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Common Norse words in our Placenames The Norse elements in our placenames are “Old Norse” which is a language closely associated with modern Icelandic, but it is quite different from modern Norwegian. In the west coast of Scotland, many of the larger topographical features visible from the sea have been named by the Norse. |
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| bol |
house; chief farm in a township |
Eribol (Sutherland) |
| bolstadr |
farm house |
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| borg |
fort; castle; dome-shaped hill |
Reiseaborg |
| bost |
farm |
Heribusta; Sgeabost |
| bolstadr |
sheep house or steading |
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| dalr |
dale |
Suardal, Gleann Dail |
| ey |
island |
Fladaigh |
| eyrr |
A gravelly beach |
Eyre & Kensaleyre |
| flatr |
flat |
Fladaigh |
| fjord |
firth |
An t-Ord; Snizort; Knoydart |
| fljot |
floating? |
Flodaigearaidh |
| gardr |
garden; dyke or yard |
Garadh fhada |
| hallr |
slope |
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| hellir |
a cave |
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| holmr |
a small island, stack or cliff |
Holm island; Dun thuilm |
| hryggr |
ridge |
Rig |
| inn |
locality; place |
Stafainn |
| ladar |
measurement of land |
Hungladair |
| mari |
mare |
Marisiadar |
| mol |
stone, shingle |
Mol Steinseill |
| Nis |
promontory |
Nisabost, Peiness |
| os |
river mouth |
Geaṛs |
| saudr/soudhar |
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| setr/ |
shieling, mountain pasture, |
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| shader |
hut |
Marisiadar |
| Staffr |
staff |
Stafainn |
| Staurr or storr |
great; dominant |
Bodach an Storr |
| sten |
stone |
Steinseall |
| straumr |
stream or current |
Tobht a rom |
| val |
hill? |
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| vik |
bay = as in |
Brogaig (and further afield Uig, Tarscabhaig, Wick) |
| vollr |
field |
Valtos, or easier to see Portvoller in Lewis |
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