Gilshaughlin Ho & Gill
Early-attested site in the Parish of Cliburn
Historical Forms
- Shawglynge (sic) 1523 SheriffAcct9d
- Guillshafling 1611 PR(CR)
- Gillshaflinge 1626 PR
- Gil(l)shaf(f)lin 1702,1740 PR 1704 Terr
- Gylsaufhling 1675 PR
- Gilsaughling 1680,1683,1686 PR
- Gilshaughlin 1777 M 1777 NB
Etymology
This appears to be an inversion compound of ON gil 'ravine' (the deep valley of Gilshaughlin Gill) and probably a pers.n. Collingwood (CW (OS) xv, 299) thought this would be an Ir name of the same form as the saint's name in Ir Dunshaughlin (Domnach Sechnaill in Hogan 354), but Ekwall (ScandsCelts 38) can find no parallel to the OIr palatalised s - appearing in early English as sh -, though it does so later. We may, however, have as the second el. a ME or e.ModE byname Shauchling or Shaffling 'infirm in gait', related to the Scots dial. shauchle and NCy dial. shaffle , both meaning 'to walk with a shuffle, to stumble' (cf. NED), Scots , Nb dial. shackling 'mean, paltry, a puny weakling', and NCy dial. shaffling 'a bungler, idler, an insignificant creature' (EDD s.v.), all thought to be connected with ME schaylande 'shuffling'. The spellings with -f - are due to an e.ModE change of -gh - to -f - (cf. Phonol. §19).