■ ■■■■>[ vROSENEATH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1623, 14 December 1912, Page 5

■ ■■■■>[ vROSENEATH.

•; ; v,./:-.- ; ;-'': ; V-.-.:'———«►———"-;. .- ;.- CORRECT SPELLING. "J.R.8." writes:—The'correct spelling. ■ of .Roseneath appears to be; exciting some ■ . interest at present. Roseneath' is the ■■■••. modern English.spelling of a Celtic place ■'..... named Rosneath, meaning probably, either •'■■■■■■' "tho bathing ,or.-washing rock" or."the ■. ■ ■ rock. in ..the marsh.".: The original Ros or Ross.has been corrupted to Rise by, "pop-" "..-'.■ ular, -etymology." which has assimilated ••-' the unintelligibleCelticword to the name '•■ .-. of-the iflower, but Roseneath has nothing .'' to.'do with. "rosea" nor has"neath" any- ■■..., thing.to do. with""beneath."' The same . Celtic root, appears,in Roslin, Kinross, . and in a .similarly--corrupted, form in VMontrose and Slelrose. Purists may try .;- to force, the word'back into' a. spelling ".. more-in conformity with the origin , of . : the .name,\but "usus norma loquendi." "usage the sole .rule in epeech," has made the. present correct spelling Roseneath. , : If, ; however, Rosneath should' ever become popular that would then be the correct -.spelling just as Suns is now . the lII' , -■■ .prorler.gpelliiiJtJofowhatithirty;,years am), -" was , Sunra.- ■ Popular -etymology similarly has corrupted the Scotch Soatoim'into the . English Scatown. , The original namo was given by Mr. Crawford, a Scotchman, but corruption intthe direction; of isTinaxenf; intelligibility' is 1 almost 'inevitable in ■ ■ Dlace-names belonging to' a language dif-. ferant. from that of the inhabitants, f Maori .'namea used to' be spelt in a wivy that conveyed a sort of meaning to the "■.■'"• >riginal English settlers. •• .P. ■ ■