Reply To: The Cleagh

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#1560
John Shields
Keymaster

From Michael Ansell – 4 May 2020

Good evening Alan, then there is G. cladh/claidh, graveyard, burial mound, ditch. I think this is normally anglicised in Galloway as clay/cloy but when I was learning from my Lewis teacher this word was pronounced something like clùgh which might not be too far from cleagh. The terminal dh was definitely sounded – quite distinctly.

I think there is a verb, cladh, to dig, though I don’t see it in Dwelly, I’m sure I can recall phrases like tha mi a’cladh le spaid anns an talamh (I’m digging with a spade in the earth/ground). My lessons didn’t involve the niceties of reading or writing however so I might be spelling that wrong!

Kind Regards

Michael