Scottish Place-names: Their Study and Significance

Nicolaisen, W.F.H.

Chrysalis Books

THIS BOOK, THE result of twenty years' meticulous research, remains the only comprehensive and systematic study of Scottish place-names. From names which date from the dawn of time - such as the river names Tay or the Avon - to more modern names, such as Fort William or Helensburgh, Nicolaisen brings to life the rich tapestry of history which has shaped our country over thousands of years. Few of us are aware of the implications, symbolism and history of the names which we use and take for granted every day, and indeed of the continuous process of naming and re-naming which goes on around us. More than anything else, these place-names offer insights into the movement of peoples over Scotland over millennia, and often allow the modern reader to glimpse individuals who, if they had not been commemorated by place-names, would otherwise have disappeared from the historical record. This is a new edition of a classic text.

Scottish Place Names

Travel

Europe

John Donald Publishers Ltd.

David Dorward's book on Scottish place-names is a fascinating volume that offers insight and intrigue into the myriad of wonderful place-names found across Scotland. Much more than simply a dictionary of place-names, Dorward makes the subject accessible to the general reader, with explanations of hundreds of names that are clear and concise, and often witty, and as well as meanings, David Dorward gives the correct pronunciation of Scottish names. This new edition is a mine of information for the inquiring schoolchild, the hill-walker or mountaineer, the local historian—everyone, in fact, who has ever wondered about the origins of the marvelous variety of place-names in Scotland. With many parts of names tracing their roots back to their Celtic, Gaelic or Old English origins, it presents an opportunity for readers to unravel for themselves the meanings of hundreds of local area and landscape names—leading them into fascinating by—ways that anyone who looks up one name will be irresistibly led to explore more deeply.

Scottish Place-names

History

Dorward, David

Birlinn

<p>This book, the result of twenty years' meticulous research, remains the only comprehensive and systematic study of Scottish place-names. From names which date from the dawn of time - such as the river names Tay and Avon - to more modern place-names, such as Fort William and Helensburgh, W.F.H. Nicolaisen brings to life the rich tapestry of history which has shaped Scotland over thousands of years. When first published in 1976, Scottish place-names was welcomed by reviewers for its innovative thinking and for setting new standards in place-name studies in Scotland. Three further printings within a few years responded to an obvious demand for the kind of overview and methodological guide it provided. The revised edition, first published in 2001, responded to the huge surge of interest in, and study of, Scottish place-names and included an updated preface and additional bibliography.</p>

John Donald

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