The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

MelRenfrewshire Keltic Place Names. 255Brae = Braigh, Acclivity.^—This word is always used as anEnglish word, as, Burnbrae, Braehead, Finnybraes, Scaneybrae,Westbrae, Waterbrae, &c.Ard Height.—This word * is uncommon. Besides Ardgowan,I know of no other name in which it appears, unless it beArtnocks, which is doubtful.Pol = Pool. — Polmadie = Pol-a'-mhadaidh, Dog's pool ; Polnoon= Pol-an-uain, Lamb's pool (?) ; Polmillan -^ Pol-a' mhuilinn,Mill pool.Cross = Crois.—Crossmyloof ^ Crois-math-Lubh(?), St Lubh'sCross; Drumcross -- Druim-na-croise, Cross ridge. Cross is usedin its English form in the following—Crossflats, Corseford, Corsebar.Crossflats is a district of Paisley, pronounced by the olderinhabitants " Corslats." This transposition of the /- is not uncommon.Inch =^ Innis, Meadow near stream, and island.—This word hasbeen used as an English word, as seen in the name The Inches =The Inch House ; Abbot's Inch.Castle = Castellum (Lat.) = Caisteal (Gael.), is most likely,founding on the order of the words, used as a Gaelic word in thenames Castlewat = Wat's Castle ;Caitlesemple = Semple's Castle.Semple is a local surname.Other names which suggest Gaelic and Brytho jic etymologiesare:—Garvoch ^ Garbh-achadh, Rough field; Rempoch, Cummoch,Gleddoch,Rivoch, Tarnoch, Pannoch, Driffenbeg, Fereneze,Duncanbur, Cummullin = Cum-a'-mhuilinn, Mill dell ; Moniabroch= Moine-eabarach, Miry moss (the accent is on the «, which issounded ai) ; Amochrie (accent on the first syllayle), Garvel,Branchal, Duchal, Nebany, Dippony, Mansvary, Humby, Lochar(stream), Espedair (stream), accent on last syllable ; Bladda,Sneddon, Candren (stream), Flender, Arrs {s = house ?), Braco,Gogo, Spango (streams) ;Lethem, Dunsmore, Milliken, Finnic{Fenwick is thus pronounced) ; Millowther Cross (sometimesMelowther : = Maol ?) ; Creuch Hill = Cruach, Roundconical hill ;Crolick. There is also a Motehill—Mote == Moid,Court of justice.Unlike the Anglicised names of Ireland, those of Renfrewshireshow no traces of eclipsis and little of aspiration. This may beaccounted for thus. Eclipsis is not an established habit of ScotchGaelic ; and a Gaelic-speaking people Anglicising Gaelic names,and knowing the unaspirated forms of words, would drop the