clibh

v1.0

Publishing history:
v1.0: 12/03/26

clibh f. [kʰliv] ~ [kʰliv̥] or [kʰlif], gen. clibhe(adh) [ˈkʰlivə(ɣ)],

McDonald (2009, 373) describes SG clibhe(adh) as an adjective in error.

‘cliff, steep hillside’ is derived by Oftedal (1954, 387–88; 1980, 173) from ON klif nt. ‘steep hillside; road up a steep hill’, although McDonald (2009, 373) considers the derivation unlikely on the grounds that relevant usage is absent from ‘the standard range of lexical works’. While the word is only attested in place-names today, Oftedal suggests that it was probably an ordinary appellative ‘a couple of generations ago’.

ON klif (in final -[v]) yields SG clibh [kʰliv] regularly. However, the final in (Lewis) Gaelic is commonly devoiced before pausa, cf. SG An Riobh [ə ˈɍɪf], gen. Na Riobhadh [nə ˈɍɪvəɣ] (< ON rifa f. ‘rent, rift’, s.v. riobh).

SG A’ Chlibh [ə ˈxlif]

With aphaeresis, [xlif] (nMO).

(Eng. Cliff NB083358) is the name of a township on the west of Lewis (Cox 2022, 631–34); cf. SG Loch na Clibheadh

[ʟɔx nə ˈkʿlivəɣ], [ʟɔx nə ˈkʿliv·əɣ] (nMO).

‘the loch of the cliff’ NB010247 and Loch Clibh Chracabhal

[ʟɔx kʿlif ˈxrɑhkəvɑʟ̬̣] (nMO).

‘the loch (of the cliff of [the mountain called] Cracabhal)’ NB020253. On the east of Lewis, cf. A’ Chlibh

[ə ˈxlif], [ə ˈxliv] (Oftedal 1954, 387–88), [ə ˈxlif], gen. [nə ˈklif] (nMO).

NB397203, and (OS 1843–82) Loch na Clibhe ‘the loch of A’ Chlibh’.

In Wester Ross, cf. Meall na Cliubha -[nə ˈkʰl’ⁱu.u] ‘the hill of the cliff’ (Eng. Cliff Hill NG850800) and, with the specific as an n-stem, Taigh na Cliubhann -[nə ˈkʰl’ⁱu.əɴ] ‘the house of the cliff’ (Eng. Cliff House NG8545181006) (Wentworth 2003a, s.v. Cliff; cf. Watson 1904, 240: Tigh na Cliubha, and Robertson (in King 2019, 166): idem, ‘Clı̆-u’). For the vocalisation of the original fricative, cf. SG (Wester Ross) siubhal /sˊu.uʟ/ ‘travelling etc.’ (Wentworth 2005^˄, 253), from EG siḃal (eDIL^˄). Watson (ibid.) notes HSS’s (1828) cliof ‘cliff’ (so also Dwelly 1911 and AFB^˄), where the word is ascribed to common speech, but it may be that cliof is for cliobh, with final -f under the influence of Eng. cliff, or a loan from Eng. cliff rather than Old Norse.

In discussion, McDonald (2009, 373) cites Taylor’s (1968, 126) derivation of the Boreray (St Kilda) place-name SG Clesgor [sic] from ON *Klifsskor lit. ‘(the) rift of the cliff’, with genitive of ON klif + skor f. ‘notch’ (s.v. sgor), although Clesgor and other Old Norse loan-names such SG Cliosgro [ˈkʰliˌs̪kɾo] in Lewis NB194424 (< ON *Klifsgróf ‘(the) stream of the cliff’) (Cox 2002a, 213.930) and Cliseam [ˈkʰliʃam] in Harris NB154073 (< ON *Klifsholm acc. ‘(the) mountain of the cliff’, or perhaps ON *Klifshvamm acc. ‘(the) corrie of the cliff’) (Cox 2016) do not themselves provide evidence of ON klif as a loan-word in Gaelic.