29 November 2008

Atlas of True Names

This seems to bring together two of my favourite things: language and maps. I'm not convinced that the etymologies are always just so, but it's fun anyhow. I feel vindicated when I look at where Dublin is and it says 'Blackpool': as a child I remember finding out what the Gaelic meant and finding it amusing that there was a Blackpool on both sides of the Irish Sea -sorry that should be Westland Sea, perhaps. I also like that the Land of Strangers gives the sense of 'Wales' and the Mountains of Fellow Countrymen gives something of the sense of the Welsh (strangers') word for Wales, 'Cymru' (pr "come ree" if you're speaking a version of English where that first vowel is not like in 'foot'). Have a look.Atlas of True Names

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