inverness-shire

IPA/ˌɪnvənˈɛsʃˈaɪə/
IPA/ˌɪnvɚnˈɛsʃˈaɪɚ/

inverness-shire — geographical name

1. a former county in northern Scotland that used to be an official local governmen

1.geographical nameB2
Definition

a former county in northern Scotland that used to be an official local government area until 1975

Example

Kian drove through Inverness-shire on his way to Loch Ness.

travel through [county]

A guide in Inverness-shire showed Nala where the old castle stood.

place name in a local history scene

Common collocations
  • history of Inverness-shire
  • map of Inverness-shire
  • in Inverness-shire
  • through Inverness-shire
  • old records from Inverness-shire

Usage Note

Used mainly in historical or geographical contexts, especially when talking about county boundaries before 1975. Distinguish it from Inverness, which is the city; Inverness-shire is the wider former county around that city.

Common Mistakes

Inverness-shire is a city in Scotland.
Inverness-shire was a county in Scotland.
Inverness is the city, while Inverness-shire was the larger county that included it.

Synonym discussion

Sense: geographical name/1

County, shire, and region can all describe areas on a map, but they are not used in the same way. A county is an official division used in administration and history. Shire is an older British word that survives mainly in place names and historical labels, as in Inverness-shire. A region is broader and less exact, often naming an area by geography rather than government. Inverness-shire refers to a historical county, not simply the city of Inverness and not just any part of the Highlands. Compare: 'The family studied old county records from Inverness-shire.' / 'Several British place names still end in -shire.' / 'The Highlands are a region of northern Scotland.'

county ↗shireregion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the history of Inverness-shire
  • travel through Inverness-shire
  • old records from Inverness-shire

Prepositions

Etymology

Scottish GaelicOld EnglishEnglish

The name Inverness-shire combines Inverness, the county town, with shire, an old English word for a county or administrative area. Inverness comes from Scottish Gaelic Inbhir Nis, meaning 'mouth of the River Ness'. Shire comes from Old English scir. The full name was used for the historical county that surrounded the city of Inverness.