Talk:An Teallach

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Name - Meaning and Etymology

ISSUE

The article currently asserts (with no source!):

"An Teallach means The Family, coming from the Scottish Gaelic word 'teaghlach'."

This is just wrong! An Teallach incontrovertibly does just mean 'the forge' (or fire/hearth or even anvil) just as a standard Gaelic word(!). (Source - on-line Gaelic dictionary 'Am Faclair Beag' https://www.faclair.com/ViewEntry.aspx?ID=486FD70D55D5E986EA1567C560B0AD88).

And all reputable sources give the correct meaning ('The Forge') and explain the likely etymology.

It goes on to give the correct meaning:

"It is also thought to mean 'The Anvil' or 'The Forge' in Scottish Gaelic; in reference to the colour of the terrain in certain lighting conditions."

...although with wrong framing ("it is thought") since a/ as above An Teallach incontrovertibly does just mean 'the forge' (or fire/hearth or even anvil) just as a standard Gaelic word(!) and b/ it isn't "also thought" since this is the authoritative view cited by all reputable sources.

It is of course possible that An Teallach is a corruption of the spelling of 'teaghlach' family but there is absolutely no evidence, nor as far as I can see any sources to support that!

This unsourced change and assertion was made in an edit in Nov 2021 so it is quite recent. All previous version AFAIK contained the correct, standard meaning and explanation.

STANDARD VIEW WITH SOURCES

Scottish Mountaineering Club - Hillwalker's Guide series "The Munros", p318:

"AN TEALLACH; the forge"

Scottish Mountaineering Club - Hillwalker's Guide series "North-West Highlands", p265:

"An Teallach - Names and Tops

There are a number of interesting suggestions to explain the derivation of the Gaelic 'teallach' (black-smith's forge) [note - the meaning is not in doubt, merely the derivation]. Depending on cloud conditions, the sandstone buttresses can take on a warm red glow at sunrise and sunset, while at other times mist drifts like smoke through the pinnacles. In earlier times, tinkers, the traditional travelling people, are reputed to have set up their forges in one of the corries."

"Scottish Hill Names - Their origin and meaning", Peter Drummond, p94:

"An Teallach

No actual summit is called An Teallach, the name applying rather to the whole mountain. In Gaelic teallach is usually a smith's forge, or possibly a hearth, a fireplace, or even the large flat stone that backs the fireplace in a croft [house]. In the past it also signified an anvil or furnace. Now perhaps the shape of the precipitous cliffs backing the main eastern corrie gave locals the picture of a hearth. Or perhaps it is a more literal meaning, for their is a building at the northern foot of the mountain formerly the Old Smiddy [smithy], now a climbing club hut...

And there may be a deeper significant, for the ancient Celts ranked the metal-working smith second only to the Gods themselves. Pont's 16th century map, and the mid-17th century Blaeu map, labelled it P Talloch, the p probably standing for ben. Later maps further corrupted this to Kalloch... it was only when the Ordnance Survey thought to ask a local for its name that the maps were finally set right with the teallach name."

SOLUTION

I propose to revert to the original meaning and explanation with no mention of 'family/teaghlach' (unless someone can actually provide any source for that!). And with a section added on Name & Etymology - which I think is quite standard - which covers and mentions above sources (cannot quote directly given copyright?). — Preceding [gives[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by AeonMach (talk • contribs) 09:54, 22 June 2022 (UTC)

Edit completed with new Etymology section added with references as above.

Also some minor edits:

Added link to Dundonnell & Fisherfield Forest page in the intro which explains the 'great wilderness' point! And changed the wording so that it notes that An Teallach is on the edge of this area (relevant to next point).

A climbing specific point about the winter traverse which claims it is harder than X and Y (it probably is) claims this is due to remoteness: this is subjective nonsense - the mountain sits above perfectly good roads! The mountain may be remote from the Central Belt (major cities and population centres of Scotland) but while someone from there may have a long drive (/s) this doesn't alter the objective difficulty or seriousness of the route! This is subjective metropolitan 'remoteness'. Removed! AeonMach (talk) 09:49, 17 August 2022 (UTC)