Ounceland
An ounceland (
daugh), which is a term of Pictish origin, also used in the east of Scotland too, but for a different measurement. The “ounceland” is thought to be of Norse
origin, so it is possible that Norse (‘ounceland’) and native systems (dabhach) were conflated in the west.
Quotes
Skene in Celtic Scotland says:
- "As soon as we cross the dabhachs’ and ‘pennylands’. The portion of land termed a ‘dabhach’ is here also called a ‘tirung’ or ‘ounceland’, and each ‘dabhach’ contains 20 pennylands."
The Rev. Dr Campbell of
Skye
said:
- "the system of land measure which prevailed in the Western Isles, and then took root in Argyll was neither Pictish nor Irish, but Norse. The unit was the 'ounce'-land, i.e. the extent of land which paid the rent of an ounce of silver. The word was borrowed by Gaelic and appears as 'unnsa'. The land term was 'unga', e.g. Unganab in North Uist and in Tiree. It appears in the old charters as 'teroung', 'teiroung', &c. This extent was divided into twenty parts—sometimes into only 18 – which parts being called 'peighinn'…"
Other uses
The term unga/uinge is also used for an ingot.
See also
- Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
- In the East Highlands:
- In the West Highlands:
- Markland (Marg-fhearann) = 8 Ouncelands (varied)
- Ounceland (Tir-unga) =20 Pennylands
- Pennyland (Peighinn) = basic unit; sub-divided into half penny-land and farthing-land
- (Other terms in use; Quarterland (Ceathramh): variable value; Groatland (Còta bàn)
- Townland (Baile)
References
- This article incorporates text from Dwelly's [Scottish] Gaelic Dictionary (1911). ((Dabhach, Peighinn, Unga) with corrections and additions).
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