Glossary of Gaelic origins of place names in Britain (M to R)

Element

Meaning

Examples

macnm mhic g

son

Coire Mhic Fhearchair NG9460, Mac is Màthair NH0687

machair nmfmachrach gmachraichean pl

extensive, low-lying fertile ground

Machair Leathann NF8277, Cruach na Machrach NR8863

madadh nmmadaidh gmadaidhean pl

dog, wolf, fox

Fèith nam Madadh NN7880, Leac nam Madadh NF9567

magh nmfmagha gmagaidh pl

plain, field

Magh Torray NB0617, Magh-cul NN5590

maigheach nfmaighiche gmaighichean pl

hare

Meall nam Maigheach NM9576, Tom nam Maigheach NN5616

maing

see mang

màis

see màs

màm nmfmàim gmàman pl

breast, large round hill, gap

Màm Mòr NH5742, Allt a' Mhàim NG9325

manach nmmanaich gmanaich pl

monk

Allt nam Manach NR7831, Bàrr nam Manach NR9484

mang nfmaing gmangan pl

fawn, young hart

Coire nam Mang NC4133

maol nmmaoil gmaoil pl

bare top, promontory, bare round hill

Càrn Maol NH8645, Cnoc Maol Donn NC9755

mara 

see muir

Rubha na Muice Mara NN0377

màs nmmàis gmàsan pl

buttock, bottom

Màs a' Chnuic NF9694, Màs an Rubha NB1303

màthairnf màtharg màthraicheanpl

mother, source

Mac is Màthair NH0687, Lochan Màthair Eite NN2854

meadhan, meadhon nmmeadhain, meadhoin gmeadhanan, meadhonan pl

middle, centre

Meall Meadhoin NC8006, Monadh Meadhoin NM7153

meall nmmill gmill pl

lump, applied to a round hill

Meall Buidhe ND0057

meanbh adj

small

Blàr Meanbh NN1277, Meanbh Chnocan Glen NB0022

meann nmminn gminn pl

kid, young roe-deer

Rubha nam Meann NR5480, Sgeir nam Meann NC0834

mèinn nfmèinne gmèinnean pl

mine, ore

Ruigh na Mèinne NH5689, Sliabh na Mèinne NN5926

mèirleach nmmèirlich g mèirlich pl

thief, robber

Cnoc a’ Mhèirlich NG4468

meur nfmeòir gmeòir pl

finger, branch, applied to small streams

Allt Meur nan Clach NH2144

mh-

A word starting mh is often a lenited form of a word starting m

mhic

see mac

Coire Mhic Fhearchair NG9460

mill 

see meall

Sròn a' Mhill NG4843

mìn adj

soft, tender, delicate, smooth

Creag Mhìn NN9047, Mhìn-choise NN7481

minn

see meann

Loch a' Mhinn NM8612

mnà 

see bean

Allt na Mnà Bàine NH3899, Druim na Mnà NB2332

mòd nmmòid gmòdan pl

court, trial, meeting

Allt a' Mhòid NC5638, Tom a' Mhòid NH5320

moil

see mol

Camas Chala Moil NA9923

mòine nfmònadh, mòine gmònach pl

peat, moor

Cnoc na Mòine NC6252, Druim na Mòine NB2031

mòinteach nfmòintich gmòintichean pl

mossy ground, moor

Mòinteach a' Lòin NB1120, Mòinteach Dhubh NN2179

mol nmmoil, mola gmolan pl

shingly beach

Mol a' Chaolais NG2297, Mol a' Deas NB3202

molach adj

hairy, rough, stormy

Na Lùibean Molach NC2301, Tom Molach NS2196

mona 

anglicised form of mòine

Monabuie NN9727

mònach, mònadh

see mòine

monadh nmmonaidh gmonaidhean pl

mountain, moor, heath

Monadh Beag NN1585, Allt a' Mhonaidh NG7850

mòr adj

large, great

Monadh Mòr NH5853, Mòr Bheinn NN7121

more 

anglicised form of mòr

Ardmore NC2051, Auchmore NK0057

morghan nmmorghain g

gravel, shingle, pebbly beach

Loch a' Mhorghain NB1504, Bàgh Tòb a' Mhorghain NB1137

muc nfmuice gmucan pl

pig

Rubha na Muice Mara NN0377, Allt nam Muc NJ1321

muck 

anglicised form of muc

Culnamuck NF6500, Drummuck NS2303

muice

see muc

Coire Gleann na Muice NC3711

muigh

see a-muigh

muileann nmmuilinn gmuilnean, muileannan pl

mill

Druim a' Mhuilinn NM6042, Loch a' Mhuilinn NC8756

muilt

see mult

Loch a' Mhuilt Dhuibh NG1392

muir nmfmara gmarannan pl

sea

Sloc na Mara NN1982, Taobh na Mara NR7165

mullach nmmullaich gmullaichean pl

top, summit

Am Mullach NO3790, Camas nam Mullach NM6962

mult nmmuilt gmuilt pl

wether, castrated ram

Bad nam Mult NC1741, Camas nam Mult NG7013

muran nmmurain g

sea bent

Creag nam Muran NM7805, Eilean a' Mhurain NF8754

na, na h-, nam, nan

forms of definite article “the”

nathair nfnathrach gnathraichean pl

snake, adder

Meall Nathrach NN4475, Allt nan Nathair NC7025

nead nmfnid gnid pl

nest, circular hollow

An Nead NH1031, Coire nan Nead NN4273

nicnf

daughter (abbreviation of nighean mhic)

Loch Nic Dhomhnaill NB4949, Rubha Nic Eamoin NG2404

nighean nfnighinne, ìghne, inghinn gnigheanan pl

daughter, young woman

Tobar nan Nighean NG2757, Allt na h-Ighine NH2181

òb nmòbain gòbain pl

small bay, harbour

Òb a' Chlachain NF8243, Òb Dubh NG7458

ochter 

anglicised form of uachdar

Ochtertyre NN8323

odhar adj

dun-coloured, pale, yellow

Sròn a' Choire Odhair NN2058, Coire Odhar NG7886

oidhche nfoidhche goidhcheannan pl

night

Bealach na h-Oidhche NG8314, Loch na h-Oidhche NH1577

òir

see òr

oitir nfoitire goitirean pl

sand bank, shallow

Oitir Mhòr NF8157, Oitir Bheag NF8246

òr nmòir g

gold

Sgeir an Òir NC6164, Uamh an Òir NG9795

òrd nmùird gòrdan, ùird pl

round hill

Beinn Ùird NS3998, Cnoc an Ùird NH5341

òs nmòsa gòsan pl

mouth or outlet of a river

Òs a Muigh NB0333, Òs Uarach NB4252

pàirc nfpàirce gpàircean pl

field, enclosure

A' Phàirc Loisgte NN4856, Cnoc na Pàirce NG4150

pait nfpaite gpaitean pl

lump, hump

Pait Fhearchair NG9384, Sgùrr na Paite NM8281

partan nmpartain gpartanan pl

small edible sea-crab

Poll nam Partan NM4884, Port nam Partan NM3452

peighinn nfpeighinne gpeighinnean pl

pennyland

Allt Coire Pheiginn NN7451, Allt na Peighinn NG6217

ph-

A word starting ph is often a lenited form of a word starting p

plucan nmplucain gplucanan pl

knot, lump, piece of earth

Pluc Mòr NH7020

pòir

see pòr

poitnfpoiteg

pot

Coire na Poite NG8145

poll nmpuill gpuill pl

pool, pit, deep stagnant water, wet meadow

Poll a' Bhainne NG3656, Poll a' Choire NB4231

pòr nmpòir gpòran pl

seed, grain, corn, crops

Caochan nam Pòran NH6434

port nmpuirt gpuirt pl

port, harbour, ferry

Port a' Bhàta NB0100, Port an Duine NM1752

preas nmpris gpreasan, pris pl

shrub, bush, thicket

Preas a' Chrannaidh NC2809, Preas Caol NC9250

puill

see poll

puirt

see port

Eilean Puirt Lèithe NR6975

raineach nfrainich g

fern

Coire Rainich NH3975, Creag Rainich NB0331

ràmh nmràimh gràimh pl

oar

Eilean nan Ràmh NF7619, Loch nan Ràmh NB3229

raon nfraoin graontan, raointean pl

field

An Raon NG7478, Raon na Ceàrdaich NC0925

ràth nm

fort

Ràth Fhinn NN3098, Allt Ràth a' Bheulain NM5166

rathad nmrathaid, rothaid gròidean pl

road, way

Crom-Rathad NH6090, Bealach an Rathaid NH3848

reamhar adj

fat

Maol Reamhar NS3391, Meall Reamhar NN4622

rèidh nmrèidhean pl

smooth, level ground, plain, meadow

Coire Rèidh NC3220, Leac Rèidh NB3909

rèilig nfrèilige  grèiligean pl

grave, burying place, church

Fèith Rèilig NC5059

rèisg

see riasg

reoch 

anglicised form of riabhach

Tynreoch NN7123, Alltreoch NO0956

riabhach adj

brindled, greyish, brown

Srath Riabhach NR6388, Sròn Riabhach NO1675

riasg nmrèisg g

moor, fen

The Riasg ND3138, Tom an Rèisg NJ1515

rìgh nmrìgh grìghrean pl

king

Càrn an Rìgh NC3757, Clach an Rìgh NC6839

rinn nmrinne grinnean pl

point, promontory

Rinn a' Chrubain NR9023, Rinn Dearg NJ2908

rioch 

anglicised form of riabhach

Barranrioch NM8929, Dalrioch NR6918

rodh nmrodha g

water-edge, water mark

Allt Uchd Rodha NH2539, Rubha Rodha NC0523

roid nfroide groidean pl

bog myrtle

Camas na Roide NG1893

ròidean

see rathad

ròin

see ròn

Loch an Ròin NC1954

roinn nfroinne groinnean pl

division, share, portion

Gob na Roinne NH0017, Rubha na Roinne NG4200

rois

see ros

ròn nmròin gròin pl

seal

Rubha nan Ròn NF8158, Sgeir an Ròin NG6724

ros nmrois grosan pl

promontory, isthmus, peninsula

Ros a' Mheallain NG3740

rothaid

see rathad

Loch an Rothaid NG1491

ruadh adj

red, brown

Ruadh Bhealach NN1248, Rubha Ruadh NC4462

rubha nmrubhaichean pl

promontory, headland, point of land

Sean-Rubha NL9346, Rubha na Lice NM8029

ruighe nmfruighean pl

hill-slope, sheiling

Ruighe a’ Ghlaic NN7353, Allt an Ruighe Bhric NM8686, Allt na Ruighe Lèithe NH5176, Ruighean an Daimh NC5852