jane
Well-Known Member
[in nerd voice]captain anomie said:kiltimagh in mayo - legend has it that the word 'cultchie' actually originated from this place.
The etymology for the word 'culchie' is oft debated, but the most convincing one I've heard is that it comes from the Irish word coilteach, referring to 'man of the woods' (though I'm a bit confused, as I thought teach meant 'house', and I don't know enough about the mechanics of Irish to explain that away). It is possibly a translation of the Latin word sylvaticus, used in Medieval texts to describe the rural native Irish, who were called, by the English, 'the Woodland Irish' or 'wild Irish'.
So, there ya go. How it worked its way into the modern vernacular is...uh...not my job....[runs away, nerdily].