confusion traced to its source

[winterbadger]

One of the two framed photographs of Scotland that I have hanging in my bedroom is a Michael MacGregor photo of Achnambeithach, the farm in Glen Coe that serves as the HQ for Glencoe Mountain Rescue. Glen Coe is one of the most beautiful places I know, and that photo serves as a touchstone for me for one of the many reasons I want to live in Scotland someday--it is an incredibly beautiful country.

But I always have trouble spelling Achnambeithach (I imagine one of my readers can provide a translation of the name, if tempted properly :-), and frequently I can't find anything on it when I Google. And I realised today that one reason is that the lovely, well-chosen sans serif script that spells out the name on the print says... "Achambeithach".

Yet another reason to suspect that Scotland could use one more editor....

Comments

[wolfette]

ah well, you won't have that problem here!

:-)

[winterbadger]

I've never minded dreich! :-) A lot of the time I rather like it.

[magaidhbhan.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, is that how you spell it! I was living with a Skyeman/Glasgewgian who taught me that and a lot of other Scots/Anglicized Gaelic words ... but he didnt' teach me how to spell them! I've always written dreech, because i didn't know any better. Thanks! :)

[winterbadger]

Well, and that in turn suggests to me how it should be pronounced, of which I have never been sure.

Google turns up hits under "driech" as well, but only 3,000 as opposed to "dreich"'s 55,000.

[magaidhbhan.livejournal.com]

googelfight is such a great way to conduct research like that! :)

... and I am such a dork. gah.

[winterbadger]

googelfight is such a great way to conduct research like that! :)

What I find reassuring is that I see several of the experienced Advanced Members of my editing society doing the same thing.

... and I am such a dork. gah.

But only in a totally good way. It's part of your very considerable charm, my dear! :-)

[winterbadger]

Well, and this page (http://www.rampantscotland.com/parliamo/blparliamo_weather.htm) suggests a Scots word for the sort of hot, humid weather ("mochie") that I suffreed through every summer of my childhood that sounds suspiciously close to what my family always called such conditions: "muggy". It says "The word is from the Norse 'mugga' meaning mist." Interesting!