Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Etymology of Names of Places, &c.

by Thomas Davidson

ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF PLACES, &c.

The following are the more important significant syllables or words that enter into the composition of the names of rivers, mountains, towns, &c. See C. Blackie's Dictionary of Place-Names, Dr Joyce's Irish Names of Places, Isaac Taylor's Words and Places, and the Rev. James B. Johnston's Place-Names of Scotland (1892).

A

A (A.S. eá, Ice. -aa), 'a stream;' as Greta, Rotha, Thurso ('Thor's stream'), Laxay ('salmon stream').

Abad (Pers. and Sans.), 'a dwelling;' as Hyderabad, Allahabad.

Aber (Celt.), 'a confluence,' 'an embouchure;' as Aberfeldy, Aberdeen, Aberystwith, Barmouth, Aberbrothwick or Arbroath, Fochabers, Lochaber, Applecross for Aber-Crossan. [Synonymous with Inver.]

Ain (Heb.), 'a fountain;' as Engedi.

Ak (Turk.), 'white;' as Ak-serai, 'white palace.'

All (Gael.), 'white;' Al-ian, 'white water,' so the rivers Allen, Ellen, Aln, Lune, Allwen, Elwin.

Alt (Gael.), 'a stream;' as Altrive, Altnaharra, Garvald.

Ar, Ara, found in many river-names; as Aire, Ayr, Aar, Aray, Irvine, Arno, Arve. [Perh. conn. with Sans. ara, 'swift,' 'flowing.']

Ard (Celt.), 'high;' as Ardoch, Airdrie, Ardrossan, Ardglass, Arden, Ardennes.

Ath (Ir. and Gael.), 'a ford;' as Athlone, Athtruim (now Trim), Athole. The Gael. abh, 'water,' appears in Aboyne, Awe.

Auch (Gael.), Agh (Ir.), 'a field;' as Auchinleck, Aghinver, Aghadoe.

Auchter (Gael.), 'summit;' as Auchterarder, Auchtermuchty.

Avon (Celt.), 'a river;' as Avon, Aven, Aisne, Inn, Ain, Vienne; also in Devon, Evan, Guadiana, Punjaub.

Ay. See Ea.

 

B

Bab (Ar.), 'a gate;' as Bab-el-mandeb, Bab-el.

Bad (Teut.), 'a bath;' as Bath, Baden, Karlsbad.

Bahr (Ar.), 'a sea,' 'lake,' 'river;' as in Bahrein, Bahar-el-azrak.

Bala (Turk.), 'high;' as Balla-hissar, Balkan.

Balloch (Gael.), 'a pass;' as Ballochmyle, Ballaghmore.

Bally (Ir. and Gael.), 'a village' or 'town;' as Ballymore, Balbriggan, Balmoral, Ballantrae, Balquhidder.

Ban (Celt.), 'white;' as Banna, Banon, Banchory; the rivers Ben, Bann, Bandon, Banney, &c.

Beck (Scand.), Bach (Ger.), 'a brook;' as Holbeck, Lauterbach. [See Beck in Dict.]

Bedd (W.), 'a grave;' as Beddgelert.

Beer (Heb.), 'a well;' as Beersheba, Beirout.

Beg, Bihan (Celt.), 'little;' as Ballybeg, Morbihan.

Ben (Gael. and Ir.), 'mountain,' Pen (W.), 'headland,' 'hilltop;' as Ben Nevis, Ben Lomond, The Twelve Pins, Bangor; Pen, Pennigant, Penzance, Pennine Alps, Apennines, Pindus.

Berg, Borough (A.S. beorh), 'a hill;' as Ingleborough, Flamborough Head, Browberg Hill, Königsberg, Bergen. [From the same root as Burgh (below).]

Beth (Heb.), 'a house;' as Bethel (house of God).

Bettws (W.), 'a dwelling;' as Bettws-y-coed.

Blair (Gael.), 'a plain,' 'a battlefield;' as Blair-Athole, Blairgowrie.

Boca (Sp.), 'a mouth;' as Boca-grande.

Bor (Slav.), 'wood;' as Borovsk, Ratibor.

Bottle or Battle, Büttel (Teut.), 'a dwelling;' as Newbattle, Buittle, Morebattle, Wolfenbüttel.

Broad (Eng.), as Braddon, Bradshaw, Bradford.

Brunn (Ger.), 'a spring;' as Salzbrunn, Paderborn.

Bryn (W.), 'a hill-ridge;' as Brown-Willy.

Buen (Sp.), 'good;' as Buenos-Ayres ('good breezes').

Burgh, Borough, Bury (Teut.), 'a fortified place,' 'a town;' as Edinburgh, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, Hamburg, Cherbourg, Carisbrook, Burgos. [A.S. burg, burh (see Borough in Dict.), Ger. burg.]

Burn (Northern Eng. and Scotch, A.S. burna), 'a brook.;' as Burnfoot, Blackburn, Tyburn, Eastbourne.

By (Scand.), 'a dwelling,' 'a town;' as Derby, Rugby, Whitby, Elbœuf. [Cf. Bylaw in Dict.]

 

C

Caer, Cader (W.), Caher (Ir.), 'fortified enclosure;' as Caerleon, Caernarvon, Cardigan, Carlisle, Cader-Idris, Sanquhar, Carlingford.

Cam (Celt.), 'crooked;' as Cam, Cambeck, Cambuskenneth, Morecambe Bay, Cambrai.

Carrick (Gael. and Ir. carraig), Carreg (W.), 'a sea-cliff,' 'rock;' as Carrickfergus, Carrick-on-Suir, Carrigafoyle, Cerrig-y-Druidion.

Caster, Chester, Cester (—L. castra), 'a camp,' as Doncaster, Chester, Winchester, Leicester.

Ceann (Gael.), 'a head,' 'promontory;' as Kintyre, Kinghorn, Kenmore.

Cefn (Celt.), 'a ridge;' as Cefncoed, Chevin, Keynton, Chevington, Cheviot, Cevennes.

Cheap and Chipping (A.S. ceap), 'price,' 'a market;' as Chipping-Norton, Chepstow, Cheapside, Copenhagen (Dan. Kjöben-havn, 'merchants' haven'). [See Cheap in Dict.]

Civita (It.), Ciudad (Sp.), 'a city;' as Civita Vecchia ('old city'); Ciudad Rodrigo ('city of Roderick'). [From L. civitas.]

Clach, Cloch, Clough (Gael.), 'a stone;' as Clackmannan, Clogher, Auchnacloy, Clonakilty.

Clachan (Gael.), 'a village,' often also 'church.' There are perhaps twenty clachans in Scotland.

Cluan, Cloon (Gael.), 'a meadow;' as Clunie, Clonmel, Clontarf, Clynder.

Clyd (Celt.), 'warm,' Clyth (Celt.), 'strong;' as Clwyd—most prob. not Clyde.

Cnoc (Gael.), 'a knoll,' 'hill,' as Knockmeledown. Sir Herbert Maxwell (Studies in the Topography of Galloway, 1885) gives 220 Knocks in Galloway alone.

Coed (Celt.), 'a wood;' Cotswold Hills, Chatmoss.

Coln (from L. colonia), 'a colony;' as Lincoln, Colne, Cologne (Köln). [See Colony in Dict.]

Combe (A.S.), Cwm or Cum (Celt.), 'a hollow between hills;' as Wycombe, Compton, The Coombs, Como.

Craig, Crag (Celt.), 'a rock;' as Craigie, Crathie, Carrick, Crick, Cricklade, Croagh-Patrick. See Carrick (above).

Croft (A.S.), 'an enclosed field;' as Crofton, Thornycroft.

 

D

Dagh (Turk.), 'mountain;' as Karadagh.

Dal (Scand.), Thal (Ger.), Dail and Dol (Celt.), 'a dale,' 'a field;' as Liddesdale, Rydal, Kendal, Arundel, Rheinthal; (in Celtic names prefixed) Dalry, Dalkeith, Dolgelly. [See Dale in Dict.]

Dar (Ar.), 'a dwelling,' 'district;' as Darfur, Diarbekr.

Den or Dean (Teut.), 'a deep wooded valley;' as Tenterden, Southdean, Hazeldean, Denholm.

Dorf. See Thorpe.

Dour (Celt.), 'water;' as the Dour, Adour, Douro, Dore, Thur, Doro, Adder, Derwent, Darwin, Darent, Dart, Dorchester, Dordogne.

Drum and Drom (Celt.), 'a backbone,' 'a ridge;' as Dromore, Drummond, Aughrim, Leitrim.

Du (Celt.), 'black;' as Douglas; the rivers Dulas, Doulas; Dublin ('dark pool').

Dum, Dun (Gael.), Dinas, Din (W.), 'a hill-fortress;' as Dunmore, Dunblane, Dunkeld, Dumbarton, Dumfries, Dunstable, Dunmow, Downpatrick, Donegal, Maldon, Verdun, Leyden, Dinas-fawr, Dinan, Denbigh. [See Down, a hill, in Dict.]

Dysart (Celt.—L. desertum), 'a hermitage;' as Dysart, Dysertmore.

E

Ea, Ey (A.S. íg, Ice. ey, Norw. and Dan. ö), 'an island;' as Swansea, Eton, Jersey, Romney, Sheppey, Rothesay, Staffa, Faroe. [See Island in Dict.]

Eccles, Egles (like Fr. église, through L., from Gr. ekklēsia), 'a church;' as Eccleston, Ecclefechan, Ecclesmachan, Ecclesiamagirdle, Eaglesham, Terregles.

Elf, Elv (Goth.), 'a river;' as Elbe.

Ermak (Turk.), 'a river;' as Kizil-ermak.

Esk (Gael. and Ir. easg [obs.] or uisge, W. wysg), 'water;' as the Esk, Usk, Ise, Oise, Easeburn, Ashbourne, Iz, Isis, Exe, Ux, Ouse, Wisbeach, Wis, Ischia, Isère, Aisne, Ausonne.

Eski (Turk.), 'old,' as Eski-djuma ('old ditch').

 

F

Fahr, Fuhr (Teut.), 'way,' 'passage;' as Fahrenbach, Campvere, Queensferry, Connel-Ferry.

Feld, or Veld (Teut.), 'plain,' 'field;' as Huddersfield, Lichfield, Spitalfields.

Fell (Old Norse fjall, fell), 'a mountain;' as Carterfell, Goatfell, Snaefell.

Fin, Finn (Gael.), 'fair,' 'white;' as Findon, Fintry, Fincastle, Knockfin.

Fiord, Fjord (Scand.), 'a creek,' 'inlet of the sea;' as Laxfiord, Waterford, Wexford.

Fleet (Scand. fljót, a stream), 'a small river' or 'channel;' as Purfleet; found in Normandy as fleur, as Harfleur, Barfleur.

Folk (A.S.), 'people;' as Norfolk ('north people'), Suffolk ('south people').

Ford (A.S.), 'a shallow passage over a river,' as Chelmsford, Hereford, Stamford.

Fors, Foss (Scand.), 'a waterfall;' as High Force, Wilberforce, Foston.

 

G

Garth (Scand.), 'yard;' Gorod, Grod, Grade, Grätz (Slav.), 'enclosure,' 'town;' as Stuttgart, Novgorod (=Newton), Grodno, Belgrade (=Whitton), Königgrätz (=Kingston).

Garw (Celt.), 'rough;' hence Garonne, Garioch, Yarrow, Yair, possibly Garry.

Gate (Teut.), 'a passage' or 'road;' as Canongate, Harrowgate, Reigate (=Ridgegate), Cattegat.

Gebel, Jebel (Ar.), 'a mountain;' as Gibraltar, Jebel-Mukattam.

Gill (Scand.), 'a ravine;' as Buttergill, Ormsgill.

Glen (Gael.), Glyn (W.), 'a narrow valley;' as Glencoe, Glengarry, Glynneath, Glamorgan.

Gorm (Gael.), 'green' or 'blue;' as Cairngorm.

Guada, the name given to the rivers in Spain by the Moors, from the Ar. wadī, 'a ravine;' as in Guadalquivir (Wadī-'l-kebīr, 'the great river'), Guadiana.

Gwen (Celt.), 'white;' as Derwent, Ventnor, Corwen; Gwent (Celt.), 'a plain;' Latinised into venta, as Venta Belgarum (now Winchester), formerly Caergwent.

Gwy. See Wy.

 

H

Hall (Teut.), 'a stone house;' as Eccleshall, Walsall; (in Germany) a salt-work, as Halle, Hallstadt. [See Hall in Dict.]

Ham (A.S., Ger. heim), 'a home;' as Buckingham, Clapham, Hexham, Trondhjem, Hildesheim, Hochheim, Ednam, Edrom, Hounam.

Har, Haer (Teut.), 'the army;' as Harwich, Herstall, Harbottle.

Haugh, Heugh, a particular Scotch form and use of Haw (A.S. haga), perhaps due to the Ice. form hagi, a pasture. The meaning is generally a low-lying meadow between hills or on the banks of a stream, and it is noticeable that in Scotch use How and Hope have frequently the same sense. A Hope, however, is properly a hollow, esp. the upper end of a narrow mountain valley, while a How is a low hill (Ice. haugr, 'a mound'). Cf. Hobkirk, Howwood, Hutton, Fox How.

Hay, Haigh (Teut.), a place surrounded by a 'hedge;' as Rothwell Haigh, Hague.

Hissar (Turk.), 'a castle;' as Kara-hissar.

Hithe (A.S.), 'haven;' as Hythe, Lambeth=Loamhithe (the 'clayey haven').

Ho (Chin.), 'river;' as Peiho.

Hoang, Whang (Chin.), 'yellow;' as Hoang-ho, Whang-Hai.

Holm (Scand., &c.), 'an island in a lake or river,' 'a plain near a river;' as Stockholm, Flatholm, Langholm.

Holt (Teut.), 'a wood;' as Bagshot, Aldershot, Holstein. [See Holt in Dict.]

Horn (Teut.), 'a peak;' as Schreckhorn, Matterhorn.

Hurst (A.S. hyrst), 'a wood;' as Lyndhurst.

 

I

Ing (A.S.), a suffix denoting son, in pl. 'a family' or 'tribe;' as Warrington ('the town of the Warrings'), Haddington. [See -ing in list of suffixes.]

Innis or Ennis (Celt.), Inch in Scotland, an island; as Inchcolm ('the island of St Columba'); Enniskillen, Ennismore, Innisfallen, in Ireland.

Inver (Gael.), 'the mouth of a river;' as Inverness, Inveraray, Innerleithen. This is supposed to be the Gaelic form (inbhir) corresponding to the Brythonic aber-; and it is at any rate certain that in Wales there are scores of abers-, but of invers- not a solitary one; while on the west coast of Scotland and north of Inverness aber- barely exists.

 

K

Kalat, Kalah (Ar.), 'a castle;' as Khelat, Calahorrah.

Kara (Turk.), 'black;' as Karakum ('black sand'), Kara Hissar ('black castle').

Kenn (Gael.), Kin (Ir.), 'a head;' as Kenmore, Cantire, Kinnaird, Kinross, Kinsale, Kent. Kin or Cin, older cind, is really a survival of the old dative or locative of Gael. ceann (W. penn), 'head,' 'promontory,' as in Kinaldie, Kinbuck, Kinglassie, Kinloch, Kingussie, Kinnoul. See Ceann.

Kil (Gael. cill, really a survival of the old dative of ceall, a hermit's cell—L. cella, then a church, esp. a parish church—the proper form is seen in Lochnan-ceal, 'loch of the churches,' in Mull); as Kilbride, Kilchattan, Kildonan, Kilmarnock; Icolmkill, 'the island (I) of Columba of the church.'

Kil (Gael. coil), 'a wood,' 'a corner;' as in Kildrummy, Kilham.

Kirjath (Heb.), Gadr (Phœnician), 'an enclosure,' 'a fortified place;' as Kirjath-Arba, Carthage, Cades or Cadiz.

Kirk (North Eng. and Scand.), Kirche (Ger.); as Selkirk, Kirkwall, Kirkcudbright, Kirchheim, Fünfkirchen. [See Church in Dict.]

Kizil (Turk.), 'red.'

Knock. See Cnoc.

 

L

Lax (Scand.; Ger. lachs), 'a salmon'; as Loch Laxford in Sutherland; the Laxay in the Hebrides and in Man; Laxweir on the Shannon.

Leamhan (Ir. and Gael.; pron. lavawn), 'the elm-tree;' as in Leven, Lennox, Laune.

Lea, Lee, Ley (A.S. leáh), 'a meadow;' Hadleigh, Waterloo.

Linn (Celt.), 'a waterfall;' as Lynn Regis in Norfolk; Roslin, 'the promontory (ross) at the fall;' Linlithgow, Linton.

Lis (Celt.), 'an enclosure,' 'a fort,' 'a garden;' as Lismore ('the great enclosure' or 'garden').

Llan (W.), 'an enclosure,' 'a church;' as Llandaff ('the church on the Taff').

Llano (Sp.), 'a plain.'

Loch

Loch, Lough (Gael.), 'a lake.'

Low and Law (A.S. hláw, hlæw),'a rising ground;' as Hounslow, Ludlow, and numerous laws in Scotland. [Cog. with Goth. hlaiw, a mound, and perh. allied to L. clivus, a slope.]

 

M

Magh (Celt.), 'a plain;' as Armagh, Maynooth.

Mark (Teut.), 'a boundary;' Denmark, Mercia, Murcia.

Markt (Ger.), 'a market;' as Bibertmarkt.

Medina (Ar.), 'city;' as Medina, Medina-Sidonia.

Mere, Moor (A.S.), 'a lake' or 'marsh;' as Mersey, Blackmore.

Minster (A.S.), Münster (Ger.), 'a monastic foundation;' as Westminster, Neumünster.

Mor (Celt.), 'great;' Benmore ('great mountain').

Mor (Celt.), 'the sea;' as Moray, Armorica, Morlaix, Glamorgan, Morbihan.

Mull (Gael.), 'a headland;' as Mull of Galloway.

 

N

Nagy (Hungarian), 'great;' as Nagy-Koros, Nagy-Karoly.

Nant (Celt.), 'a brook,' 'valley;' as Nantwich, Nantglyn.

Ness or Naze (Scand.; see Dict.), 'a nose' or 'promontory;' as Caithness, Sheerness, Cape Grisnez; the Naze.

 

O

Ochter. See Auchter.

Oë. See Ea.

Old, Eld, Alt (Teut.), 'old;' as Althorp, Elton, Eltham, Aldbury, Abury. [See Old in Dict.]

 

P

Patam (Sans.), 'a city;' Seringapatam, Patna.

Peak, Pike (Celt., conn. with Ger. spitz, Fr. pic and puy) 'point;' as the Peak, the Pikes in Cumberland, Spitzbergen, Pic du Midi, Puy de Dôme.

Peel (Celt.), 'a stronghold;' as Peel in Man, and numerous peels on the Border of Scotland.

Pen. See Ben.

Polis (Gr.), 'a city;' as Grenoble, Nablous, Naples, Sebastopol.

Pont (L.), 'a bridge;' as Pontefract, Negropont.

Poor, Pore, Pur (Sans. pura), 'a town;' as Nagpur, Cawnpore, Singapore.

Port (L. portus), 'a harbour;' as Portpatrick, Southport.

 

R

Ras (Ar.), 'a cape;' as Ras-al-had.

Rath (Ir.), 'a round earthen fort;' as Rathmore, Rathbeg, Ratho, Rattray.

Rhe, Rea, Ri, a root found in many languages, as L. rivus, a stream, Sans. rīna, flowing, A.S. ríth, a stream, Sp. and Port. rio, a river, meaning 'to flow;' as Rhine, Rhone, Rha, Reno, Rye, Ray, Rhee, Wrey, Roe, Rae; Rio de Janeiro, Rio-Negro.

Ridge, in Scotland Rigg (A.S. hrycg, Ger. rücken), 'a back;' as Reigate, Rugeley, Longridge.

Rin (Celt.), 'a point of land;' Rhinns of Galloway; Penrhyn in Wales, Ringsend near Dublin.

Ros, Ross (Celt.), 'a promontory;' Kinross, Rosneath, Rosehearty, Rossdhu, Roslin; in S. Ireland, a wood, as Roscommon, Rosskeen. The -ros in Melrose is more probably the equivalent of Cornish ros, a moor; thus Melrose=the Celt. maol-ros, 'bare moor.'

 

S

Salz (Ger.), 'salt;' as Salzburg.

Scale (Scand.), 'a hut' (Scot. shieling; Ice. skali); Portinscale, and possibly Shields, Galashiels, Selkirk.

Scar (Scand.), 'a cliff;' Scarborough, the Skerries.

Schloss (Ger.), 'a castle;' as Marienschloss.

Serai (Turk.), 'a palace;' as Bosna-serai or Seraiëvo.

Set (A.S.), 'a seat,' 'a settlement;' Dorset, Somerset, Ambleside, Seidlitz.

Sex, 'Saxons;' as Essex ('East Saxons'), Sussex ('South Saxons').

Sierra (Sp.—L. serra), 'a saw;' or from Ar. sehrah, 'an uncultivated tract.'

Slievh (Ir.; allied to L. clivus, a slope), 'a mountain;' as Slievh Beg.

South, found in Suffolk, Sussex, Southampton, Sutherland, Sutton, Sudbury, Sudley.

Stadt. See Stead.

Stan (Per.), 'a land;' Hindustan. Afghanistan.

Staple (A.S.), 'a store;' Dunstable, Barnstaple.

Stead (A.S.), Stadt (Ger.), 'a town;' as Hampstead, Neustadt, Nysted.

Ster (Scand. stadhr), 'a place;' as Ulster.

Stoc, Stoke, and Stow (A.S.), 'a stockaded place;' as Bristow or Bristol, Tavistock, Stockholm, Stow.

Stone (A.S.), Stein (Ger.), 'a stone,' 'a rock;' as Stanton, Staines, Eddystone, Stennis, Frankenstein.

Strath (Gael.), 'a broad valley;' as Strathmore, Strathblane, Strathearn.

Street (L. stratum), 'a Roman road;' as Stratford, Stratton, Streatham. [See Street in Dict.]

Su (Turk.), 'water;' as Karasu.

 

T

Tain (Gael.), 'a river;' as the Tyne, prob. a form of Don.

Tam (Celt.), 'still,' 'smooth;' as the Thamesis ('smooth Isis'), the Tema, Tame, Tamar, Tay.

Thing (Scand.), 'a legislative assembly,' also 'the place where it is held;' as in Dingwall, Tinwald, Tynwald Hill, Tain.

Thorpe (Norse), Dorf (Ger.), Dorp (Dut.), 'a village;' as Burnham-Thorpe, Heythorpe, Düsseldorf, Middledorp.

Thwaite (Scand.), 'a clearing;' as Crossthwaite.

Tobar (Gael.), 'a fountain;' as Tobermory.

Toft (Dan.), 'an enclosure;' as Lowestoft, Ivetot.

Ton (A.S.), 'enclosure,' 'town;' the most common of English local suffixes.

Tor (Celt.), 'a tower-like rock;' as Torbay, Torphichen, Turriff, Torbolton, Kintore, Torridon. [From L. turris, 'a tower,' and its derivatives are Torres-Novas and Torres-Vedras in Portugal, Truxillo in Spain, Tourcoing in France.]

Tre (W.), 'a dwelling;' as Tretown, Coventry ('convent dwelling'), Oswestry, Uchiltre.

 

Uchel

Uchel (W.), 'high;' Uachter (Gael.), 'a height;' as the Ochil Hills, Ochiltree, Auchterarder.

 

V

Var, Varad (Hungarian), 'a fortress;' as Nagyvarad.

Varos (Hungarian), 'a town;' as Ujvaros.

Ville (Fr.,—L. villa), Villa (It., Sp., Port.), Well (Eng.), 'an abode;' as Tankerville, Yeovil, Pottsville, Kettlewell, Bradwell, Maxwelltown.

 

W

Wady (Ar.), 'a river-course,' 'a river.' See Guad.

Wall, found in many names of places on the Roman wall from Newcastle to Carlisle; as Wallsend, Wallhead.

Weald, Wold (Ger. wald), 'a wood;' Waltham, Walden, the Cotswolds; Schwarzwald ('Black Forest').

Whang. See Hoang.

Wick, Wich (A.S. wíc), 'a village;' as in Berwick, Warwick, Greenwich, Sandwich.

Wick (Scand., Ice. vík, 'a creek'); as Wick in Caithness.

Worth (A.S.), 'a farm' or 'estate;' as Tamworth, Kenilworth, Bosworth, Worthing, Polwarth, Jedburgh=Jedward.

Wy or Gwy (W.), 'water;' as the Wye; used as affix to many streams, as Conway, Medway.