Re: Another unAmerican word - question


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Posted by andy bolger on June 17, 1999 at 00:44:11 from ncproxy2-gui.server.dtn.ntl.com:

In Reply to: Another unAmerican word - question posted by Anne LeVeque on June 16, 1999 at 22:04:52:

My understanding is that 'ghillie' is what you might call a Scots Baronial usage of a Gaelic word.
Ghillies were/are a sort of game keeper employed on 'sporting' ( i.e. shooting and fishing) estates in Scotland). Their job was/ is to do ensure that the landowner and his or her guests went to the right places to fish stalk deer shoot grouse etc. They rowed the boats, carried the picnic hampers loaded the ponies, all that sort of thing.
I think the original meaning of the word was 'young man', as in Sgurr na Gillean, Peak of the young men, on Skye.
Doubtless countless Gealic scholars, to say nothing of mere scholars of Gaelic will correct and expand on this


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