Galwegian Gaelic: Encyclopedia II - Galwegian Gaelic - Relationships to other languages

Galwegian Gaelic - Relationships to other languages

It is thought that Galwegian Gaelic probably had more in common with the Manx and Ulster Irish than with Scottish Gaelic as spoken in the Highlands. This idea has in the past been used to disassociate Galwegian Gaelic from other Scottish dialects, for political purposes in fact.¹ However, the idea is very misleading. All medieval Goidelic languages were mutually comprehensible so far as we can tell. Perhaps the Gaelic dialect of the Isle of Arran parallels the Galwegian language most, but this is purely speculative.

Gallowegian Gaelic seems to have borrowed certain words from Old English. The influence of the Anglian Bishopric of Whithorn, with the Norse Gall-Gaidhel, probably explains why, uniquely amongst Goidelic dialects, Galwegian incorporated the word cirice (O.E.)/ Kirja (O.N.) (=Church). It occurs in medieval placenames where, in the rest of Scotland, we would expect Cille. Examples are legion. They include Kirkcormac, Kirkmikbrick, Kirkinner, Kirkcolm, Kirkmabrick. In these names, the first word is Germanic and the second Gaelic. The word order is Celtic too, noun + adjective, rather than the Germanic adjective + noun (c/f Dùn Èideann and Edin-burgh). This is why we can be sure, for example, that Kirkcudbright, etymologically entirely Germanic, was in fact coined by a Celt.

English influence can also be inferred from the popularity of English saints. Kirkcudbright, mentioned above, means Church of St Cuthbert. Closeburn, earlier Killeosberne (Cille (Gd. Church) + of Osbern) is another. A plethora of personal names confirm the popularity of Anglo-Saxon culture. For example, the name Gille Cuithbrecht (= Manx, Giolla Cobraght) means devotee of St Cuthbert. Another historical example is Gille Aldan, the name of the first bishop of Galloway after the resurrection of that see by King Fergus.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Relationships to other languages", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki