Talk:Longformacus

Articles for Deletion debate

This article survived an Articles for Deletion debate. The discussion can be found here. -Splash^talk 00:50, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I wonder why on earth a stub of an actual locality was flagged for deletion? Bizarre. Could I just say that there is no evidence (unless manufactured) that most Lowland places have had Gaelic names for at least 1000 years. The official language of the United Kingdom, is, like it or not, English. Indeed, since Malcolm Canmore major efforts were made in that regard. Anyone today coming to the Lowlands from the remote minority Gaelic-speaking pockets of the Highlands should not expect to see signs in Gaelic, or to see Gaelic references on Wikipedia which are entirely foreign to Lowlanders and to the places themselves. You cannot turn the clock back over ten centuries. David Lauder 19:30, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Im afraid your information is simply wrong and seems to be based on very, very out of date history. No efforts of this kind were made under Malcolm Canmore and there are a huge number - indeed, and ironically so considering the quite invalid popular idea of Scottish/Gaelic history, the majority of Scotlands Gaelic place names are found outwith the Highlands - of Gaelic place names in the Lowlands. Less so in the South East but even this region has its fair share. See Nicolaisens Scottish Place Names if you actually care about the reality rather than simple popular misconception. siarach 11:31, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Gaelic name

This is one of only two or three instances in the Lothians and Borders where I would have a Gaelic translation. It is one of the very few Gaelic placenames in the Borders. Longphort Mhacais or the Farm of Maccus. Brendandh 01:27, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree although you are wrong in one thing - it is not a "translation" if the name is originally Gaelic ;-). Im not just being a bit of a pedant here it is an important point as any translation would almost inevitably be a neologism and thus not really valid. Personally id only have the correct Gaelic versions of the names up for places which have originally Gaelic names which have been corrupted into popular Anglicised versions - Inbhir Nis/Inverness for example - or where the Gaelic name is distinct to that used in English but has historical precedence and is still reasonably prominent - Cill Chuimein/Fort Augustus - and would avoid completely the insertion of modern Gaelic neologisms. Incidently there are certainly more than "two or three" instances of Gaelic placenames in Lothians and Borders. siarach 11:38, 16 April 2007 (UTC)