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What do Irish place names mean?

What do Irish place names mean?

The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations of Irish language names; that is, adaptations of the Irish names to English phonology and spelling. Its name is derived from the Irish dubh linn (meaning “black pool”), but its official Irish name is Baile Átha Cliath (meaning “town of the hurdled ford”).

What does drum mean in Irish place names?

“Drum” or “Drom” comes from the Irish word “Droim/Drom” meaning “ridge.” Place names such as Drumwood, or “Coill an Droma” in Irish, mean “The Wood of the Ridge.” You’ll find place names involving “Carrick” more common in the rockier parts of the country.

What does Bally in Irish mean?

place of
Bally in Irish can mean but homestead or settlement and also pass or passage. Essentially it is derived from the Gaelic phrase “baile na” meaning “place of.” So, for example, Ballyjamesduff, in Cavan, is literally the place of James Duff.

What does Cott mean in place names?

List of generic forms in place names in Ireland and the United Kingdom

Term Origin Meaning
coed W wood, forest
cot, cott OE,W cottage, small building or derived from Bry/W Coed or Coet meaning a wood
Craig, crag, creag Bry, SG, I A jutting rock.
cul C W narrow

What is a beg in Ireland?

…beg. This means ‘small’ in Gaelic. Usually used at the end of a name, this often means that this feature is the smaller of a pair of adjacent features.

What do Irish townland names mean?

The term describes the smallest unit of land division in Ireland, based on various forms of Gaelic land division, many of which had their own names. The modern Irish term for a townland is baile fearainn (plural: bailte fearainn). The term fearann means “land, territory, quarter”.

What does dun mean in Ireland?

A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse.

What does Carrick mean in Ireland?

rock
Carrick, Carrig. Carrick means ‘rock’ in Gaelic languages, and Carricks are abundant across Ireland. For example Carrickfergus [Rock of Fergus] (county Antrim), Carrickmacross [Rock of MacRoss] (county Monaghan), Carrick-on-Suir (county Tipperary). Castle. A prefix whose origins are in the English language.

What is a Cott?

Cott. The Cott Corporation is a supplier of private label carbonated soft drinks distributing to Canada, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Europe.

What does worth mean in place names?

419) he lists the word – worõig as meaning an enclosed homestead, farm or curtilage, and this is the word from which ‘worthy’ has derived.

What does dun mean in Irish?

fort
The term comes from Irish dún or Scottish Gaelic dùn (meaning “fort”), and is cognate with Old Welsh din (whence Welsh dinas “city” comes). In certain instances, place-names containing Dun- or similar in Northern England and Southern Scotland, may be derived from a Brittonic cognate of the Welsh form din.

Where can I find a list of Irish placenames?

Glossary of words commonly found in Irish placenames. Historical maps, publications and illustrations related to placenames. List of legal instruments that implement the Official Languages Act 2003. This feature enables the searching of c.5,800 toponymic sources.

Which is the weirdest place name in Ireland?

The weird and wonderful place names around Ireland. But nevertheless, as this list shows, Ireland does at least have a few wacky place names that are guaranteed to raise a few chuckles. 1. Muckanaghederdauhaulia, Co. Galway – the longest place name in Ireland. It’s a small village in the ConnemaraGaeltacht between Camus and Carraroe,…

Which is the longest place name in Ireland?

Muckanaghederdauhaulia, Co. Galway – the longest place name in Ireland. It’s a small village in the ConnemaraGaeltacht between Camus and Carraroe, in County Galway. In Irish, this is Muiceanach idir Dhá Sháile – which literally means “pig-shaped hill between two seas”.

Where does the name Bran come from in Irish mythology?

Means “raven” in Irish. In Irish legend Bran was a mariner who was involved in several adventures. Anglicized form of the Irish name Brighid meaning “exalted one”. In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda.