Talk:Kelso, Scottish Borders
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[edit] Etymology of 'Kelso'
There seems to be ongoing contention over whether of not Kelso came from the Gaelic Cealsach, or at the very least some disagreement over whether the Gaelic form should be included in the article.
I found a page regarding the family name 'Kelsay', which includes a mention of Kelso as a place name. It says, according to James Morton's Monastic Annals of Teviotdale (1832), Kelso comes from Chalkheugh, locally pronounced Cawkheuch, Calc (british)/cealc (anglo-saxon) = chalk and how (anglo-saxon)/heugh (scots). No mention of Gaelic. Looking at Scots language I see it is also known as Lowland Scots, so I looked at Scottish lowlands, and found that in Gaelic, the Scottish Lowlands are a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the non-Gaelic region'.
From that, I infer that Cealsach may very well be what it is called in Gaelic, but is NOT where the name came from, nor is it what residents of the town have ever called it. Perhaps it is common knowledge in Scotland that it is simply the name in Gaelic, but the current placement and wording in the article would lead others less knowledgeable to believe it is in fact the etymology of the word. Therefore, the Gaelic reference should be reworded to reflect this, or removed entirely.
I will, however, leave it to others to change the article - although I have family from (and others still in) the area, I do not know it myself, and perhaps others have information i do not. Scottr76 18:13, 4 April 2007 (UTC)
