Editing Hebrides (section)

=== Outer Hebrides ===
[[Lewis and Harris]] is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest of the [[British Isles]], after Great Britain and Ireland.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 262.</ref> It incorporates Lewis in the north and Harris in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as individual islands, although they are joined by a land border. The island does not have a single common name in either English or Gaelic and is referred to as "Lewis and Harris", "Lewis with Harris", "Harris with Lewis" etc. For this reason it is treated as two separate islands below.<ref>Thompson (1968) p. 13.</ref> The derivation of Lewis may be pre-Celtic (see above) and the origin of Harris is no less problematic. In the [[Ravenna Cosmography]], ''Erimon'' may refer to Harris<ref name="Roman Map of Britain"/> (or possibly the Outer Hebrides as a whole). This word may derive from the {{langx|grc|ἐρῆμος}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|erimos}} "desert".<ref>Megaw, J.V. S. and SIMPSON, D.A. (1960) "[http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS.../94_062_078.pdf A short cist burial on North Uist and some notes on the prehistory of the Outer Isles in the second millennium BC"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719033248/http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS.../94_062_078.pdf |date=19 July 2011 }} (pdf) p. 72 Proc Soc Antiq Scot. archaeologydataservice.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2011.</ref> The origin of [[Uist]] ({{langx|non|Ívist}}) is similarly unclear.<ref name=G2487/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Island
! Derivation
! Language
! Meaning
! Munro (1549)
! style="width:10%;" | Modern Gaelic name
! Alternative Derivations
|-
| [[Baleshare]]
| ''{{lang|mga|Am Baile Sear}}''
| Gaelic
| east town<ref name=HS236>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 236.</ref>
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Baile Sear}}''
|
|-
| [[Barra]]
| ''{{lang|non|Barrey}}''{{sfn|Gammeltoft|2006|p=68}}
| Gaelic + Norse
| Finbar's island<ref name=MaT17>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 17.</ref>
| Barray
| ''{{lang|gd|Barraigh}}''
| [[Old Irish|Old Gaelic]] ''barr'', a summit.{{sfn|Gammeltoft|2006|p=68}}
|-
| [[Benbecula]]
| ''{{lang|mga|Peighinn nam Fadhla}}''
| Gaelic
| [[pennyland]] of the fords<ref name="MaT19">{{lang|gd|Mac an Tàilleir}} (2003) p. 19.</ref>
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Beinn nam Fadhla}}''
| "little mountain of the ford" or "herdsman's mountain"<ref name=HS236/>
|-
| [[Berneray, North Uist|Berneray]]
| ''{{lang|non|Bjarnarey}}''{{sfn|Gammeltoft|2006|p=68}}
| Norse
| Bjorn's island<ref name=MaT19/>
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Beàrnaraigh}}''
| bear island<ref name=HS236/>
|-
| [[Eriskay]]
| ''{{lang|mga|Uruisg}}'' + ''{{lang|non|ey}}''
| Gaelic + Norse
| goblin or water nymph island<ref name=HS236/>
| Eriskeray
| ''{{lang|gd|Èirisgeigh}}''
| Erik's island<ref name=HS236/><ref name="autogenerated3">{{lang|gd|Mac an Tàilleir}} (2003) p. 46.</ref>
|-
| [[Flodaigh]]
|
| Norse
| float island<ref>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 50.</ref>
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Flodaigh}}''
|
|-
| [[Fraoch-eilean]]
|
| Gaelic
| heather island
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Fraoch-eilean}}''
|
|-
| [[Great Bernera]]
| ''{{lang|non|Bjarnarey}}''{{sfn|Gammeltoft|2006|p=68}}
| Norse
| Bjorn's island<ref name=HS287>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 218.</ref>
| Berneray-Moir
| ''{{lang|gd|Beàrnaraigh Mòr}}''
| bear island<ref name=HS287/>
|-
| [[Grimsay]]{{refn|There are two inhabited islands called "Grimsay" or ''{{lang|gd|Griomasaigh}}'' that are joined to Benbecula by a road causeway, one to the north at {{gbmapping|NF855572}} and one to the south east at {{gbmapping|NF831473}}.|group=Note}}
| {{lang|non|Grímsey}}
| Norse
| Grim's island<ref name=HS236/>
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Griomasaigh}}''
|
|-
| [[Grimsay, South East Benbecula|Grimsay]]{{refn|See above note.|group=Note}}
| {{lang|non|Grímsey}}
| Norse
| Grim's island<ref name=HS236/>
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Griomasaigh}}''
|
|-
| [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]]
| {{lang|grc-Latn|Erimon}}?<ref name="Roman Map of Britain">[http://www.romanmap.com/htm/nomina/insula/Eirimon.htm "The Roman Map of Britain Maiona (Erimon) 7 Lougis Erimon Isles of Harris and Lewis, Outer Hebrides "] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127115218/http://romanmap.com/htm/nomina/insula/Eirimon.htm |date=27 November 2013 }} romanmap.com. Retrieved 1 February 2011.</ref>
| Ancient Greek?
| desert?
| Harrey
| ''{{lang|gd|na Hearadh}}''
| Ptolemy's {{lang|grc-Latn|Adru}}. In [[Old Norse language|Old Norse]] (and in [[icelandic language|modern Icelandic]]), a ''{{lang|non|[[Herred|Hérað]]}}'' is a type of administrative district.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{lang|gd|Mac an Tàilleir}} (2003).</ref> Alternatives are the Norse ''{{lang|non|haerri}}'', meaning "hills" and Gaelic ''{{lang|mga|na h-airdibh}}'' meaning "the heights".<ref name=HS287/>
|-
| [[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]]
| {{lang|grc-Latn|Limnu}}
| Pre-Celtic?
| marshy
| Lewis
| ''{{lang|gd|Leòdhas}}''
| Ptolemy's {{lang|grc-Latn|Limnu}} is literally "marshy". The Norse ''{{lang|non|Ljoðhús}}'' may mean "song house" – see above.<ref name=G2487/><ref name=autogenerated2 />
|-
| [[North Uist]]
|
| English + Pre-Celtic?<ref name=G2487/>
|
| Ywst
| ''{{lang|gd|Uibhist a Tuath}}''
| "Uist" may possibly be "corn island"<ref>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 116.</ref> or "west"<ref name=HS287 />
|-
| [[Scalpay, Outer Hebrides|Scalpay]]
| ''{{lang|non|Skalprey}}''<ref name=HS287/>
| Norse
| scallop island<ref name=HS287/>
| Scalpay of Harray
| ''{{lang|gd|Sgalpaigh na Hearadh}}''
|
|-
| [[South Uist]]
|
| English + Pre-Celtic?
|
|
| ''{{lang|gd|Uibhist a Deas}}''
| See North Uist
|-
| [[Vatersay]]
|{{lang|non|Vatrsey}}?{{sfn|Gammeltoft|2006|p=80}}
| Norse
| water island<ref>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 117.</ref>
| Wattersay
| ''{{lang|gd|Bhatarsaigh}}''
| fathers' island, priest island, glove island, wavy island<ref name=HS287 />
|}