Place Names of Scotland-Level 2 – Online: 14 January 2025
This course will be taught in English and is designed as a continuation of the summer short course or the level one online course. Whilst it is not essential to have previously completed the level 1 course, the material will not be covered, so some prior toponymic knowledge is useful to get the best out of this course.
Building on the previous course, topics to be covered include:
- A further investigation of the various languages of Scotland and their influence on place-names, including some basic sound change rules between languages and over time.
- A number of case studies will be looked at, to show how names interact in particular areas.
- A more detailed look at name construction (including genitival forms, eclipsis, verbal place-names).
- A further examination of place-names within Gaelic oral culture, in relation to folklore, poems and stories.
- More detailed and practical instruction and discussion of how to research place-names yourself, including conducting fieldwork, archival research, compilation and presentation.
There will be a practical component to the research: an opportunity to do one’s own place-name research and to give a short presentation on one’s findings.
The course will comprise eight weekly online sessions as informal presentations followed by opportunities for discussion.