Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

150 ETYMOLOGlliS OF THE ISLANDS.
from Earrann, a portion. It is more probably from Aras
a habitation, or settlement. Wia, Valay, and Huna, should
be Scandinavian, because they occur in Shetland; but I
know not their meaning. Vi, with the plural Uiou, Ubh
in Gaelic, is an egg; a derivation applicable enough.
Lamlash seems just such an inversion of Molass, the old
name, as gallon is of Lagena. Of Gometra, Fudia, Va-
casey, and the Bicla part of Benbicla, or Benbecula, I
can make nothing. Harmetra may be derived from Ar-
munn, a Chief. But, as you see, there is not much left
for my successors.
The total result is, that there are about forty-six
names of Scandinavian derivation, comprising the prin-
cipal islands, and about forty of a Gaelic or British
origin, of which nine only are of any note, and among
which, Arran,Bute, Mull, Coll, and Lismore, are the only
ones that can be considered principal. If we include
those named after Saints, who were rather Irish than
Gaelic, it would add twelve to that list, of which three
only are conspicuous; namely, Barra, Colonsa, and St.
Kilda. The Skers, being little more than rocks, are hardly
worthy of notice, and are, besides, pretty equally divided.
If now the repetitions of the same names are
taken into the account, and the great disproportion which
the Scandinavian bear to the Gaelic as far as the princi-
pal islands are concerned, it will appear probable that
the aboriginal population was very scanty before the Nor-
wegian invasions and settlements. But I am tired of
acting the part of Mithridates. Yet if you are ambitious
to fill the blank I have left, you can easily do it on the
acknowledged principle of etymologists ;
that the vowels
may be always safely substituted for each other, and
that the consonants may be interchanged without incon-
venience.