Bunessan

Bun Easain

Meaning

(place at the) foot of a small waterfall or (place at the) mouth of a rapidly-flowing, small stream

Settlement

Location

Argyll & Bute

Argyll & Bute

NM385216

English / Map Form: Bunessan

Gaelic Form: Bun Easain

Location: Mull

Post Town: Isle of Mull

County: Argyll & Bute

Local Authority: Argyll & Bute

English / Map Form: Bunessan

Gaelic Form: Bun Easain

Language Notes

 G nom. sing. bun ‘base, foot (of hill, waterfall etc.); mouth, estuary (of watercourse)’ + G gen. sing. easain, nom. sing. easan ‘small waterfall, cataract, cascade; rapid; rapidly-flowing, small stream’, diminutive of eas

Element Meaning

G bun ‘foot (of waterfall); mouth (of watercourse)’ + G easan ‘small waterfall; rapidly-flowing, small stream’

Sources

Bonessane 1588 Collectanea, p. 173 [among lands in An Ros Muileach / Ross of Mull belonging to Iona Abbey and leased by King James VI to Maclean of Duart]
Boneße[n] 1654 Blaeu (Pont) Mula
Boneßen 1654 Blaeu (Pont) Iura
Bunesan 1775 Mackenzie

á Bun-easain 1908 Mac Cormaig, ‘Troimh Chruadal’, p. 46 [‘from Bun Easain’]
Coisir-òigridh Sgoil Bhuin-easain 1954 Clàr-eagair Mòd Ionadach na Dreòlluinn 1954, p. 4 [gen.; ‘Bunessan School Junior Choir’]
Bun-easain 1954 Clàr-eagair Mòd Ionadach na Dreòlluinn 1954, p. 8
Bun-easain 1955 Clàr-eagair Mòd Ionadach na Dreòlluinn 1955, p. 8, 9
Meur Bhuin-easain 1955 Clàr-eagair Mòd Ionadach na Dreòlluinn 1955, p. 9 [gen.; ‘The Bunessan branch [of An Comunn Gàidhealach]’]

Additional Information

The name is traditionally understood to refer to the location of the modern village at the foot of the waterfall on Allt Ruadh behind the Argyll Arms Hotel.  However, G eas is applied locally and furth of Mull to watercourses and the referent could be Allt Ruadh in its entirety.

The lenited genitive form *Bhuin Easain is recorded in local Mòd syllabi in 1954 and 1955.

Bunessan Volunteer Fire Station ~ Stèisean-Smàlaidh Saor-Thoileach Bhun Easain

Alternative Forms