Re: Language

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

At 01:15 19/01/01 +0000, you wrote:
> Hi Niven
> Dose that mean Cymric is now a lost language?
> All the best 
> Kermit

Yes, except where it exists in place-names.

I have always found the study of place-names to be exciting because
they
tell us something about the 'history' of the area.  For example, in
my 30
years in Africa, the first thing I would do is to find out the meaning of
a
place name e.g.

        

        

        

Nairobi

        

        

=

       

river
of black water

        

        

        

Nanyuki

 

=

       

river
of red water

The 'na' prefix told me that it was derived from the Masai language
whereas:

        

        

        

Lulindi

 

        

=

       

place
of deep water

        

        

        

Kilindini

       

        

=

       

the
village in the place of the seep water

        

        

        

Malindi

 

        

=

       

the
town in the place of the deep water

came from Kiswahili whilst:

        

        

        

Khartoum

        

=

       

elephant
trunk (because the spit of land where

        

        

        

        

        

        

the
Blue and White Niles meet is shaped like an

        

        

        

        

        

        

elephant's
trunk

        

        

        

Jedda

   

        

=

       

Grandmother
(hence Jedd is grandfather)

        

        

        

Cairo

   

        

=

       

Mars

are derived from the Arabic names for those places.

        

        

        

Gibraltar

       

=

       

comes
from the Arabic "Jabil Tariq" or the Mountain of

        

        

        

        

        

        

Tariq. 
Tariq was the Moorish Commander who conquered

        

        

        

        

        

        

Spain
and the name Tariq comes from taraqa which means

        

        

        

        

        

        

to hammer so he was the 'hammerer'

        

        

        

Mohammed

        

=

       

comes
from the Arabic hamada which means 'to praise'

        

        

        

        

        

        

so, in effect, Mohammed is 'he who is praised' in the same

        

        

        

        

        

        

way
as Christ means 'the anointed one'

Quite simply, every name and place-name has a meaning which, when known,
can add immeasurably to our
knowledge.

Niven Sinclair



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