Language Notes

Element Meaning

Sources

The name, which Highlanders give to Abernethy, is Obair or Abair Neachtain, that is, the
work of Nectan. 1794 Old Stat Acc, 11, 435

Aber-nethy Perthshire the work of Nectan or Nethan. It is a corruption for Obair Neachtain (opus eris Lat) a Pictish King who constituted this town the capital of his dominions AC 456: 1835 Etymological Geography, 1.

Obair Neachtain: Traditions of Perth 1836, 279

I saw in an old book that Abernethy was a corruption of Obair-Neachdain. An acquaintance of mine heard his father call it Obair Neachdaidh or Neachdain. Jas. MacDiarmaid 14.3.04: Robertson MS372 p. 414

Abernethy Parish, Inverness Obair-˙neich Obair neithich: Robertson MS405, 2

Additional Information

This form, and the ‘translation’ as ‘the work of Nechtan’. Appears in various later works, but it is unclear if they all derive from the Old Stat. Acc. or relate to an authentic form. The Robertson comment from James MacDiarmaid above suggests Obar Neachdain is an authentic form.

Alternative Forms