Page:Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie Vol. 5.djvu/106

98 Obs. My impression is that somewhere in the Highlands I have heard th medially sounded f, but for Scotland this is sporadic, as it usually, when not entirely dropped, becomes (x). In Ireland, however, sruthan may in some districts be heard as (srufɑn); leòtha 'with them' as (lɛoofə), guth 'voice' as 'guf, e. g. 'none of your guff now' (Connaught). Near Roscommon (x) initial sometimes sounds (f); (fuuɑi) = chuaidh 'went'.

Bo ˑfuidir (Balquidder) at Tayside and Rannoch for Bochuidir (Boˑchoidir at Blair) from both residence, dwelling, farm, hut, shieling, whence E. bothie; this word occurs in many place- names. Both Fhunntain (Lochaber); Raith Both = Raphoe (rrɑˑfɔɔə); Both Chonais. The Tayside form with f accords with that in the Dean of Lismore and is older than the Blair Athole form with x (= ch); fuidir reminds one of Fetter-esso, Fetter-cairn (Kincardine-shire), Fodder-ty near Dingwall, Fetter- Angus, Kin-edder, Far-letter (Foder-letter) and if it be a Pictish comparative from root *vo, Gael. fo 'under' cognate with L. s-ub, Gr. ύπο, Bofuidir is Pictish for Netherton; cf. Indg. gh becoming f in Latin, also Indg. dh > f in L.

Dr. Murray, Oxford, draws my attention to the Lowland Scotch thrae for frae 'from', and vice versa, Fursday for Thursday. One may hear some Speakers in Oxford mince brother into brover (brëvë); Bath into Baf; both into bof.

(5) Medially in Arran, Cintyre, also in Ireland in the word (dœfər) 'difference' from differ of L. differo, but in Jura and N. Inv. it is (dʐiuurɑs) diùbhras, and also (dʐifər) difir. Cintyre also keeps fr in fiafraigh 'inquire' which elsewhere has become (fjɔɔriç, fɛɔɔriç). Intervocalic f in O. Ir. ifurnn 'hell' from L. infernum yields (ˑijur̥n) iutharn in N. Inv., and Sutherland, but the Biblical form ifrionn is also in common use—which yields in some of the outer isles (iriññ); fr medial in N. Inv. > (r) e. g. (eriññ) aifrioun 'mass' in which word (f) is kept in Uist.

Obs. Medial rf > (hrf) as in (fœhrfi) foirfidh 'perfect' in Tiree, but elsewhere a parasitic vowel is developed e. g. (fœrəfi, fœrœfi).

(6) Prosthetic (f) is frequent everywhere; faom, fruighinn, fàir 'ladder', fanachd 'recognise' fr. aithne, feanntagach 'nettles' occur in Harris, v. DIG, and further instances in Neil Morison's