Editing St Kilda, Scotland (section)

== Origin of names ==
[[File:St-Kildans.jpg|thumb|The Street in 1886]]
The name ''St Kilda'', which is not used in Gaelic,{{sfn|Watson|1926|p=98}} is of obscure origin, as there is no saint by the name ''Kilda''. It occurs for the first time in {{lang|nl|Thresoor der Zeevaert}} ("Treasure of Navigation"), a pilot book published by [[Lucas Waghenaer]] in 1592. [[Alexander Burt Taylor|A. B. Taylor]] suggests that it originated as a copying error for ''Skilda(r)'', a name that appears on [[Nicolas de Nicolay]]'s 1583 map of Scotland, which Waghenaer used as a source. On Nicolay's map,{{refn|And on two other 16th-century maps, all three of which may derive from a 1540 original by Alexander Lindsay, a Scottish pilot.{{sfn|Taylor|1968|p=136}}|group="note"}} the name denotes an island group closer to [[Lewis and Harris]] than St Kilda, possibly [[Haskeir]],{{sfn|Fleming |2005|p=27}} [[Gasker]] or [[Haskeir Eagach]].{{sfn|Taylor|1968|p=137}}{{sfn|de Nicolay|1583}} Taylor notes that the latter two groups could be compared to shields lying flat upon the water, and gives the Norse word {{lang|non|skildir}} (meaning "shields") as the etymon.{{sfn|Taylor|1968|p=137}}
[[File:Carte of Scotlande.jpg|thumb|1580 ''Carte of Scotlande'' showing Hyrth (i.e. Hirta) at left and Skaldar to the north east]]

According to another theory, advanced by [[William J. Watson]] and others, the name derives from Tobar Childa, an important well on Hirta. ''Childa'' is in fact a descendant of {{lang|non|kelda}}, the Norse word for a well, but it is possible that visitors to the island (who would have used the well to take on fresh water) mistook it as the name of a local saint.{{sfn|Watson|1926|pp=97-98}} A number of other theories have been suggested in both the past and in modern times.{{refn|[[Martin Martin]], who visited in 1697, believed that the name "is taken from one Kilder, who lived here; and from him the large well Toubir-Kilda has also its name".<ref name=Martin/> Maclean (1972) similarly suggests it comes from a corruption of the [[Old Norse]] name for the spring on Hirta, ''Childa'', and states that a 1588 map identifies the archipelago as ''Kilda''. He also speculates that it refers to the [[Culdee]]s, [[anchorite]]s who might have brought Christianity to the island, or be a corruption of the Gaelic name, {{lang|gd|Hirta}}, for the main island of the group, since the islanders tended to pronounce ''r'' as ''l'', and thus habitually referred to the island as ''Hilta''.<ref name="Maclean (1977) page 33."/> Steel (1988) adds weight to the idea, noting that the islanders pronounced the ''H'' with a "somewhat guttural quality", making the sound they used for {{lang|gd|Hirta}} "almost" ''Kilta''.<ref>Steel (1988) p. 27.</ref> Similarly, St Kilda speakers interviewed by the [[School of Scottish Studies]] in the 1960s show individual speakers using t-initial forms, [[lenition|leniting]] to {{IPA|/h/}}, e.g. {{lang|gd|ann an Tirte}} ({{IPA|gd|ˈan̪ˠən̪ˠ ˈtʰʲirˠʃt̪ʲə|}}) and {{lang|gd|gu Hirte}} ({{IPA|gd|kə ˈhirˠʃt̪ʲə|}}).<ref>Bruford, A. (ed.) ''Tocher'' Vol 36–37 (1982) [[School of Scottish Studies]].</ref>|group="note"}}

<!-- Infobox template for pronunciation-->
{| class="mw-collapsible infobox mw-collapsed" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|Pronunciation
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|style="width: 40%;"|
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Am Baile}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|əm ˈpalə||ambaile.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|An Lag bhon Tuath}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ə ˈlˠ̪ak vɔn̪ˠ ˈt̪ʰuə||anlagbhontuath.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Bàgh a' Bhaile}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈpaːɣ ə valə||baghabhaile.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|cleitean}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈkʰlehtʲan||cleitean.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Cleitean MacPhàidein}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈkʰlehtʲan maxkˈfaːtʲɛɲ||cleiteanmacphaidein.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Cnatan nan Gall}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈkʰɾãht̪an nəŋ ˈkaulˠ̪||cnatannangall.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Conachair}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈkʰɔnəxəɾʲ||conachair.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Dòirneagan Hiort}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈt̪ɔːrˠɲakən ˈhirˠʃt̪||doirneaganhiort.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Dùn}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈt̪uːn||dun-hiort.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Gleann Mòr}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈklaun̪ˠ ˈmoːɾ||gleannmor.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Ì Àrd}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈiː ˈaːrˠt̪||iard.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Loch Hiort}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|lˠ̪ɔxˈhirˠʃt̪||lochhiort.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Mullach Bìgh}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈmulˠ̪əx ˈpiː||mullachbigh.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Mullach Mòr}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈmulˠ̪əx ˈmoːɾ||mullachmor.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Oiseabhal}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈɔʃəvəlˠ̪||oiseabhal.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Ruadhbhal}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈrˠuəvəlˠ̪||ruadhbhal.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Seann Taigh}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈʃaun̪ˠ ˈt̪ʰɤj||seanntaigh.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Taigh an t-Sithiche}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈt̪ʰɤj əɲ ˈtʰʲi.ɪçə||taighantsithiche.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Taigh Dugain}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|t̪ʰɤjˈt̪ukɛɲ||taighdugain.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Taigh na Banaghaisgich}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈt̪ʰɤj nə ˈpanaɣaʃkʲɪç||taighnabanaghaisgich.ogg}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;"|
|-
|[[Scottish Gaelic]]:|| {{lang|gd|Taigh Stallair}}
|-
|Pronunciation:||{{IPA|gd|ˈt̪ʰɤj ˈs̪t̪alˠ̪əɾʲ||taighstallair.ogg}}
|}
[[File:The Street.jpg|thumb|The Village Street showing restoration work]]

The origins of ''Hiort'', and its anglicized form ''Hirta'',which long pre-date ''St Kilda'', are similarly obscure. Watson derives it from the Gaelic word {{lang|gd|(h)irt}}, meaning "death", noting that although [[Alexander MacBain]] suggested "that the ancient Celts fancied this sunset isle to be the gate to their earthly paradise"{{sfn|Watson|1926|p=97}} the connection was more likely to be to the dangers of living on St Kilda, which "in the Hebrides is regarded as a penitentiary rather than a gate to paradise".{{sfn|Watson|1926|pp=97-98}}{{refn|Watson notes that in the [[Uist]]s the Gaelic for "in Hirta" is {{lang|gd|an t-Irt}}.{{sfn|Watson|1926|p=97}} However, Coates dismisses Watson's connection to {{lang|gd|(h)irt}} as "totally implausible".{{sfn|Coates|1990|pp=44–49}}|group="note"}} It has also been said to mean "the western land", from the Gaelic {{lang|gd|(na) h-iartìre}} although this theory presents difficulties.{{sfn|Coates|1990|pp=44–49}} It may not be Gaelic in origin at all, but rather Norse. Taylor derives it from the Norse word {{lang|non|hirtir}}, meaning "stags", on account of the islands' "jagged outlines". In support of this theory, he notes that ''Hirtir'' appears in the 13th-century {{lang|non|[[Guðmundar saga biskups|Prestssaga Guðmundar Arasonar]]}} as a name for an island group in the Hebrides.{{sfn|Taylor|1968|pp=120-123}}

As with St Kilda, a number of other theories have been offered.{{refn|Martin (1703) averred that "Hirta is taken from the Irish {{lang|ga|Ier}}, which in that language signifies west".<ref name=Martin/> Steel (1998) quotes the view of Reverend Neil Mackenzie, who lived there from 1829 to 1844, that the name is from the Gaelic {{lang|gd|Ì Àrd}} ('high island'), and a further possibility that it is from the Norse {{lang|non|Hirt}} ('shepherd').<ref>Steel (1988) pp. 26–27.</ref> In a similar vein, Murray (1966) speculates that the Norse {{lang|non|Hirðö}}, pronounced 'Hirtha' ('herd island'), could be the origin of the name.{{sfn|Murray|1966|pp=196,236}}|group="note"}} All the names of and on the islands are discussed by [[Richard Coates]].{{sfn|Coates|1990}}