An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

'IsayingAugust, 1873. THE GAEL. 191MR. EDMUNDS' REPLY TOCOL. ROBERTSON.Sir, —As you have found room for Col.Robertson's long and vehement attack, Ipresume you will be able and willing toafiford me a much smaller space for areply. I do not propose to discuss indetail the long string of etymologieswhich Col. Robertson gives as subsitutesfor mine ; both are now beforethe public, and I am content to abide itsverdict. I merely wish to point out thechief errors in pi-inciple and in point intowhich my antagonist's zeal has betrayedcojjied from Chalmers, is a mistake. Ihave never read Chalmers' work, but amgrateful, none the less, for the informationthat my etymologies are borne out by sohigh an authority—if Chalmers be a highauthority.I merely notice in passing the misspellingof the Welsh word, which is not"Lanerch," but "Llannerch," as I wroteit.A more important mistake is that whichattributes to me the assertion that "Ben"and "Pum" are identical. I never wrotesuch nonsense. I explained that "lomond"appears to me to be the same as"luman" which means the "standard of atribe." Thus Benlomond would be the"hill of the standard," just as Pumllumanis the "hill of fioe standards,"that is, the place where five tribes assembled."Pum" is an old form of theWelsh "pump" which means^'t'fi.Another of Col. Roliertson's mistakesis, that I do not know what "mam" signifies.I have already given its meaning,which, in all European languages inwhich it occurs, means "bi'east," a"mother."Roman power began to decay, and he continuedthe practice to the great distressand discomfort of the Roman-Britons untilthe Saxons drove him back again.For about three centuries the Gaels continuedto come "from the northwest,"and it is certain that they came southeven further than Kent, for the Britonsin their petitions to ^Etius, the RomanConsul, A. ]j. 441, says "the barbariansdrove us to the sea." That inroads keptup for 300 years should leave no trace isimpossible, and that the principal riversshould have waited to be named by theinvaders is erpxally impossible. Thatsome of the invaders remained behindwhen the rest were driven back isvery likely in itself, and is borne out bythis fact that traces of their presence arehim.Taking the less important first, I haveto note that the statement, that I haveto be found oidy in a few out-of-the-wayspots, and in the names of a few insignificantstreams.All the principal rivers and mountainsIjear names belonging to the Britishtongue, intelligible in that tongue at thepresent day. The ' ' natural directionand emigration of the Gael " is a phraseI do not pretend to xinderstand ; I amcontent with the facts of history, whichshow that my assailant is altogetherwrong as to the actual "direction andemigration," &c.The occurrence of "Aber" in Scotland,taking Col. Robertson's book as myguide, is confined to districts penetratedby the Roman arms ; and as the Romanarmies must have been composed to agreat extent of Britons, there can be nodifi[iculty in accounting for the presenceof the word. We read that Claudiuspenetrated as far as the Orkneys, so thatit is impossible that he left much of themaiuland unsubdued.As to the words quoted by me whichCol. Robertson says are not Gaelic, myanswer is at once clear and brief. If hewill refer to my book he will find that Ihad to answer two assailants, himself and" an eminent Celtic scholar" writing inthe Dublin Uinversili/ Magazine. In soIt is not only a mistake but a slight inconsistencyin my assailant to object to aplace being named Dover from dwfivr—"water," when he lays it down that Ayr doing I considered it to be only courtesyis named from being on the water. If to take my specimens of Gaelic from mythere be anything "ridiculous" in assailants themselves. All the words inthe etymology, he must take his share the Gaelic column of the table are quoted,of it.with the meanings, exactly from one orCol. Robertson's recluetio ad absurdum other of those authorities, except halloch.is a sad failure. He is quite correct in That I find to be the name of a placethat I assert that ' ' the Gael somehowsituated at the spot where a river issuesgot to the north part of Britain and from- a lake, precisely as Bala in Norththen came south." All history bears me Wales is situated, and if tlie word beout in the assertion. The Gael got the not Gaelic it must be British, which is inhabit of "coming south," as soon as the etymology still less acceptable to my