243 



an island, into their own equivalent word, ey, as in the three last 

 mentioned names. Lambay is Lamb-ey, i. e. lamb island; Ireland's 

 Eye is Ireland's island, or more correctly Eria's island (Eria or Eire, 

 a woman's name) ; and Dalkey is the Irish Deilginis, the island of thorn 

 bushes. 



If it be objected that Tabannon could not be converted on this prin- 

 ciple into Stabannon, because the Northern method of forming such 

 names is to place the limiting term first, not last as in Irish (for 

 instance the Irish order is Sta-bannon, but the Northern Bannon-sta) ; 

 it may be answered that in anglicising Irish names, it is very usual 

 to convert each part of a compound wholly or partly into an Eng- 

 lish word, leaving the whole at the same time in the original Irish 

 order; as for instance Batterjohn, Castledonovan, Downpatrick, Port 

 Stewart, &c, in which the proper English order would be John's batter, 

 Donovan's Castle, &c. 



It is only fair to state, however, that "Worsae, who was perhaps 

 aware of this corruption, does not notice it, though in his " Account 

 of the Danes and Norwegians in England, Scotland, and Ireland," he 

 has collected every vestige he could find of the Danish rule in these 

 countries. 



VIII. Provincial Differences of Pronunciation. — There are certain 

 Irish words and classes of words, which by the Irish-speaking people are 

 pronounced differently in different parts of the country; and as the 

 general rule in anglicising names, is to preserve as nearly as possible 

 the original pronunciation, these provincial peculiarities, as might be 

 anticipated, are reflected in the modern names. This principle is so 

 general, and such large n ambers of names are affected by it, that a 

 whole paper might be written in illustration of it ; I shall, however, 

 notice only a few of the most prominent cases. 



In the Southern half of Ireland, the Irish letters a and o are sounded 

 in certain situations like ou in the English word ounce.* "^aba]\, a 

 goat, is pronounced goivr in the South and gore in the North ; and so the 

 name Liop-na-n-^abap (the lis or rath of the goats), is anglicised Lis- 

 nagower, in parish of Ballingarry, Tipperary, and Lisnagore, in parish 

 of Killeevan, Monaghan. So also Ballynahown, a common townland 

 name in the South, (baile-ria-habanri, the town of the river), contrasts 

 with Ballynahone, an equally common name in the North, pionn 

 (white or fair), is pronounced feoun ox fiune inMunster, as in Baunfoun, 

 in parish of Affane, "Waterford, and Bawnfune, in parish of Kilmacabea, 

 Cork. In most other parts of Ireland it is pronounced fin, as in Einglas, 

 near Dublin, (pionnslcnp, bright or limpid stream), and Eintona, in 

 Tyrone, (pionn-camnac, fair or whitish field). 



The sound of "5 ( = v) is often sunk altogether in Munster, while it 

 commonly retains its v sound in the other provinces, especially in 



*For this and the succeeding provincial peculiarities, see 0' Donovan's Grammar, 

 Part I., Chaps. I. and n. 



