Aber and Inver (placename elements)


Aber and Inver are common elements in place-names of Celtic origin. Both mean "confluence of waters" or "river mouth". Their distribution reflects the geographical influence of the Brittonic and Goidelic language groups, respectively.

''Aber''

Aber goes back to Common Brittonic. In Old Welsh it has the form oper and is derived from an assumed *od-ber, meaning 'pouring away'. It is found in Welsh, Cornish and Breton.
Place names with aber are very common in Wales. They are also common on the east coast of Scotland, where they are assumed to be of Pictish origin. They are found to a lesser extent in Cornwall and other parts of England and Brittany. It may be that the relative dearth in Cornwall is simply a result of there being fewer rivers on a peninsula.
In Anglicised forms, aber is often contracted: Arbroath for Aber Brothaig, Abriachan for Aber Briachan. In the case of Applecross, it has been transformed by a folk etymology.
"Aber" is rendered into Scottish Gaelic as Obar, e.g. Obar Dheadhain "Aberdeen", Obar Pheallaidh "Aberfeldy", and Obar Phuill "Aberfoyle."
The Welsh names Abergwaun, Aberhonddu, Aberteifi, Aberdaugleddau, Aberpennar and Abertawe all contain Aber- in their Welsh language equivalent.

''Inver''

Inver is the Goidelic or q-Celtic form, an Anglicised spelling of Scottish Gaelic inbhir, which occurs in Irish as innbhear or inbhear, going back to Old Irish indber, inbir, inber. This is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bher-, 'carry' with the prefix in-, 'into'. The word also occurs in Manx in the form Inver
Place-names with inver are very common throughout Scotland, where they outnumber aber-names by about 3:1. They are most common throughout the Western Highlands and the Grampians, the largest town containing the element being Inverness. Place-names with inver are, however, oddly seldom in Ireland, given that the form is originally Irish; Ireland tends instead to have names with béal in such locations, as Béal Átha na Sluaighe, Béal an Átha an Fheá or Béal Feirste. The difference in usage may be explained by the fact that Gaelic names in Ireland are typically a thousand years older than those in Scotland, and hence the prevailing fashion could have been different.
In Anglicised forms, inver occasionally appears as inner, such as Innerleithen. Innerhaddon is variant of Inverhaddon.
In some cases, an "Inver" has been lost, e.g. Ayr, which was recorded as "Inberair", and Ayre in the Isle of Man.
Occasionally, the English name forms are entirely unrelated: Dingwall Scotland and Arklow in Ireland both have "Inbhir-" in their Gaelic forms.

Syntax

Because Celtic languages place the generic element of a compound before the specific element, the elements aber and inver normally appear at the beginning of a place name, the opposite of the English pattern. Contrast:
This is consistent with the stress patterns of Celtic placenames, which are often stressed on the last element, whereas English placenames seldom are.
A variation occurs when the confluence itself is made the specific element. The names Lochaber and Lochinver both mean 'lake of the confluence'. Here, exceptionally, the elements aber and inver answer the question "Which loch?", and so are placed second. Similarly, Cuan Inbhir on Clear Island, Co. Cork, means the "harbour of confluence". This is reflected in the stress patterns: Lochaber, Lochinver.

Use in British colonies

Place names from the British isles were frequently exported to the colonies which became the British Empire, often without any thought being given to etymology. Thus there are many examples in the United States and in Commonwealth countries of places with names in Aber- or Inver- which are not located at a confluence. In Gaelic-speaking Nova Scotia, however, the element Inbhir- seems to have been productive in its original sense.
Invercargill in the South Island of New Zealand is a special case. It was first named Inverkelly in honour of an early settler called Kelly, and was then renamed in honour of Captain William Cargill, who was at the time the Superintendent of Otago, of which Southland was then a part. Since the city was indeed built at the mouth of the Waihopai River, the Inver- element was apparently chosen consciously.

List of place-names with ''Aber'' and ''Inver''

Australia

, Aberdeen, Abermain, Aberglasslyn, Inverell, Inverloch, Inveresk, Invermay, Inverleigh, Invergordon

Wales

, Aberaman, Aberangell, Aberarth, Aberavon, Aberbanc, Aberbargoed, Aberbeeg, Abercanaid, Abercarn, Abercastle, Abercegir, Abercraf, Abercregan, Abercych, Abercynon, Aberdare, Aberdaron, Aberdaugleddau, Aberdulais, Aberdyfi, Aberedw, Abereiddy, Abererch, Aberfan, Aberffraw, Aberffrwd, Ceredigion, Aberffrwd, Monmouthshire, Abergavenny, Abergele, Abergorlech, Abergwaun, Aberkenfig, Abergwesyn, Abergwili, Abergwynfi, Abergwyngregyn, Abergynolwyn, Aberhafesp, Aberhonddu, Aberllefenni, Abermaw, Abermorddu, Abermule, Abernant, Carmarthenshire, Abernant, Powys, Abernant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Aberpennar, Aberporth, Aberriw, Abersoch, Abersychan, Abertawe, Aberteifi, Abertillery, Aberthin, Abertillery, Abertridwr, Abertridwr, Aberystwyth, Llanaber

Ireland

An tInbhear Mór, Inbhear, Inbhear nOllarbha, Inbhear Scéine the traditional name for Kenmare Bay, Co. Kerry

Scotland

, Aberargie, Aberbothrie, Abercairney, Aberchalder, Aberchirder, Abercorn, Abercrombie, Aberdalgie, Aberdeen, Aberdour, Aberfeldy, Aberfoyle, Abergairn, Abergeldie, Aberlady, Aberlemno, Aberlour, Abermilk, Abernethy, Aberscross, Abersky, Abertarff, Abertay, Aberuchill, Aberuthven, Abriachan, Applecross, Arbirlot, Arboll, Arbuthnott, Arbroath, Fochabers, Kinnaber, Lochaber, Obar Neithich, Slongaber
Achininver, Inbhir Air, Inbhir Bhrùra, Inbhir Chalain, Inbhir Eireann, Inbhir Eighe, Inbhir Ghrainnse, Inbhir Nàrann, Inbhir Pheofharain, Inbhir Theòrsa, Inbhir Ùige, Innerleithen, Innerleven, Innerwick, Inver, Inverarnan, Inverallan, Inveraldie, Inveralmond Inveramsay, Inveran, Inveraray, Inverbervie, Inverclyde, Inveresk, Inverfarigaig, Invergarry, Invergordon, Invergowrie, Inverhaddon, Inverkeilor, Inverkeithing, Inverkeithney, Inverkip, Inverleith, Inverlochlarig, Inverlochy, Invermoriston, Inverness, Inveroran, Invershin, Inversnaid, Invertrossachs, Inverugie, Inveruglas, Inverurie, Kilninver, Lochinver, Rossinver
Notes - "Bail' Inbhir Fharrair",; Fort William was formerly known as Inverlochy, and a small district nearby is still referred to as such. Inbhir Ghrainnse and Inbhir Eighe may be of modern origin.

Brittany

,, Aber Wrac'h

England

The Cornish names of Falmouth and Plymouth. Aberford in West Yorkshire has a different origin. Berwick may have had the aber- prefix originally. According to Llywarch Hên, an Aber Lleu near Lindisfarne was the site of Urien of Rheged's assassination.

Isle of Man

Canada

Italicised names denote usage in Canadian Gaelic.
Baile Inbhir Nis, Siorramachd Inbhir Nis, Inbhir-pheofharain, Loch Abar, Inverhuron, ON, Invermere, BC

New Zealand