The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

52 7 he Highland Monthly
the following grounds. In Eastwood jjarish there is Carnwatherick;
in Houston parish there is Bodrick—Boderick or Botherwickfield.
As Bh becomes w, it is easy to fancy Carnwatherick as the outcome
of Carn-Bhoderick. A step further, and the %v drops out
and thus we have Cloch-Bhoderick— woderick—oderick, finally
Clochodrick. The stone is not called The Clochodrick, showing
rhat the article did not precede the name in former times. The
Cloch (lighthouse) shows the article preserved ; and it is proper,
f think, to assume that when Gaelic prevailed the name was
A' Chloch = The Stone.
Renfrew— I should like to point out that the etymology
given by Mr Maclean and others is wonderfully borne out by the
local name which Paisley bodies (bodach) give the confluence of
the rivers Cart and Clyde—the water-neb. The mansion hard bye,
now called Blythswood, was formerly called Renfield. Old Paisley
people called Renfrew "Arranthru." There is a place near Bridge
of Weir called Ramphurlie, or Ranfurlie—said to be the birthplace
of John Knox— in which the same root may be found.
I hope Mr Maclean will return again to the subject, and, with
your permission, I will submit some matter for speculation on his
part, or that of any one else who may have the inclination.
The principal Keltic prefixes which enter into the composition
of the place-names of Renfrewshire are :—Barr, Kil, Inver, Bal,
Strath, Auch, Drum, Dun, Alt, Glen, Cairn, Car, Knock, Inch,
Gart, Dar, Loch, Craig, Brae, Ard, Pol, Cross. Of these, Barr,
Glen, Cairn, Inch, and Knock have been taken into the English
speech, and used as descriptive names. Some names carry their
meaning on their face ; others are rather puzzling. I append a
list, with such observations as occur to me :
Barr = Top.—Barrfillan = Barr-fhaolain, Fillan's Top ; Barcloch
= Barr-na-cloiche, The stone top ; Bargarran = Barr-a'-
gharrain, The shrubbery top ; Barskiven (sometimes Barscaven) ;
Barfod, Barmufflock, Barwhirty, Barscube (there is a Drumscube
in Renfrewshire, near Langbank, and a Garscube in Dumbartonshire).
Barr is used as an English word in the following names :
— Barrhead, Barshaw (shaw = wood), Barfoot, Northbar, Southbar,
Braidbar,
= cross).
Oldbar, Dikebar, Foxbar, Riccartsbar, Corsebar (corse
KiL = Cill, Church.—Kilbarchan ; Kilmalcolm = Cill-Mhaol-
Choluim, St Colin's Church. The old residenters pronounced
—
;