About authorh
EWEN MACEACHEN
Notes on the life of Ewen MacEachen, the author of MacEachen's Dictionary.
Brief account of MacEachen's life, this is largely taken from the preface to the fourth edition of his dictionary.
Anecdotes, from the life of Ewen MacEachen. These are found in Odo Blundell's, Catholic Highlands of Scotland, published by Sands & Co. (1909).
Editions, of the dictionary. There were six editions in all. The edition that I have put online is the first edition.
♣ BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF EWEN MACEACHEN
The following is largely from the preface to the 4th edition of MacEachen's dictionary:
The original author of MacEachen's dictionary, Faclair Gaidhlig is Beurla, Father Even, or Ewen MacEachen, was a native of Arisaig, and was born in 1769 and educated at Valladolid in Spain for the priesthood. He was a noted scholar, especially in Logic and Mathematics, and took a high place in his college. He was ordained priest and till 1800 he assisted the Coadjutor Bishop of Valladolid (Rev. Alex. Cameron) in the various episcopal duties of the Diocese. Coming to Scotland, he filled various posts in the trying times of the 19th century in the Highlands. His first charge was Arisaig, then Badenoch, where he built the first chapel in Laggan. Thereafter, in the quality of Professor, he resided at the Seminary of Lismore, and in 1814 he took charge of the mission at Aigas in Strathglass. From 1818 he was for twenty years priest in Braemar, and died at Tombae, Glenlivet, in 1849. He translated several religious and other works into Gaelic, notably in 1826, Thomas a Kempis's De Imitatione Christi, Leanmhainn Chriosda, and Lorenzo Scupoli's Il Combattimento spirituale, An cath spioradail, published in 1835. He also left a translation of the New Testament, which was worked over by the Rev. Colin Grant, Strathglass, afterwards Bishop of Aberdeen, and published in 1875.
The faclair was first published in Perth in 1842, and was for many years thereafter out of print. The want of a handy and cheap Dictionary, for school purposes especially, was long felt, and in 1902 the Highland News Co., Inverness, undertook a second edition. In a few years after, a third issue was called for, mainly owing to the increasing interest in the study of Gaelic in the higher classes in schools. The distinguished Dr. Alexander Macbain, assisted by Mr. John Whyte, edited these later issues. The original work included some 10,500 words. Maceachen, says Dr. Macbain, did his work with remarkable skill. As he says in his Preface (1842) he wanted to produce a vocabulary of pure Gaelic; he wished to avoid the Irish words and idioms introduced into the translation of the Bible and copied into the ordinary Dictionaries. He based his work on Macleod & Dewer's Dictionary, corrected by his "own purer dialect" of Arisaig. Dr. Macbain applied his great philological knowledge to the emendation on a large scale of the author's scheme of orthography, and he also overhauled the English meanings, corrected declensions, genders and conjugations, and while doing away with many useless derivatives and obsolete or provincial words, he added several hundred new words omitted my Maceachen.
In the course of years the third edition was quite sold out, and the demand for a re-issue (and at a popular price) by schools and Gaelic classes became more and more clamant The Publishers now present the Fourth edition of Maceachen's manual with confidence that it will win a widespread and genuine acceptance. This edition has been thoroughly revised by two highly competent Gaelic-speaking scholars. There has again been a large accession of literary words and a further elimination of what might be regarded as unimportant or irrelevant details.
♣ ANECDOTES
From Catholic Highlands of Scotland, Dom Odo Blundell, published by Sands & Co. p. 120: Evan McEachen 1818.......began his ministry in Braemar)........
Father McEachen was a fellow student at Valladolid with Father Lachlan Mackintosh and was one of the first Gaelic scholars of the day. His translation of the Imitation of Christ and of he New Testament are more esteemed than the versions at present in use. He is still remembered as preaching very "strong sermons"; yet he made no gestures, but stood with his hand stretched out and the palm upwards, his eyes half shut. He was, however, very far from being asleep, as those who first saw him sometimes thought. p. 129: Even McEachen 1803 - 1806 Badenoch
Father McEachen built the Church at Stron an Duin - the predecessor of the present Church (1909) - and was remarkable for his knowledge of Mathematics and of the Gaelic language. Father McEachen was known amongst his brethren as "Old Roules" (rules). The late Father David Macdonald, the much respected Rector of Valladolid used to give the following origin for this nickname. Father McEachen was perhaps the very first priest in the Highlands to wear a top hat, and there was a standing rule in Blairs at the time that whenever a cleric with a top hat appeared, the boys shelved their books - the wearer of the hat had the privilege of facing the President to ask a holiday. Father McEachen, on his arival on a visit was duly informed of the custom, but before approaching the great man, he insisted on seeing it so nominated in the "Roules", a stiffness which was not at all to the boys' liking.
♣ EDITIONS
There have been six editions of MacEachen's dictionary:
The first edition appeared in 1842, and not in 1862 as some hold out. This was due to a printer's error in recording the wrong date of publication in the first edition. It was published by R. Morrison, Perth.
The second edition appeared in 1902. It was revised and enlarged by Alexander Macbain and John Whyte and published by the Highland News Office, Inverness. Many words that Macbain and Whyte considered irrelevent were omitted from this edition and others added.
The third edition appeared in 1906. It was again revised and enlarged by Alexander Macbain and John Whyte and published by Taylor & Bain, Inverness.
The fourth edition appeared in 1922. It was again revised and enlarged. It was published by The Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing & Pub. Co.
The fifth edition appeared in 1936. It was again revised and enlarged and published by The Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing & Pub Co.
The sixth edition appeared in 1960. Again it was revised and enlarged and published by Highland Printers, Inverness.
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NOTE: There are no words in Gaelic beginning with the letter *h*. However *h* is used as a sign of aspiration. The letters J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z are not found in Gaelic.