From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Loch () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch[citation needed].
In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling lough is commonly found in place names; in Lowland Scots and Scottish English, the spelling «loch» is always used. Many loughs are connected to stories of lake-bursts, signifying their mythical origin.
Sea-inlet lochs are often called sea lochs or sea loughs. Some such bodies of water could also be called firths, fjords, estuaries, straits or bays.
Background[edit]
Looking down Loch Long, a long sea loch
This name for a body of water is Insular Celtic[1] in origin and is applied to most lakes in
Scotland and to many sea inlets in the west and north of Scotland. The word comes from Proto-Indo-European *lókus («lake, pool») and is related to Latin lacus («lake, pond») and English lay («lake»).
Lowland Scots orthography, like Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Irish, represents /x/ with ch, so the word was borrowed with identical spelling.
English borrowed the word separately from a number of loughs in the previous Cumbric language areas of Northumbria and Cumbria. Earlier forms of English included the sound /x/ as gh (compare Scots bricht with English bright). However, by the time Scotland and England joined under a single parliament, English had lost the /x/ sound. This form was therefore used when the English settled Ireland. The Scots convention of using ch remained, hence the modern Scottish English loch.
In Welsh, what corresponds to lo is lu in Old Welsh and llw in Middle Welsh such as in today’s Welsh placenames Llanllwchaiarn, Llwchwr, Llyn Cwm Llwch, Amlwch, Maesllwch, the Goidelic lo being taken into Scottish Gaelic by the gradual replacement of much Brittonic orthography with Goidelic orthography in Scotland.
Many of the loughs in Northern England have also previously been called «meres» (a Northern English dialect word for «lake» and an archaic Standard English word meaning «a lake that is broad in relation to its depth») such as the Black Lough in Northumberland.[2] However, reference to the latter as loughs (lower case initial), rather than as lakes, inlets and so on, is unusual.
Some lochs in Southern Scotland have a Brythonic rather than Goidelic etymology, such as Loch Ryan where the Gaelic loch has replaced a Cumbric equivalent of Welsh llwch.[3] The same is perhaps the case for water bodies in Northern England named with ‘Low’ or ‘Lough’ or otherwise it represents a borrowing of the Brythonic word into the Northumbrian dialect of Old English.[3]
Although there is no strict size definition, a small loch is often known as a lochan (so spelled also in Scottish Gaelic; in Irish it is spelled lochán).
Perhaps the most famous Scottish loch is Loch Ness, although there are other large examples such as Loch Awe, Loch Lomond and Loch Tay.
Examples of sea lochs in Scotland include Loch Long, Loch Fyne, Loch Linnhe, and Loch Eriboll. Elsewhere in Britain, places like the Afon Dyfi can be considered sea lochs.
Uses of lochs[edit]
Some new reservoirs for hydroelectric schemes have been given names faithful to the names for natural bodies of water—for example, the Loch Sloy scheme, and Lochs Laggan and Treig (which form part of the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme near Fort William). Other expanses are simply called reservoirs, e.g. Blackwater Reservoir above Kinlochleven.
Scottish lakes[edit]
Scotland has very few bodies of water called lakes. The Lake of Menteith, an Anglicisation of the Scots Laich o Menteith meaning a «low-lying bit of land in Menteith», is applied to the loch there because of the similarity of the sounds of the words laich and lake. Until the 19th century the body of water was known as the Loch of Menteith.[4] The Lake of the Hirsel, Pressmennan Lake, Lake Louise and Raith Lake are man-made bodies of water in Scotland, referred to as lakes.
The word «loch» is sometimes used as a shibboleth to identify natives of England, because the fricative [x] sound is used in Scotland whereas most English people mispronounce the word as «lock».[5]
Lochs outside Scotland and Ireland[edit]
As «loch» is a common Gaelic word, it is found as the root of several Manx place names.
The United States naval port of Pearl Harbor, on the south coast of the main Hawaiian island of Oahu, is one of a complex of sea inlets. Several are named as lochs, including South East Loch, Merry Loch, East Loch, Middle Loch and West Loch.
Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Brenton Loch in the Falkland Islands is a sea loch, near Lafonia, East Falkland.
In the Scottish settlement of Glengarry County in present-day Eastern Ontario, there is a lake called Loch Garry.[6] Loch Garry was named by those who settled in the area, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, after the well-known loch their clan is from, Loch Garry in Scotland. Similarly, lakes named Loch Broom, Big Loch, Greendale Loch, and Loch Lomond can be found in Nova Scotia, along with Loch Leven in Newfoundland, and Loch Leven in Saskatchewan.
Loch Fyne is a fjord in Greenland named by Douglas Clavering in 1823.
See also[edit]
- List of lochs of Scotland
- List of loughs of Ireland
- List of loughs of England
- Ria
- Lake-burst
References[edit]
- ^ The current form has currency in the following languages: Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Manx, and has been borrowed into Lowland Scots, Scottish English, Irish English and Standard English.
- ^ Beckensall, Stan (2004). Northumberland Place-Names. Thropton, Morpeth, Northumberland: Butler Publishing. ISBN 978-0-946928-41-5.
- ^ a b Alan, James. «Brittonic Language In The Old North — A Guide To Place Name Elements» (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ «Lake of Menteith | Scotland’s Only Lake | Trossachs.co.uk».
- ^ «LOCH | Pronunciation in English». dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
- ^ «Lochgarrylakeassociation — LGLA Action». Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
Look up loch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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↓ Continue Reading To See This Amazing Video
The world has a variety of ways to name the same things. In different parts of the world, different names show the depth of culture, the history of a region, and how people interpret the world around them! Today, we are going to be taking a look at one of the most common language knots around, the difference between a loch and a lake. Let’s discover the differences if there are any to be had at all!
What is a loch and what is a lake?
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A loch is simply the Scottish, Gaelic, and Irish word for a lake or a sea inlet, while the word lake is English in origin.
The difference between a loch and a lake is one of location. Scottish people refer to large inland bodies of water as “lochs,” while the rest of the English-speaking world refers to them as lakes. As a general rule, these two words could be used interchangeably as they have almost the same meaning.
Between the two, however, loch is a broader term that could be used more generally. Lochs are often used to describe large inland bodies of water, as well as sea inlets. For most English speakers, saltwater access to the ocean isn’t something that a lake would ever have. For Scots, however, a loch could be a large inlet that is connected to the ocean and is entirely saltwater. When a loch is salt water, it is often referred to as a “sea loch.”
Who uses the word loch?
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The word “loch” is commonly used in the northern part of Britain, commonly referred to as Scotland. Additionally, anyone with Scottish or Gaelic roots is predisposed to use the word loch. The Irish, with their national language being Gaelic, also use the word loch. Additionally, the word is used as a primary marker for anyone who is “truly” part of the local culture. This shibboleth is quite important to many people in the region.
Since the word loch is a bit broader of a term than lake, it is occasionally used in other parts of the world, with a deferential nod to the Scots. In Hawaii, for example, the military has named many of the sea inlets around Pearl Harbor using “loch.” The West Loch and Pearl Loch are primary examples of this usage.
Where did the word loch come from?
The word loch has its origins in the ancient Gaelic language, likely around the 14th century CE. Even before the Celts had established Gaelic as a developed language, however, the word *lókus, derived from Proto-Indo-European languages, was likely to root. *lókus originally meant pond or pool, and is also the ancient root of the Latin word lacus.
What other words can be used in reference to lochs?
In addition to the word loch, other additions or substitutions are often used. Sea inlets that are saltwater are most commonly referred to as sea lochs or even sea loughs. When a body of water is extremely large and a direct extension of the ocean, it is often referred to as a firth. Firths and fjords are extremely similar in meaning and coincide with common American terms like estuaries, straits, or even bays.
What are the most famous lochs in Scotland?
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Scotland is full of lochs, most being carved by deep glaciers that receded at the end of the last ice age. Let’s go over a few of the most famous and more interesting lochs in the region.
Loch Ness
Without a doubt, Loch Ness is the most famous loch in the world, let alone in Scotland. Loch Ness is the largest body of water in all of England by a massive margin. Every other freshwater body in England and Wales combined couldn’t fill the volume of Loch Ness. Aside from its size, it is the famous home of the most famous cryptic beast in the world, the Loch Ness Monster. Nessie, as it’s named, wouldn’t have too much of a problem finding a home within the deep recesses of the cold waters.
Loch Coruisk
Located on the Isle of Skye, Loch Coruisk is one of the most scenic places in the region and the source material for the famous poem, Loch Coruisk, as written by Sir Walter Scott. After the poem was released, people flocked to the region to take photos. Still, it’s a haunting and solitary place.
Loch Shiel
For any Harry Potter fans out there, Loch Shiel is easily identifiable. The Glenfinnan viaduct is just to the north of Loch Shiel and marks the place where the Jacobite Express train crosses the rivers. Four of the movies used that viaduct to show the Hogwartz Express on the way to Hogwartz proper!
Loch Morar
The deepest waters in the British Isles can be found at Loch Morar. Loch Morar isn’t just deep; it’s also home to the second most famous monster in the region (behind Nessie). Morag is a famous sea monster that purportedly lives in the deep waters of Loch Morar.
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A loch is a Scottish name for a large area of water that that can be narrowly or partially landlocked. The word Loch originates from an Insular Celtic group of languages that originated in Britain and Ireland. Outside Scotland, a loch is a body of water that can be either a lake or sea inlet. Other terms similar to loch outside Scotland are firth, fjord, or bay. Sea inlet lochs are mostly called sea locks. Lochs are used as a water reservoirs for hydropower generation. The free waterfalls in some Lochs have been utilized, while others have been redesigned for higher power generation. Examples of these lochs include the Loch Sloy scheme, Loch Raven Dam Rehabilitation, and Storr Lochs. The principal ports and harbors in Scotland are all situated in sea lochs, and include ports from Glasgow up to Kinlochbervie. The ferries in these lochs act as the primary means of transportation for both goods and people. Fishing is the primary economic activity in lochs, and is mostly carried out by small inshore boats. Creels are used to catch lobsters, velvet craps, brown crabs, and squat lobsters, while massive dredges are used to catch king scallops, which are then collected by divers. Sea lochs are also crucial nursery grounds for many fish species, including herring, cod, saithe, and plaice. It is for this reason that many sea lochs are closed to trawls and dredges for certain parts of the year. Sea Lochs act as home to unique sea plants and animals, some of which exist only in sea lochs. Scottish sea lochs are home to more than 1,700 species of marine invertebrates and seaweeds. The seaweeds are harvested and used as fertilizers and soil conditioner. Different industries like food, brewing, and pharmaceuticals also use seaweeds as raw materials for their products. Since most of the Scotland lochs are located in remote areas, the majority are protected from industrial and commercial development, and the associated degradation such as pollution, destruction of habitat, sewage pollution, and intensive irrigation. However, other dangers to sea lochs include the following: the continued use of pesticides to control infestations of sea lice and antibiotics to control fish diseases, but are harmful to other marine life; the construction of bridges and partial infilling of loch sides to support new roads leads to the destruction of aquatic habitat; sewage and other effluents from settlements near lochs have polluted the water; and the accumulation of pollutants in sea lochs that are semi-enclosed is harmful to aquatic animals and plants. A famous example of the lochs in Scotland is Loch Ness, which is a deep and vast freshwater loch situated in the Scottish Highlands. Located southwest of Inverness, Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch (Loch Lomond is the largest), and has a surface area of approximately 21.8 square miles. Loch Lomond, a freshwater loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, is the second most famous loch in Scotland. Loch Fyne is the longest loch, extending 40 miles from the Sound of Bute Sea Loch in Scotland. Similarly, Loch Awe is a large freshwater loch, and is named after the village on its banks, which is known as Loch Awe or Lochawe. Other sea lochs exist throughout the world, but they are mostly referred to as sea loughs. These include more than 12,000 loughs in Ireland. Well known loughs in Ireland include Lough Neagh, Lough Corrib, and Lough Derg. 
Uses of Lochs
Threats to the Scottish Lochs
Lochs in Scotland
Lochs Outside Scotland
Definitions of loch
-
noun
a long narrow inlet of the sea in Scotland (especially when it is nearly landlocked)
see moresee less-
examples:
-
Loch Linnhe
an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of Scotland
-
type of:
-
inlet, recess
an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
-
Loch Linnhe
-
noun
Scottish word for a lake
see moresee less-
examples:
-
Loch Achray
a lake in central Scotland
-
Loch Ness
a lake in the Scottish highlands; the largest body of fresh water in Great Britain
-
type of:
-
lake
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
-
Loch Achray
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘loch’.
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD LOCH
From Gaelic.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF LOCH
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF LOCH
Loch is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
WHAT DOES LOCH MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake and a sea inlet. In Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling lough is commonly found in placenames, although it is pronounced the same way as loch. In Scottish English, ‘loch’ is always used. Some lochs could also be called firths, fiords, estuarys, straits or bays. Sea-inlet lochs are often called sea lochs or sea loughs. It is cognate with the Manx logh and the now obsolete Welsh word for lake, llwch.
Definition of loch in the English dictionary
The definition of loch in the dictionary is Also called: sea loch. a long narrow bay or arm of the sea in Scotland.
Synonyms and antonyms of loch in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «LOCH»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «loch» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «loch» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF LOCH
Find out the translation of loch to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of loch from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «loch» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
湖泊
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
loch
570 millions of speakers
English
loch
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
झील
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
البحيرة
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
Лох
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
Loch
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
locellate
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
loch
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Locellate
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
See
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
湖
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
로크 네
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Locellate
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
hồ
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
locellate
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
लोकेल
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
locellate
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
lago
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
loch
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
Лох
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
loch
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
λίμνη
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
loch
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
loch
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
Loch
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of loch
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «LOCH»
The term «loch» is very widely used and occupies the 16.871 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «loch» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of loch
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «loch».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «LOCH» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «loch» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «loch» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about loch
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «LOCH»
Discover the use of loch in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to loch and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
Loch and his sister join their father on a scientific expedition to a quiet lake in Vermont.
Marine biologist Zachary Wallace once suffered a near-drowning experience in legendary Loch Ness, and now, long-forgotten memories of that experience have begun haunting him.
3
Behavioral Operations Management
Behavioral Operations Management introduces the understanding of human behavior to the practice of operations management. It provides a set of methods and a structured area of study to analyze behavioral issues within the OM paradigm.
Christoph H. Loch, Yaozhong Wu, 2007
4
National Security Intelligence
This definitive introduction to the field guides readers skilfully through this hidden side of government.
5
Walking Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
This book suggests the most straighforward routes to each of the area’s 21 Munro summits but seeks out also the wilder ways around the back and the slightly smaller hills that this area is rich in.
Describes the history, sightings, and search for the Loch Ness monster.
7
The Mystery of the Loch Ness Monster
Examines the history of the Loch Ness monster story, eyewitness accounts, various efforts to discover and identify the creature, explanations for its identity, and attempts to fake its appearances.
«Engaging images accompany information about the Loch Ness Monster. The combination of high-interest subject matter and light text is intended for students in grades 3 through 7»—Provided by publisher.
Are any of these stories true? If so, what could the monster possibly be? Can science solve the mystery of the Loch Ness monster? Using the scientific method and other information, this book aims to find out. Ages 7+
Something is down there, hiding beneath the murky waters of the legendary Loch Ness.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «LOCH»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term loch is used in the context of the following news items.
Man suffered serious facial injuries in Loch Ness-side assault …
A MAN suffered serious facial injuries following a roadside assault beside Loch Ness at the weekend. Two men were walking on the side of the … «Highland News, Jul 15»
Dance legends Groove Armada look forward to playing new Loch …
But for their new album and tour – and a headline slot at the first ever Groove festival on the shores of Loch Ness, which is named after them … «Scottish Daily Record, Jul 15»
Loch Ness hunter: Have we been catfished by Nessie? — CNN.com
(CNN) Loch Ness Monster believers everywhere brace yourselves: Nessie might just be a catfish. As the lore goes, the legendary creature is … «CNN, Jul 15»
Loch Ness monster a giant catfish? Steve Feltham believes so
A MAN who has dedicated more than two decades of his life to investigating the Loch Ness monster believes he has an answer for the fabled … «NEWS.com.au, Jul 15»
Couple take on Loch Lomond challenge in memory of son
A COUPLE will mark the sixth anniversary of their baby son’s birth and death by swimming a mile of Loch Lomond — completing a series of five … «The Press, York, Jul 15»
Bill Heaney: A fair day on Loch Lomond despite my ambition not …
Another ambition of mine has been to be in a boat with my fisherman friend when he catches a salmon on Loch Lomond. Unfortunately, I have … «Scottish Daily Record, Jul 15»
Blue green algae at East Loch Ollay, South Uist
As a precautionary measure, notices have been posted next to the loch, warning that contact with the algal scum should be avoided. Adjoining … «Stornoway Gazette, Jul 15»
Man who gave up home, job, girlfriend to hunt Loch Ness now …
A man who’s spent almost a quarter of a century searching Loch Ness for its infamous monster, says he now believes it’s nothing more than a … «Sacramento Bee, Jul 15»
For those who prefer festivals with a difference: Loch Lomond Boat …
WHILE tens of thousands descended on Strathallan Castle for T in the Park, a sizeable minority decided to head in a different direction last … «The National, Jul 15»
Loch Ness Monster Hunter Hooked on Catfish Theory
A man who has spent 24 years scanning Scotland’s Loch Ness for its legendary mysterious monster reckons Nessie is most likely a giant … «Naharnet, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Loch [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/loch>. Apr 2023 ».
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