Shetland Place names

[Njugle]

for Dagfinn:

Here is the first Loomi shun that I recall when discussing the subject, though there are more throughout Shetland. As you see, it is a small body of water.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/njugle/gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-17223545942.jpg

[Whitaker]

I wid lik ta see John Stewart's Placenames book get reprinted. I wis up alang Lawerence Tulloch fae Gutcher da day and he also has been trying ta get a copy for years now.

 

I ken at Shetland booksales it shows up but usually fetches way ower £100.

 

Da library his it but ta own a copy wid be better.

 

Onyway I hiv always had an interest in Shetland placenames and and joost ta be different heres my top 10 list of names I luv da soond o.

 

1 - Samphrey - Yell Sound

2 - Tammie Tyries Hidey Hol - Where I hear you say?! - Out Skerries

3 - Heylor - Northmavine

4 - Vigon - North Yell

5 - Rattletoon - West Yell

6 - The Cheynies - Burra

7 - Anderhill - Bressay

8 - Swarbacks Minn - Muckle Roe/Vementry

9 - Beadies - Levenwick

10 - Ramna Stacks - Fethaland

 

[Guest Anonymous]

Many of the old place names in Shetland have been lost, often thanks to the modern OS maps.

But here's a link which may help in finding the old place names again:

http://www.old-maps.co.uk/indexmappage2.aspx

It takes practice to navigate, but well worth the effort.

[Oddrun]

Njugle's "Loomi Sjun" looks sooo familiar to me

In my language it will be "Lomstjønna"...pronounsiation nearly the same...in this case I think that the Shetland word "Sjun" means the same as my "Tjønn" - a peerie lake. - (small lake)

In my part of the world, we mostly use the word "vatn" about any inland water....we have some rather big lakes in the area, bu noone has the word "Sjø" in them.

We call it an "innsjø" when we speak abot a rather large lake, but it is mostly in east/ south Norway the lake would have "-sjøen" in the end of the name.....This is just my "vestnorske" version of it.....

Oddrun

[Njugle]

I

6 - The Cheynies - Burra

 

Burra? The Cheynies are a group of three islets off Scalloway (and Burra , if you must) but I don't think you could call them "Burra" could you?

 

As for the sound, most fok pronounce it "Shaengies", tae my kennin o it.

[DePooperit]

I

6 - The Cheynies - Burra

 

As for the sound, most fok pronounce it "Shaengies", tae my kennin o it.

 

Dat's daed richt. AE laek in 'gaeng', 'kaen', etc, pronounced laek a short 'ai' soond in Burra, laek 'ey' i da Central Mainland, an laek 'ee' i da Nort Isles an some o da Nort Mainland.

 

BTW - I got Stewart's Shetland Place Names for nixt ta naethin whin da Shetland Times remaindered it. An noo hit's a collector's item, is it? I winder it hit's oot o copyricht - hit could be scanned in an pitten apo da net in PDF. Da sam wi Jakobsen, an a lock o idder aald beuks.

[Whitaker]

I

6 - The Cheynies - Burra

 

Burra? The Cheynies are a group of three islets off Scalloway (and Burra , if you must) but I don't think you could call them "Burra" could you?

 

As for the sound, most fok pronounce it "Shaengies", tae my kennin o it.

 

I ken whare dey ir I wis simply geeing an idea o whare best folk wid see dem fae. be it Burra/Trondra/Scalloway its aboot da same area. I never said it belanged ta Burra.

 

I ken my places in Shetland but for ony een ooto Shetland viewing dis forum it gees dem an idea.

 

Yes Shaengies is how I'd want ta see it on maps but like da lanes o lerwick aating hed ta change so idder folk could understand dem better.

 

[Skyumpi]

Just to muddy the waters a little more, here's a pic looking south into the Loomi Shun that Njugle mentions on the previous page - complete with oily loom and (although you probably can't make it out at this resolution) a raingös at the far side.

 

http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww2/rasmie/Tingon017.jpg

 

Both seem to be perfectly good explanations as to the origin of the name. I'd always thought it was the to do with the oily loom appearance but only because I didn't know that "lom" was norwegian for raingös until Dagfinn's post.

[DePooperit]

like da lanes o lerwick aating hed ta change so idder folk could understand dem better.

 

 

Whit wis dat? Wis da Lerwick laens wint ta hae idder naems?

[Ghostrider]

^^ The signs are, or at least were, double named and had both, where applicable.

 

eg. "Quendale Lane formerly Grierson's Closs"

 

I don't mind any of the rest.

[Oddrun]

They've done someting in Scalloway too--- I have a pic saying : "LANG CLOSS" -(formerly Spence's Closs/Burnett's Closs/ Baker's Closs)...no wonder it became LANG.....

Cheers

[Whitaker]

^^ The signs are, or at least were, double named and had both, where applicable.

 

eg. "Quendale Lane formerly Grierson's Closs"

 

I don't mind any of the rest.

 

In 1845 the Police Commissioners turned their attention to replacing early names with offical titles. A sub-committee was then tasked to decide the names used today.

 

The new names that are now are fine but the character of da auld still lives on as you will see on lane signs today.

 

Further examples

 

Crooked Lane - Originally called Betty Mann's Closs

Hangcliff Lane - Da Steep Closs

Back Charlotte Street - Thatch House Lane

Park Lane - Joseph Leasks Closs

Queens Lane - Nort Kirk Closs

Bank Lane - Swallow Lane.

 

Dare u hav it a few o da auld names fae da early 1800's

 

[Ghostrider]

^^ Don't forget "Whisky Lane", that would have done just fine to pair up with Swallow Lane.

 

Staying on a similar subject and era, maybe you can shed some light on something that came up on Shetlopedia a few months back. Where was "Middlebie House" of the 1850's/60's?

 

The general concensus was that it was probably what's known as "Inches" today, in part at least because it was at the top of "Middlebie Hill", what today is the north end of Gilbertson Road, but conclusive proof was never found as far as I'm aware.

[DePooperit]

Whit I wis winderin aboot wis Whitaker's comment at dis naems changed sae at 'idder fock could understand dem better.' I dunna tink dis is da kaese. Da new closs naems duisna seem ta me ta be ony aesier understuid as da aald enes. An nedder 'Cheynies' or 'Shaengies' is understaandable onywye - hit's juist a naem, aless you wir awaar o da meanin ahint it.

 

Hit's true at da spellin 'Cheynies' duisna represent da local pronunciation. Dat could be for different raesons:

 

a) Hit could be at dem at wrat doon da naems juist couldna tink hoo ta spell dem - laek da wye at some o my forebears wis written doon as 'Tourville' - ie, Tirval!

 

Hit could be at da pronunciation is changed ower time.

 

In ony kaese, dae'r nae recognised wye o representin Shaetlan pronunciation in writin.

[Whitaker]

^^ Don't forget "Whisky Lane", that would have done just fine to pair up with Swallow Lane.

 

Staying on a similar subject and era, maybe you can shed some light on something that came up on Shetlopedia a few months back. Where was "Middlebie House" of the 1850's/60's?

 

The general concensus was that it was probably what's known as "Inches" today, in part at least because it was at the top of "Middlebie Hill", what today is the north end of Gilbertson Road, but conclusive proof was never found as far as I'm aware.

 

Mare auld names Lerwick sadly lost (but still remembered) were

 

Fleet Street now North Road

Albany Street now King Harald Street

Leather Lane now Union Street

Whisky Lane now Market Street

London Road also Bullet Loan now Knab Road

Lower Hillhead (top of Reform Lane) to foot of Burgh Road was High Street.

High Street still exists but is regarded as a lane between St Olaf Street & King Harald Street.