Scetis
Attested: Ptolemy 2,3,31 Σκητις (or Οκητις); Scetis at position 288 in the Ravenna Cosmography
Scia insula in the Life of St. Columba by Adomnan, written about AD 700 describing events in about AD 500.
Where: Colonsay plus Oronsay, two islands at high tide, one island at low tide.
Name Origin: PIE *skei- ‘to cut’ had descendants in many languages including Greek σχίζω, Latin scindo ‘to split’, Irish
scíath ‘shield, wing’, and Germanic words such as English sheath, shed, ski, etc or Old Frisian sketha ‘to separate’. Conceivably the final -is might mean ‘island’.
Notes: Skye's ancient name was most likely Magantia. There are linguistic difficulties with thinking that Skye preserves an ancient Gaelic name and Skye is too far north for the names listed in that part of the Cosmography or for Columba's zone of operations around Iona. Scetis is less likely to be Luing plus Seil, with a narrow channel between the two and an even narrower channel between Seil and the mainland.
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Last edited 15 March 2025 To main Menu