LOUGH

A 'lough' is a body of water and either:

★ a lake

★ a sea lough, which may be a fjord, estuary, bay or sea inlet.
It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth.
Lough is an Irish-English form of the Old Irish word loch, which means lake, or bay. The form Loch is also used in Irish English and Scottish English. Lough is also used for some bodies of water in the far north of England.
Except when individually named loughs are often referred to as lakes, fjords, estuaries and sea inlets. Thus ''lake district'' and ''estuary bed'' may be used in preference to ''lough district'' and ''lough bed''. (This practice is not followed to anything like the same degree in English use of loch).

Contents

Irish loughs

English loughs

In surnames

See also

External links

Irish loughs

Almost all lakes in the Ireland are named as "loughs" in their anglicised form. Lough Neagh in Ulster is the largest lake in Ireland and is bigger than any lake in Great Britain. The three on the River Shannon are Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg. Upper and Lower Lough Erne are two consecutive lakes in Fermanagh, an area often referred to as "Ireland's lake district". For other loughs in Ireland, see List of Irish lochs and loughs.
Sea loughs include Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle.

English loughs

In the north of England, "lough" survives in the name of some bodies of water and other place names. Many of these are in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall, and also in the Lake District. See List of English loughs.

In surnames

"Lough" is itself an Irish surname, as well as being a compound in various other surnames, mostly derived fron specific Loughs, such as Loughan, Lougheed, Loughlin, Loughman, Loughnan,
Loughnane, Loughney, Loughran and Loughrey.

See also

★ Bay ★ Body of water ★ Estuary

★ Fjord ★ Lake ★ Loch

External links

★ UKLakes Online Database