Mull is an Anglicization of the Gaelic ''Maol'', a term for a rounded hill, summit, or mountain, bare of trees (it has also been used, in Gaelic, to refer to a forehead, or to a shaved head). As an adjective, the word is used to indicate something which is bare, dull, or bald. In Scotland, the term is most commonly used in the southwest, where it is often applied to headlands or

promontories A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...

, and, often more specifically, for the tip of that promontory or peninsula. Gaelic spelling rules require that maol, in certain syntactical arrangements, be

lenited In linguistics, lenition is a sound change that alters consonants, making them more sonorous. The word ''lenition'' itself means "softening" or "weakening" (from Latin 'weak'). Lenition can happen both synchronically (within a language at a pa ...

: that is, an ''h'' is inserted after the first letter, if the first letter is a consonant (and not an l, n, or r). This ''h'' makes the preceding consonant silent, or changes its sound (mh, or bh, for instance, are silent or sound like an English v). In some circumstances (e.g., genitive case), in addition to lenition, the last consonant must be slender (proceeded and followed, if applicable by an i or an e). As both vowels in maol are broad, an i is inserted after. These two changes alter the sound of maol (rhymes with mull) to mhaoil (rhymes with uell, or well), as in ''Creachmhaoil'' (creach + maol). Consequently, 'maol', where it appears combined in place names, may not be Anglicized as ''mull''. Creachmhaoil is typically Anglicized (as a toponym) as Craughwell. The reverse is also true, and though ''mull'' appears in numerous Irish and Scottish toponyms, a convoluted history of Anglicizations means that in many it may have no connection to the word maol. The Gaelic mullach (often found as mullagh) is a variation of maol/mull. Dwelly's (Scottish) Gaelic-to-English dictionary gives the basic definition: ''the top, summit, or extremity of anything''. It is common in the names of Irish prominences, such as

Mullaghmore Mullaghmore may refer to the following places in Ireland: General * Mullaghmore, County Clare, a limestone hill * Mullaghmore Peninsula, a peninsula in County Sligo ** Mullaghmore, County Sligo, a village on the Mullaghmore Peninsula * Mullaghmore, ...

(''An Mullach Mór''), Mullaghaneany, Mullaghcloga, and Mullaghcarn. Notable mulls include: *The

Mull of Kintyre The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...

*The

Mull of Galloway The Mull of Galloway ( gd, Maol nan Gall, ; ) is the southernmost point of Scotland. It is situated in Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, at the end of the Rhins of Galloway peninsula. The Mull has one of the last remaining sections of natur ...

*The Mull of Oa, otherwise simply

The Oa ''The OA'' is an American mystery drama television series with science fiction, supernatural, and fantasy elements. ''The OA'' debuted on Netflix on December 16, 2016. Created and executive produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the serie ...

, a headland on Islay *The Mull of Cara, a promontory at the south of

Cara Island Cara Island ( gd, Cara) is a small island which is located off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. Geography and etymology Cara is south of Gigha. It is accessible from Gigha. Cara has a translation in Gaelic as "dearest" or "dear one". C ...

*The Mull of Logan, a promontory on the

Rhins of Galloway The Rhins of Galloway, otherwise known as the Rhins of Wigtownshire (or as The Rhins, also spelt The Rhinns; gd, Na Rannaibh), is a hammer-head peninsula in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Stretching more than from north to south, its southern ...

*Mull Head, a headland on the

Orkney Mainland The Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections. Seventy-five per cent of O ...

* Creachmhaoil in County Galway, in Ireland. *

Mull Hill Mull Hill ( Manx: Cronk Meayll'' also called Meayll Hill or The Mull) is a small hill in the exclave of Rushen Parish at the southern end of the Isle of Man, just outside the village of Cregneash. It is the site of a chambered cairn called Mull C ...

, Isle of Man.

Mull Mull may refer to: Places *Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides ** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland * Mount Mull, Antarctica *Mull Hill, Isle of Man * Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highway ...

, the Inner Hebridean island's name has a different, pre-Gaelic derivation.Gammeltoft, Peder "Scandinavian Naming-Systems in the Hebrides—A Way of Understanding how the Scandinavians were in Contact with Gaels and Picts?" in Ballin Smith ''et al'' (2007) p. 487

Notes

References

*Ballin Smith, Beverley; Taylor, Simon; Williams, Gareth (eds) (2007) ''West Over Sea: Studies in Scandinavian Sea-Borne Expansion and Settlement Before 1300''. Leiden. Koninklijke Brill. * Celtic words and phrases Celtic toponyms Scottish words and phrases Irish words and phrases Scottish toponyms Irish toponyms {{Ireland-hist-stub