L'Universite de Notre Dame du Lac was founded by french priests from Le Mans, France in 1842 as an orphanage. The official name on the charter is University of Notre Dame du Lac translated from french to English : Our Lady of the Lake.
There are two lakes on the campus which were frozen at the time the school was founded and there was thought to be only one lake. The land was associated with the Potowatomi Indians.
The nickname "Fighting Irish" has its origins in 1909 when the press picked it up, the team had several members with Irish surnames. In 1909 , it was an ethnic slur perpetuated by the New York press. This was prior to the NCAA's involvement in the politically correct naming of teams. The team was officially known as the "Ramblers" in the early 1920's during the period of the Four Horsemen.
Knute Rockne was a Norwegian immigrant.
Logically they could be referred to as : the Fighting Frenchmen, the Lakers, the Racers (Le Mans) , or less PC : the Orphans, the Indians , Norsemen, Potowatomis or even the Ramblers but there is nothing Irish about 'em.
Not unlike the cupcake schedule they play, (according to NCAA schedule strength) the Irish moniker is without substance.
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/8106/Anthems/france.htm
1 comment:
thanks for feedback , I was relying upon Daniel Webster's definition:
"Main Entry: Irish
Pronunciation: 'I-rish
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English *Irisc, from Iras Irishmen, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish Ériu Ireland
1 plural in construction : natives or inhabitants of Ireland or their descendants especially when of Celtic speech or culture
2 a : the Celtic language of Ireland especially as used since the later medieval period b : English spoken by the Irish
3 : IRISH WHISKEY
- Irish adjective "
the INS may also have a different view
Fighting "feeling" ?
Fighting " way of life" ?
Fighting " universal" ?
Post a Comment