Ossian Collection > Reliquiae Celticae > Volume 2

■5SS LECTURES.
As examples of erroneous spelling resulting from false ety-
mology, Cruith'fhear (Creator), Sldnuighfhear (Saviour), mort-
fhear (murderer) may be instanced. The termination of these
words has nothing to do with /ear (man). As shown by the older
forms Cruthaightheoir, Sldmdghtkeoir, and especially by loan-
words like lèightheòir (borrowed from Lat. lector), the termination
of these words has more to do with the Lat. termination -tor in
creator, salvator, than with fear.
Other examples are cruitire, written cruiteir or cruitear in the
dictionaries, eachaire (horseman), coinnleir (a candlestick), &c , of
which the termination is the same as Lat. arius, although
explained in the dictionaries hy fear (man).
The custom adopted, apparently, since the beginning of this
■century, of writing the infinitives ending in in, as faicsin, cluintin,
faotain, with two ii's. if more correctly representing the pro-
nunciation, does much to obscure the etymology of these infinitives,
which are ?i-stems agreeing with the Lat. fem. nouns in -tio, -tionis,
Cf. aicsin, gen. aicsen, dat. aicsin, ace. aicnn-n, unless we assume
that the ace. (with n-n) has become the nominative. The question
is. Does not in sufficiently represent the liquid sound of the nasal,
as in deivihin, domhain, &c., without doubling it 1 In regard to
this question, I do not wish at present to speak more definitely.
Leac (a slab, a flagstone), in Old Gael, lee, is written also leachd.
in the dictionoi'ies. Leac is a feminine a-stem (= Lat. ]Aanca)^
and should not be written with a t or d. Leachd, in Old. Gael.
lecht, from Lat. lectus, means a bed, a grave, and is not to be con-
founded with leac (a flat stone or slab). To which of these words
does leac-lighe belong ? The dictionaries give it the meaning of
tombstone. Is the second part of the word lighe (a grave), cognate
with Gr. lechos (bed) ? Or, is it connected with Dan. lig (a
corose) 1
The word lia, gen. Hag (a stone), is not connected with leac.
It is a mas. wc-stem cognate with Gr. ICias (a stone), laigkos (a
pebble, a small stone)
I may here notice that the Old Gael, laige (lying) seems to
show that the spelling luidhe, which is used in all the editions of
the Scriptures, Bedel's included, is erroneous. Besides, laighe
represents more correctly the Scottish pronunciation of this word.
Cf. Goth, liga (to lie) and the cognate words (Eng. lie, &c.)
In these examples I have taken notice only of changes that
have been introduced into our present Gaelic orthography arbi-
trarily and in violation of the phonetic laws of the language, and
their injurious effect upon the stud}' of Gaelic etymology. I have
not referred to the process of phonetic change that is ever, silently
but surely, taking place in our language. These changes, in so