ON MANX BIRD-NAMES.
By P. Ralfe.
In the following paper an attempt has been made to collect such Manx names of birds as may still with reasonable certainty be applied. In obtaining the correct Gaelic nomenclature of natural objects there is now a growing difficulty, for of the small and ever-decreasing number who speak the primitive tongue, few are able with precision to identify any but the most common, or in some way conspicuous species. In the impoverished Manx now current, many names have doubtless been lost.
When we turn to the two published dictionaries of the language, we find animal and plant names very numerous in both, but unfortunately their value is impaired by the vagueness and incorrectness of the English equivalents, proving that the compilers had little acquaintance with the English names of the objects signified.
For some birds common here I have been unable to trace any (Gaelic) Manx name, the English or a corruption of it being used in the Gaelic speech. There are, on the other hand, species whose Gaelic names are still frequently or universally used by Manxmen is speaking English.
The Gaelic names are naturally often quite or almost identical with those of Irish and Scotch Highland Gaelic. I am not aware that any trace of the Scandinavian influence for centuries dominant in Man, and which has left so strong an impression on our place-names, can be found among them.
The writer's acknowledgments are due to Mr. J.B. Keig, of Ramsey, and his family, to Messrs. W. Quayle and W. Tupper, of Laxey, and others, whose information and verifications have given this article the greater part of whatever value it may possess. The following works have also been referred to:—
Cregeen, 'Manx Dictionary,' Douglas, 1835.
Kelly's 'Manx Dictionary' (Manx Soc. vol. xiii., original about 1772, with additions), Douglas, 1866.
