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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 1999-2004 » 2004 (October-December) » Archive through December 27, 2004 » Rocklin, California « Previous Next »

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gary day (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 11:02 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

There are several theories about the origin of the name of our town, Rocklin California,,Rocklin was a granite mining town during the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860's,,half of the population was Irish,,the theory is that the "rock" in Rocklin represented the granite and that the "lin" is Gaelic for the pool of water that formed from winter rains at the bottom of each quarry so that Rocklin literally means "rock pool". Does this seem reasonable to you?,,what do you think?
Gary Day

Rocklin California

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Lúcas
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Username: Lúcas

Post Number: 88
Registered: 01-2004


Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 11:51 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Gary

The Irish word linn does mean pool. It has been argued that the name Dublin comes from the name of a monastic settlement on the Liffey. A monastic village was built on the site of a small tributary that fed into a black pool, which was rendered in Irish as Dubh linn.

So it is possible that Rocklin was named by the Irish, but it begs the question why would they use the English word for rock? Why wouldn't they use the Irish word for rock, carraig, instead?

Mise le meas,

Lúcas

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(Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 12:27 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Hi Lucas:
Great information,,I guess that when you are among English speaking folks it might seem silly to call rocks "carraigs",,however appending "linn" might be just enough of a reminder that the quarries are among Irish settlers,,also, I'm wondering if "linn" might be a more accurate or poetic description of pools formed by rainwater falling over the granite walls into the bottom of the quarries,,what do you think?,,I mean is there a concept of water motion, for example, in the word "linn"?

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Ó_diocháin
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Username: Ó_diocháin

Post Number: 58
Registered: 09-2004
Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 03:06 am:   Edit Post Print Post

A chairde,
It's not unusual to find place names that combine elements from different source languages.
All over the north of England there are place names which combine Viking and Anglo-Saxon elements; in many part of Scotland and Ireland there are names which combine Gaelic and Scots/English elements.
My own particular favourite place name etymology is Chugwater Creek, South Dakota. I've no idea if it's true but a very plausible "old timer" out there told me that it was a combination of the Irish "díog" (drain/ditch) and the English "water". Having seen the place, the explanation certainly makes sense.. but you never can be sure about these things.
Slán beo!
Chris

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Lúcas
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Username: Lúcas

Post Number: 89
Registered: 01-2004


Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 08:37 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Gary,

I suppose linn can convey a sense of water motion. The linn in Dubh linn is tied to the Liffey and its tidal motion. Dinneen defines the phrase brághe na linne to mean the neck or sluice of a mill pond. This implies a lot of water motion.

Chris,

That's interesting about Chugwater. Maybe the combination of English and Irish in a placename is an intermediate step on the way to becoming fluent in English. I am told told that is one of the reasons for the existence of macaronic songs, i.e., songs in two languages.

Mise le meas,

Lúcas



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