Numerous #headlines have been devoted to north of the border over the last few weeks, but I thought we should take a quick look a more gentle change that has occurred there in recent years. I see a much greater interest in the origins of the #place names. Many signs now appear with the #Gaelic name from which the current name is derived, together with a #translation of Gaelic meaning. For example, you have heard of #Ben More, the highest #mountain on this #island, right? The Gaelic name for this mountain is A’ Bheinn Mhor. It seems an obvious name when you know that “bheinn” is mountain and “mhor” is big.
You already know, in cold countries there are many names for snow, well in Scotland, there are many different words for mountain. “Meall” is a conical hill, such a Meall a Bhuchaille, the shepherds’ (conical) hill. “Sgor” is a rocky peak, such as Sgor Gaoith the windy (rocky) peak. There is also “creag” meaning a mountain of medium height and “stob”, which varies a bit from east to west, but to simplify is a peak above a steep walled semi-circular basin in a #mountain!
You get the picture. Where does #English differentiate?