大象传媒

Is toigh leam an t-ainm-脿ite 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑. D猫 ur beachd fh猫in air? Saoilidh mise gu bheil e tarraingeach ann am Beurla cuideachd. Stornoway. 鈥橲 e ainm Lochlannach a tha ann. 鈥橲 e 厂迟箩贸谤苍补谤惫谩驳谤 a bha ann. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh b脿gh na sti霉rach no b脿gh an sti霉iridh 鈥� ann am Beurla, rudder bay no steering bay.

Tha 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑 eile ann an Alba. 鈥橲 e loch mara a tha ann. Tha Loch Stornoway, no Loch Stornua ann an G脿idhlig, ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal. Tha e ann an ceann a deas Chnapadail.

D猫 bha anns a鈥� chumantas eadar an d脿 脿ite? Carson a chuir na maraichean Lochlannach an t-aon ainm air na dh脿? Chan eil mi cinnteach. Tha an loch mara ann an Cnapadal d矛reach gu siar air Loch an Tairbeirt an Iar. An robh na se貌ladairean a bha a鈥� d猫anamh air Loch an Tairbeirt a鈥� sti霉ireadh a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Loch Stornua? Ma tha sibh a鈥� se貌ladh bhon cheann a deas, cha bhi Loch an Tairbeirt anns an t-sealladh an toiseach. Tha Eilean Ghiogha anns an rathad.

Leugh mi leabhar mu 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑 Le貌dhais o chionn ghoirid. Tha an leabhar 鈥� The Castles of the Lews le Peter Cunningham 鈥� l脿n fiosrachaidh mu eachdraidh a鈥� bhaile. Agus dh鈥檌onnsaich mi rud iongantach. 鈥橲 e sin gun robh oidhirp ann ainm a鈥� bhaile atharrachadh. Is toigh leam fh猫in Stornoway. Ach, a r猫ir choltais, cha robh a h-uile duine s脿saichte leis.

Sgr矛obh Fear-casaid a鈥� Chr霉in ann an 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑, T貌mas Druimeanach, ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a ceithir (1834) don bhall-ph脿rlamaid Seumas Sti霉bhart-MacCoinnich. Bha e a鈥� moladh ainm 霉r a bhith air a鈥� bhaile. 鈥淩espected Sir,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥�... In the first place I would suggest the propriety of changing the name of Stornoway, which has no meaning whatever so far as I can learn, and which to the ear of all Lowlanders sounds harsh, and indeed is often pronounced 鈥淪tormaway鈥� and gives strangers a wild idea of this country which it is undeserving thereof...鈥�

I like the place name 厂迟别貌谤苍补产丑补驳丑. What is your opinion of it? I reckon that it鈥檚 attractive in English as well. Stornoway. It鈥檚 a Norse name. It was 厂迟箩贸谤苍补谤惫谩驳谤. That means the bay of the rudder or the bay of the steering 鈥� in English, rudder bay or steering bay.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There is another Stornoway in Scotland. It鈥檚 a sea loch. Loch Stornoway, or Loch Stornua in Gaelic, in Argyll. It鈥檚 in the south of Knapdale.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What was there in common between the two places? Why did the Norse mariners call the two places by the same name? I鈥檓 not sure. The sea loch in Knapdale is just to the west of West Loch Tarbert. Were the sailors who were making for Loch Tarbert steering towards Loch Stornua? If you鈥檙e sailing from the south, Loch Tarbert is not visible to begin with. The Isle of Gigha is in the way.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I read a book about Stornoway, Lewis recently. The book 鈥� The Castles of the Lews by Peter Cunningham 鈥� is full of information about the town鈥檚 history. And I learned an amazing thing. That鈥檚 that there was an attempt to change the town鈥檚 name. I myself like Stornoway. But, apparently, not everybody was happy with it.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Procurator Fiscal in Stornoway, Thomas Drummond, wrote in 1834 to the member of parl-iament, James Stewart-Mackenzie. He was recommending that the town have a new name. 鈥淩espected Sir,鈥� he wrote, 鈥�... In the first place I would suggest the propriety of changing the name of Stornoway, which has no meaning whatever so far as I can learn, and which to the ear of all Lowlanders sounds harsh, and indeed is often pronounced 鈥淪tormaway鈥� and gives strangers a wild idea of this country which it is undeserving thereof...鈥�