| Our
authors have spelled
Craigie Clair in a number
of different ways.
- Craig E Clair
- Craig E. Clare
- Craig-e-Clair
- Craig-E-Claire
- Craig-e-Clare
- Craigie Clair
- Craigie Claire
The
confusion is not limited
to our authors, however;
rather, one may see it
reflected on road signs
today as one drives to
Roscoe.
It appears that the Gaelic word CREAG or CARRAIG means rock or rocky outcropping (from whence comes our CRAG), and that CRAIG and CRAIGE, among others, are variant spellings of this. Suggestive for our local landmark, one source gives CRAIG as a clan name assumed by those who built forts on these rocky outcroppings.
CLAIR,
a masculine form of CLAIRE,
is not Gaelic but derived
from Latin CLARUS, although
SINCLAIR is the Scots
spelling of SAINT CLAIR.
-IE
endings are usually diminutives,
(e.g. DAVE-DAVIE, TOM-TOMMIE).
Following this, CRAIGIE
would be little Craig.
So
CRAIG-E pronounced CRAIGIE
could be either a variant
spelling of CRAIGIE, or
a variant spelling of
CRAIGE, possibly based
on a confusion about its
pronunciation.
Given
all this, CRAIGE CLAIR
or CRAIGIE CLAIR might
be slightly more pseudo-authentic
to the Scots allusion
Dundas wished to create.
However,
out of respect for our
authors we have retained
their spelling choices
in this volume.
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