Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Cunntas air boidhicheadan Ceann-Lochearn agus Edinample, or, A description of the beauties of Edinample and Lochearnhead

XX
Bible be was likely to possess would be
the former’s Dictionary. Admiring John¬
son as he did, it is but natural to suppose
that he would try to imitate his pompous
style; and he did it thus. Taking the
Gaelic dictionary—borrowed probably from
the minister—and always strictly adhering
to the learned Dr’s precept and example,
he invariably chose the longest and most
pedantic word he found given, utterly re¬
gardless and indeed incapable of judging
whether it was the proper word in the cir¬
cumstances or not; and folio wing further
the learned Dr’s example in this, that what¬
ever scraps of Latin he had picked up,
were stuck down haphazard, regardless of
their fitness or utility. Thus both his pe¬
culiar style and idiom are satisfactorily
explained. The misspelt words occasion¬
ally met with, have arisen from his mem¬
ory having been unable to retain their cor¬
rect orthography during their transference
from the pages of the dictionary to his
manuscript, and also to his self-conceit
having prevented him referring to see if
they were correct. The few vulgarisms and
Scotticisms may be taken as fair examples
•of the author’s colloquial English.