a rock or cliff; _e.g._ the Alps; Albainn (the hilly or high land), the anc. name of Scotland; Albania, with the same meaning; Alpenach (the mountain stream), at the foot of Mount Pilate; Alva and Alvah (the rocky), parishes in Scotland; Cantal (the _head_ of the rock), in France. In Ireland the word _ail_ takes the form of _oil_, aspirated _foyle_ or _faill_; _e.g._ Foilycleara (O’Clery’s cliff); Foilnaman (the cliff of the women): but while the aspirated form of _ail_ is confined to the south, _aill_ is found all over Ireland; Ayleacotty, _i.e._ _Aill-a-choite_ (the cliff of the little boat); Ailla-gower (the goat’s cliff); Alleen (the diminutive) is found in Alleen-Hogan and Alleen-Ryan (Hogan’s and Ryan’s little cliff). When, however, _foyle_ comes in as a termination, it is commonly derived from _poll_ (a hole), as in Ballyfoyle and Ballyfoile (the town of the hole). The anc. name of Britain, _Albion_, has sometimes been traced to this root, but more generally to the _white_ cliffs (Lat. _albus_) on the coast of Kent, as seen first by the Romans. [Sidenote: ALR (A.S.), ALNUS (Lat.), AUNE (Fr.),] the alder-tree; _e.g._ Alr-holt, Aldershot (alder-tree wood); Alresford (Alderford); Alrewas (alder-tree pasture); Alderley (alder-tree meadow), in England; Aulney, Aulnoy, Aulnois, Aunay, Auneau (alder grove), in France. [Sidenote: ALT (Gadhelic),] a stream; _e.g._ the Alt, Aldan, Alta (river names); Alt-dowran (otter stream); Aultsigh (gliding stream); Alt-na-guish (the stream of the fir-trees); Aldivalloch, _i.e._ _Allt-a-bhealaich_ (the stream of the pass); Alness, _i.e._ _Allt-an-casa_ (of the cascade); Alltmore (great stream); Auldearn, _i.e._ _Allt-fearn_ (alder-tree stream); Cumbernauld, corrupt. from _Cumar-nan-alta_ (the confluence of the streams); Garavault in Aberdeenshire, Garvault in East Lothian, and Garvald in Dumfriesshire (rough stream); Altderg (red stream). [Sidenote: ALTUN, or ALTAN (Tartar),] golden; _e.g._ the Altai, or golden mountains; Altanor (golden lake); Altan-su (golden river); Alta-Yeen (the golden mountains); Altun-tash (golden rock); Altun-kupri (golden bridge). [Sidenote: AM, or AN,] contrac. from Ger. _an den_ (on the, or at the); _e.g._ Amberg (at the hill); Amdorf or Ambach, Amsteg, Amwalde (at the village, brook, path, wood). [Sidenote: AMAR (Old Ger.),] a kind of grain; _e.g._ Amarbach, Amarthal, Amarwang, Amarveld (the brook, valley, strip of land, field where this grain grew). [Sidenote: AMBACHT, or AMT (Ger.),] a district under the government of an Amtman or bailiff; _e.g._ Amt-sluis (the sluice of the Ambacht); Amthof (the court of the Amtman); Graven-Ambacht (the duke’s district); Ambachtsbrug (the bridge of the Ambacht). [Sidenote: AMBR,]