Tuesday, May 5, 2009

What does Dublin's Celtic name, Baile Atha Cliath, mean?

Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, has another name which is Celtic, Baile Atha Cliath. Does anyone know what it means?

What does Dublin's Celtic name, Baile Atha Cliath, mean?
The name Dublin is an Anglicism of Dubh Linn (Irish, meaning "Black Pool"), though some doubt this derivation. Historically, in the old script used for the Irish language, 'bh' was written with a dot placed over the 'b' — thus appearing to be Dub Linn or Dublinn. The Norman-speaking English who arrived in Old Irish-speaking Ireland starting in 1169 omitted the "dot" (or séimhiú in Irish), and spelled the town's name as 'Dublin'.





Meanwhile, the city's name in Modern Irish — Baile Átha Cliath ("The Town of the Ford of the Reed Hurdles") — actually refers to the settlement, founded in 988 by High King Mael Sechnaill II, which adjoined the town of Dubh Linn proper, at the Black Pool.





Some have suggested that "Dublin" is of Scandinavian origin, cf. Icelandic: "djúp lind" ("deep pond"). However, the name "Dubh Linn" pre-dates the arrival of the Vikings in Ireland, and the Old Norse (and modern Icelandic) name for Dublin is simply the words "Dubh Linn" re-spelled as if they were Old Norse: Dyflinn (correctly pronounced "DUEV-linn" - indeed, the letter 'y' is still pronounced like the vowel in "ewe" in Modern Norwegian, Swedish, etc., just as it was in Old Norse; Icelandic, while keeping the spelling, has changed this sound to /i/).
Reply:Town by the hurdle.





It is pronounced BALL-ya CLEE-ah, btw.


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