Kirkwall

K5I1R1K5W4A1L1L1
Scotland/ˈkɪɹkwɔl/UK/ˈkɜːkwɔːl/US/ˈkɝkwɔl/US, cot caught merger/ˈkɝkwɑl/

proper noun

A town in and the administrative centre of the Orkney Islands council area, Scotland.

OriginScots Kirkwaa ← Norn Kirkavå ← Old Norse Kirkjuvágr →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A town in and the administrative centre of the Orkney Islands council area, Scotland.

Origin

  1. Old NorseKirkjuvágr
  2. NornKirkavå
  3. ScotsKirkwaa
  4. EnglishKirkwall

A folk-etymological alteration of Scots Kirkwaa, from Norn Kirkavå (literally “church bay”), from Old Norse Kirkjuvágr.

More words from Scots, Norn, Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Scottish Gaelic Bàgh na h-Eaglaise, Baile na h-Eaglaise
  • Bàgh na h-Eaglaisetown in Orkney
  • Baile na h-Eaglaisetown in Orkney
Cite this entry
APA

Kirkwall. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kirkwall

MLA

“Kirkwall.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kirkwall. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kirkwall,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kirkwall.

Source: Kirkwall on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.