# Why are there 'lochs' in Pearl Harbor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255 "2008-12-08T15:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255/1 "2008-12-08T15:49:46Z")
[Pearl Harbor](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pearl+harbor&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=17.099342,42.495117&ie=UTF8&ll=21.350142,-157.961426&spn=0.210083,0.331993&z=12) is divided into ‘lochs’. Is this a Hawaiian word, or does it come from the Gaelic / Scots word? If it’s the latter, how and why did it come about? In Scotland the word is often used for an arm of the sea, so it would make sense in the Pearl Harbor context, but it seems very odd. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255/2 "2008-12-08T21:42:50Z")
“Loch” is most definitely not a Hawaiian word. The Hawaiian alphabet does not contain the letter C, nor would a Hawaiian word end with the “ch” sound. Why’s it odd that it’s called that? If that’s what it is, that’s what it is. Hawaii has areas called “island” and “bay” and those aren’t Hawaiian words. There are Hawaiian words and names for these places, but they just aren’t known by them. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255/3 "2008-12-08T22:17:29Z")
I think it’s odd. I’ve never seen anything called a loch outside of Scotland. I couldn’t find anything on who named them, but it’s a fairly old name. If you look on this list of historical maps, even the 1881 Oahu map has them listed as “lochs”. [http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/us\_states/hawaii/index.html](http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/us_states/hawaii/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255/4 "2008-12-08T22:22:34Z")
I know this is GQ but I’ll give my opinion anyhow. I think some European sailor started calling this areas lochs and the name stuck. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255/5 "2008-12-08T22:35:13Z")
> [@AudreyK](#): > > Why’s it odd that it’s called that? If that’s what it is, that’s what it is. Hawaii has areas called “island” and “bay” and those aren’t Hawaiian words. There are Hawaiian words and names for these places, but they just aren’t known by them. The English words ‘island’ and ‘bay’ are found all over the world. As SmackFu said, ‘loch’ isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-lochs-in-pearl-harbor/476255/6 "2008-12-09T02:55:57Z")
It’s one of those things you don’t really thing about, I guess. I’m familiar with the area called West Loch from the housing and golf course in the area, and it never really struck me as odd. It _is_ a loch-- what else are we gonna call it? I have no idea why it’s called that. Wikipedia has a list of [Scottish place names in the US](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_place_names_in_the_United_States), but the lochs are not there(though the page admits it’s an incomplete list). For Hawaii, only the vessel _Falls of Clyde_ is listed. My guess is it’s a remnant of the British occupation of the early 19th century.