I think this application of language to science is really cool, and speaks to the layered memories that are built by each successive generation, if only we know where to look.
Lost oyster beds rediscovered thanks to Gaelic and Scots language
“We thought that as native oysters are now really rare throughout Europe, is there a way to look where they used to be, using people’s memory and understanding – that can come through place names.”
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This is really cool. Unless I missed it, though, I’m not really sure how they used the language. The article stated they used the language to search for terms… but search where?
I wondered that too, Willy, and it was simple but clever; they searched for clues in plain sight, like place names that mentioned oysters in places that no longer have oysters:) For example:
“”We found two areas with oyster in the name, both on Mull, and after about two years we found another one on Lewis. Then we broadened the search to look for habitat related names, like sand banks.”
“The group then examined those locations for factors like the sea bed and the level of the water flow.”
So, they searched old maps in those languages?