A DICTIONARY OF PLACE-NAMES (continued 3)

HAMMAN (Ar. and Turc.), HAMMAH,

hot springs; e.g. Hamman-Mousa (the hot springs of Moses); Hamman-Pharoon (of Pharaoh); Hammah-de-Cabes (the warm baths of Cabes), in North Africa; Alhama (the town of the warm baths), the name of several places in Spain.

HAMMER (Scand.)

This word sometimes signifies a village or small town, and sometimes a rock; e.g. Lillehammer (the little town); Oesthammer (east village); Hamr (a steep place), in Shetland; Hammerfeste, in the island of Qualoe, probably means the rock fortress, faestung. In German topography it is generally connected with the blacksmith’s hammer, and is common in localities where metals are worked, thus—Hammersmeide (hammer-smithy); Silberhammer (a place where silver is wrought), near Dantzic. Kemble also suspects a reference to Thor’s hammer in the names of some towns or villages in England; e.g. Hamerton, in Huntingdon, and also in Middlesex; Hammerwich, in Staffordshire; Hamerton-kirk, in Yorkshire.

HANG (Ger.),

a declivity, from hängen (to hang), A.S. hongian; e.g. Hangenheim (the dwelling on the declivity); Pannshanger (Penn’s slope), in Herts; Clehonger (clayey slope), Hereford.

HAR, HAER (Teut.),

the army; e.g. Harwich (army town or bay), in Essex, so called because the Danes had a great military depot at this place; Herstal, in Belgium, anc. Hari-stelle (army place); Hargrave (the army entrenchment), in Norfolk; Harbottle (the army’s quarters), in Northumberland. In Edmond’s Names of Places this prefix, as well as hor, is referred to an A.S. word signifying hoary; under which he places Harborough, in Leicestershire, the name of which is traced by Bailey to havre (oats).

HART, HARZ (Teut.), HYRST (A.S.),

brushwood or a wood; e.g. the Harz Mountains, with the town of Harzburg (the fortress in the wood); Harsefeld (woody field), in Hanover; Hurst, in Kent; Deerhurst (deer wood or thicket); Hurst-Monceaux (the wood of Monceaux, probably a Norman baron), in Sussex; Hurst, a town in Lancashire; Lyndhurst (the wood of lime-trees); Midhurst (in the middle of the wood); Hawkhurst (hawk wood); Gravenhorst (the count’s wood); Horstmar (rich in wood)—v. MAR; Billing’s-hurst (the wood of the Billings), a patronymic; Farnhurst and Ferneyhurst (ferny wood); Sendenhorst (the rushy wood), in Westphalia; Herzovia or Herzegovia (a woody district), in Turkey; Murrhard, in Wurtemberg, means the wood on the R. Muhr; Delmenhorst, on the Delme, in Hanover. Hart, in English topography, however, refers more commonly to heort (the hart), as in Hartgrove, Hartland, Hartley, Hartfield, Hartsford, Hartshill. It occasionally takes the form of chart, as in Seal-chart (holy wood); Chart-Sutton (the wood at the south town).

HASEL, HAEZEL (Teut.),

the hazel-tree; e.g. Hessle (the place of hazels); Haselburn and Haselbrunnen (the stream and well of the hazels); Haslau (hazel meadow); Heslington (the dwelling among hazels); Hasselt, in Belgium, i.e. Hasselholt, Lat. Hasseletum (hazel grove); Hasseloe (hazel island), in Sweden and Denmark; Hazeldean and Haslingden (the hollow of the hazels).

HATCH, HÆCA (A.S.),

a bolt, a gate, hence an enclosed dwelling; e.g. Hatch-Beauchamp (the enclosed dwelling of Beauchamp, a personal name); Colney-Hatch (of Colney); West-Hatch, in Somerset; Pilgrim’s Hatch, in Essex.

HAUGH, HEUGH, HOW, HOPE.

In Scotland these words generally denote a low-lying meadow between hills or on the banks of a stream,—as in Hobkirk (i.e. the church in the hope or meadow); Howwood (the wood in the hollow); Hutton, for Howton (the dwelling in the hollow), parishes in Scotland. In England how and haugh come more frequently from the Scand. haugr (a heap or mound often raised over a grave, like the cairns in Scotland),—as in Silver-how, Butterlip-how, in the Lake District, probably from mounds over some Norse leader’s grave; Haugh, in Lincoln; Haugham (the dwelling near the mound); Howden, in Yorkshire (the valley of the haugr or mound); Haughley (the meadow near the mound). La Hogue, in France, is from haugr or from the houg, as also Les Hogues and La Hoguette (the little mound); Gretna Green is the modern name for Gretan-how (the great hollow). Haugr also means a temple or high place, fenced off and hallowed, among the Scandinavians; and to this word so derived Dasent traces Harrow-on-the-hill and Harrowby.

HAUPT (Ger.), HOVED (Scand.), HEAFOD (A.S.),

a head, a promontory; e.g. Howth Head, in Ireland, from the Danish hofed—its Irish name is Ben Edair (the hill of Edar); Brunhoubt (the well head); Berghaupt (hill head); Ruckshoft (ridge head), in Germany; Hoft (the headland), in the island of Rugen; Sneehatten (snowy head), in Norway; Hoddam (holm head), in Dumfriesshire.

HAUS (Teut.), HUUS (Scand.), HAZA (Hung.),

a dwelling, allied to casa, Lat., It., Span., and Port.; e.g. Mühlhausen (at the mill house); Saxenhausen (the dwelling of the Saxons); Wendenhausen (of the Wends); Schaffhausen (the ship station), which consisted originally of a few storehouses on the banks of the Rhine for the reception of merchandise; Dunkelhauser (the dark house); Aarhuus (the town on the watercourse), a seaport in Denmark; Aggers-huus, in Norway, on the R. Agger. This district and river seems to have been named from an agger or rampart erected near Christiania in 1302, on the Aggerfiord. Ward-huus (the dwelling in the island of the watch-tower), on the coast of Fenmark; Holzhausen (the dwelling at the wood); Burghausen (the fortified dwelling); Distilhousen (the dwelling among thistles), in Belgium. In Hungary, Bogdan-haza (God’s house); Oroshaza (the dwelling of the Russians); Chaise-Dieu, Lat. Casa-Dei (the house of God), in France. Also in France, Chaise, Les Chaises; Casa-nova (new house); Casa-vecchia (old house), in Corsica; Chassepierre, Lat. Casa-petrea (stone house), in Belgium; Casa-bianca (white house), in Brazil.

HEL, HELLE, HELGE, HEIL,

prefixes with various meanings in Eng., Ger., and Scand. topography. Sometimes they mean holy, Ger. heilig, as in Heligoland (holy isle); Heilbron (holy well); Heligensteen (holy rock); Heilberg and Hallidon (holy hill); Heiligencreuz (the town of the holy cross), Hung. Nemet-keresztur (the grove of the cross); Heiligenhaven (holy harbour); Heiligenstadt (holy town); Halifax, in Yorkshire (holy face), is said to have been named from an image of John the Baptist, kept in a hermitage at the place; Hoxton, in Sussex, was originally Hageltoun (holy town), because it was there that St. Edmund suffered martyrdom. Sometimes, however, hell denotes a covered place, as in Helwell, in Devonshire (the covered well); sometimes it means clear, as in Hellebrunn (clear or bright fountain); Heilbronn, in Wurtemberg (fountain of health), named from a spring formerly used medicinally. Hellefors, a waterfall in Norway, and Hellgate, New York, seem to derive their names from a superstition connected with Hel, the goddess of the dead; Holyhead, in Wales, is in Welsh Pen-Caer-Gibi (the hill fort of St. Cybi, called holy in his honour); Holy Island, Lat. Insula-sancta, obtained its name from the monastery of St. Cuthbert—its more ancient name, Lindisfarne, is probably the ferry, fahr, of the brook Lindis, on the opposite shore; Holywell, in Flint, took its name from St. Winifred’s Well, celebrated for its miraculous cures—its Welsh name is Tref-fynnon (the town of the clear water); Holywood, Dumfriesshire, Cel. Der Congal (the oak grove of St. Congal).

HELLR (Scand.),

a cave into which the tide flows; e.g. Hellr-hals (the neck or strait of the cave); Heller-holm (the island of the cave); Hellersness (the headland of the caves).

HELY (Hung.),

a place; e.g. Vasarhely (the market-place); Varhely (the place of the fortress); Marosvasarhely (the market-place on the R. Maros), in Ger. Neumarkt; Vasarhely-hod-Mezö (the market-place of the beaver’s meadow); Szombathely (the place where the Saturday market is held, szombat); Csotortokhely (the Thursday market-place), Germanised Donners-markt; Udvarhely (court place); Szerdahely (Wednesday market-place), Vasar, Hung. (a market), from Turc. Bazar.

HEN (Cym.-Cel.),

old; e.g. Henly (the old place), on the Thames; Hentland, for Hen-llan (old church, now St. Asaph’s); Henlys (old palace): Hen-egglys (old church), in Anglesea.

HEN (Cym.-Cel.),

old, ancient; e.g. Henlys (the ancient hall).

HENGST (Teut.),

a horse—hence Hengiston, in Cornwall, either an enclosure for horses or the town of Hengist; Hengestdorf or Pferdsdorf (horse’s village); Hengistridge (horse’s ridge); Hinksey (the horse’s island or marshy place); Hinkley (the horses’ meadow).

HERR, HERZOG (Ger.), HERTOG (Dutch),

a duke or lord; e.g. Herzogenbosch or Bois-le-Duc (the duke’s grove); Hertogspodler (the duke’s reclaimed land); Herzogenburg (the duke’s fortress); Herzogenrath (the duke’s cleared land); Herrnsbaumgarten (the duke’s orchard); Herrnhut (the Lord’s tabernacle), founded by Count Zinzendorf, in Saxony, for the Moravian Brethren, in 1722; Herisau (the duke’s meadow), Lat. Augia-Domini, in Switzerland.

HESE, or HEES (Teut.),

a hedge or thicket; e.g. Hessingen (the dwelling in the thicket); Maashees (the thicket on the R. Maas); Wolfhees (the wolf’s thicket).

HILL (A.S.), HYL, HOLL (Scand.),

an elevation, cognate with the Ger. hugel; e.g. Silver-hill, named after Sölvar, a Norse leader, in the Lake District; Hilton, Hilston (hill town); Woolwich, anc. Hyl-vich (hill town); Butterhill (the hill of Buthar), a personal name in the Lake District.

HINDU (Pers.),

water; e.g. the Rivers Indus, Inde, Indre, etc.; Hindostan (the district watered by the R. Indus).

HIPPO (Phœn.),

a walled town; e.g. Hippo, near Carthage. There were three cities called Hippo in Africa and two in Spain: Olisippo (the walled town), now Lisbon; Oreppo, Belippo, Lacippo.

HIR (Cym.-Cel.),

long.

HIRSCH (Ger.),

the hart; e.g. Hirzenach (the hart’s stream); Hersbrock (the hart’s marsh); Hirschberg, Lat. Corvamontem (the hart’s hill); Hirschfeld, Herschau, Hirschholm, Hirschhorn (the field, meadow, hill, peak of the harts).

HISSAR (Turc.),

a castle; e.g. Kezil-hissar (red castle); Kara-hissar (black castle); Eski-hissar (old castle), anc. Laodicea; Demir-hissar (iron castle); Guzel-hissar (white castle); Sevri-hissar (cypress castle); Sultan-hissar (the sultan’s castle); Kulci-hissar (the castle on the R. Khelki).

HITHE (A.S.),

a haven; e.g. Hythe, in Kent; Greenhithe (the green haven); Lambeth, anc. Lomehithe (clayey haven); Maidenhead, anc. Mayden-hithe, i.e. the wharf midway between Marlow and Windsor; Queenhithe (the queen’s haven); Redriff, in Surrey, anc. Rethra-hythe (the haven of sailors), A.S. rethra, also called Rotherhithe (the haven for horned cattle), Old Eng. rother; Stepney, anc. Stebon-hythe (Stephen’s haven or timber wharf); Erith, A.S. Ora-hithe (shore haven), in Kent; Challock, in Kent, corrupt. from ceale hythe (chalk haven).

HJALTI (Scand.),

a Viking; e.g. Shapansay, anc. Hjalpansay (the Viking’s island); Shetland, i.e. Hjaltiland, with the same meaning.

HLINC (A.S.),

a ridge; e.g. Linch, in Sussex; Rouselinch (Rouse’s ridge), in Worcestershire.

HO (Chinese),

a river or water; e.g. Euho (the precious river); Hoangho (the yellow river); Peiho (white river); Yuho (imperial river); Keangho (rapid river); Hoonan (south of the lake); Hoohe (north of the lake, i.e. of Lake Tongting).

HOCH, HOHEN (Ger.), HEAH, HEAG (A.S.), HOOG (Dutch),

high; höhe (a height); e.g. Hohurst and Hohenhart (high wood); Hohenberg (high hill); Homburg (high hill fort); Homburg-von-der-höhe (the high fort in front of the height); Hochfeld (high field); Hochain (high enclosure); Hochstadt, Hochstetten, Hochstatten (high dwelling); Hocheim (high home or dwelling), from which place Hock wines are named; Hochwiesen, Sclav. Velko-polya (high meadow or plain); Hochst for Hochstadt, and Hoym for Hochham (high town); Hohenelbi, Grk. Albipolis (the high town on the Elbe); Hohenlohe (the high meadow or thicket); Hohenstein and Hohenstauffen (high rock); Hohenwarth, Lat. Altaspecula (the high watch-tower); Hohenzollern (the high place belonging to the Zwolf family); Hohenscheid (the high watershed); Hockliffe (high cliff), in Bedford; Higham, Highworth (high manor or dwelling); Highgate (high road); Wilhelmshöhe (William’s high place); Hoy, in Shetland (the high island).

HOF (Teut.), HOEVE (Dutch),

an enclosure, manor, and court. In Scandinavia hoff means a temple; e.g. Eyndhoven (the manor at the corner); Neuhof and Neunhoffen, in France (new manor); Hof and Hoff (the enclosure), in Belgium; Hof, in Bavaria, on the R. Saale; Stadt-am-hof, in Bavaria, anc. Curia Bavarica (the place at the court); Hof-an-der-March (the court or manor on the R. March); Schoonhoven (beautiful manor), in Holland; Nonnenhof (the nun’s enclosure); Meerhof (the dwelling on the marshy land); Peterhof (the court dwelling founded by Peter the Great); Hoff (the temple), in Iceland; Hoff, a village near Appleby, has the same meaning, as it is situated in a wood called Hoff-land (the temple grove). In Iceland, when a chieftain had taken possession of a district, he erected a temple (hoff) and became, as he had been in Norway, the chief, the pontiff, and the judge of the district; and when the Norwegians took possession of Cumberland and Westmoreland they would naturally act in the same manner.

HOHN (Old Ger.),

a low place, as in Die-Höhne (the hollows), in the Brocken.

HÖLLE (Teut.),

a cave, from hohl (hollow); e.g. Hohenlinden, anc. Hollinden (the hollow place of lime-trees); Holland or the Netherlands (the low countries); also Holland, a low-lying district in Lincolnshire; Holdeornesse (the low promontory of the province of Deira); Holmer, in Hereford (the low lake, mere).

HOLM (Scand.),

a small island; e.g. Flatholm (flat island); Steepholm (steep island); Priestholm (of the priest); Alderholm (of alders); Holm, in Sweden, and Hulm, in Norway (the island); Stockholm, anc. Holmia (the island city, built upon stakes). But holm also signifies occasionally a hill, as in Smailholm, in Roxburghshire (little hill); and Hume, or holm, Castle, in Berwickshire (on a hill). Sometimes also it signifies a low meadow on the banks of a stream, as in Durham, corrupt. from Dun-holm or Dunelme (the fortress on the meadow), almost surrounded by the R. Wear; Langholm (the long meadow); Denholm (the meadow in the deep valley); Twynholm, anc. Twynham (the dwelling on the hillock), Welsh twyn, a parish in Kirkcudbright; Brachenholm (ferny meadow); Lingholme (heather island), in Windermere; also Silverholme (the island of Sölvar, a Norse leader); Bornholm, in the Baltic, anc. Burgundaland (the island of the Burgundians); Axholme, an insulated district in Co. Lincoln, formed by the Rivers Trent, Idle, and Don, from uisge, Cel. (water); Drotningholm, in the Mälar Lake near Stockholm (queen’s island), from Swed. drottmig (a queen); Battleholme, found in some places in the north of England, according to Ferguson, means fertile island, from an Old English word battel or bette (fertile).

HOLT, HOLZ (A.S. and Ger.),

a wood; e.g. Aldershot (alder-tree wood); Bergholt (the hill or hill fort in the wood); Evershot (the boar’s wood, eofer); Badshot (badger’s wood); Bochholt (beech-wood); Jagerholz (huntsman’s wood); Oosterhout (east wood); Holzkirchen (the church at the wood); Thourhout, in East Flanders (the wood consecrated to the god Thor); Tourotte, in the department of Oise, in France (also Thor’s wood); Hootenesse (woody promontory), in Belgium; Diepholz (deep wood); Meerholt and Meerhout (marshy wood); Holt, a woody district in Norfolk.

HOO, or HOE (Scand.),

a spit of land running into the sea; e.g. Sandhoe (the sandy cape); The Hoe, in Kent; Kew, in Surrey, anc. Kay-hoo (the quay on the spit of land).

HORN (Ger.), HYRNE (A.S.), HOORN (Dutch),

a horn-like projection or cape jutting into the sea, or a valley between hills, curved like a horn; e.g. Hoorn (the promontory), a seaport in Holland, from which place the Dutch navigator Schoutens named Cape Horn, Hoorn being his native place; Hornburg (the town on the projection); Hornby (corner dwelling); Horncastle (the castle on the promontory); Hornberg and Horndon (the projecting hill); Hornsea (the projection on the coast); Matterhorn (the peak in the meadows), so called from the patches of green meadow-land which surround its base; Schreckhorn (the peak of terror); Finsteraarhorn (the peak out of which the Finster-Aar, or dark Aar, has its source). This river is so named to distinguish it from the Lauter or clear river. Skagenshorn (the peak of the Skaw, in Denmark); Faulhorn (the foul peak), so called from the black shale which disintegrates in water; Wetterhorn (stormy peak); Katzenhorn (the cat’s peak); Silberhorn (the silvery peak); Jungfrauhorn (the peak of the maiden).

HOUC, or HOOG (Teut.),

a corner or little elevation, akin to the Scottish heugh and the Scand. haugr; e.g. Hoogzand and Hoogeveen (the sand and marsh at the corner); Hoogheyd (corner heath); Hoogbraek (the broken-up land at the corner); Stanhoug (stone corner).

HUBEL, or HUGEL (Ger.),

a little hill; e.g. Haidhugel (heath hill); Steinhugel (stony hill); Huchel and Hivel (the little hill); Lindhövel (the hill of lime-trees); Gieshübel (the hill of gushing brooks).

HUNDRED (Eng.), HUNTARI (Ger.),

a district supposed to have originally comprised at least one hundred family dwellings, like Welsh Cantref (from cant, a hundred), the name of a similar division in Wales; e.g. Hundrethwaite (the cleared land on this Hundred), a district in Yorkshire.

HÜTTE (Teut. and Scand.),

a shed or cottage; e.g. Dunkelhütte (dark cottage); Mooshutten (the cottage in the mossy land); Buxtehude (the hut on the ox pasture); Huttenwerke (the huts at the works or mines); Hudemühlen (mill hut); Hutton (the town of huts). But Landshut, in Bavaria, does not seem to be derived from hütte, but from schutz, Ger. (a defence), as it is in the neighbourhood of an old fortress, on the site of a Roman camp.

HVER (Norse),

a warm, bubbling spring; e.g. Uxaver (the oxen’s spring), in Iceland.

I

I (Gadhelic),

an island; e.g. I-Colum-chille or Iona (the island of St. Columba’s cell); Ierne or Ireland (the western island or the island of Eire, an ancient queen).

IA (Cel.),

a country or land; e.g. Galatia and Galicia, and anc. Gallia (the country of the Gauls); Andalusia, for Vandalusia (the country of the Vandals); Batavia (the good land), bette, good; Britania or Pictavia (probably the land of painted tribes); Catalonia, corrupt. from Gothalonia (the land of the Goths); Circassia (the land of the Tcherkes, a tribe); Croatia (the land of the Choriots or mountaineers); Suabia (of the Suevii); Moravia (the district of the R. Moravia); Moldavia (of the R. Moldau). It is called by the natives and Turks Bogdania, from Bogdan, a chieftain who colonised it in the thirteenth century. Ethiopia (the land of the blacks, or the people with the sunburnt faces), from Grk. ops (the face), and aitho (to burn); Phœnicia (the land of palms or the brown land), Grk. Phœnix; Silesia (the land of the Suisli); Bosnia (the district of the R. Bosna); Russia, named after Rourik, a Scandinavian chief; Siberia, from Siber, the ancient capital of the Tartars; Kaffraria (the country of the Kaffirs or unbelievers), a name given by the Arabs; Dalmatia (the country of the Dalmates, who inhabited the city Dalminium); Iberia, the ancient name of Spain, either from the R. Ebro or from a tribe called the Iberi or Basques; Caledonia, perhaps from Coille (the wood).

IACUM,

an affix used by the Romans, sometimes for ia (a district), and sometimes the Latinised form of the adjectival termination ach—qu. v. p. 5; e.g. Juliers, Lat. Juliacum (belonging to Julius Cæsar); Beauvais, Lat. Bellovacum (belonging to the Bellovaci); Annonay, Lat. Annonicum (a place for grain, with large magazines of corn); Bouvignes, in Belgium, Lat. Boviniacum (the place of oxen); Clameny, Lat. Clameniacum (belonging to Clement, its founder); Joigny, anc. Joiniacum, on the R. Yonne; Annecy, Lat. Anneacum (belonging to Anecius); Cognac, Lat. Cogniacum (the corner of the water), Fr. coin, Old Fr. coiny, Cel. cuan.

IERE,

an affix in French topography denoting a possession, and generally affixed to the name of the proprietor; e.g. Guilletière (the property of Guillet); Guzonière (of Guzon).

ILI (Turc.),

a district; e.g. Ili-Bosnia (the district of the R. Bosna); Rumeli or Roumelia (the district of the Romans).

ILLIA (Basque),

a town; e.g. Elloirio, Illora, and Illura (the town on the water, ura); Lorca, anc. Illurcis (the town with fine water); Elibyrge (the town with the tower), Grk. pyrgos; Elché, anc. Illici (the town on the hill, ci); Illiberus (new town, surnamed Elne after the Empress Helena), in Spain; the isle of Oleron, anc. Illura (the town on the water).

IM and IN,

a contraction for the Ger. in der (in or on the); e.g. Imgrund (in the valley); Imhorst (in the wood); Eimbeck (on the brook); Imruke (on the ridge).

ING, INGEN, INGA,

an affix used by the Teutonic races, as a patronymic, in the same sense as Mac is used in Scotland, ap in Wales, and O in Ireland. Ing is generally affixed to the settlement of a chief, and ingen to that of his descendants. Ing, preceding ham, ton, dean, ley, thorp, worth, etc., is generally an abbreviation of ingen, and denotes that the place belonged to the family of the tribe, as in Bonnington, Collington, Collingham, Islington (the home of the Bonnings, the Collings, and the Islings). In French topography ingen takes the forms of igny, igné, or inges; and it appears, by comparing the names of many towns and villages in England and the north-west of France with those of Germany, that Teutonic tribes forming settlements in these countries transferred the names in their native land to their new homes. For the full elucidation of this subject reference may be made to Taylor’s Words and Places, chap. vii. and the Appendix, and to Edmund’s Names of Places, p. 58. Only a few examples of the use of this patronymic can be given here; thus, from the Offings—Oving and Ovingham, corresponding to the Ger. Offingen and the Fr. Offignes. From the Eppings—Epping, Ger. Eppinghofen, and Fr. Epagne. The Bings—Bing, Bingham, Bingley; Ger. Bingen; Fr. Buigny. The Basings—Eng. Basing, Basingham, Bessingby; Fr. Bazigny. From the Raedings—Reading, Co. Berks. The Harlings—Harlington. The Billings—Bellington. From the Moerings or Merovingians many French towns and villages are named; e.g. Morigny, Marigné, Merignac, Merrigny; in England—Merring, Merrington. We can sometimes trace these tribe names to the nature of the localities which they inhabited. Thus the Bucings, from which we have Boking and Buckingham, to a locality abounding in beech-trees, boc; the Durotriges, from which we have Dorset and Dorchester, are the dwellers by the water, dur; as well as the Eburovices, who gave their name to Evreux, in France. Ing, also, in A.S. names, sometimes means a meadow, as in Clavering, in Essex (clover meadow), A.S. Claefer; Mountnessing, Co. Essex (the meadow of the Mountneys, who were formerly lords of the manor); Godalming (the meadow of Godhelm).

INNER (Ger.),

opposed to ausser (the inner and outer), as in Innerzell, Ausserzell (the inner and outer church).

INNIS (Gadhelic), YNYS, ENEZ (Cym.-Cel.), INSEL (Ger.), INSULA (Lat.), NESOS (Grk.),

an island, also in some cases pasture land near water, or a peninsula. It often takes the form of inch, as in Inchkeith (the island of the Keith family); Inchcolm (St. Columba’s Island); Inchfad (long isle); Inchgarvie (the rough island); Inchard (high isle); Inch-Cailleach (the island of the old women or nuns), in Loch Lomond, being the site of an ancient nunnery; Inchmarnoch (of St. Marnoch), in the Firth of Clyde; Inchbrackie (the spotted isle); Inchgower (the goat’s isle); Inchtuthill (the island of the flooded stream); Craignish, anc. Craiginche (the rocky peninsula); Durness, in Sutherlandshire, is a corrupt. from Doirbh-innis (the stormy peninsula); Ynys-Bronwen (the island of Bronwen, a Welsh lady who was buried there), in Anglesey; Ynis-wyllt (wild island), off the coast of Wales; Inysawdre (the isle and home of refuge), in Glamorgan. In Ireland: Ennis (the river meadow); Enniskillen, Irish Inis-Cethlenn (the island of Cethlenn, an ancient queen of Ireland); Ennisheen (beautiful island); Devenish, in Lough Erne, is Daimhinis (the island of oxen). But Enniskerry is not from this root; it is corrupt. from Ath-na-scairbhe (the rough ford); Orkney Isles, Gael. Orc-innis (the islands of whales); they are sometimes called Earr-Cath (the tail of Caithness); Innisfallen, in Lake Kallarney (the island of Fathlenn); the Hebrides or Sudereys, called Innisgall (the islands of the Gaels); the Aleutian Islands, from Russ. aleut (a bald rock); in Holland, Duiveland (pigeon island), and Eyerlandt (the island of the sand-bank); Eilenburg, in Saxony (the town on an island in the R. Mulda); Isola, a town in Illyria (on an island); Issola or Imo-Isola (low island), in Italy; Lille, in Flanders, anc. L’Isle, named from an insulated castle in the midst of a marsh; Peloponnesus (the island of Pelops); Polynesia (many islands).

INVER, or INBHIR (Gadhelic), INNER,

a river confluence or a creek at the mouth of a river. This word is an element in numerous names throughout Scotland; and although it is not so common in Ireland, it exists in old names, as in Dromineer, for Druim-inbhir (the ridge of the river mouth). In Scotland it is used in connection with aber, the word inver being found sometimes at the mouth and aber farther up the same stream: thus—Abergeldie and Invergeldie, on the Geldie; Abernyte and Invernyte, etc.; Inversnaid (the needle or narrow confluence, snathad, a needle); Innerkip (at the conf. of the Kip and Daff); Inveresk and Inverkeilor (at the mouths of the Esk and Keilor), in Mid Lothian and Forfar; Innerleithen (at the conf. of the Leithen and Tweed), in Peebles; Inveraven (at the conf. of the Aven and Spey); Inverness (at the conf. of the Ness with the Beauly); Inveraray (at the mouth of the Aray); Inverury (the Urie); Inverkeithing (of the Keith); Inverbervie or Bervie (at the mouth of the Bervie); Peterhead, anc. Inverugie Petri or Petri promontorium (the promontory of the rock of St. Peter), on the R. Ugie, with its church dedicated to St. Peter; Inverleith, now Leith (at the mouth of the Leith); Inverarity (at the mouth of the Arity), in Forfar; Cullen, anc. Invercullen (at the mouth of the back river)—v. CUL.

ITZ, IZ, IZCH,

a Sclavonic affix, signifying a possession or quality, equivalent to the Teut. ing; e.g. Carlovitz (Charles’s town); Mitrowitz (the town of Demetrius); Studnitz (of the fountain); Targowitz (the market town); Trebnitz and Trebitsch (poor town); Schwanitz (swine town); Madlitz (the house of prayer); Publitz (the place of beans); Janowitz (John’s town); Schwantewitz (the town of the Sclavonic god Swantewit).

J

JABLON (Sclav.),

the apple-tree; e.g. Jablonez, Jablonka, Jablona, Jablonken, Jablonoko, Gablenz, Gablona (places abounding in apples); Jablonnoi or Zablonnoi (the mountain of apples).

JAMA (Sclav.),

a ditch; e.g. Jamlitz, Jamnitz, and Jamno (places with a ditch or trench); Jamburg (the town in the hollow or ditch); but Jamlitz may sometimes mean the place of medlar-trees, from jemelina (the medlar).

JASOR (Sclav.),

a marsh; e.g. Jehser-hohen and Jeser-nieder (the high and lower marsh), near Frankfort; Jeserig and Jeserize (the marshy place).

JASSEN (Sclav.),

the ash-tree; e.g. Jessen, Jessern, Jesseu, Jessnitz (the place of ash-trees).

JAWOR (Sclav.),

the maple-tree; e.g. Great and Little Jawer, in Silesia; Jauer, in Russia; Jauernitz and Jauerburg (the place of maple-trees), in Russia.

JAZA (Sclav.),

a house; e.g. Jäschen, Jäschwitz, Jäschütz (the houses).

JEZIRAH (Ar.),

an island or peninsula; e.g. Algiers or Al-Jezirah, named from an island near the town; Al-Geziras (the islands), near Gibraltar; Alghero (the peninsula), in Sardinia; Jezirah-diraz (long island), in the Persian Gulf; Al-Jezirah or Mesopotamia (between the river).

JÖKUL (Scand.),

a snow-covered hill; e.g. Vatna-Jökul (the hill with the lake); Orefa-Jökul (the desert hill); Forfa-Jökul (the hill of Forfa): Long-Jökul (long hill).

JONC (Fr.),

from juncus, Lat. (a rush); e.g. Jonchère, Joncheres, Jonchery, Le Jonquer, La Joncières, etc., place-names in France.

K

KAAI, KAI, KADE (Teut.),

a quay or a bank by the water-side; e.g. Oudekaai (old quay); Kadzand (the quay or bank on the sand); Moerkade (marshy bank); Kewstoke (the place on the quay); Kew, in Surrey, on the Thames; Torquay (the quay of the hill called Tor).

KAHL (Ger.), CALO (A.S.),

bald, cognate with the Lat. calvus; e.g. Kalenberg and Kahlengebirge (the bald mountains).

KAISER (Ger.), KEYSER (Dutch), CYZAR (Sclav.),

the emperor or Cæsar; e.g. Kaisersheim, Kaiserstadt (the emperor’s town); Kaiserstuhl (the emperor’s seat); Kaiserberg (the emperor’s fortress), in Alsace, named from a castle erected by Frederick II.; Kaiserslautern (the emperor’s place), on the R. Lauter; Kaiserswerth (the emperor’s island), on the Rhine; Keysersdyk (the emperor’s dam); Keysersloot (the emperor’s sluice), in Holland; Cysarowes (the emperor’s village), in Bohemia; Kaisariyeh, anc. Cæsarea.

KALAT, or KALAH (Ar.),

a castle; e.g. Khelat, in Belochistan; Yenikale (the new castle), in the Crimea; Calatablanca (white castle), in Sicily; Calahorra, Ar. Kalat-harral (stone castle), in Spain; Calata-bellota (the oak-tree castle), in Sicily; Calata-girone (the surrounded castle), Sicily; Calata-mesetta (the castle of the women); Calatayud (the castle of Ayud, a Moorish king); Alcala-real (the royal castle); Alcala-de-Henares (the castle on the R. Henares), in Spain; Sanjiac-Kaleh (the castle of the standard), corrupt. by the French into St. Jaques, in Asia Minor; Calatrava (the castle of Rabah).

KAMEN (Sclav.),

a stone; e.g. Camentz, Kemmen, Kammena, Kamienetz (the stony place); Kamminchen (the little stony place), a colony from Steenkirchen; Chemnitz (the stony town, or the town on the stony river); Kersna-kaimai (the Christian’s stone house); Schemnitz, Hung. Selmecz (stony town), in Silesia.

KARA (Turc.),

black; e.g. Karamania (the district of the blacks); Karacoum (the black sand), in Tartary; Kara-su (the black river); Kara-su-Bazar (the market-town on the Kara-su); Kara-Tappeh (the black mound), in Persia; Kartagh and Kartaon (the black mountain chains), in Turkey and Tartary; Kara-Dengis, the Turkish name for the Black Sea, called by the Russians Tchernœ-more, Ger. Schawarz-meer; Kara-mulin (black mill); Cape Kara-bournow (the black nose), in Asia Minor.

KEHLE (Ger.),

a gorge or defile; e.g. Bergkehle (hill gorge): Hundkehle (the dog’s gorge); Langkehl (long gorge); Kehl (the gorge), in Baden; Schuylkill (the hidden gorge), a river in America.

KESSEL, KEZIL (Ger.), KYTEL (A.S.),

literally a kettle, but in topography applied to a bowl-shaped valley surrounded by hills; e.g. Ketel, in Holstein; Kessel, in Belgium; Kessel-loo (the low-lying grove or swamp), in Belgium; Kesselt (the low-lying wood, holt), in Belgium; Kettle or King’s-kettle (the hollow), in the valley of the R. Eden, in Fife, formerly belonging to the crown; but such names as Kesselstadt, Kesselsham, Kettlesthorpe, and Kettleshulme are probably connected with the personal name Chetil or Kettle, being common names among the Teutons and Scandinavians.

KIR (Heb.), KIRJATH,

a wall or stronghold, a city or town; e.g. Kir-Moab (the stronghold of Moab); Kiriathaim (the two cities); Kirjath-Arba (the city of Arba), now Hebron; Kirjath-Baal (of Baal); Kirjath-Huzoth (the city of villas); Kirjath-jearim (of forests); Kirjath-sannah (of palms), also called Kirjath-sepher (the city of the book). The Breton Ker (a dwelling) seems akin to this word, as in Kergneû (the house at the nut-trees), in Brittany.

KIRCHE (Ger. and Scand.), CYRIC (A.S.), KERK (Dutch),

a church. The usual derivation of this word is from kuriake, Grk. oikos-kuriou (the Lord’s house); e.g. Kirkham, Kerkom, Kirchdorf (church town); Kirchhof (church court); Kirchwerder (church island), on an island in the R. Elbe; Kirchditmold (the church at the people’s place of meeting)—v. DIOT. Fünfkirchen (the five churches), in Hungary; Kirchberg (church hill), in Saxony. Many parishes in Scotland have this affix to their names, as in Kirkbean (the church of St Bean); Kirkcaldy (the church of the Culdees, who formerly had a cell there); Kirkcolm (of St. Columba); Kirkconnel (of St. Connal); Kirkcowan, anc. Kirkuen (of St. Keuin); Kirkcudbright (of St. Cuthbert); Kirkden (the church in the hollow); Kirkhill (on the hill); Kirkhope (in the valley); Kirkinner (the church of St. Kinneir). In England: Kirkby-Lonsdale (the church town), in the valley of the Lune; Kirkby-Stephen (of St. Stephen, to whom the church was dedicated); Kirkdale, in Lancashire; Kirkham, also in Lancashire; Kirkliston (the church of the strong fort, founded by the Knights Templars), in Linlithgow; Kirkoswald, named after Oswald, King of Northumberland; Kirkurd, in Peeblesshire, Lat. Ecclesia de Orde (the church of Orde or Horda, a personal name); Kirkwall, Norse Kirk-ju-vagr (the church on the bay); Hobkirk (the church in the hope or valley); Ladykirk, in Berwickshire, dedicated to the Virgin Mary by James IV. on his army crossing the Tweed near the place; Falkirk, supposed to be the church on the Vallum or wall of Agricola, but more likely to be the A.S. rendering of its Gaelic name Eglais-bhrac (the spotted church), fah in A.S. being of divers colours; Stonykirk, in Wigtonshire, corrupt. from Steenie-kirk (St. Stephen’s church); Kirkmaden (of St. Medan); Carmichael for Kirk-Michael (of St. Michael); Bridekirk (of St. Bridget); Carluke for Kirkluke (of St. Luke); Selkirk, anc. Sella-chyrche-Regis (the seat of the king’s church, originally attached to a royal hunting-seat); Laurencekirk (the church of St. Laurence, Archbishop of Canterbury, called the Apostle of the Picts); Kirby-Kendal (the church in the valley of the Ken or Kent); Channelkirk, in Berwickshire, anc. Childer-kirk (the children’s church, having been dedicated to the Innocents).

KIS (Hung.),

little; e.g. Kis-sceg (little corner), in Transylvania; Kishissar (little fort).

KLAUSE, KLOSTER,

a place shut in, from the Lat. claudo, also a cloister; e.g. Klausen (the enclosed place), in Tyrol; Klausenburg (the enclosed fortress); Klausenthal (the enclosed valley); Kloster-Neuburg (the new town of the cloister); Chiusa, in Tuscany, anc. Clusium, and Clusa, in Saxony (the enclosed place), also La Chiusa, in Piedmont; but claus, as a prefix, may be Klaus, the German for Nicholas, and is sometimes attached to the names of churches dedicated to that saint.

KLEIN (Ger.),

little; e.g. Klein-eigher (the little giant), a mountain in Switzerland.

KNAB, KNOP (Scand. and Teut.), CNAP (Cel.),

a hillock; e.g. Noopnoss (the projecting point); Knabtoft (the farm of the hillock); The Knab, in Cumberland; Knapen-Fell (the hill with the protuberance), in Norway; Knapdale (the valley of hillocks), Argyleshire; Knapton, Knapwell (the town and well near the hillock); Snape (the hillock), in Suffolk and Yorkshire; Nappan (little hillock), and Knapagh (hilly land), in Ireland.

KNOLL (Teut.), KNOW,

a hillock; e.g. Knowle and Knoyle (the hillock); Knowl-end (hill end); Knowsley (hill, valley, or field). In the form of know or now it is common as an affix in Scotland.

KOH (Pers.),

a mountain; e.g. Koh-baba (the chief or father mountain); Caucasus (mountain on mountain, or the mountain of the gods, Asses); Kuh-i-Nuh (Noah’s mountain), the Persian name for Ararat; Kashgar (the mountain fortress).

KOI (Turc.),

a village; e.g. Kopri-koi (bridge village); Haji-Veli-koi (the village of the pilgrim Veli); Papaskoi (the priest’s village); Kadikoi (the judge’s village); Hajikoi (the pilgrim’s village); Akhmedkoi (Achmed’s village); Boghaz-koi (God’s house), near the ruins of an ancient temple in Asia Minor.

KÖNIG (Ger.), CING (A.S.),

a king; e.g. Königshofen (the king’s court); Königheim (the king’s dwelling); Königsbrunn (the king’s well); Königshain (the king’s enclosure); Königshaven (the king’s harbour); Königsberg, in Prussia, and Kongsberg, in Norway (the king’s mountain); Königstein (the king’s rock fortress); Coningsby, Connington, Coniston, Kingsbury, places in England where the Anglo-Saxons held their court; Kingston, in Surrey, where their kings were generally crowned; Kingston or Hull, upon the R. Hull, in Yorkshire, named after Edward I.; Kingston, Co. Dublin, so named in commemoration of George IV.’s visit to Ireland; Kingston, in Jamaica, named after William III.; Cunningham, Kingthorpe, Kingsby (the king’s dwelling or farm); but Cuningsburg, in Shetland, may be derived from Kuningr (a rabbit); Kingsbarns, in Fife, so called from certain storehouses erected there by King John during his occupation of the castle now demolished.

KOPF, KOPPE (Ger.), COPA (Welsh), KUPA (Sclav.), CABO (Span.),

a headland or mountain peak; e.g. Catzenkopf (the cat’s head); Schneekopf and Schneekoppe (snowy peak); Ochsenkopf (the oxen’s peak); Riesenkoppe (giants’ peak); Perecop, in Russia (the gate of the headland); Vogelskuppe (the birds’ peak); Cape Colonna (the headland of the pillars), so named from the ruins of a temple to Minerva; Cape Leuca (the white); Cape Negro (the black); Cape Roxo (the red cape); Kuopio (on a headland), in Russia; Cabeza-del-buey (ox headland), in Spain; Cabeciera (black headland), in Spain; Capo-d’Istria (the summit of Istria); Copeland, a district in Cumberland full of peaks or headlands.

KOPRI, KUPRI (Turc.),

a bridge; e.g. Vezir-kopri (the vizier’s bridge); Keupri-bazaar (the market-town at the bridge); Keupris (bridge town), in Turkey.

KOS (Sclav.),

a goat; e.g. Koselo (goat’s river); Koslin (goat town), in Pomerania.

KOSCIOL (Sclav.),

a Romish church; e.g. Kostel, Kosteletz (towns with a Romish church), a Protestant church being called Zbor, and a Greek church Zerkwa.

KRAL, KROL (Sclav.),

a king; e.g. Kralik, Kralitz, Krolow, Kraliewa, Kralowitz (the king’s town or fortress).

KRASNA (Sclav.),

beautiful; e.g. Krasnabrod (the beautiful ford); Krasnapol (the beautiful city); Krasno-Ufimsk (the beautiful town of the R. Ufa); Krasna and Krasne (the beautiful place).

KRE (Sclav.),

a coppice; e.g. Sakrau, Sakrow (behind the coppice).

KREIS (Ger.),

a circle; e.g. Saalkreis (the circle watered by the R. Saal); Schwardswaldkreis (the circle of the Black Forest).

KREM, KRIM (Sclav.),

a stone building; e.g. The Kremlin (the stone fort of Moscow); Kremmen, Kremenetz, Kremnitz, Kremmenaia, Kremenskaia, towns in Russia, Poland, and Lusatia.

KRONE, KRON (Teut. and Scand.),

a crown; e.g. Kronstadt, Hung. Brasso (crown city), in Hungary; Cronstadt, in Russia, founded by Peter the Great; Königscrone (the king’s crown); Carlscrone (Charles’s crown); Landscrone (the crown or summit of the land), a mountain and town in Silesia—also with the same meaning, Landscrona, in Sweden. Kron, however, as a prefix, comes occasionally from krahn (a crane), as in Kronwinkel (the crane’s corner).

KRUG (Ger.),

a small inn; e.g. Dornkrug (the thorn inn); Krugmülle (the mill at the inn).

L

LAAG, LAGE (Ger.), LOOG (Dutch),

a site, a low-lying field; e.g. Brawenlage (brown field); Wittlage (white field or wood field); Blumlage (flowery field); Mühlenloog (the mill field or site); Dinkellage (wheat field). This word is also used as an adjective, signifying low; e.g. Loogkirk (low church); Loogheyde (low heath); Loogemeer (low lake); Laaland (low island).

LAC (Fr.), LACHE (Ger.), LAGO (It., Span., and Port.), LAGUNA,

a lake, cognate with the Lat. lacus and the Cel. loch or lwch. These words in the various dialects originally signified a hollow, from the roots lag, lug, and Grk. lakos; e.g. Lachen, Lat. Adlacum (at the lake), a town on Lake Zurich; Interlachen (between the lakes), in Switzerland; Biberlachen (beaver lake); Lago Maggiore (the greater lake), with reference to Lake Lugano, which itself means simply the lake or hollow; Lago Nuovo (new lake), in Tyrol,—it was formed a few years ago by a landslip; Lagoa (on a lake or marsh), in Brazil; Lagow (on a lake), in Prussia; Lagos, in Portugal (on a large bay or lake); Laguna-de-Negrillos (the lake of the elms) and Laguna-Encinillos (of the evergreen oaks), in Spain; Laach, in the Rhine Provinces (situated on a lake), the crater of an extinct volcano; Anderlecht or Anderlac (at the lake or marsh), in Belgium; Chablais, Lat. Caput-lacensis (at the head of the lake, i.e. of Geneva); Missolonghi, i.e. Mezzo-laguno (in the midst of a marshy lagoon); Beverley, in Yorkshire, anc. Biberlac (the beaver lake or marsh); Lago-dos-Patos (the lake of geese), in Brazil; Niederhaslach and Oberhaslach (lower and upper lake), in Bas Rhin; Lake Champlain takes its name from a Norman adventurer, Governor-general of Canada, in the seventeenth century; Alagoas (abounding in lakes), a province in Brazil, with its capital of the same name; Filey, in Yorkshire, in Doomsday Fuielac (i.e. bird lake, fugæ).

LAD (Scand.),

a pile or heap; e.g. Ladhouse, Ladhill, Ladcragg, Ladrigg (the house, hill, crag, ridge of the mound or cairn), probably so named from a heap or cairn erected over the grave of some Norse leader.

LADE, or LODE (A.S.),

a way, passage, or canal; e.g. Ladbrook (the passage of the brook); Lechlade, in Gloucester (the passage of the R. Lech into the Thames); Evenlode (at brink of the passage or stream); Cricklade, anc. Crecca-gelade or Crecca-ford (the creek at the opening or entrance of the Churn and Key into the Thames).

LAEN (Teut.), LEHEN,

land leased out, a fief; e.g. Kingsland or Kingslaen, in Middlesex, Hereford, and Orkney; Haylene (the enclosed fief), in Hereford; Lenham (the dwelling on the laen); Lenton, ditto.

LAESE (A.S.),

pasture, literally moist, wet land; e.g. Lewes, in Sussex; Lesowes, in Worcester (the wet pasture); Lewisham (the dwelling on the pasture), in Kent; Leswalt (wood pasture), in Dumfriesshire.

LAG, LUG (Gadhelic), LÜCKE (Ger.),

a hollow, cognate with the Lat. lacus and the Grk. lakkos; e.g. Logie (the hollow), in Stirling; Logiealmond (the hollow of the R. Almond in Perth); Logie-Buchan, in Aberdeenshire; Logie-Coldstone, Gael. Lag-cul-duine (the hollow behind the fort), Aberdeen; Logie-Easter and Logie-Wester, in Cromarty; Logie Loch and Laggan Loch (the lake in the hollow); Logan (the little hollow); Logierait, Gael. Lag-an-rath (the hollow of the rath or castle, so called from the Earls of Atholl having formerly had their castle there in Perthshire); Mortlach, Co. Banff, probably meaning the great hollow. In Ireland: Legachory, Lagacurry, Legacurry (the hollow of the pit or caldron, coire); Lugduff (dark hollow); Lugnaquillia (the highest of the Wicklow mountains), is from the Irish Lug-na-gcoilleach (the hollow of the cocks, i.e. grouse); Lough Logan (the lake of the little hollow); Lagnieu, in France, anc. Lagniacum (the place in the hollow of the waters); Laconia and Lacedemonia (in the hollow), in Greece.

LANN (Gadhelic), LLAN (Cym.-Cel.), LAND (Teut.),

an enclosure, a church, a house; but Mr. Skene considers that the Cel. llan comes from the Lat. planum (a level place), just as the Gael. lan (full) comes from the Lat. plenus. This word is more common in Welsh names than in the topography of Ireland and Scotland, and in its signification of a church forms the groundwork of a vast number of Welsh names. In Ireland it means a house as well as a church, as in Landbrock (the badger’s house); Landmore (the great church), in Londonderry; Landahussy (O’Hussy’s church), in Tyrone; Lanaglug (the church of the bells). It is not so frequent in Scotland, but the modern name of Lamlash, in the Island of Arran, formerly Ard-na-Molas, the height of St. Molios, who lived in a cave there, seems to be the church or enclosure of this saint; Lambride, in Forfar, is Lannbride (St. Bridget’s church); Lumphanan is from Lann-Finan (St. Finan’s church). The derivation of Lanark, anc. Lanerk, is probably from the Welsh Llanerch (a distinct spot or fertile piece of ground). There are many examples of this root in Brittany; e.g. Lanleff (the enclosure on the R. Leff); Lanmeur (great church); Lannion (the little enclosure); Landerneau and Lannoy (the enclosure on the water); but in French topography the Teut. land generally signifies uncultivated ground; e.g. La Lande, Landes, Landelles, La Landelle, Les Landais, Landau, etc.—v. Cocheris’s Noms de Lieu. Launceston, in Cornwall, is probably corrupt. from Llan-Stephen. The greatest number of our examples must be taken from Wales. There are Lantony or Llan-Ddevinant (the church of St. David in the valley, nant, of the R. Hodeny); Llan-Dewi-Aberarth (St. David’s church at the mouth of the Arth); Lampeter (of St. Peter); Llan-Asaph (of St. Asaph); Llanbadern-fawr (the great church founded by Paternus), also Llan-Badarn-Odyn; Llandelo-vawr (of Feilo the Great); Llandewi-Brefi (St. David’s church). Brevi here means the bellowing, from the dismal moans of a sacred animal killed here; Llandovery, corrupt. from Llan-ym-dyffrwd (the church among the rivers, at the confluence of three streams); Llanudno (of St. Tudno); Llanelly (of St. Elian); Llanfair (of St. Mary); Llanover (the church of the Gover wells); Llanon (the church dedicated to Nonn, the mother of St. David); Llanfair-yn-nghornwy (on the horn or headland of the water). There are several of this name,—as Llan-fair-ar-y-bryn (St. Mary’s church on the hill); Llanfair-helygen (St. Mary’s church among willows); Llanfair-o’r-llwyn (on the lake); Llanfihangel (of the angel); Llanfihangel-genau’r-glyn (the church of the angels at the opening of the valley); Llanfihangel-y-creuddin, a church erected probably on the site of a bloody battle; Llanfihangel-lledrod (the church at the foot of a declivity); Llangadogvawr (of St. Cadoc the Great); Llangeler (of St. Celert); Llangollen (of St. Collen); Llanidloes (of St. Idloes); Llaniestyn (of St. Constantine); Llannethlin, anc. Mediolanum (the church among the pools or marshes); Llantrissant (of three saints); Llanddeusaint (of two saints); Llanberis (of St. Peres); Llandegla (of St. Theckla); Llanrhaiadr (the church of the cataract); Llanfaes (the church of the battle-field); Landaff, on the R. Taff; Llangoedmore (the church of the great wood); Llanaml-lech (the church on the stony ground, etc.); Llangwyllog (the gloomy church, perhaps in the shade of the Druidic grove); Llanfleiddian (dedicated to a bishop named Flaidd); Llanllawer (the church of the multitude, llawer, close to which was a sainted well famous for its medicinal properties, and which was resorted to by crowds of impotent folk); Llancilcen (the church in the nook, cil, at the top, cen, of a hill), a parish in Flint; Llan-mabon (of St. Mabon); Llan-Beblig, corrupt. from Bublicius, named for the son of Helen, a Welsh princess; Llan-sant-Fagan, named in honour of St. Faganus, a missionary from Rome. Llan is sometimes corrupted to long in Scotland, as in Longniddrie; Lagny, a town in France, anc. Laniacum (the church or enclosure on the stream). From the Teut. land, i.e. a country or district, some names may come in appropriately under this head—thus Scotland (the land of the Scots), from Ireland; Monkland, in Lanarkshire (belonging to the monks); Natland, in Norway (the land of horned cattle); Sutherland (the southern land, as compared with Caithness), both Sutherland and Caithness having formed part of the Orkney Jarldom; Cumberland (the land of the Cymbri), being part of the British kingdom of Cumbria; Holland (the marshy land, ollant); Gippsland, named in honour of Sir George Gipps, a governor of Port Philip; Friesland (the land of the Frisii); Beveland (of oxen or beeves); Baardland (of the Lombards); Westmoreland (the land of the Westmoringas or people of the Western moors); Gothland, in Sweden (the land of the Goths); Jutland (the land of the Getæ or Jutes, the Cimbric Chersonesus of the ancients).

LAR, LAAR, LEER (Old Ger.), LAER (A.S.), LATHAIR, or LAUER (Gadhelic),

a site, a bed; and in Germany, according to Buttmann, a field; in topography, synonymous with lage; e.g. Goslar (the site or field on the R. Gose), in Hanover; Somplar (marshy field); Wittlar (woody field); Dinklar (wheat field); Wetzlar, in Prussia, anc. Wittlara (woody field); Wassarlar (watery field); Noordlaren (the northern site); Lahr (the site), a town in Baden. In Ireland this word takes the forms of laragh and lara; e.g. Laraghleas (the site of the fort); Laraghshankill (of the old church). Lara, however, is sometimes a corrupt. of Leath-rath (half rath), as in Laragh, in West Meath; and laar and lare often mean middle, as in Rosslare (the middle peninsula); Ennislare (the middle island); Latheron, in Caithness, is the site of the seal.

LAUF, LAUFEND (Ger.), LOOP (Dutch),

a current, a rapid, from laufen, Ger.; hlaupen, Scand.; hleapen, A.S. (to run, to leap); e.g. Laufen (the rapids), on the R. Salzach; Lauffenberg (the town near the rapids of the Rhine); Laufnitz (the leaping river); Lauffen (on the rapids of the R. Inn); Leixlip, in Ireland, Old Norse Lax-hlaup (salmon-leap), on a cataract of the R. Liffey; Beck-loop (brook cataract), in Holland; Loop-Head, Co. Clare, Irish Leim-Chon-Chuillerin (Cuchullin’s leap)—v. Joyce’s Names of Places.

LAW (A.S.), hleaw, LOW,

a hill, cognate with the Irish lagh; e.g. Houndslow (the dog’s hill); Ludlow (the people’s hill, leod); Greenlaw, in Berwickshire (the green hill)—the modern town is situated on a plain, but old Greenlaw was on a hill; Winslow (the hill of victory), in Berks; Marlow (the chalk or marshy hill); Wardlaw (guard hill); Hadlow, anc. Haslow (hazel hill); Castlelaw, in the Lammermuir range, named from Roman camps on these hills; Sidlaw Hills (the south hills, in reference to their forming the southern boundary of Strathmore); Warmlow, Co. Worcester, anc. Waermundes-hleau (the hill of Waermund, a personal name); Fala, a parish in Mid Lothian, abbreviated from Fallaw (the speckled hill); Mintlaw, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from Moan-alt-law (the hill at the moss burn).

LAYA (Sansc.),

an abode; e.g. Naglaya (the abode of snakes); the Himalaya Mountains (the abode of snow); Hurrial, for Arayalaya (the abode of Hari or Vishnu).

LEAC (Gadhelic), LLECH (Cym.-Cel.),

a flat stone—in topography, found in the forms of lick and leck, cognate with the Lat. lapis and Grk. lithos; e.g. Lackeen, Licken (the little stone); Slieve-league (the mountain of the flagstone); Lickmollasy (St. Molasse’s flagstone); Bel-leek, Irish Bel-leice (the ford of the flagstone), near Ballyshannon; Lackagh (full of flagstones); Lickfinn (white flagstone); Duleek, anc. Doimhliag (the stone house or church); Auchinleck (the field of the stone), in Ayrshire; Harlech, in Merioneth; Ar-llech (on the rock, the place being situated on a craggy eminence); Llananl-lech—v. LLAN; Llech-trufin, probably originally Llech-treffen (the rock of the look-out, or twrfine); Llanml-lech (the church among many stones); Tre-llech (stone dwelling); Llech-rhyd (the ford of the flat stone); Leck, Lech, Leckbeck (the stony rivers); Leckfield (the field on the R. Leck); Leckwith, in Wales, for Lechwedd (a slope).

LEAMHAN (Gadhelic),

the elm-tree; e.g. the Laune, a river at Killarney, and the Leven, in Scotland (the elm-tree stream); Lennox or Levenach (the district of the R. Leven), the ancient name of Dumbartonshire; Lislevane (the fort of the elm-tree), in Ireland. According to Mr. Skene, the Rivers Leven in Dumbartonshire and in Fife have given their names to Loch Lomond and Loch Leven, while in each county there is a corresponding mountain called Lomond.

LEARG (Gadhelic),

the slope of a hill; e.g. Largy, in Ireland; Lairg, a parish in Sutherlandshire; Largs, in Ayrshire, and Largo, in Fife, from this word; Largan (the little hill-slope); Largynagreana (the sunny hill-slope); Larganreagh (gray hill-slope), in Ireland.

LEBEN (Ger.),

a possession, an inheritance. Forsteman thinks this word is derived from the Old Ger. laiban (to leave or bequeath), cognate with the Grk. leipa, and not from leben (to live); e.g. Leibnitz, anc. Dud-leipen (the inheritance of Dudo); Ottersleben (of Otho); Ritzleben (of Richard); Germersleben (of Germer); Osharsleben (of Ausgar); Sandersleben (of Sander); Hadersleben (of Hada).

LEGIO (Lat.),

a Roman legion; e.g. Caerleon, on the Usk, anc. Isca-Legionis; Leicester, Legionis-castra (the camp of the legion); Leon, in Spain, anc. Legio, being the station of the seventh Roman legion; Lexdon, anc. Legionis-dunum (the fort of the legion); Megiddo, in Palestine, now Ledjun, anc. Castra-legionis (the camp of the legion).

LEHM (Ger.), LAAM (A.S.), LEEM (Dutch),

clay, mud; e.g. the Leam (the muddy river); Leamington (the town on the R. Leam); Lehmhurst (the clayey wood); Lambourn (muddy brook); Leemkothen (the mud huts).

LEITER (Gadhelic),

the slope of a hill; e.g. Ballater, in Aberdeenshire (the town on the sloping hill); Letterfearn (the alder-tree slope); Letterfourie (the grassy hillside, feurach); Findlater (the cold hill-slope, fionn), in Scotland. In Ireland: Letterkenny (the hill-slope of the O’Cannons); Letterkeen (beautiful hill-slope); Lettermullen (Meallan’s hill-slope); Letterbrick (the badger’s hill-slope); Letterlickey (the hill-slope of the flagstone); Letherhead, in Surrey (at the head of the slope, Welsh llethr), on the declivitous bank of the R. Mole; Machynlleth for Mach-yn-Llethr (the ridge on the slope), a town in Montgomery.

LEOD (A.S.), LEUTE (Ger.),

the people; e.g. Leutkirch (the people’s church); Liège, Ger. Lüttich, anc. Leodicus-vicus (the people’s town)—the hill on which the citadel stands was called Publes-mont (the people’s hill); Leeds, in Yorkshire, anc. Loidis (the people’s town, according to Bayley); Whittaker, however, makes it the town of Loidi, a personal name); but Leeds, in Kent, is said to have been named after Ledian, the Chancellor of Ethelred II.

LESSO, LESSE (Sclav.),

a wood or thicket; e.g. Lessau, Leske, Leskau, Lessen, Lissa (the woody place), towns in Prussia; Leschnitz, in Silesia, and Leizig, in Saxony, with the same meaning; Leschkirch (the church in the wood), in Transylvania; Liezegorike (woody hill).

LEUCUS (Grk.),

white, e.g. Leuctra, Leuctron, Leucadia, so named from the white rocks at its extremity; Leucasia (the white river); Leucate (the white promontory in Greece).

LEY, LEA (A.S.), LEG,

a district—in English topography generally applied to an open field or meadow; e.g. Leigh (the meadow), in Lancashire; Berkeley, Thornley, Oakley, Auchley, Alderley, Brachley (the meadow of birch, thorn, oak, alder, ferns); Hasley (of hazels); Hagley (the enclosed meadow); Horsley (the meadow of Horsa, or of horses); Brockley (of the badger); Hindley (of the stag); Everley (of the wild boar, aper); Bradley (broad meadow); Stanley (stony meadow); Loxley (of Loki, a Scandinavian deity); Ashley (ash-tree meadow); but Ashley, S. Carolina, was named after Lord Ashley in the reign of Charles II.; Morley (moor-field); Bisley (bean-field); Cowley (cow’s field); Linley (flax-field); Monkley (the monk’s field); Audley, Co. Stafford (old field); but Audley, in Essex, took its name from a palace erected by Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor of England; Ofley (the field of King Offa); Tarporley, in Cheshire, corrupt. from Thorpeley (the farm-field or meadow); Chorley (the meadow of the R. Chor); Bosley (Bodolph’s field); West Leigh, North Leigh, Leighton, from the same root; Satterleigh (the field of Seator, an A.S. deity); Earnley, Sussex (eagle meadow); Ripley, in Yorkshire, from Hryp, a personal name; Bentley, bent, pasture (a coarse kind of grass); Tewesley and Tisley, from Tiw, a Saxon deity—as also Tewing, Tuoesmere, and Teowes (thorn); Henley (the old meadow or field), supposed to be the oldest town in Oxfordshire.

LIN (Esthonian),

a fort or town; e.g. Rialin, now Riga (the fortress of the Rugii), in Russia; Pernau, anc. Perna-lin (the lime-tree fort); Tepelin (hill town; tepe, Turc. hill).

LINDE (Ger.), LIND, LYND (A.S. and Scand.),

the linden-tree; e.g. Lindhurst and Lyndhurst (the linden-tree wood); Lindheim, Lindorf, Limburg, in Germany (the town of linden-trees); as also Limburg, in Holland, formerly Lindenburg; Lindau (the linden-tree meadow); Lindesnaes (the promontory of linden-trees), in Norway; La Linde, Le Lindois (abounding in linden-trees); Limbœuf, Lindebœuf (linden-tree dwelling), in France.

LINNE (Gadhelic), LLYNN (Cym.-Cel.), HLYNNA (A.S.),

a pool, a lake, sometimes applied to a waterfall, not as associated with the cascade, but with the pool into which it is received, as in the Linn of Dee, in Aberdeenshire, and Corra-linn, on the Clyde. Dublin (the black pool) takes its name from that part of the R. Liffey on which it is built; and there are several other places in Ireland whose names have the same meaning, although variously spelt, as Devlin, in Mayo; Dowling and Doolin, in Kilkenny and Clare; Ballinadoolin (the town of the black pool), in Kildare. In several such cases the proper name was Ath-cliath (hurdle ford), literally Baile-atha-cliath (the town of the hurdle ford), the original name of Dublin. The ancient name of Lincoln, Lindum, is the hill fort on the pool; Linlithgow comes from the same root, and is probably the gray lake—how it came by the termination gow, gu, or cu, as it is variously spelt, cannot be determined; Linton, in Roxburghshire, is the town on the pool; Linton, in Peebles, on the R. Lyne—in Cambridge (on the brook, hlynna); Dupplin, on the R. Earn, in Perthshire (the black pool); Crailing, in Berwickshire, anc. Traverlin (the dwellings, treabhar, on the pool); Edarline (between the pools); Aber-glas-lyn (the estuary of the blue pool), in Wales; Lynn-Regis (the king’s pool), in Norfolk; Roslin (the projecting point on the pool), in Mid Lothian; Lynn-yr-Afrange (the beaver’s pool), in Wales; Mauchline, in Ayrshire (the pool in the plain, magh); Lincluden, in Kirkcudbright (the pool of the R. Cluden); Lindores, in Fife, probably not from this root, but a corrupt. of Lann-Tours, being the seat of the abbey of Tours, founded by David, Earl of Huntingdon. Lyme-Regis (the king’s pool), in Dorset; Lymington, anc. Linton (the town on the pool), in Hants; Llyn-hir (long pool); Llyn-y-cun (the dog’s pool), in Carnarvon; Llynn-y-Nadroedd (the adder’s pool); Llynn-ye-cae (the enclosed pool), all in Wales; Llyn-tegid (the fair or beautiful lake); Lly-gwyn, with the same meaning; Llyn-Teivy, of the R. Teivy, in Wales; Llyn-Safaddon, corrupt. from Llyn-saf-baddon (the standing pool or fixed bathing place)—v. BAD.

LIOS, or LIS (Gadhelic), LES (Breton and Cornish),

an enclosure, a garden, or a fort. In Ireland it generally meant originally a place enclosed with a circular entrenchment, for the purpose of shelter and safety, and is often translated by the Lat. atrium (the entrance-room to a dwelling or temple). There are eleven places in Ireland called Lismore (the great enclosure); Lismore also in Argyleshire; Listowel (Tuathal’s fort); Liscarrol (Carrol’s fort); Liscahane (Cathan’s fort); Lissan, Lissane, Lessany (the little fort); Ballylesson (the town of the little fort); Lisclogher (stone fort); Lislevane (the fort of the elm); Lismullin (of the mill); Lisnadarragh (of the oaks); Lisnaskea, i.e. Lios-na-sceithe (of the bush); Lissard (high fort); Gortnalissa (the field of the fort); Lisbellaw, i.e. Lios-bel-atha (the fort at the ford mouth); Dunluce (strong fort); Thurles, Co. Tipperary, from Durlas (strong fort); Rathurles (the rath of the strong fort)—all in Ireland; Liskard or Liskeard (the enclosure on the height), in Cornwall and Cheshire; Lostwithel, in Cornwall, i.e. Les-vthiel (the lofty palace), one of the ancient seats of the Duke of Cornwall; Lesmahago, in Lanarkshire, Lat. Ecclesia-Machute (the enclosure or church of St. Machute); Lesneven, in Brittany, i.e. Les-an-Evan (the enclosure or palace of Evan, Count of Leon); Leslie, in Fife (the enclosure on the R. Leven); Lessudden or St. Boswell’s, in Roxburghshire, bears the first name from Aidan, the Bishop of Lindesfarne, who is said to have lived there; and its second name from Boisel, a disciple of St. Cuthbert. The Spanish llosa is akin to the Celtic lios, as in Lliosa-del-Obispo (the bishop’s enclosure).

LIPA (Sclav.),

the linden-tree; e.g. Leipzig, Lipten, Laubsdorf or Libanoise, Lauban or Luban, Luben, Laubst, Labolz, etc. (the places abounding in linden-trees); Lubeck and Lublin may come from the same root, or from a Sclavonic word signifying beloved.

LLWYD (Welsh),

gray-brown; e.g. Rhipyn Llwyd (the gray upland); Llwyd-goed (gray wood).

LOCH, LOUGH (Gadhelic), LLWCH (Cym.-Cel.),

a lake; e.g. Loch Broom (the lake of showers, braon); Loch Carron (of the winding water); Loch Doine (deep loch); Loch Duich, in Ross-shire (the lake of St. Duthic, the same person from whom the town of Tain took its Gaelic name, Baile-Duich, St. Dulhaick’s town); Loch Fyne (the fair lake); Loch Lomond (the lake of the elm-tree river); Loch Nell (of the swan, eala); Loch Ness (of the waterfall, i.e. of Foyers)—v. EAS; Loch Long (ship lake, Scand. Skipafiord); Gareloch (short lake, gearr), in Ross-shire, and also a branch of the Firth of Clyde; Loch Etive (dreary loch, eitidh); Lochlubnaig (the lake of the little bend, lubnaig); Lochbuie and Lochbuy (the yellow loch); Lochmuic (of the wild boar); Lochgorm (blue loch); Lochlaggan (of the hollow); Loch Tay (of the R. Tay or Tamha, quiet river); Lochgelly (of the fair water); Loch Maree (the lake of St. Malrube); Lochard (high loch); Loch Awe and Loch Linnhe (here duplicate names, aw signifying water and linne a pool); Loch-na-keal (the loch of the cemetery, cill); Loch Earn (the west loch, i.e. west of Loch Tay); Lochgelly (white lake, gealich); Loch Katrine, probably the lake of the Caterans or freebooters; Benderloch, in Argyleshire, i.e. Bendaraloch (the hill between the lakes); Lochnagar, i.e. Lochan-na-gabhar (the little lake of the goats, at the base of the mountain to which it gives its name); Lochmaben, probably the loch of the bald headland, as in an old charter the castle at the head of the loch is called Lochmalban; Lochfad (long loch), in the Island of Bute, five miles long and scarce half a mile broad; Loch Achray, in Perthshire (the loch of the level plain, reidh); Leuchars, in Fife, formerly Lough-yards, the low grounds of the village used to lie under water for the greater part of the year. In Ireland there are Lough Derg (red lake), originally Loch Dergderc (the lake of the red eye, connected with a legend); Lough Conn (from a personal name Conn); Loch Rea (gray or smooth lake, reidh, smooth); as also Loch Ryan, in Kirkcudbright (of the smooth water, reidhan); Loch Foyle (the lake of Febhal, the son of Lodan); Loughan, Loughane (little lake); Lochanaskin (the little lake of the eels); Lough Corrib, corrupt. from Lough Orbsen (the lake of Orbsen or Mannanan, over whose grave it is said to have burst forth); Lough Erne, in Ireland, named from the Ernai, a tribe; Lough Finn, named after a lady called Finn, who was drowned in its waters; Lough, i.e. Loch-n’-Echach (the lake of Eochy, a Munster chief, who, with his family, was overwhelmed in the eruption which gave their origin to its waters); Loch Swilly, probably a Scand. name, meaning the lake of the surges or whirlpool, swelchie. The town of Carlow was originally Cetherloch (the quadruple lake, cether, four), from a tradition that formerly the R. Barrow formed four lakes at this spot.

LOCUS (Lat.), LOCA (A.S.), LOK, LLE (Cym.-Cel), LIEU (Fr.),

a place; e.g. Netley, Lat. Laeto-loco (at the pleasant, cheerful place), so called from a monastery founded there by Mereward, King of Mercia, in 658; Madley (the good place); Matlock (the meat enclosure or storehouse); Leominster, Lat. Locus-fanum (temple place); Porlock or Portlock, in Somerset (the place of the port); Lok-Maria-Ker (the town of Maria Ker), in Brittany. In France: Richelieu (rich place); Chaalis, anc. Carolis-locus (the place of Charles the Good, Count of Flanders); Beaulieu (beautiful place); Loctudey, at Finisterre, corrupt. from Loc-Sancti-Tudené (the place of St. Tudy); Locdieu and Dilo, i.e. Dei-locus (God’s place); Lieusaint (holy place); Baslieu (low place).

LOH, LOO (Ger. and Dutch), LOHE,

a meadow or thicket, and sometimes a marsh; e.g. Waterloo (watery meadow); Venloo (the marshy meadow), and perhaps Louvain may have the same meaning; Groenloo (green thicket); Hohenlohe (the high marshy meadow); Tongerloo (the marshy meadow of the Tungri); Schwarzenloh (the black thicket); Anderlues (on the marsh).

LOHN (Ger.), LOON (Dutch),

a path; e.g. Iser-lohn (the path by the R. Iser); Forstlohn (the path in the wood); Neerloon and Oberloon (the lower and upper path); Loon-op-Zand (the path on the sand).

LUCUS (Lat.), LLWYN (Welsh), a grove,

a sacred grove; e.g. Lugo, in Italy, anc. Lucus-Dianæ (the sacred grove of Diana); Lugo, in Spain, anc. Lucus-Augusti (the sacred grove of Augustus); Les luches, in France, near the remains of an ancient temple; Luc, anc. Lucus, in Dauphiny.

LUG, LUKA, or LUZ (Sclav.), LEOIG (Gadhelic), LAUK (Esthonian),

a marsh, cognate with the Lat. lutum; e.g. Lusatia or Lausatz (the marshy land); Lassahn, Ger. Laki-burgum (the town on the marsh); Lugos or Lugosch, Luko and Leignitz, with the same meaning, in Poland and Silesia; Podlachia (near the marshes), a district in Poland. The towns of Lyons, Laon, and Leyden were formerly named Lugdunum (the fortress in the marshy land); Paris was formerly Lutetia-Parisiorum (the marshy land of the Parisii). In France: Loches, formerly Luccæ and Lochiæ (the marshy land); and Loché, formerly Locheium (the marshy dwelling), in the department of Indre et Loire.

LUND (Scand.),

a sacred grove; e.g. Lund, towns in Sweden and in the Shetlands; Lundgarth (the enclosed grove), in Yorkshire; Lundsthing (the place of meeting at the grove), in Shetland; Charlottenlund, Christianslund, and Frederickslund (the grove of Charlotte, Christian, and Frederick), villages in Denmark; and perhaps the island Lundy, in the Bristol Channel.

LUST, LYST (Teut.),

pleasure—applied, in topography, to a palace or lordly mansion; e.g. Ludwigslust, Charlottenlust, Ravenlust (the palaces of Ludovick, of Charlotte, and of Hrafen); Lostwithel, in Cornwall (the manor of Withel), in the old Brit. language, Pen Uchel coet (the lofty hill in the wood, and the Uzella of Ptolemy); Lustleigh (the valley of pleasure), in Devon.

LUTTER, LAUTER (Teut.),

bright, clear; e.g. Lutri, on Lake Geneva; Luttar, in Brunswick (the bright place); Latterbach and Lauterburn (clear stream); Lauterburg, in Alsace, on the R. Lauter; Lutterworth (the bright farm); Lauterecken, in Bavaria, at the corner, eck, of the R. Lauter.

LUTZEL, LYTEL (Teut.), LILLE (Scand.),

small; e.g. Lutgenrode (the little clearing); Luxemburg, corrupt. from Lutzelburg (small fortress), Latinised Lucis-Burgum (the city of light), and hence passing into Luxemburg; Lucelle or Lutzel, in Alsace; Lutzelsten (the small rock), in Alsace.

M

MAEN (Welsh),

a stone; e.g. Maentwrog (the tower-like pillar), a parish in Merioneth; Maen or Dewi (St. David’s possession).

MAES, or FAES (Cym.-Cel.), MOED, or MEAD (A.S.), MATTE (Ger.),

a meadow or field, cognate with the Gael. magh; e.g. Maescar (the pool in the field); Maisemore (great field), in Brecknock and Gloucestershire; Marden, in Hereford, anc. Maes-y-durdin (the field of the water camp); Basaleg, a parish in Wales. The name has been corrupted Maes-aleg, signifying elect land, from an event famous in Welsh history, which took place there. Maes-teg (the fair field); Maes-yr-onnen (the field of ash-trees); Cemmaes (the plain of the ridge, cefn); Maes-y-Mynach (monk field); Cemmaes, i.e. Cefn-maes (the ridge of the plain), in Wales; Runnymede, Co. Surrey (the meadow of the council), Latinised Pratum-concilii; Andermatt (on the meadow); Zermatt (at the meadow), in Switzerland; Matterhorn (the peak of the meadow); Aeschenmatt (ash-tree meadow); Maes-Garmon (the field of St. Germanus), in Wales; Soultzmatt (the meadow of mineral waters, salz), in Alsace.

MAGEN, MEKEN, or MAIN (Teut.),

great; e.g. the R. Main, anc. Magen-aha (great water); Mainland, anc. Meginland (great island), in the Orkneys; Mainhardt (great wood); Meiningen (the great field)—v. GEN—in Germany.

MAGH (Gadhelic), MACH (Cym.-Cel.), a ridge,

a field or plain, corrupt. into Maw or Moy, Latinised magus; e.g. Magh-breagh (the beautiful plain), in Ireland, extending from the R. Liffey to the borders of Co. Louth; Moy and May (the plain), both in Ireland and in Scotland; Moidart (the high plain), in Inverness-shire; Mayo (the plain of yew-trees); Moynalty, Irish Magh-nealta (the plain of the flocks); Macosquin, in Londonderry, corrupt. from Magh-Cosgrain (the field of Cosgrain); Mallow, in Cork, Magh-Ealla (the plain of the R. Allo or Ealla, now the Blackwater); Moville and Movilla (the plain of the old tree, bile); Moycoba, for Magh-Coba (the plain of Coba); Machaire, a derivative from Magh, is found under the forms of Maghera and Maghery, thus—Magheracloone (the plain of the meadow); Magheraculmony (the plain at the back of the shrubbery); Maynooth (the plain of Nuadhat); Moira, corrupt. from Magh-rath (the plain of the forts), Co. Down; Moyarta (the plain of the grave, ferta). In Scotland we find Rothiemay, in Banff, corrupt. from Rath-na-magh (the castle of the plain); Monievaird, i.e. Magh-na-bhaird (the plain of the bards), in Perthshire; Machynlleth (the ridge on the slope), a town in Montgomeryshire, Wales. In its Latinised form this word is found in Marcomagus, now Margagen (the plain of the Marcomanni); Juliomagus and Cæsaromagus (of Julius and Cæsar); Noviomagus (the new plain); and again the same word became magen or megen among the Teutonic races, thus Noviomagus became Nimeguen; Nozon was anc. Noviomagus or Noviodunum; Riom, in France, anc. Ricomagus (rich plain); Maing or Meung, on the Loire, formerly Magus; Argenton, Argentomagus (silver field); Rouen, anc. Rothomagus (the fort on the plain). The ancient name of Worms was Bartomagus, which Buttman says means high field; its present name was corrupted from Vormatia; Mouzon, in France, was Mosomagus (the plain of the R. Meuse).

MAHA (Sansc.),

great; e.g. Mahabalipoor (the city of the great god Bali); Mahanuddy (the great river); Mahadea Mountains (the mountains of the great goddess); Maha-vila-ganga (the great sandy river); Mantote, in Ceylon, corrupt. from Maha-Totta (the great ferry).

MAHAL, MAL, or MOLD (Teut.),

the place of meeting; e.g. Mahlburg or Mailburg, in Lower Austria (the town of the place of meeting); Detmold, anc. Theotmalli (the people’s meeting-place); Wittmold (the meeting-place in the wood); Moldfelde (in the field); Malton (the town of the meeting), in Yorkshire; Maulden (the valley of the meeting), in Bedfordshire; Kirch-ditmold (the church at the meeting-place).

MALY, or MALKI (Sclav.),

little; e.g. Malinek, Malinkowo, Malenz, Malchow, Malkow, Malkowitz (little town); Maliverck (the little height).

MAN, or MAEN (Cym.-Cel.),

a place or district; Maenol or Mainor, Welsh (a possession), akin to the Lat. mansio and the Fr. maison. From this word maybe derived Maine, a province of France; Mans and Mantes, although more directly they may probably come from the Cenomanni, a people who formerly inhabited that district in France; Mantua, in Italy, and La Mancha, in Spain, may be placed under this head; also Manchester, anc. Mancunium, and Mancester, anc. Manduessedum; Menteith, in Perthshire, the district of the R. Teith. In the Welsh language the letter m is changed into f and pronounced v, and fan abridged to fa, thus—Brawdfa (the place of judgment); Eisteddfa (the sitting place); Gorphwzsfa (resting place); Morfa (the shore or sea place); Manaera (the place of slaughter), probably the site of a battle; Manclochog (the ringing-stone).[4]

MANSUS (Lat.),

a farm or rural dwelling, to which was attached a certain portion of land. It was often contracted into mas, miex, or mex; e.g. La Manse, Mansac, Manselle, Le Mas, Beaumets, Beaumais, in France. The Manse, i.e. the dwelling and glebe attached to a parish in Scotland; Mains, a parish in Forfar.

MANTIL (Old Ger.),

the fir-tree; e.g. Mantilholz (the fir-wood); Mantilberg (fir-tree hill); Zimmermantil (the room or dwelling at the fir-trees).

MAR,

a Ger. word, used both as an affix and a prefix, with various meanings. As a prefix, it occasionally stands for mark (a boundary), as in Marbrook (the boundary brook), and Marchwiail (the boundary of poles), in Wales; sometimes for a marsh, as in Marbach, on the Danube, and Marburg, on the Neckar; sometimes also for mark, an Old Ger. word for a horse, as in Marburg, on the R. Lahn, and Marburg and Mardorf (horse town), in Hesse. As an affix, it is an adjective, and signifies, in the names of places and persons, clear, bright, distinguished, or abounding in; e.g. Eschmar (abounding in ash-trees); Geismar (in goats); Horstmar (in wood); Weimar (in the vine).

MARK (Ger.), MEARC (A.S.), MARCHE (Fr.),

the boundary; e.g. Styria or Stiermark, the boundary of the R. Steyer; Markstein (the boundary stone); Markhaus (the dwelling on the border); March, a town in Cambridge; La Marche (the frontier), a domain in France, having been the boundary between the Franks and Euskarians; Mercia, one of the kingdoms of the Heptarchy, bordering on Wales; and Murcia, in Spain, the boundary district between the Moorish kingdom of Granada and the other parts of Spain; Newmark, Altmark, Mittelmark (the new, old, and middle boundary), in Germany; Mark, in the Scandinavian language, meant a plain or district, thus Denmark means the plain of the Danes; Finnmark (of the Finns); Markbury, in Cheshire; Markley, in Hereford (the boundary town and field). The Marcomanni were the March or boundary men of the Sclavonic frontier of Germany; the R. March or Morava, the boundary between Lower Austria and Hungary; Marbecq and Marbeque, rivers in France; Mardick (the boundary dike).

MARKT (Teut.), MERKT,

a market, sometimes found as mart; e.g. Marktmühle (the market mill); Marktham, Marktflecken (market-town), in Germany; Martham, also in Norfolk; Neumarkt in Germany, and Newmarket in England (new market-town); Martock, in Somerset (the oak-tree under which the market of the district used to be held); Market-Raisin, in Lincoln, on the R. Raisin; Bibert-Markt, in Bavaria, on the R. Bibert; Kasmarkt, in Hungary, corrupt. from Kaiser-Markt (the emperor’s market-town); Donnersmarkt, the German translation or corruption of Csotartokhely (the Thursday market-place), in Hungary. The cattle-market at Stratford-on-Avon is still called the Rother-market, from an old word rother, for horned cattle.

MARSA (Ar.),

a port; e.g. Marsala, in Sicily, i.e. Marsa-Allah (the port of God); Marsalquivir, i.e. Marsal-el-kebir (the great port). In Malta: Marsa-scala, Marsa-scirocco, Marsa-muscetto, Marsa Torno.

MAS (Irish),

the thigh—applied in topography to a long low hill; e.g. Massreagh (gray hill); Mausrower (thick hill); Massareene, i.e. Mas-a-rioghna (the queen’s hill); but Massbrook, Co. Mayo, is not from this root; it is a translation of Sruthan-an-aiffrinn (the brook where the mass used to be celebrated).

MAUM, MOYM, or MAM,

Irish madhm (a mountain pass or chasm); e.g. Maum-Turk (the boar’s pass); Maumakeogh (the pass of the mist); Maumnaman (of the women); Maumnahaltora (of the altar).

MAVRO (Modern Grk.),

black; e.g. Mavrovouno (the black mountain); Mavro Potamo (the black river), in Greece; Mavrovo and Mavroya (the black town), in Turkey.

MAWR,

by mutation fawr, Welsh (great)—v. MOR, p. 143.

MEDINA (Ar.),

a city or the metropolis; e.g. Medina, in Arabia, called by the Arabs Medinat-al-Nabi (the city of the prophet). In Spain: Medina-de-las-torres (the city of the towers); Medina-del-campo (of the plain); Medina-delpomar (of the apple-orchard); Medina-del-rio-seco (of the dry river-bed); Medina-Sidonia (of the Sidonians). This city was so named by the Moors, because they believed it to have been built on the site of the Phœnician city Asidur.

MEER, MERE (Teut.),

a lake, sea, or marsh; e.g. Blakemere (the black lake, blaec), in Hereford; Great Marlow or Merelow (the hill by the marsh); Cranmere (the crane’s lake or marsh); Winandermere, so called, according to Camden, from the winding of its shores; Wittleseamere, Buttermere, and Ellsmere, probably from personal names; Meerfeld, Meerhof, Meerholz, and Meerhout (the field, court, and wood near the lake or marsh), in Holland. But mere, in place-names, is said sometimes to mean a boundary—thus Merse, the other name for Berwickshire, may mean either the marshy land or the boundary county between England and Scotland. Closely connected with meer (a lake) are the words in the Celtic as well as in the Teutonic languages, denoting marshy lands, i.e. lands that have lain under water, and are still partially submerged—such as merse, A.S.; morast, Ger.; morfa, Welsh; marish, Gadhelic; marsk, Scand.; and marais, Fr. Many places in Great Britain and the Continent derive their names from these words, thus—the Maros or Marosh; and the Morava (marshy rivers); Moravia (the district of the marshy river); Morast, in Sweden (the town on the marsh); Merton, in Berwickshire (the town on the marsh); Morebattle, in Roxburghshire, anc. Mereboda (the dwelling on the marsh); Ostermarsh (east marsh), in Holland; Marengo (the marshy field), in Italy; Les Moeres (the marshes), in Flanders; Marchienne, Marchienes, Maresché, Maresches, Marest, etc., in France; Marcienisi, in Italy (marshy localities). The River Mersey may come from this word, or it may mean the border river between England and Wales.

MENIL, MESNIL (Fr.),

from Mansionile, the dim. of mansus; e.g. Grandmenil (the great dwelling or hamlet); Le Menil-la-comtesse (the manor of the countess); Mesnil-église (the church hamlet); Mesnil-Guillaume, Mesnil-Gilbert, Mesnil-Jourdan, named from the proprietors; Mesnil-sur-l’Estrée (the hamlet on the Roman road called Strata Estrée); Les Menils, Menillot, etc., in France.

MENZIL (Ar.),

a village; e.g. Miselmeri, corrupt. from Menzil-el-Emir (the emir’s village); Mezojuso, from Menzil-Yusuf (the village of Joseph).

MEON (Cel.), MIO (Scand.),

little, cognate with the Lat. minor; e.g. the Rivers Minnow and Mynwy, in Wales; the Mincio, in Italy; the Minho, in Portugal; Minorca (the less), in opposition to Majorca (the greater island); Miosen (the little sea or lake), in Norway.

MICKLA, MYCEL (Teut. and Scand.),

great, Scotch muckle; e.g. Mickledorf, Michelstadt, Michelham, Mickleton (great dwelling); Micklebeck (great brook); Michelau (great meadow); Mitchelmerse (the great marsh); Mecklenburg, anc. Mikilinberg (the great town or hill fort); Muchelney (the great island), in Somersetshire, formed by the conf. of the Rivers Ivel and Parret; Meikle Ferry (the great ferry), on Dornoch Firth; Micklegarth (the great enclosure), the Scandinavian name for Constantinople, Grk. Megalopolis; but mikil or miklos, especially in Russia and Hungary, is often an abbreviation of St. Nicholas, and denotes that the churches in these places were dedicated to that saint—thus Mikailov, Mikhailovskaia, Mikhalpol (St. Nicholas’s towns), in Russia; Miklos-Szent and Miklos-Nagy-Szent, in Hungary; Mikolajow, in Poland; Mitcham, in Surrey, in Doomsday is Michelham.

MIN, MEN, or MAEN (Cym.-Cel.),

a high rock or the brow of a hill; e.g. Maen-du (black rock), in Monmouth; Minto, a parish in Roxburghshire, on the brow of a steep hill; Meonstoke (hill station); East and West Meon, in Gloucestershire; Mendabia (at the foot of the hill), in Spain; Altmaen, corrupt. to “Old Man of Coniston,” in the Lake country, and to the “Old Man of Hoy,” in the Orkneys; the “Dodmaen,” in Cornwall—v. DODD—has been corrupted to Deadman.

MINSTER, MYNSTER (A.S.), MUENSTER (Ger.),

a monk’s dwelling or monastery, hence a cathedral—Lat. monasterium; e.g. Illminster, Axminster, Stourminster, Kremmunster, Charminster (the monasteries on the Rivers Ill, Ax, Stour, Krem, and Char); Beaminster, Co. Dorset, named after St. Bega; Kidderminster (the monastery of Earl Cynebert); Westminster (the minster west of St. Paul’s); Warminster (near the weir or dam of the R. Willey); Monasteranenagh (the monastery of the fair); Monasterboice (of St. Bœthus); Monasterevin (of St. Evin), in Ireland; Monasteria de la Vega (of the plain), in Spain. In France: Moutier, Moustier, Moustoir, Munster, Monestier (the monastery); Montereau, Montreuil, Marmoutier (the monastery of St. Martin); Masmoutier (of Maso); Noirmoutier and Rougemoutier (the black and red monastery); Toli-Monaster or Bitolia (the monastery of the beech-trees), in Turkey; Munster (the monastery), in Alsace; but Munster, a province in Ireland, is compounded from the Scand. ster—qu. v.—and the Irish Mumha, a king’s name; Munster-eifel (the monastery at the foot of the Eifel-berg).

MIR (Sclav.),

peace; e.g. Mirgorod (the fortress of peace); Miropol, Mirowitz, Mirow (the town of peace).

MITTEL, MIDDEL (Teut. and Scand.), MIEDZY (Sclav.),

the middle, cognate with the Lat. medius, Grk. mesos, and Gadhelic meadhon; e.g. Middleby, Middleton, Middleham, Mitton, Middleburg (the middle town); Middlesex (the territory of the middle Saxons); Middlewich (the middle salt manufactory), in Cheshire—v. WICH; Midhurst (the middle wood), in Sussex; Midmar (the middle district of Mar), in Aberdeenshire; Ardmeanadh, Gael. Ardmeadhonadh (the middle height), being the Gaelic name for Cromarty; Mitford (the middle ford); Melton-Mowbray, sometimes written Medeltune (the middle town), formerly belonging to the Mowbray family; Mittelgebirge (the middle mountain range); Mittelwalde, Sclav. Medzibor (the middle of the wood), in Silesia; Methwold, in Norfolk, with the same meaning; Mittweyda (in the midst of pasture ground), in Saxony; Methley and Metfield (middle field); Meseritz and Meseritsch, i.e. mied-zyvreka (in the midst of streams), in Moravia and Pomerania; Mediasch (in the midst of waters), in Hungary; Misdroi (in the midst of woods), in Pomerania; Mediterranean Sea (in the middle of the land); Media (the middle country, as then known); Mesopotamia, Grk. (the country between the rivers); Mediolanum (in the midst of the plain or land)—v. LANN—the ancient name of Milan, Saintes, and some other towns.

MLADY, MLODY (Sclav.),

new; e.g. Mladiza, Mladowitz, Mladzowitz (new town), in Bohemia; Bladen and Bladow, corrupt. from Mladen, with the same meaning, in Silesia.

MOEL (Cym.-Cel.), MAOL, MEALL (Gadhelic), MOOL (Scand.),

a round hill or a bald promontory, as an adjective signifying bald, and often applied to hills and promontories, thus—the Mull or promontory of Cantyre and Galloway; Meldrum, in Aberdeenshire, and Meeldrum, in Ireland (the bald ridge); Melrose, i.e. Maol-ros (the bald headland), Old Melrose having been situated on a peninsula formed by the Tweed; the Eildon Hills, near Melrose, corrupt. from Moeldun (bald hill); the Island of Mull, one of the Hebrides; Mealfourvounie (the hill of the cold moor), in Inverness-shire; Glassmeal (gray hill), in Perth; Malvern (the bald hill of the alders, gwernen); Moel-y-don (the hill of the waves), in Anglesea; Moel-Aelir (the frosty hill); Muldonach (the hill of Donald), one of the Hebrides; Moel-Try-garn (the ridge of the three cairns); Moel-Eilio (the mount of construction); Moel-y-crio (the hill of shouting); Moel-ben-twrch (boar’s head hill), in Wales; Moel-cwm-Cerwyn (the bald dingle of the cauldron); Moelfre, corrupt. from Moelbre (bald hill), in Wales. In Ireland this word often takes the form of moyle, as in Kilmoyle (bald church); Rathmoyle, Lismoyle, Dunmoyle (the bald or dilapidated fort); Mweelbane (the white hill); Meelgarrow (rough hill); Meelshane (John’s bald hill); Mweel-na-horna (the bald hill of the barley); Maulagh (abounding in hillocks); Mullaghmeen (smooth hillock); Mulboy (yellow hillock), etc.; Mullanagore and Mullanagower (the little summit of the goats). In Wales: Moel-hebog (hawk hill); Moel-eryn (eagle hill), in Wales. The Mool of Aswich and the Mool of Land, in Shetland.

MOIN, MOINE (Gadhelic), MON,

a moss or bog. in Ireland: Mona-braher, i.e. Moin-nam-brathar (the bog of the friars); Monalour (of the lepers); Moneen (the little bog); Ballynamona (the town of the bog); Monard (high bog); Montiagh, for Mointeach (the boggy place); Monabrock (the badger’s moss); Monroe (the red moss); Mon is, however, sometimes used instead of monadh (a rising ground in a moor), as in Co. Monaghan, Muineachan (abounding in little hills); which country, however, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, was named from its chief town (the town of monks). In Scotland: Moin, a moorland district in Sutherlandshire; Monzie and Moonzie (the mossy land), in Fife and Perthshire; Montrose (the boggy promontory); Mon, again for monadh, in Monimail (bald hill), in Fife; Moncrieffe (the woody hill, craobach); Moness (the hill of the cascade, eas).

MÖNCH (Ger.), MONEC (A.S.), MONACH (Gadhelic), MYNACH (Cym.-Cel.),

a monk, from the Greek monos (alone); e.g. Monkton, Monkstown, Monkswood, Monkland, named from lands belonging to the monks; Le Mönch (the monk), one of the highest of the Bernese Alps; Monachty (the monks’ dwelling), in Wales; Llan-y-mynach (the monks’ church or enclosure), Co. Salop; Monksilver, in Somerset, corrupt. from Monk-sylva (the monks’ wood); Monkleagh (the monks’ meadow); Munsley, with the same meaning, in Hereford; Monach-log-ddu (the place of the black monks), in Wales; Munchberg (monk’s hill), in Bavaria; Munchengratz (the monks’ fortress), in Bohemia; Munich and Munchingen (belonging to the monks), in Germany.

MONDE, MÜND (Ger.), MUNNI, MINDE (Scand.),

a river mouth; e.g. Dortmund, Fischmund, Dendermund, Roermonde, Travemünde, Saarmund, Tangermünde, Ysselmonde, Rupelmonde, Orlamunda, Stolpemünde, Swinmund or Sweinemund, Ukermünde, Warnemunde, at the mouth of the rivers forming the first part of these names; Münden, in Hanover (at the mouths of the Rivers Werra and Fulda); Monmouth (at the conf. of the Mynwy and Wye); Plymouth, Falmouth, Sidmouth, Yarmouth, Grangemouth, Teignmouth, Wearmouth, Cockermouth, at the mouths of these rivers; Bishop’s Wearmouth, founded by Biscop in the middle of the seventh century; Deulemont, in France, at the mouth of the Deule; Gladmouth, in Wales, formerly Cledemuth, at the mouth of the Clede or Cleddy; Minde, in Iceland, at the mouth of Lake Miosen.

MONEY,

a frequent prefix in Irish names from muine (a brake or shrubbery); e.g. Moneymore, Moneybeg (the great and little shrubbery); Moneygorm (the blue shrubbery); Moneyduff (the black or dark shrubbery); Moneygall (the shrubbery of the strangers).

MONT, MONTE (Fr. and It.), MONTANA and MONTE (Span. and Port.),

a mountain, from the Lat. mons, and cognate with the Gadhelic monadh, and the Cym.-Cel. mynydd; e.g. Montalto (high mount); Montauban (the mount of Albanus); Montechiaro (clear mount); Monte-fosoli (brown mount); Montehermosa (beautiful mount), in Spain; Montenegro, Turc. Karadagh, Sclav. Zerna-gora (black mount), in Turkey; Beaumont, Chaumont, Haumont (the beautiful, bald, and high mount); Montereale and Montreal (the royal hill); Montreal, in Canada, so named by Cartier in 1555; Monte-Rosa, anc. Mons-sylva (woody hill); Monte-Video (the prospect mount); Montmartre, anc. Mons-Martyrum (the hill of the martyrdom of St. Denis), but its earlier name was Mons-Martis (the hill of Mars); Montmirail, Lat. Mons-mirabilis (the wonderful mountain); Remiremont, Lat. Romaries-mons, founded by St. Romarie in 620; Monte-Cavallo, corrupt. from Monte-Calvaria (the Mount of Calvary), so called from a number of chapels, in which were represented the successive scenes of our Lord’s passion. From monticellus, the diminutive of mont, have arisen such place-names as Moncel, Le Monchel, Monchelet, etc.; Mont d’Or (golden mount), in Auvergne; Montefrio (cold mount), in Spain; Montpellier, Lat. Mons-puellarum (the hill of the young girls), so called from two villages belonging to the sisters of St. Fulcrum; Montserrat (the serrated hill); Clermont (bright hill); Mondragon and Montdragone (the dragon’s hill); Monfalcone (hawk hill); Mons, Ger. Berghen (hill town), in Belgium; Piedmont (at the foot of the Alps); Floremont or Blumenberg (flowery hill), in Alsace; Montaign and Monthen, anc. Mons-acutus (sharp or peaked hill); Montigny, Montignac (mountainous); Jeumont, anc. Jovismons (the hill of Jove), in France; Mount Pilatus (the mount with the cap of clouds, from pileus, Lat. a felt cap); Richmond, in Yorkshire, named from a castle in Brittany, from which the Earl of Richmond took his title, meaning the rich or fertile hill; Richmond, in Surrey, named by the Earl after his Yorkshire estate, formerly called Shene from the splendour of the royal residence there, seine, A.S. (splendid); Righimont, in Switzerland, corrupt. from Mons-regius (royal hill); Montacute (sharp hill), in Somerset; Tras-os-Montes (beyond the hills), in Portugal; Apremont, in France, for Aspromonte (rough hill); Pyrmont, corrupt. from Mons-Petrus (St. Peter’s mount); Montferrato (the fortified hill). Mont also signified a hill fort, like berg and dun, as in Montalcino (the fort of Alcinous), in Italy; Montgomery, in Wales, (the fortress of Roger de Montgomerie, who erected a castle there in 1093)—its earlier name was Tre-Faldwyn (the dwelling of Baldwin, a Norman knight); Charlemont, in France, named after Charles V.; Henrichemont, after Henri-Quatre. In Wales: the town of Mold, abbreviated from Mons-altus (high fort)—the Normans built a castle there; Mynydd-du (black hill); Mynydd-mawr (great hill); Mynydd-moel (bald hill). In Scotland: Monadh-ruadh (the red mount or the mounth), the Gaelic name for the Grampians; Mount Battock, Gael. Monadh-beatach (the raven’s hill); Mountbenjerlaw, in Selkirkshire, originally Ben-Yair (the hill of the R. Yair), to which the A.S. law and the Norman mount were added. But monadh in Gael. signifies a mountain range, and sometimes a moor, as Monadh-leath (the gray mountain range). Probably Mendip, in Somerset, is the deep hill, Welsh dwfn and mynydd; Monimail (bald hill); Monifieth (the hill or moor of the deer, feidh). The Mourne Mountains, in Ireland, means the mountains of the tribe; Mughhorna. Mon, in the Basque language, also signifies a hill, and is found in Monzon, an ancient town of Spain, with a hill fort; Monda and Mondonedo, in Spain; and Mondego, in Portugal; and in Carmona (hill summit), in Spain.

MOOS (Ger.), MOS (Scand.), MECH, MOCK (Sclav.),

mossy ground; e.g. Donaumoss (the mossy meadow of the Danube); Mosston (the town on the mossy ground); Moseley (moss-field or valley); Moscow, on the R. Moskwa (mossy water); Mossow, Mehzo, Mochow, Mochlitz (the mossy ground); Mohacs, Ger. Margetta (the marshy or mossy island), in the Danube; Miesbach (the district of the mossy brook), in Bavaria. The Irish word mæthail (soft mossy land) is almost synonymous with these roots. It is found in Mohill, Co. Leitrim; Mothel in Waterford, and Mothell in Kilkenny; Cahermoyle (the stone fort of the mossy land) in Ireland, and in Muthil in Perthshire.

MOR, MOER (Teut. and Scand.),

waste land, heath; Scot. muir; e.g. Moorby, Morton, and Moreton (the dwelling on the moor); Morpeth (the moor path); Oudemoor (the old moor), and Oostmoer (east moor), in Holland; Moorlinch (the moor ridge, hlinc); Lichtenmoer (the cleared moor); Muirkirk (the church in the moor), in Argyleshire; Murroes, corrupt. from Muirhouse, a parish in Co. Forfar; Tweedsmuir (the moor at the source of the R. Tweed), a parish in Peeblesshire; Muiravonside (the mossy land on the banks of the R. Avon), in Stirlingshire.

MOR (Gadhelic), MAWR (Cym.-Cel.), or by mutation fawr; e.g. Morlais for Mawr-clais (the great trench), the name of a ruined castle near Cardiff, built above a deep gully, through which a brook passes.

great; e.g. Morven (the great ben or hill), a hill in Caithness and also in Aberdeenshire; Morven or Morvern, i.e. Mor-Earrain (the great district), in Argyleshire, called by the Gaels Kenalban, corrupt. from Cenealbaltyn, i.e. the tribe of Baldan, a personal name; Kenmore (the great headland), on Loch Tay; Penmaen-mawr (the great stone-hill), in Wales.

MOR (Cym.-Cel. and Sclav.), MUIR (Gadhelic), MORFA (Welsh), sea-marsh,

the sea, cognate with the Lat. mare, and its derivatives in the Romance languages, and the Teut. meer; e.g. Armorica or Brittany, and Pomerania (the districts on the sea-shore); Morbihan (the little sea), in Brittany; Morlachia or Moro-Vlassi (the Wallachs’ or strangers’ land by the sea)—v. WALSCH; Morlaix (a place on the sea-shore), in Brittany; Glamorgan, Welsh gwlad-morgant (the district of Morgan Mawr, an ancient king of Wales); Morgan, in Cornwall, i.e. by the sea-shore; Maracaybo (the headland by the sea-shore), in South America; Parimaribo (the dwelling near the sea), in South America; Connemara, in Ireland, Irish Conmac-ne-Mara, the descendants of Conmac (by the sea-side).

MOST (Sclav.),

a bridge; e.g. Dolgemost (long bridge); Maust, Most, Mostje (the place at the bridge), in Bohemia; Babimost (the old woman’s bridge, i.e. the fragile bridge), abbreviated to Bomst; Priedemost (the first bridge), in Silesia; Mostar (old bridge), a town in Turkey.

MOT, or MOOT (A.S.),

the place of assembly, where the Anglo-Saxons held their courts of justice; e.g. Mote-hill, at Scone; the Moat Hill, near Hawick; the Mote of Galloway; the Moat of Dull, in Perthshire, and of Hamilton, on Strathclyde; Moot-hill, at Naseby; and in the Lake District, Montay and Caermote; Moothill also appears in Aberdeenshire; Almoot, near Peterhead, meaning the meeting-place on the height, has been corrupted into Old Maud, and the railway company have called their station New Maud. It is found in the Gaelic name for the Island of Bute, Baile-mhoide (the dwelling of the courts of justice), but in this case, as in Ireland, the word was probably borrowed from the Saxons. The word is found in Ireland, signifying a large mound, as well as in connection with the courts of justice—as in Tom-an-mhoid (the hill of the court of justice); La Motte, Fr. (a hillock), common in France.

MÜHLE (Ger.), MYLEN (A.S.), MUILENN (Gadhelic), MELIN (Cym.-Cel.), MLYN (Sclav.), MOLEN (Dutch),

a mill, cognate with the Lat. mola, and its derivatives in the Romance languages; e.g. Mülenbach and Molinbech (mill brook); Mühlan, Mühldorf, Mühlhausen, Muhlheim (mill dwelling); Moleneynde (mill corner), in Germany and Holland. In England and Scotland: Melbourne, Milton, Millwick, Milford, Milden, Milnathorpe (the stream, town, ford, hollow, farm, of the mill); but Milton, in Kent and in Dorsetshire, are corrupt. from middle town; Moulin, a parish in Perthshire. In France: Moulins (the mills), so called from the great number of water mills formerly on the R. Allier; Mülhausen or Mulhouse, in Alsace, celebrated for its manufactures; Molina, a manufacturing town in Murcia; also in Spain, Molinos-del-Rey (the king’s mills). In Ireland: Mullinahone (the mill of the cave); Mullinavat (of the stick); Mullintra (of the strand); Mullinakil (of the church). In Sclavonic districts: Mlineh, Mlinki, Mlinsk, Mlinow, etc.

MULLAGH (Gadhelic),

the top or summit, and sometimes applied to hills of a considerable height; e.g. Mullaghmeen (the smooth summit); Mulkeergh (the summit of the sheep, caoirich); Mullan (the little summit), in Ireland; probably the Island of Mull, in the Hebrides.

MURUS (Lat.), MAUER (Ger.), MURA (Sclav.),

a wall; e.g. Maurs (the walled town), in France; also Villa-de-Muro-cincto (the dwelling surrounded by walls); Morsain, in 879 Murocinctus (surrounded by walls); Murviel (old walls), in Herault,—a place where the ruins of an ancient Gaulish city are found; Mauerhof (the enclosed court), in Germany; Trasmauer (the walled town on the R. Trasen), in Austria; Murany-var (the walled fortress), in Hungary; Muriel-de-la-fuente (the walled town of the fountain); Muriel-viejo (the old walled town); Murillo (the little walled town), in Spain; Murviedro (the old fortifications), called by the Romans Muriveteres, because they believed it to be on the site of the ancient Saguntum; Semur, in France, corrupt. from Sinemurum (without walls).

N

NAES (A.S.), NOES (Scand.), NES (Fr.),

a nose, cognate with the Lat. nasus, and in topography applied to a promontory; e.g. the Naze, in Norway, and Nash, in Monmouth; Nash-scaur (the promontory of the cliff), in Wales; Katznase (the cat’s headland); Blankenese (white cape), in Holstein; Foreness, Sheerness, Fifeness, Buchanness, Blackness, in England and Scotland; Roeness (red cape), Shetland; Vatternish (water cape), in Skye; Borrowstounness or Bo’ness, in West Lothian (the cape near Burward’s dwelling); Holderness (the woody promontory); Langness and Littleness, in Man; Dungeness (danger cape); Furness (the cape of the beacon-fire), the site of an ancient lighthouse in Lancashire; Saturnness (the southern cape), in Kirkcudbright; Shoeburyness, corrupt. from Sceobirig (the cape of the sea-fortress); Skegness (the cape near the wood, skogr); Skipness (ship headland); Sviatanos, Sclav. (holy cape), in Russia; Caithness (the promontory of the Catti, a tribe).

NAGORE (Hindu nagar, Sansc. nagura),

a city; e.g. Barnagore for Varaha-nagur (the city of the boar); Chandernagore (of the moon); Serenagur (of the sun).

NAGY (Hung.),

great; e.g. Nagy-Karoly (Charles’s great town); Nagy-Malton (St. Matthew’s great town); Nagy-Szent-Miklos (of St. Nicholas); Nagy-varad (great fortress); Nagy-Koros (the great town on the R. Köros).

NAHR (Semitic),

a river; e.g. Nahr-el-keber (the great river); Nahr-el-kelb or Lycus (the river of the dog or wolf), so named from a fancied resemblance of a rock near its mouth to the head of these animals; Nahr-Mukatta (the river of slaughter); Aram-Naharaim (the high lands of the two rivers, i.e. Mesopotamia); Nahar-Misraim (the river of Egypt, i.e. the Nile).

NANT (Cym.-Cel.),

a brook or a valley through which a stream flows; e.g. Nantmel (the honey brook); Sych-nant (dried-up brook); Nancemillin (the valley of the mill), in Wales; Dewffneynt (the deep valley) was the ancient British name of Devonshire; Levenant (smooth stream); Nant-frangon, i.e. Nant-yr-a-franc (the beavers’ valley); Nantglyn (the glen of the brook); Nant-y-Gwrtheyren (Vortigern’s valley), in Wales; Nans, in Cornwall; also in Cornwall—Penant (the head of the valley), and Cornant (a brook); Nantwich, in Cheshire (the salt-works, wich, on the brook or stream, i.e. the Weaver); Nantua (in a valley of the Alps); Nantes named from the Namnetes (dwellers in the valley); Mochnant (the swift brook); Nannau (the brooks), in Wales; Nangle, a bay on the coast of Wales, perhaps Nant-gel or cel (a secret corner)—the Rev. J. James. Nevern, a parish in Wales, for Nant-ynfer (the brook of the confluence); Nancy (the valley dwellings); Nans, Nant, with the same meaning, in France; Nanteuil (the valley of the fountain)—v. ŒUIL; Nantberis (St. Peris’s brook).

NASS (Ger.),

moist; e.g. Nassau (the moist meadow); Nassenfeld (moist field); Nassenhuben (the huts in moist land); Nassenbeuren (the dwelling in moist land).

NAVA (Basque),

a plain; e.g. Nava-de-los-Oteros (the plain of the heights); Nava-hermosa (beautiful plain); Navarre and Navarreux (the plain among hills); Navarette (the plain at the foot of the hill); Paredes-de-nava (the houses of the plain).

NEDER, NIEDER, NEER (Teut. and Scand.),

lower; e.g. Netherlands (the lower lands); Netherby (lower town); Niederlahnstein (the fortress on the lower R. Lahn); Nederheim, Nederwyk (lower dwellings).

NEMET (Celtic),

a sacred grove, cognate with the Lat. nemus and the Grk. nemos; e.g. Nemours, anc. Nemoracum (the place of the sacred wood or grove); Nanterre, also in France, anc. Nemetodurum (the sacred grove on the waters); Nismes, anc. Nemausus (the place in the grove); Augustonemetum (the splendid place of the grove), being the ancient name of Clermont; Nemetacum, the ancient name of Arras; Nemea (the place of the grove), in Greece.

NEU (Ger.), NEWYDD (Cym.-Cel.), NUADH (Gadhelic), NOWY and NAU (Sclav.),

new, cognate with the Lat. novus and the Grk. neos and their derivatives; e.g. Neuburg, Neudorf, Neustadt, Neuville, Newbury, Newburgh (new town); Neumarkt (new market); Newbold, Newbottle, Newbattle (new building), in Germany, England, and Scotland; Newburgh, in Fife, is a town of considerable antiquity. It owes its origin to the Abbey of Lindores, in its neighbourhood. It was erected into a burgh or barony by Alexander III., in 1266, and in the charter it was called “Novus burgus, juxta monasterium de Lindores.” It seems, therefore, that there was a more ancient burgh belonging to the abbey in the neighbourhood—Newburn (new stream), in Fife. Newhaven (the new harbour), in relation to the older harbour of Leith. In the sixteenth century Newhaven had a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and was then called our Lady’s port of grace; but in the year 1511 the city of Edinburgh bought up the village and harbour. In France: Nevers and Noyon, anc. Noviodunum (the new fortress); Neuvy, with the same meaning; Neuvéglise (new church); Villeneuve (new villa); Nièvre and Nivernais, a department and ancient province of France; Nienburg, corrupt. from Neuenburg (new town), in Hanover; Newport (new harbour), in Belgium; Newport, in the Isle of Wight, so named because it superseded the older harbour at Carisbrook; Newport, in Wales, which superseded Caerleon; Neusatz or Neoplanta (new station), founded in 1700, on the Danube; Neusohl (new seat), in Hungary—its native name is Bestereze-banya (the mine on the R. Bistritz); Neustadl (new stall); Neuwied (new pasture); Nimeguen, anc. Noviomagus (new field), in Holland; Novgorod and Novigrad (new fortress); Novidwar (new court), in Russia; Nowe-mjasto (new bridge), in Poland; Novobeilaiaskaia (the new town on the white stream), in Russia; Nova-Zembla, i.e. Novaia-Zemlia (the new land); Nowazamka (new castle); Novi-Bazaar (new market), in Turkey; Nowosedl (new seat); Nienburg, Nyborg, Nyby, Nystead (new town), in Denmark and Holland; Neocastro (new camp), in Greece; Nola or Novla (new place), in the Sardinian states; Naumburg and Nienburg, corrupt. from Neuenburg (new town); Nykioping (new market-town), in Sweden, and Nykjobing, in Denmark, with the same meaning; Newington, in Surrey, corrupt. from Neweton; Newfoundland, so called when rediscovered by John Cabot in 1427, but known previously by Icelandic colonists as Litla-Helluland; Nova Scotia (New Scotland), called by the Norseman Markland; New River, a large aqueduct from Hertfordshire to Islington, by which a great part of London is supplied with water; New Ross, Co. Wexford, corrupt. from its Irish name Ros-mic-Treoin (the wood of Treun’s son); Newtown-Hamilton, in Ireland, founded by the Hamilton family in 1770; Newtown-Limavady, Co. Londonderry, named from a castle in the neighbourhood called Limavady (the dog’s leap); Newtown-Stewart, Co. Tyrone, so called from Sir William Stewart, to whom it was granted by Charles I.; New York, named in honour of the Duke of York, afterwards James II.; New Zealand, called by Tasman, its Dutch discoverer, in honour, it is supposed, of his native province.

NIJNY (Sclav.),

lower; e.g. Nijny-Novgorod (the lower new fortress); Nijny-Neviansk (the lower town on the Neva), as distinguished from Verkii-Neviansk, the upper; Nijnaia-ozernaia-krepost (the lower fort of the lakes); Nijny-Devitzk (the lower town on the Devitza); Nijni-Tagelsk (the lower town on the R. Tagel), in Russia.