Template talk:Did you know nominations/Skerray

Skerray (Q4)

I know the source (a local tourism promotion site, so not, I would suggest, of great academic value) gives the translations, but although I am not a speaker of Gaelic, I have always taken an interest in how placenames in Ireland are derived from the Gaelic. On the basis of my knowledge of places in Ireland with not dissimilar place names (The Skerries, Northern Ireland, Skerries, Dublin, Scarriff: see also the rocky island, a {skerry]]) I can't for a moment believe that this short place name has such a detailed translation: Gaelic just is not that succinct a language. I fear that putting such a mistranslation on the main page, regardless of what a website trying to invite visitors to a very remote area might claim, would be to make Wiki a laughing stock among those who actually know something about the matter. Kevin McE (talk) 23:52, 5 January 2012 (UTC)

Yeah, the name as given doesn't mean all of that. It's pretty much just "the rocks". Scottish and Irish are languages with prepositions, and "between" (idir) would be a separate word. It's not uncommon for words to be condensed during bastardisation, such as Portadown (Port an Dúnáin) or Belfast (Beal feirste) or even lost entirely. I'd not be surprised if the actual etymology began with a longer name which was then contracted down to Skerray - I could be wrong, but isn't the etymology of Newry based on iúr cinn trá (the yew of the strand), which seems a similar set of circumstances. Hook might be best being reworded to reflect a gradual change and not implying a direct translation. GRAPPLE X 00:04, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

I'm no expert on Gaelic, but I share the perception that there is nothing unusual about "Skerries", "Skerray," etc., as a place name related to rocks on the coast. Further, I find the alleged meaning of the name, as described on that tourism website, to be a pile of B.S. Accordingly, I substituted a totally different hook from the article. --Orlady (talk) 05:35, 6 January 2012 (UTC)