Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/66

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  • Stanford (i. e. Stone, or Stony Ford) he derives from Stan (Embouchure) a Mouth of a River,Vor, pronounced For, Near.
  • Stratton (i. e. Street-Town, the name of a Town on the Watling-street) from Strat, Land near a River, and Ton, Habitation: Or, from Ster, Rivers, At, Junction or Joining, and Ton, Habitation.
  • Uxbridge, (supposed by some to be corrupted from Ouse-bridge) he derives from Uc, River, and Brig (Partage) Division.

Such are the derivations of a writer who sets out to explain the meaning of English names of places, without understanding the signification of our common English words Land, Brook, Marsh, Well, High, North, Hill, Dale, Wood, Ford, Street or Bridge!

So much for Celtic Etymologies!




POSTSCRIPT.

TO the modern Tongues derived from the Old Cimbro-Gothic above mentioned in p. xxxii. may be added a Specimen of the Language spoken by the common people in the Isles of Orkney. This is preserved by Dr. Wallace, in his Account of those Islands, “Lond. 1700. 8vo.” Who tells us it is called by the natives Norns. It seems to be a corruption of the Norse, Icelandic, &c. and is as follows:

“Favor i ir i Chimrie. 1. Helleur ir i Nam thite. 2. Gilla cosdum thite cumma. 3. Veya thine mota var gort o Yurn sinna gort i Chimrie. 4. Gav vus da on da dalight Brow vora. 5. Firgive vus Sinna vora sin vee firgive Sindara mutha vus. 6. Lyv vus ye i Tumtation. 7. Min delivera vus fro Olt ilt. Amen.”

I suspect the above Copy to be incorrectly printed by Wallace: that “Helleur” should be “Helleut,” &c. &c.