Page:The Celtic Review volume 3.djvu/109

The context, alas! too conclusively prores that the oirear here spoken of lay not on the 'east' but on the 'west' of Scotland. Verily, had his quasi antagonist only known of the passage, he could easily prove, as against Dr. Gillies, that the Airer-gaidels were the 'western' rather than the 'eastern' Gaels. As to the boundaries of the province at different periods, nothing need be added to Dr. Gillies's account which is full and accurate. Dr. Skene mentions that upon the settlement of the Irish colonists in Dalriada, the original inhabitants withdrew to the inland parts of the district. They were in a dependent condition, and as such were called Airgialla or Oirgialla, like other tribes in similar circumstances in Ulster. The name might lend colour to the origin of the fact mentioned by Dr. Gillies that Argyll is specifically applied to this district now, as indeed it was, it may be added, in Buchanan's day, if not earlier. In Ireland these Oirgialla have yielded the place-name Oriel. Among us the restriction of the county name to this locality is probably due to the fact that the district has been the home of the Campbells, and that ever since the title of 'Argyll' was conferred on the head of that clan, the natural tendency would be, especially in the district, to appropriate the county name. As to the different forms which the name has assumed in English the more common, Argyle gives effect to the quantity of the vowel like 'Kyle' for caol, while the less common, Argyll might possibly be meant to represent prominently the sound of the Gaelic broad I. We close the book with a profound feeling of disappointment It is a thousand pities that the author did not delay the publication of it until he had time to revise it thoroughly or, better still, to recast it and make it more worthy of him. Dr. Gillies looks to the time when some one will 're^iover his very dry skeleton in every limb with the flesh and blood of its great romance.' If ever there comes a man with leisure and adequate knowledge to write fittingly on this very difficult subject, he will add important chapters to the history of Argyll and to G^lic philology ; and if in addition he be gifted with a sane imagination he will add not a little to the ' romance ' of the subject ; but before using Dr. Gillies's ' skeleton ' for his purpose, he must first of all give it a thorough scraping. Don. Maoonnon. LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION, 1906 : GAELIC. [Printed by permiisioii of the ControUer of His Mijeetj's Stationery OiBce.] JSi,'^,^OcMidiidaU» who dbtainsd th€ Leaving Certificate tn Oaelie in 1906, a$ui who deeire to get add%tic$uU wunrke/or the King's SchoUurthip JSxamination in 1906, should omdt ^[uestions I. and II. in thispapert and should take instead questions VIII. and IX.] L Translate into Bngliih : — Cha*n abair mi dies ^ ; ach chi sinn. Air mo shon fh^n cha Wi dhomh am m6r-fhenm a tha aimi a' chabhaig to ua sgaoileadh thar an t-saoghail a nia,~-a h-oile h-aon 'e a h-nile ni 'na iiyllaUe.