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

On the Study of Gaelic Place Najucs. 1 1
in the old writings and in modern pronunciation,
must necessarily vary in different parts of the
country; and it is hard to say in ever}' case
whether they are phonetic or merely literary —
actual changes in pronunciation, or different
modes of spelling. I give a few of those which,
although not confined to thisdistrict, nor indeed to
Scotland, are of most frequent occurrence in our
local names. Perhaps first in importance is the
loss of the letter / in many names which are un-
intelligible, until the lost letter is restored, — as
in Coniecleuch (old spelling Culnacloj'th), Co-
bairdy (Culbardie), Inveramsay (Inveralmassie),
Comalegy (Culmalegy), Towie (Tolly), and Ben-
dauch (Ballandach). This practice of dropping
I's first appears about the year 1500. (2) Gaelic
tli and dh occasionally pass into / and d, gener-
ally before a broad vowel, but not uniformly, as
in Cairncatta, Botarie, Corncattrach, and Pit-
meddan. Th is pronounced as in English in
more than one half of the Gaelic names in which
these letters occur. (3) The terminals c/id and
cht change into th, and again harden into t, as in
Lechnocht, Lechnoth, and Lechnot, now Light-
not. (4) The letter t is occasionally dropped, as
in Alsperit (alit), and Alnapuddoch (allt). (5)
The letters d and t are sometimes affixed after
n and /, as in Foudland (old spelling Foudleine),
Tarland (Terlane), Drummond, Drumgowand,
Drumduand, and Tillytarmont (Tillytarmon).