Editing Inner Hebrides (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Blaeu.1654.submap.Ptolemy.Damnij.jpg|thumb|"Old Britain" as shown on [[Willem Blaeu|Blaeu's]] 1654 atlas of Scotland, based on [[Ptolemy]].]]
The earliest extant written reference to these islands appears in [[Pliny the Elder]]'s ''Natural History'', where he states that there are 30 "Hebudes". [[Ptolemy]], writing about 80 years later, around AD 140-150 and drawing on the earlier naval expedition of [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola|Agricola]], refers to the Ἐβοῦδαι ("Eboudai") ("Ebudes" or "Ebudae" in Latin translation) of which he writes that there were only five, thus possibly specifically meaning the Inner Hebrides.<ref name=Breeze>Breeze, David J. "The ancient geography of Scotland" in Ballin Smith and Banks (2002) pp. 11-13</ref><ref name=Watson>Watson (1926) pp. 40-41</ref> Pliny probably took his information from [[Pytheas]] of [[Massilia]] who visited Britain sometime between 322 and 285&nbsp;BCE. It is possible that Ptolemy did so also, as Agricola's information about the west coast of Scotland was of poor quality.<ref name=Breeze/><ref name=Watson/>

Watson (1926) states that the meaning of Ptolemy's "Eboudai" is unknown and that the root may be pre-Celtic.<ref>Watson (1926) p. 38</ref>{{refn| Murray (1966) claims that Ptolemy's "Ebudae" was originally derived from the [[Old Norse]] ''Havbredey'', meaning "isles on the edge of the sea".<ref>Murray (1966) p. 1</ref> The idea is often repeated, but no firm evidence of this derivation has emerged.|group=Note}} Other early written references include the flight of the [[Nemed]] people from Ireland to "Domon and to Erdomon in the north of Alba", which is mentioned in the 12th century ''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]''.<ref name=Watson/> Domon, meaning the "deep sea isle" refers to the Outer Hebrides and Erdomon, meaning "east of, on or near Domon" is thus the Inner Hebrides.<ref name=Watson/>

The individual island and place names in the Outer Hebrides have mixed Gaelic and Norse origins.<ref name =MacanT>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) various pages.</ref>