374 Origin and Meaning of Prober Names.
fields exhibit no more fields, the all signify ' water,' the first being
Green park was all last autumn com- Celtic (as in Wan's-ford, A-voii),
pletely brown. Green street was in the second German (beck=back), the
no better plight, and both, according last English, we at once recognize
to Goldsmith's recommendation con- three changes of inhabitants to wiiom
<;erning the aged peas with which he the older name successively lost its
was served, should be removed to significance." P^very conquered coun-
Hanimersmith, because that is the try contains such historical names,
way to Turnham Green." Britain has been successively occu-
The study of names has a greater pied by Celts, Romans, Danes, and philological value than the study of Normans. Existing names of places common words. The names of per- and of men are historical proofs of the sons and places are, in numerous in- settlement of these nations in the stances, the only existing memorials island. " In the Celtic dialect, for of departed nations. The Greeks instance, Glynde means a vale. Comb and Romans displaced or annihilated (crom) a deep valley, and Cahurn numerous nations and languages in (caer-l)yrn) a fortified hill. All these southern and central Europe. The occur in Sussex. In Latin, Castrum Pelasgi and the Etrusci are only is a fortified station : this word cor- known by their monuments and monu- rupted by the Saxons to ' ceaster ' or mental inscriptions. They only live Chester is a common termination of in the names which they gave to many English words. In Anglo- places and heroes. "Stat nomiuis Saxon, ' Ze?/ ' and ' T/^/i ' mean field umbra." We everywhere tread upon and an enclosure. In French, Mal- the ashes of buried nations. Soon fosse stands for a dangerous ravine, nothing will be known of the red men and EeauUeu for a pleasant situa- who have occupied this whole conti- tion." Thus Alfriston is Aelf rick's nent but the names they have affixed enclosure, Clapham, Clappa's home, to mountains, lakes, and rivers. Chichester, Cissa's fortress, Can- Proper names, therefore, have a his- terbury (Anglo-Saxon, Cant-waere- torical value. Every name is a legend l)urg), the chief town in Kent. Names or myth to tell us how men of by- terminating in ville (Latin, villa) are gone ages looked, thought, and of French oiigin. Such' examples ^^ted. might be multiplied indefinitely, but
Says Mr. Donaldson,— " When we enough has been written to show that
hear a stream called Wans-beck- the study of proper names yields all
water, and know that the three words that Horace ascribes to true poetry —
of which the compound is made up 2)leasure and 2JroJit.
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