Language Notes

Element Meaning

Sources

troimh Ghleann Fàrg Duilleagan a Leabhar cunntas ar Beatha anns a’ Ghadhalltachd, 1868 p. 16

Forms for Aberargie, the settlement at the foot of Glenfarg: Apurfeirc 10th C Poppelton MS

“Aberargie is on the Farg, south-west of Abemethy ; more than a mile lower down and near the junction of Farg and Earn is Culfargie. It is Apurfeirt (? read -feirc) in the note of the grant of Abemethy made by King Nectan to St. Brigid (P.S. 6). We may compare the Fergie burn, a tributary of the Banffshire Aven, possibly also the Forgue burn which gives its name to Forgue parish in Aberdeenshire. As Farg seems to be nominative case, with genitive –fargie (-fh)argie, the second part may be reasonably regarded as G. fearg fem., gen. feirge, ‘wrath.’ It is, however, more likely that we have to do with a gaelicized form of a British name from the base seen in O.Welsh guerg, ‘efficax,’ Gaulish Vergo-bretus, the designation of the annually elected chief magistrate of the Aedui” Watson 1926, 462-3.

Additional Information

The earliest form for Aberargie shows the Pictish aber + river-name consutruction which is lenited in the later Gaelic forms.

Alternative Forms