Meaning of town names.

[bettedaviseyes]

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me and my mate were visiting my family in wick it was her first time so far north and she asked me why are all the place up here end in STER.

scarbster
lybster
camster
thurmbster
sibster

CAN ANYONE TELL WHATS THE MEANING OF IT?

[2little2late]

I remember there was a thread a few years back asking exactly the same question. You could try and search the org you may find the answer to your question.

[northener]

-ster means a settlement or steading.

It's Norse in origin - like a lot of the place names in Caithness.

[Angela]

Would you know what the -goe endings mean, Northener? :)

Papigoe, Staxigoe, Whaligoe, Girnigoe etc.....

[northener]

Yup, Norse, it means 'Inlet' or narrow bay - if my memory serves me correctly.

So Staxigoe is 'Staxi's Inlet'. I still haven't sussed out why it's spelt differently in some instances.

eg: Long Geo (at Duncansby Head)
Staxigoe

[2little2late]

There's a wee bit here about Staxigoe
http://www.caithness.org/atoz/staxigoe/index.htm

[northener]

I got Staxigoe wrong, 'Stax' comes from the Norse word for stack or large rock - not someone's name.

[sprint95m]

A geo is an inlet in the coast. (From Norse?) Pronounced gie-yoh.
Goe is the English spelling.

[northener]

Papigoe could be 'Inlet of the priests/church' as 'Papil' or 'Papar' occurs in Norse sites on Shetland that are linked to Christian sites.

Just found this- quite interesting reading:

http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/papar/caithness2.html

[Angel]

I worked as a supermarket shelf stacker in Altringham... kept changing everything around...
Moved to Oldham... but my hands were always full...
Started gambling in Dublin... but the stakes got to high to quick...
Moved to Hyde in Cheshire... not been seen since...

Angel

[joxville]

I worked as a supermarket shelf stacker in Altringham... kept changing everything around...
Moved to Oldham... but my hands were always full...
Started gambling in Dublin... but the stakes got to high to quick...
Moved to Hyde in Cheshire... not been seen since...

Angel

Whatever you do, don't move to Twatt in Orkney.

[TBH]

Whatever you do, don't move to Twatt in Orkney.What did she mean?:confused

[bettedaviseyes]

thanks guys will let my mate know now :lol:

[Kevin Milkins]

Whatever you do, don't move to Twatt in Orkney.
I am not quite sure what you are on about with that post angel.???
Jox... and what exactly is wrong with being a Twatt from Orkney.:roll:lol
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm196/kevinmilkins/05_15_62.jpg

[joxville]

What did she mean?:confused


I worked as a supermarket shelf stacker in Altringham... kept changing everything around...
Moved to Oldham... but my hands were always full...
Started gambling in Dublin... but the stakes got to high to quick...
Moved to Hyde in Cheshire... not been seen since...

Angel


Altringham-altering them
Oldham-hold them
Dublin-doubling
Hyde-hide

[TBH]

Altringham-altering them
Oldham-hold them
Dublin-doubling
Hyde-hideVery obscure and credit to you for figuring it out.
My report card will read, 'Must do better.'

[wifie]

I am not quite sure what you are on about with that post angel.???
Jox... and what exactly is wrong with being a Twatt from Orkney.:roll:lol


Thought you were a Milikins! (What is one of them anyway?)

[joxville]

I am not quite sure what you are on about with that post angel.???
Jox... and what exactly is wrong with being a Twatt from Orkney.:roll:lol
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm196/kevinmilkins/05_15_62.jpg

I thought you were Welsh. Or do you wear that fleece so people feel sorry for you. [lol]

[Kevin Milkins]

Altringham-altering them
Oldham-hold them
Dublin-doubling
Hyde-hide
Far to subtle for me ,:lol: Thanks for that angel and jox for the explo.

[northener]

There's a settlement called Twatt on Shetland too. So the Far North is full of Twatts!

Also a place called Poverty on Unst.

That's 'Poverty' on the island of Unst, not Poverty-on-Unst...that would be silly.

Whaligoe is Inlet of the Whale...not Wales - nothing to do with Kevin at all...

[golach]

A few more examples

Old Norse, Name, Name meaning
Akkergil, Ackergill, Anchorage inlet
Dungalsbaer, Duncansby, Dungal's settlement
Fors, Forss & Forse, Waterfall
Hakirkja, Halkirk, High church
Keis, Keiss, The rounded ridge
Konungsbaer, Canisbay, King's settlement
Myrkholl, Murkle, Dark Hill
Saurklettr, Sarclet, Muddy slope
Skarfsker, Scarfskerry, Cormorant rock
Skarabolstadr, Scrabster, The homestead on the edge or The homestead of the sea mews
Skinandi River, Thurso, The shining one
Ulfrbolstadr, Ulbster, Homestead of the Wolf.

Taken from "A guide to Viking Caithness " written by Ian Cassells

[joxville]

How did Castletown get it's name? [lol]

[zagor]

I have allways been curious about the name " scullomie " any one have any idea's what it means :)

[katarina]

Altringham-altering them
Oldham-hold them
Dublin-doubling
Hyde-hide

whats that got to do with sters and geos?

[katarina]

A few more examples

Old Norse, Name, Name meaning
Akkergil, Ackergill, Anchorage inlet
Dungalsbaer, Duncansby, Dungal's settlement
Fors, Forss & Forse, Waterfall
Hakirkja, Halkirk, High church
Keis, Keiss, The rounded ridge
Konungsbaer, Canisbay, King's settlement
Myrkholl, Murkle, Dark Hill
Saurklettr, Sarclet, Muddy slope
Skarfsker, Scarfskerry, Cormorant rock
Skarabolstadr, Scrabster, The homestead on the edge or The homestead of the sea mews
Skinandi River, Thurso, The shining one
Ulfrbolstadr, Ulbster, Homestead of the Wolf.

Taken from "A guide to Viking Caithness " written by Ian Cassells

And Straumsey stroma island in the stream

[wifie]

And Straumsey stroma island in the stream

So Dolly and Kenny were singin about Stroma! ;) Well I never!

[bettedaviseyes]

know a lot more about meaning of towns now lol

[AfternoonDelight]

So Dolly and Kenny were singin about Stroma! ;) Well I never!


Wifie - I can always count on you!!! [lol]

[Rheghead]

I believe the word 'steer' for a bull or cattle beast has the same linguistic origins as the '-ster' suffix for many Caithness villages.

[Rheghead]

Dublin-doubling

Actually, Dublin is an English corruption of its Gaelic name which means Blackpool.:)

[hotrod4]

Thought I'd add my home town:
Dalry (in Gaelic..“Dail-righ”) means "King's Valley"

See told you I was Royal!! ;)

[joxville]

Altringham-altering them
Oldham-hold them
Dublin-doubling
Hyde-hide


whats that got to do with sters and geos?

It's got nowt to do with either but if you read further back in the thread you'll see that I was explaining someone else's post to Kevin.