line, there are 

 nine Abers and eight Invers ; in Fifeshire, four Abers and nine Invers ; in Forfar, 

 eight Abers and eight Invers ; in Aberdeenshire, thirteen Abers and twenty-six 

 Invers. Again, on the north side of this supposed line of demarcation, where 

 it is said that Invers alone should be found, there are twelve Abers, extending 

 across to the west coast, till they terminate with Abercrossan, now Applecross, 

 in Ross-shire. In Argyleshire alone there are no Abers. The true picture of the 

 distribution of these two words is — in Argyllshire, Invers alone ; in Inverness 

 and Ross shires, Invers and Abers in the proportion of three to one and two 

 to one ; and on the south side of the supposed line, Abers and Invers in about 

 equal proportions. 



Again he says, quoting Chalmers, " The process of change is shown by an 

 old charter, in which King David grants to the monks of May, ' Inverin qui 

 fuit Aberin.' So Abernethy became Invernethy, although the old name is now 

 restored." In order to produce the antithesis of Inverin and Aberin, one letter 

 in this charter has been altered. The charter is a grant of " Petneweme et Inverin 

 quae fuit Averin ; " and I have the authority of the first charter antiquary in 

 Scotland for saying that this construction is impossible ; quae fuit does not, in 

 charter Latin, mean " which was," but " which belonged to," and Averin was 

 the name of the previous proprietor of the lands. Abernethy and Invernethy 



