Portnahaven

Port na h-Abhainne

Meaning

harbour at the foot of the river

Settlement

Location

Argyll & Bute

Argyll & Bute

PA47

NR168522

English / Map Form: Portnahaven

Gaelic Form: Port na h-Abhainne

Location: Islay, Inner Hebrides

Post Town: ISLE OF ISLAY

Postcode area: PA47

County: Argyll & Bute

Local Authority: Argyll & Bute

English / Map Form: Portnahaven

Gaelic Form: Port na h-Abhainne

Language Notes

Now understood as: nom. sg. port, masc. 'harbour' + gen. sg. fem. art. na (with h-before vowels) + old gen. sg. of abhainn, fem. 'river' = 'the foot of the river'

Element Meaning

G port ~ harbour; abhainn ~ river

Sources

Portnahaivne c. 1750 MacDougall’s map
Portnahawin 1801 Langlands
Portnahaven 1804 Heather
Portnahavan 1820 Thomson
Portnahaven 1849 Admiralty Chart 2515
Portnahaven 1882 OS
Port na h-Abhainne Lands of Lordship
ann am Port na h-Abhainne Seanchas Ile, 72
Port na h-Abhann now generally Port na h-Abhainn(e) Cox 2008
Port na h-Abhainne (Port Ellen).

Additional Information

Cox in JSNS 2008, 55 and n23 makes a convincing case for the specific reflecting ON hafn-, ‘harbour’ originally, with reanalysis to the current form.

Alternative Forms

Port na h-Abhann