5

338 NOTES.
tive Pkhatachslgn'iCiespie.coloured, variegated OTpainted.
Vichat
sometimes written Viche and Vighe, is synonimous with the Ro.
man Pica.
The Irish Cruineachl, the Gaelic Pichatach, (gene,
rally abbreviated Fichtach,) and the Roman Picii, have the same
signification, and nothing more is necessary to support this etymology,
than to prove that the Picts painted themselves. But
Mr. Pinkarton has rendered this unnecessary, as he reckons the
Pictish custom of painting themselves the very quintessence of
their claim to a Gothic origin. See vol. 1. p. 126. As to the
name Scot, it is evidently the Gaelic Scauth, signifying a swarm
or cofony, and hence figuratively an exile, fugitive, or wanderer.
Scaoth is diflferently pronounced Skyth, Skyt and Scut. It is
evidently the same with the Greek Slcythai, and the Roman
Scyihae.
That the ancient Scythians were a migratory people,
Mho subsisted by pasturage and hunting, is so universally allow,
ed, that it is unnecessary to prove it. But it would be in vaia
io look for the etymon of the Scythians in the Greek or Roman
languages, whilst in the Celtic the radical meaning is still retained.
Is it not therefore most probable that the Scythian Ian.
guage was a dialect of the Celtic?
Mr. Pinkarton is fully aware
of this objection, and provides against it by telling us the Scots
were Scythians, but learned the Celtic language after their arri.
»al in Ireland.
From what authority he procured this informa.
tion, he has not informed us, and it therefore rests on his mere
assertion.
The name Vict and Scot are nearly coeval. Had the Picts
brought their name with them from Scandinavia, three centuries
before our aera, Tacitus would not, in the first century have
called them Caledonii.
But the truth appears to be, that in the
third century a new nation, (the Scots from Ireland), came ia
contact with the Romans, and that nation
which, before the arrival
of this colony in Argyleshire, was denominated
was now divided into Victs and Scots,
Caledonii^
It is really pitiful to see
the shifts Mr. Pinkarton is obliged to have recourse to. He
calls Scot, (vol. 1. p. 366.) the little zcord Scot, not recollecting
that his own favourite word P«A is at least one letter less.