Intermediate
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+65 XP

Who Did the Naming?

Explore how place names carry the people who named them. Examine cities with multiple names from different times and compare official with local names across Europe. Talk about how it feels when a familiar place name changes.

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    1 - Three Names for One Harbour ~5 mins

    Look at Cobh on Cork harbour. The same place has worn three names: Cove (the old local name), Queenstown (a later royal rename), and Cobh (the Irish form used today). One place, three labels from three different times.

    What you'll learn

    • Notice who left a word in a place name
    • Spot places that still have two names
    • Talk about how it feels when a name changes

    2 - Open the Big Cities ~13 mins

    Watch as we open each city name on the board.

    When you hear one of our building-block sounds, thumbs up. Then we will ask who might have put that word there.

    3 - When Two Names Still Stand ~12 mins

    Same place, two names still alive. Read these pairs on the board first:

    • Dublin and Baile Átha Cliath
    • Cork and Corcaigh
    • Cardiff and Caerdydd
    • Cologne and Köln
    • San Sebastián and Donostia

    We will find each country on the map and notice which languages live there. For every pair, be ready to say both names and who might use each one.

    4 - Into Your Copy ~6 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    Open your copy. Pick one place from today's cities or map. Use this frame:

    Place: _______________

    Name 1: _______________ (who or where it comes from)

    Name 2: _______________ (who or where it comes from)

    Board example (already filled):
    Place: Dublin / Baile Átha Cliath
    Name 1: Dublin — used widely in English
    Name 2: Baile Átha Cliath — Irish name (baile = town at the ford)

    Or: write a place you will ask about at home and who you will ask.

    Spelling helpers while you write: baile (town), port (a landing place).

    5 - When the Sign Changes ~7 mins

    Discussion time

    All over Munster, placenames still remember families and clans who once held the land centuries ago. The name often outlasted the people, the house, and why they were in charge.

    Think of a place from today that still has two names (like Dublin and Baile Átha Cliath, or Cove / Queenstown / Cobh).

    • If the name on your street sign changed tomorrow, what would feel strange on the way to school?
    • Who might still say the old name at home?
    Pupil practice
    Module 2 · Deeper Into Names and Places
    Lesson 10 · Who Did the Naming?
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