Balmoral

See also: balmoral

English

Etymology 1

Castle name first appears in writing as Bouchmorale in 1451. Formed from a combination of Old Irish both (“hut, bothy, cot; cabin”) and an uncertain second element.[1] The second element may be Pictish, equivalent to Welsh mawr (“large”) + Welsh iâl (“pastureland”).[2]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /bælˈmɒɹəl/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • (Scotland) IPA(key): [baɫˈmɔɹɫ̩]
  • Rhymes: -ɒɹəl

Proper noun

Balmoral

  1. A castle and associated estate in Aberdeenshire council area, Scotland, that is a private residence of the British sovereign (OS grid ref NO2595).
    • 1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 8:
      As we climbed the Marykirk Bank Ogilvie spoke of the passes leading over to Deeside, and of the Royal deer forests around Balmoral; then, with mingled pride and modesty, he added, "I've driven the King seven times."
  2. A suburb of Galashiels, Scottish Borders council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NT4836). [3]
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Irish Baile Mhóireil, baile + mór, from Old Irish mór (“big, great”)).

Proper noun

Balmoral

  1. A suburban area in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Further reading

References
  1. Mills, A.David (2011 October 21) A Dictionary of British Place Names, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN s.v.
  2. MacBain, Alexander (1922) Place names Highlands & Islands of Scotland, E. Mackay, page 156
  3. “OS: Scottish Borders”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), (Can we date this quote?)
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