North Uist dialect

Abstract

The Island of North Ulst Is about thirty miles In lengthand, owing to the idented nature of its coast-line, its breadthvaries from eight to fourteen miles. It is bounded on thenorth-east by a sound about a mile broad, which separates itfrom the Island of Bernera, in the Sound of Harris. On theeast and south-east it is separated from Skye and the mainlandof Scotland by the Minch.

The people, who inhabit the Island, speak a dialect of Scottish Gaelic which is of much interest to the student ofGaelic dialects. It has its own distinctive characteristicsin sound, diction, and idiom, and I shall endeavour to set these down on paper in the succeeding pages of this Thesis.

In dealing with the North Uist Dialect I should like to show, as far as possible, how it has been influenced by the different races which from prehistoric times have been in possession of the Outer Hebrides. I realise that I must proceed with caution, as some of the best historians have blundered badly in this field, because they have failed to interpret aright the data which they obtained.