20 MARCH 1909, Page 18

.SEIGNEUR DAKIMKEYIPERT.

ILTO TRH Remit OF Till "SPKGPATOlt."] SIR,—In his letter bearing this title (Spectator, February 27th) your correspondent Mr. Warrick observes: "Ands' iu Scotland is locally often pronounced ' Ach.' " It is rather the reverse. The Gaelic form of the word is " Ach," shortened from " Aehadh," "a field" (the dh silent), and the spelling " Auela " merely indicates the broad open sound of a. There is no such ;diphthong in Gaelic as au. The prefix is prevalent in Highland place-names, and the two forms often interchange, as in Achnasheen and Auchniusheen, &c.—I am, Sir, (to.,