Worrying trends in change of Scots place names

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:35 am

It's really the Local Council that is in charge of these things, Roads Dept & Planning.

Here they managed [for a change] to name new streets with local surnames, but for some reason decided that Marshall had only 1 L

It is now changed, after a bit of pressure locally.

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:58 am

The City of Edinburgh Council tries to have streets named after [dead] people or local names with a historical connection with the area.

There was a stooshie a few years back when the Council over-ruled a housing developer regarding a street name. The Council declared the street was to be Trotter Haugh, named after a local landowner of years back. The developer and incoming residents objected as it made their new [posh] houses sound like something from the TV series Only Fools & Horses.

The council won.

All the best,

AndrewP

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 12:48 pm

Andrew - for once I'm with the council !

Lesley - Perhaps the only way to preserve the correct pronunciation is to adopt bilingual sign boards - the second language being some sort of phonetics, which could incorporate some of the features of the newest of British languages - textspeak.

Welcome to Milngavie
Wellkum 2 Millguy

The residents of Cooross, Kercoobree , Strayven , Kinnucher and Edinburra
would surely be in favour ?
But I have no answer to the "ch"/ "gh" problem . Other than to send those who maintain they cannot possibly make such a sound to live in the Netherlands or Flanders for a while - where (in my opinion) folks are even better than English speaking Scots at these sort of noises .

Sally

Post by **Ina** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:34 am

Here is an interesting site which explains how to pronounce Scottish place names.

http://www.rampantscotland.com/features/pronounce.htm

Ina

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:08 pm

sally,

I know Culross, Kirkudbright,and Edinburgh, but I haven't heard of

Kinnucher

cheers
Annpa

Post by **AndrewP** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:38 pm

annpa wrote:I know Culross, Kirkudbright,and Edinburgh, but I haven't heard of Kinnucher

In fairness, probably the least obvious from the list. See Kilconquhar on the Rampant Scotland site.

All the best,

AndrewP

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:09 pm

Kilconquhar is on my ancestral trail. It is also named Kinnoquar depending on one’s social standing, their words not mine. The point here is that these colloquialisms’ are devised by local people rather than an assault on the Scottish tongue or a cunning plan by the English to regularise things phonetically.
All of the above reminds me of a tiny place called Lost in Aberdeenshire. The village sign was often stolen by souvenir hunters for its novelty value. Because of this the council decided to change the place name to Lost Farm. A process that was agreed by the locals themselves who, under closer scrutiny lived in a single property of the same name! The adverse reaction to this plan was global and included my own little letter to the local council under the heading, “get lost”. It just goes to show how easily place names can be changed.
Some time later I was advised that the decision had been rescinded. I hope they kept their word. The message here is that we should look to ourselves in resisting bureaucratic intervention in wiping out historic links and challenge them.
M
From: Nelson Mandela Mews ( formally, Rotten Row) I’m just kidding

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:15 pm

Malcolm wrote:Kilconquhar is on my ancestral trail.

Me too.
In all honesty , it took me more than a little while to equate Kilconquhar, the parish where I had found my great grandfathers birth , with Kinnucher , the place where my mum thought the family came from .....

Sally
Rue du Delboy/Delboysestraat ( I wish )

Robert1893 · Post by **Robert1893** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:29 pm

How about Simminins.....for St Monans in the East Neuk. From whence came my Irelands to settle in Greenock.

cadmium · Post by **cadmium** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:28 pm

I don't remember seeing a Granny Clarke's Wynd when I last visited St Andrews but I do remember finding 'Butts Wynd' humorous