IRL-CARLOW-L Archives

Archiver > IRL-CARLOW > 2007-01 > 1167870285


From: "Gerry Moloney" <>
Subject: Re: [IRL-CARLOW] OW????
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 00:25:29 -0000
References: <mailman.507.1167812369.29699.irl-carlow@rootsweb.com><005801c72f77$e5eebab0$0202a8c0@oem78ed16b5479>


Michael,

WicklOW is already on my list of OWs.

I have read that it was named by the Vikings as Vikengelo meaning 'grassy vale' or something like that.
Wexford and Waterford are easy to understand - both being fjords.

All 3 are somewhat explained here, including Wicklow as an old Danish name, forms of which are - Wkyynglo, Wygyngelo, Wykinlo
http://www.booksulster.com/library/plnm/placenamesW.php
The Gaelic name for Wicklow, Cill Mhantain, is also explained.

And see here for where 'Barrow' may come from the Norse word 'Barrae' in the naming of Barrow Island, England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrow_Island_%28England%29#

And other theories here for the origin of 'Barrow'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrow-in-Furness

However it still does not explain the OW part of the names - particularly the final W - and when, where or why this arose in the Anglicisation process. This may, of course, may be critical in understanding the origins of the name 'Carlow'.

There is also, of course, Moscow, Krakow and hundreds of other towns and areas in Eastern Europe with the same or the similar suffix -ov appended. The naming of KrakOW and MerkOW are somewhat explained or attempted to be explained in this reference http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GEN-SLAVIC/1997-11/0879936046 which basically says:

OW - suffix means 'belonging to somebody'
KrakOW - therefore means an area belonging to or arising from the town of 'Krak' - named after a legendary Duke of a group of people living in that area of Poland.

Not that I believe that anybody, except a fool like me, has the patience to follow all of the above links in the quest for the meaning of 'Carlow' !!!

Regards.
Gerry



'You can lead a man to knowledge but you can't make him think.'
Gerry Moloney (Lecturer)
Computing Dept., ITCarlow, Ireland.
Office: (059)9170455
Mobile: (087)9184000


________________________________

From: on behalf of MBrennan
Sent: Wed 03/01/2007 20:44
To:
Subject: [IRL-CARLOW] OW????



Nice one Gerry!

And what about Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford etc???

Regards & A Very Happy New Year for 2007

Michael

Home Page: www.brennan-laois.com
Carlow IGP: http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlcar2

> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 23:33:21 -0000
> From: "Gerry Moloney" <>
> Subject: [IRL-CARLOW] OW OW ouch! and Happy New Year
> To: <>
> Message-ID:
> <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> A Happy New Year to everyone on the list. May your plans come to fruition
> this year and may your searching yield results.
>
> CarlOW, TullOW, WicklOW, ArklOW, BarrOW, DurrOW.
>
> Is there a linguist in the shop who can explain where these OWs came from?
>
> There is no W in the Irish language that I am aware of.
> So these are obviously Anglicisations of something. What? And obviously
> there was some system used in the Anglicisation process. What is or was
> the system? Was is formal or informal? All these places above are within a
> stone's throw of CarlOW. Perhaps a cartographer, a politician, a king, a
> prince, a princess was responsible. Or should I just blame it all on
> StrongbOW?????
>
> Solving this little problem may lead to helping understand where the name
> 'Carlow' came from, whether it was called after a person (like many
> placenames) and henceforth perhaps allow us to speculate (maybe even
> prove) whether there are persons still in the area descended from such a
> person.
>
> That is: Genealogy and History all rolled into one and helping one
> another.
>
> The naming of Jerusalem and Carlow is coming between me and my sleep as it
> has done all through 2006!!!
>
> Can nobody help??????????
>
> Happy New Year again.
> Gerry
>
>
>
> 'You can lead a man to knowledge but you can't make him think.'
> Gerry Moloney (Lecturer)
> Computing Dept., ITCarlow, Ireland.
> Office: (059)9170455
> Mobile: (087)9184000
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 18:47:43 -0500
> From: frances heidel <>
> Subject: Re: [IRL-CARLOW] OW OW ouch! and Happy New Year
> To:
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
>
> I'd guess it'd be the same as borOUGH...meeting a part of a land.
> Does that make sense?
>
>
> ------------------------------
>



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