THE NAME "DUNEDIN."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13995, 30 August 1907, Page 8

THE NAME "DUNEDIN."

Sip.,—Ages before our city existed tlio tho term Dnncdin had been familiar to Highlanders. Ecapors and bindeis, who wont harvesting to Midlothian, used when ill proximity to Edinburgh to go into tho city on Sundays to hear Gaelic sermons. How often old Highland settlors of Otago have heard the remarks, "Bha sinn trie a pluintin shenrmoin Gaelic ann nil Dune<lin." Construed. "We have often heard Gaelic sermons in ■ Edinburgh." The torm. however, is pronounced differently by Highlanders. The "o" sounds in "Duncdin" a little similar to the name round of "a" in English. The derivation is from tlio Ccltio root "dun" a fortress, and "Edin," evidently tho name of a chieftain who musti have at some remote period occupied l tho prominent rock on which tho celebrated fortress and castlo' now stand. In the adoption of tho con-verted-name it is eomewhnt singular that' the columnsof "Marmion" had to be oxn I orcd to discover the Gaelic for Edinburgh while so many Highlanders at the time lived in tho city who would at onco liavo told tho name. As there have been some disputes as to the person who had suggested, tho substitution, I may state it was currcntlv reported in the Home Country at t-ho time that ho was an influential members of tho Free Church who could speak tho Gaelic language. Tt is exceedingly improbablo that Free . Church eminent divines and elders, originators, ami promoters of the Otago Settlement scheme had received the suggestion of change from Sir William Chambers, who was accounted hostile to religion and inimical to tho Frco Church. God-fearing people will still feel incredulous that our picturesque city, with its spacious churches a.nd meeting-housc-s, bearing the melodious Gaelic name Dunedin had reoeived itfc baptism from one accounted an unbeliever, even although his spacious portrait in civic robes adorns tho walls of our City Chambers.—l am, etc.. A. G. AU.EN, Hon. See. to tho Highlanders of Otago. Green Island, August 27.