Blair Collection > Place names in Strathbogie, with notes historical, antiquarian and descriptive

Place Names in Strathboo^ie.
knowledg^e of the significance of the names they
wrote. In a description of the church lands of
Monymusk, the writer gives what he considers
the Latin equivalents of the GaeHc names, thus
— 'Coritobrith, valHs fontis ;' ' Lawchtendaff,
locus ubi quis fuit interfectus ;' ' Sclenemin-
gorme {sliabh-nan-gobJiar?^ mora caprarum ; '
' Aide clothi, rivulus petrosus ; ' ' Brecacath,
campus distinctus coloribus,' &c. In a charter,
of 1221, on the lands of Burg}'n, a note is
appended, interpreting in broad Scotch four of
the Gaelic names referred to. These however
are the only documents of the kind I know,
though occasionally a name is explained inci-
dentally, showing that the writers could have
done good work had they given their attention
to the exposition of place names.
The question of authorities for the old forms
is of the utmost importance to the student; and
even those, who have a general interest in the
subject, are not now satisfied with unsupported
statements as to the spelling of names in the old
writings. Very properly references to place and
date are expected, the latter being not the least
important. In tracing names backward, corrup-
tions are very abundant till the close of the 15th
century ; but if we can go one or two centuries
further back still, we shall probabl}- find a large
proportion of names,now unintelligible or obscure,
in such forms as leave little doubt as to their