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Kinlochleven

Ceann Loch Lìobhann

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Meaning

head of Loch Leven


Settlement

Location

Inverness-shire

Highland

NN185615


English / Map Form: Kinlochleven

Gaelic Form: Ceann Loch Lìobhann


Location: Lochaber, Highland

Post Town: KINLOCHLEVEN

County: Inverness-shire

Local Authority: Highland

Nearest Main Roads: A82

English / Map Form: Kinlochleven

Gaelic Form: Ceann Loch Lìobhann


Genitive Form: Cheann Loch Lìobhann

Language Notes

G nom. sg. ceann, masc. ‘head, end’ + gen. sg. loch, masc. ‘loch’ + gen. sg. of Lìobhann river name

Element Meaning

G ceann ~ head; loch ~ loch; Lìobhann ~ river name

Sources

Kean-Loch-Moir c. 1590 Pont map 13
Kinloch Beg 1875 OS 6 inch 1st edn.
Leven = Leamhann Dwelly 1912
Leven = Leamhain gen. Leamhna Watson 1926, 19
Ceann Loch Lìobhann TM.

Additional Information

This place used to be called Kinlochbeg or Ceann Loch Beag, ‘little loch end’, in the late Nineteenth Century before the settlement was built up. Kinlochmore on the other side still exists, and was the larger settlement. Only Kinlochmore is mentioned in the Ordnance Survey Name books for this area (reel 102, 165).

There are two main orthographical variants of this name: Leamhan(n) and Lìobhan(n). The first variant was adopted predominantly by scholars, on the belief that the name Leven was cognate with Gaelic leamhan, ‘elm’. This is now considered doubtful.

Lìobhan or Lìobhann more accurately represents the first syllable, which is long. Like Nevis, since this term is lexically obscure, there is debate whether the central fricative should be spelled -bh- or -mh-. The former is more established.

Informant TM, when asked, said the orthography was correct, and that although Lìobhainn would be expected in this position Lìobhann was in fact used. This is expected for river-names or loch-names.

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