| Place-name: | Alhang |
| Suggested Meaning: | rock of the ? |
| 1st element: | Gaelic al ‘rock’ |
| 2nd element: | Gaelic ding ‘wedge’ ? |
| Blaeu Coila (1654): | Aldhing |
| OS Names (1855-57): | Allhang, Alhang |
| Location: | OS Map Six-inch Scotland 1892-1960 |
| Other Early Forms |
| Alhinge (Ainslie, 1797), Allhang, Alhang, Alhinge ( OS Name Book, Kirkcudbrightshire 1848-51) |
1st element|Gaelic al ‘rock’
2nd element|| Gaelic ding ‘wedge’
The entry for Alhang in the Ordnance Survey Namebook, Kirkcudbrightshire 1848-151, Vol. 5 gives the following description –
The first syllable in this name appears tolerable plain to be the Gaelic Aill, A precipice, a rock or Steep place but the affix, hang, is rather difficult to trace its derivation. I believe it is much changed by the lowland pronunciation.
The early form Aldhing (Blaeu, 1654) makes the Gaelic ding ‘wedge’ [1] worthy of consideration; however it is pronounced ‘jeeng’. While of course in this neck of the woods the terms ‘hing’ and ‘hang‘ are interchangeable but that’s not to suggest it was a hanging hill or Gallows hill!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| References |
| [1] Edward Dwelly | Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary (1902-1912) |
| Maps |
| Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland |
| https://maps.nls.uk/ |
| Map 1| OS Map Six-inch Scotland 1892-1960 |
| Map 2| Johan Blaeu, ‘The Stuartrie of Kirkcudbright, the most easterlie part of Galloway’ (1654) |
| Ordnance Survey Name Books |
| scotlandsplaces.gov.uk |
| Ayrshire OS Name Book (1857-59) Vol. 49| Alhang |
| Kirkcudbrightshire OS Name Book (1848-51) Vol. 4| Alhang |
| Kirkcudbrightshire OS Name Book (1848-51) Vol. 5| Alhang |
