A DICTIONARY OF PLACE-NAMES (continued 4)

NIMZ (Sclav.),

foreign, from nemy or nêmec, dumb—a word applied by the Sclavonic races to the Germans, because their language was unintelligible to them: e.g. Niemitsch, Niemez, Niemtschitz, German towns in Bohemia; Nemet-uj-var (the new German fortress), in Hungary; but there is a Sclavonic deity called Njam, to whom the names of some of these places may be traced.

NO, NOE, NOUE (Old Fr.),

a low meadow habitually overflowed with water. It has evidently arisen out of noyer, to submerge; e.g. Noaillac, Noallau, La Noalle, Noalles, Noyelle, Noyellette, in which the word is probably joined to œuil, a water-source; Nogent (pleasant meadow); No-aux-Bois (in the woods); Les Noues, Neuillay, Neuilly, Noisy, Lat. Noesiacum.

NORDEN, NÔORD (Teut.), NOR (Scand.), NORD (Fr.),

the north; e.g. Normandy (the land given by the French to the Normans under Rollo in 912); Noordbroek (the north marshy land); Noordwolde (north wood), in Holland; Norbury, Nordenburg, Norton, Nordhausen (north dwelling or town); Norham, on the R. Tweed; Northampton (the town on the north side of the Aufona, now the R. Nen); Northumberland (the land north of the Humber); Nordkyn (north cape); Normanton and Normandby (dwellings of the Norsemen or Danes), in England; Norrköping (northern market-town), in Sweden; Norrland (a large division of Sweden); Northallerton, in Yorkshire, so called to distinguish it from Allerton-Mauleverer; North Cape (the most northerly point of Norwegian Lapland); North Berwick, Co. Haddington, so called to distinguish it from Berwick-upon-Tweed; Norway (the northern kingdom)—v. REICH, REIKE; Norfolk (the abode of the north people, as distinguished from Suffolk to the south); Northleach, north of the R. Leach; Northwich, in Cheshire (the north salt manufactory)—v. WICH; Norwich, the town which superseded Venta-Icenorum, whose inhabitants fled at the approach of the Danes, and erected a castle of defence farther north.

NOYER (Fr.),

the walnut-tree, Lat. nucarius, from which are derived nucetum, nucelletum, and nugaretum (a place planted with walnut-trees); e.g. Noyers, Nozay, Noroy, La Nozaye, Les Nozées, Nozieres, Nozeroy, etc., in France.

NUDDY (Pali),

a river; e.g. Maha-nuddy (great river); Nuddea (the district of the rivers).

NUWERA (Tamil),

a city; e.g. Alut-nuwera (new city); Kalawa (the city on the Kala-Oya, i.e. the rocky river); Nuwera-Panduas (the city of Panduas), in Ceylon.

O

OB, OBER (Ger.), OVER (Dutch),

upper; e.g. Oberhofen (upper court); Oberlahnstein (the upper fortress on the R. Lahn); Oberndorf, Overbie, Overham, Overton, Overburg (upper town); Oberdrauburg (the upper town on the R. Drave); Overyssel (beyond the R. Yssel); Orton (upper town), in Westmoreland; St. Mary’s-Overy, Southwark (i.e. over the water from London).

OE—v. EA, p. 71.

ŒUIL (Fr.),

the eye—(in topography applied to the source of a stream or a fountain; e.g. Arcueil (the arched fountain or aqueduct); Berneuil (the source of the water, bior); Verneuil and Vernel (alder-tree fountain, Lat. vernus); Argenteuil (silver fountain); Bonneuil (good fountain); Nanteuil (the source of the stream); Auneuil (alder-tree fountain, Fr. aune); Auteuil (high fountain); Boisseuil (the woody fountain); Chantilly, anc. Cantilliacum (the head of the water-source).

OFER, or ORE (A.S.), OVER (Dutch), UFER (Ger.), OIR (Gadhelic), EYRE, or ORE (Scand.), a point,

a border, boundary, or shore—cognate with the Lat. ora and the Grk. horos; e.g. Oare and Ore (the shore), in Kent, Sussex, and Somerset; Windsor, i.e. Windle-sora (the winding shore, A.S. windle); Southover and Westover (the south and west shore); Ventnor (the shore of Gwent, the ancient name of the Isle of Wight); Pershore (the willow shore, pursh), or, according to Camden, corrupt. from Periscorum—in allusion to the abundance of pear-trees in its vicinity; Andover, anc. Andeafaran (the shore or ferry of the R. Anton); Ravensore (the point or promontory of Hrafen, a Scand. personal name); Hanover, anc. Hohenufer (high shore); Elsinore (the point near the town of Helsing), in Denmark; Argyle, Gael. Oirirgaedheal (the coast lands of the Gaels); Dover, in Kent, and Douvres, in Normandy, perhaps from ofer.

OICHE (obs. Gael.),

water; e.g. Oich River and Oichel (the Rivers Ock, Ocker, Ocke, Eck); Loch Oich, Duich (the black water).

ORE (Hindostanee),

a city; e.g. Ellore, Vellore, Nellore; Tanjore, anc. Tanja-nagaram (the city of refuge); Bednore (bamboo city); Mangalore (the city of Mangala-Devi).

ORMR (Scand.),

a serpent, also a personal name; e.g. Ormeshead, in Cumberland, named either from the serpent-like shape of the rock, or from the common Norse name Ormr; Ormathwaite, Ormsby, Ormiston, Ormskirk (the clearing, the dwelling, and the church of Ormr). The same prefix in French topography signifies the elm-tree, as in Les Ormes (the elms); Ormoy, Lat. Ulmetium (the elm-grove), synonymous with Olmedo and Olmeto, in Spain. The Orne or Olna (elm-tree river), in Normandy; Ulm or Ulma (the place of elm-trees), in Wurtemburg; Olmeta, in Corsica.

ORT (Ger.), OORT (Dutch), ORD (Scand.),

a point, a corner, and sometimes a place; e.g. Angerort (the corner of the R. Anger); Ruhrort (of the Rohr or Ruhr); Grünort (green point); Schönort (beautiful point); Akkerort (the corner of the field); Tiegenort (of the R. Tiege); Störort (of the R. Stör); the Ord or headland of Caithness.

OST, OEST (Ger.), OOST (Dutch), OSTER (Scand.),

the east; e.g. Ostend (at the east end or opening of the canal into the ocean); Osterburg, Osterfeld, Osterhofen (the east town, field, and court); Osterholtz (the east wood); Osterdalen (the east basin of the R. Duhl), in Sweden; Ostheim, Osthausen, Oesthammer (the eastern dwelling or village); Ostwald (east wood), in Alsace; Essex (the country of the East Saxons, in opposition to Wessex); Austerlitz (the east town of the R. Littawa); Alost (to the east), in Belgium.

OSTROW, or OZERO (Sclav.),

an island or lake; e.g. Ostrov, in Russia (on a river-island); Kolkoe-Ostrog (the island in the R. Kola); Ostrova (an island in the Danube); Bielo-Ozero (the white lake); Tschudskoe-Ozero (the lake of the Tschudes, a tribe); Ostrownoye (the new island). But Ostrow and Wustrow are sometimes Germanised forms of Wotschow, Sclav, (a marshy place), as in Wustrow, Ostropol, Ostrasatz, Ostrawiec (the place on the marshy ground).

OTERO (Span.),

a hill or rising ground; e.g. El-Otero (the rising ground); Otero-de-las-duenas (the hill of the old ladies); Otero-del-Rey (the king’s hill).

OW, ITZ, OWIZ, OO,

Sclavonic affixes, used as patronymics, like the Ger. ingen; e.g. Nowakwitz (the possession of the descendants of Nouak); Jvanow, Janow, Janowitz (belonging to John and his descendants); Karlowitz (to Charles); Petrowitz (to Peter); Kazimiritz (to Casimir); Mitrowitz (to Demetrius); Stanislowow (to Stanislaus); Tomazow (to Thomas); Cracow or Kracow (the town of Duke Craus or Krak of Poland, by whom it was founded in 1700).

P

PALATIUM (Lat.), PALAZZO (It.), PALACHIO (Span.), PALAS (Cym.-Cel.), PAILIS (Gadhelic),

a palace; e.g. the Upper and Lower Palatinate, so called from the palaces erected by the Roman emperors in different parts of the empire; Palazzo, in Dalmatia and Naples; Palazzolo and Palazzuolo (the great palace), in Piedmont; Los Palachios (the palaces), in Spain; Pfalsbourg, anc. Palatiolum (the town of the palace, founded in 1570), in France; Semipalatinsk, in Siberia (the town of the seven palaces), so called from the extensive ruins in its neighbourhood; Spalatro, in Dalmatia, named from the palace of Diocletian, originally Salonæ-Palatium (the palace near Salona), at first corrupted to As-palthium (at the palace), and then to Spalatro. In Wales: Plas-gwyn (the white palace); Plas-newydd (the new palace).

PALLI (Tamil),

a small town or village, sometimes corrupted to Poly, Pilly, or Pally; e.g. Trichinopoly, i.e. Trisira-palli (the town of the giant).

PALUS (Lat.), PADULE (It.),

a marsh; e.g. Padula and Paduli, towns in Italy; Peel, Lat. palus, an extensive marsh in Belgium; La Pala, La Palud, and Paluz, in France; Perugia (the town on the marsh), in a province of the same name in Italy; Pelusium, Coptic Permoun (the muddy or marshy place), on the Delta of the Nile.

PANT (Welsh),

a hollow; e.g. Pant-y-crwys (the hollow of the cross), in Wales; Pant-yr-Ysgraff for Pont-yr-Ysgraff—v. PONT.

PAPA, or PABBA (Scand.), PFAFFE (Ger.), POP (Sclav.),

a priest; e.g. Pabba (the priest’s island), several of this name in the Hebrides; Papa-Stour (the great island of the priest), in Shetland; Papa-Stronsay (the priest’s island near Stronsay), Orkney; Pappenheim, Pfaffenhausen, Pfaffenberg, Pfaffenhofen (the priest’s dwelling), in Germany; Papendrecht (the priest’s pasture); Pfarrkirchen (the priest’s or parish church); Poppowitz, Poppow, Sclav. (places belonging to the priests).

PARA (Brazilian),

a river, water, or the sea; e.g. Para, Parahiba, Parana, Paranymbuna, rivers in Brazil; Paraguay (the place of waters); Parana-Assu (the great river); Parana-Mirim (the small river); Parahyba (bad water).

PARA (Sclav.),

a swamp or marsh, cognate with the Lat. palus; e.g. Parchen, Parchau, Parchim (places in a marshy locality); Partwitz or Parzow, Paaren (the town on the marsh), in several localities. The letter p is sometimes changed into b as in Barduz, Barzig, Baruth, in Prussia, and Bars or Barsch, in Hungary.

PATAM, or PATTANA (Sansc.),

a city; e.g. Nagapatam (the city of the snake); Masulipatam (of fishes); Periapatam (the chosen city); Viziapatam (the city of victory); Seringapatam, i.e. Sri-ranja-Pattana (the city of Vishnu); Pata or Pattana (the city); Madras or Madras-patan (the city of the college or school; madrasa, Ar., a university). Madras is called by the natives Chenna-patana (the city of Chenappa, an Indian prince).

PEEL (Cel. pile),

a small fortress; e.g. Peel, in the Isle of Man, and numerous Peel towers on the border between England and Scotland. The Pile of Foudrig (the peel or tower of the fire island), called Furness, the site of an ancient lighthouse; Les Pilles, in Dauphiny; Ile du Pilier, in La Vendée, with a lighthouse; Pillas, in the Lithuanian language also, is a castle, thus—Pillkallan (the castle on the hill), in E. Prussia, as well as the towns of Pillau, in E. Prussia, Pilsen, in Bohemia, and Pillnitz (the towns with fortifications).

PEN (Cym.-Cel.),

a head, or a promontory, or hill summit; e.g. Pen-carrig (rocky hill or cape); Pen-brynn (hill summit); Pencoid (of the wood); Penmon (the promontory of Mona or Anglesea); Pentir (the headland); Pentyrch (the boar’s head); Pen-y-cwm-gwig (the top of the woody vale), in Wales; Pen-y-groes (the headland of the cross); Penby-diog (land’s end), in Wales; Pencelly (the chief grove); Pen-y-gelly (the head of the grove, cell, a grove); Penllech (of the stone or rock); Penhill, Somerset, and Penlaw, Dumfries (the hill summit); Pendarves (the head of the oak-field); Penpont (the head of the bridge), in Dumfriesshire; Penn (a hill), in Stafford; Pencombe (the head of the hollow); Penforfa (of the moor); Pennant (of the valley); Pen-mynnydd (of the mountain); Penrith, anc. Pen-rhyd (of the ford); Penicuik (the cuckoo’s hill); Cockpen (red hill); Pen-maen-maur (the great stone head or hill); Pennigant (windy hill); Penryn and Penrhyn (the head of the promontory); Pentraeth (of the strand); Pen-y-craig or Old Radnor (the head of the rock); Penzance, formerly Pensans—it is called the saint’s headland, from a head of John the Baptist (the town’s arms), but Camden thinks it might mean the head of the sands; Pain-bœuf or Penn-Ochen (the ox’s headland); Pendennis (the fort on the headland)—v. DINAS. Mount Pindus and the Grampians, Van in Brecknock, and the Vans in Wales, embody this root; also the Apennines and the Pennine Alps, Pena and Penha, in Spain and Portugal are applied to rocks, thus—Penafiel (the loyal rock), in Spain, and also Cape Penas; Penha-verde (green rock) in Brazil.

PFERCH (Ger.), PEARROC (A.S.), PARC (Fr.), PAIRC (Irish).

In Germany this word signifies an enclosure for cattle—in England and France, an enclosure for the protection of game or for pleasure; e.g. Parkhurst (the enclosure in the wood); Parkfoot (at the foot of the park), Co. Stirling; Parkham (park dwelling); Parkmore (great park or field), in Ireland; Parkatotaun (the field of the burning), Co. Limerick.

PFERD (Ger.),

a horse; e.g. Pferdsfeld (the horse’s field); Pfersdorf (the horse’s village).

PFORTE (Ger.), POORT (Dutch), PORTH (Cym.-Cel.), PORT (Gadhelic),

a haven, landing-place, or passage—cognate with the Lat. portus; e.g. Seligenpforten (the blessed port); Sassenpoorte (the Saxons’ haven); Himmelpforte (the port of heaven); Pforzheim (the dwelling at the passage or entrance to the Hyrcenian forest), in Baden; Zandpoort (sandy haven); Porlock (the enclosed haven), in Somersetshire; Portsmouth (the mouth of the haven); Porthkerry (rocky haven), in Wales; Porthaethroy (the landing-place of the terrible water), a dangerous ferry in Wales; Portholgoch, corrupt. from Porth-y-wal-goch (i.e. the harbour of the red wall); Porthstinian (the port of Justinian), in Wales; Porth-y-cawl, corrupt. from Porth-y-Gaul (the harbour where the Gallic invaders used to land), in Wales. In Ireland: Portraine, now Rathlin (the landing-place of Rachra); Portadown (at the fortress); Portlaw, Irish Port-lagha (at the hill); Portmarnock (the haven of St. Marnock); Port-na-Spania (the port of the Spaniard), where one of the vessels of the Invincible Armada was wrecked, off the coast of Ireland; Port-Arlington, named after the Earl of Arlington in the reign of Charles II.; Port-Glasgow, anc. Kil-ma-Colm (St. Columba’s church). It received its modern name in 1668, when purchased by the merchants of Glasgow; Portmoak, in Kinross (the landing-place of St. Moak); Port-Patrick (the place from which it is said St. Patrick sailed for Ireland); Portree, in Skye, and Port-an-righ, in Ross (the king’s haven); Portnellan (the landing-place of the island), in Loch Tummel; Portmore (the great port), in Wigton; Port-na-craig (of the rock); Port-na-churaich (of the boat), in Iona, where St. Columba landed from Ireland; Port-skerrie (the rocky landing-place), in Sutherland; Snizort, in Skye, corrupt. from Snisport, probably named after a Norse leader or pirate; Port-ny-hinsey (the haven of the island), the Celtic name of Peel, in the Isle of Man; Portinscale, in Westmoreland (the passage where the skaala or booths for the Scandinavian thing, i.e. meeting, were erected); Portobello (the beautiful harbour), in South America, so named by its founder; Portobello, in Mid Lothian, named in commemoration of the capture of the South American town in 1739; Portskewitt or Porth-is-coed (the port below the wood), in Monmouth; Porth-yn-lyn (the port of the pool), in Wales; Portsoy, in Banffshire, i.e. Port-saith (the safe port); Port-dyn-Norwig (the port of the Northman), in Wales; Maryport, in Cumberland, named after the wife of its first proprietor; Portlethan, Gael. Port-leath-an (the port of the gray river), Kincardine; Port-Logan, in Wigton, i.e. Gael. Port-na-lagan (the port of the hollow). Port became an established Saxon word for a market-town—hence we have such names as Newport, Longport, applied to inland towns; Bridport, on the R. Brit. The Cinque-ports, Fr. cinq (five), were the towns of Dover, Hastings, Hythe, Romney, Sandwich. In Portugal: Oporto (the port); Portugal, anc. Portus-cale, both meaning the harbour; Porto-rico (rich port), an island of the Antilles group; Porto-Santo (the holy port), in the Madeira Isles; Porto-seguro (safe port); Porto-Vecchio (old port), in Corsica; Porto-Alegre (the cheerful port), in Brazil; Porto-farina (the port of wheat), in North Africa; Porto-ferrajo (fortified port), in Tuscany, on the coast of the Island of Elba; Port-Vendres, Lat. Portus-Veneris (the port of Venus), in France; Le Treport, corrupt. from the Lat. Ulterior-Portus, in Normandy, at the mouth of the Bresle.

PIC, PIKE (A.S.), PIC and PUY (Fr.), SPITZE (Ger.),

a peak or promontory; e.g. the Pike o’ Stickle (the peak of the high rock); the Peak, in Derbyshire; Pike’s Peak, in the Rocky Mountains, named after General Pike; Spitz, in Austria, built around a hill; Spitzbergen (the peaked mountains); Spithead (the head of the promontory); Le Puy (the peak), a town situated on a high hill; Puy-de-dome (the dome-shaped peak).

PISCH (Sclav.),

sand; e.g. Pesth, in Hungary (on a dry, sandy soil); but Buttman suggests that the name may be derived from paz, Sclav. (a baking place), as the German name for Buda, on the opposite side of the Danube, is Ofen (the oven); Peschkowitz, Peshen, Pisck, Pskov, Peckska, in Russia and Bohemia. Pies, Sclav. (the dog), may, however, be the root-word of some of these names.

PITT, PITTEN (Gadhelic),

a hole, a small hollow. This word, as a prefix, occurs very frequently in Scotland, especially in Fife, in which county the most important place is Pittenweem (the hollow of the cave, uaimh), the seat of an ancient monastery, near which is the cave from which it was named; Pitcairn (the hollow of the cairn), near Perth, in the neighbourhood of which there are two large cairns of stones; Pitgarvie (the rough hollow); Pitglas (the gray hollow); Pettinain (the hollow of the river), a parish on the Clyde; Pittencrieff (the hollow of the tree, craobh); Pitgober (of the goat); Pitnamoon (of the moss); Pittendriech (the Druid’s hollow); Pitcaithly, probably the hollow of the narrow valley, in Perthshire; Pittentaggart (the priest’s portion)—as in ancient times, the word pitte is understood to have also meant a part or portion of land; and it has probably this meaning in Pitlochrie, in Perthshire, anc. Pittan-cleireach (the portion of the clergy or church-land), as well as in Pittan-clerach, in Fife; Pitmeddin, in Aberdeenshire, named after St. Meddane. Pittenbrae (the hollow of the hill); Petty or Pettie, anc. Petyn (the hollow of the island), on Beauly Loch, Inverness; Pettycur (the hollow of the dell, coire), in Fife.

PLESSA (Fr.), PLESSEICUM,

meaning successively a hedge, an enclosed and cultivated place surrounded by trees, an enclosed garden, a park, a mansion, or country residence; e.g. Plessis, Le Plessin, Plessier, Le Plessial, etc.—v. Cocheris’s Noms de Lieu.

PLEU, or PLOE (Cym.-Cel.),

a village, found only in Brittany; e.g. Pleu-meur (great village); Pleu-nevey (new village); Ploer-mel (the mill village); Pleu-Jian (John’s village); Pleu, Ploven, Pleven, etc.

PLÖN, POLSKI (Sclav.),

a plain; e.g. Ploen, a town in Holstein; Plönersee (the lake of the plain); Juriev-Polskoi (St. George’s town on the plain); Poland, i.e. Polskoi (the plain or level land); Volkynia (the level country).

POD (Sclav.),

near or under; e.g. Podgoriza (under the hill); Podmokla (near the moss); Potsdam, from Pozdu-pemi (under the oaks).

POLDER (Dutch),

land reclaimed from the sea; e.g. Polder and Polders, in Belgium; Beemsterpolder (the meadow of the reclaimed land); Charlotten-Polder (Charlotte’s reclaimed land); Pwlpolder (land reclaimed from a pool or marsh).

POLIS (Grk.),

a city; pol (Sclav.), probably borrowed from the Greek; Constantinople, Adrianople, founded by the emperors Constantine and Adrian; Nicopolis and Nicopoli (the city of victory)—the first founded by Augustus to commemorate the battle of Actium, and the second by Trajan to commemorate his victory over the Dacians; Persepolis (the city of the Persians); Pampeluna, corrupt. from Pompeiopolis, so called because rebuilt by the sons of Pompey the Great; Decapolis (the district of the ten cities), colonised by the Romans, in Palestine; Sebastopol (the august city); Stavropol (the city of the cross), in Russia; Bielopol (the white city); Bogopol (the city of God, Sclav. Bog); Gallipoli, anc. Calipolis (the beautiful city); Naples, Nauplia, Nablous, and Neapolis (the new city); Grenoble, corrupt. from Gratianopolis (the city of Gratian); Heliopolis (the city of the sun), being the Greek name for On, in Egypt, and also for Baalbec, in Syria; Krasnapol (the fair city); Theriasipol, in Hungary (named after the Empress Theresa)—its Hungarian name Szabadka (the privileged); Yelisabetpol (after the Empress Elizabeth); Tripoli, in Syria (the three cities), being a joint colony from Tyre, Sidon, and Aradus; Tripoli, in Barbary, named from its three principal cities, Lepta, Oca, and Sabrata; Tripolitza, in the Morea, built from the remains of the three cities Tegea, Mantinea, and Palantium; Amphipolis, now Emboli (the surrounded city), so called because almost encircled by the R. Strymon; Anapli, in the Morea, corrupt. from Neapolis (new town); Annapolis, in Nova Scotia, named after Queen Anne; Antibes, in Provence, a colony from Marseilles, anc. Antinopolis, named after its founder; Stamboul, the Turkish name for Constantinople, means eis ten polin (to the city).

POLL (Gadhelic), PWL (Cym.-Cel.), POEL (Teut.),

a pool or marsh, cognate with the Lat. palus; e.g. Poole, in Dorset, situated on a lagune; Pontypool (the pool at the bridge); Welsh-pool, so called to distinguish it from Poole in Dorset—its Welsh name is Trellyn (the dwelling on the pool); Hartlepool, Danish Hartness (the pool hard by the headland)—the Normans added le pol, from a pool called the Slake, by which it is almost insulated; Liverpool, probably Llyr-pwl, Welsh (the sea pool); Blackpool, in Lancashire, named from a marsh now drained; Polton and Pulborough (pool town); Polbaith and Polbeath, Gael. (the pool of the birches); Poltarf (of the bull); Pollnaranny and Polrane (of the ferns), in Ireland; Wampool in Cumberland (i.e. Woden’s pool); Pwl-helli (the salt pool); Pwll-du (black pool); Pwll-broch-mael (the pool of the warlike weapons), the site of a battle between the Welsh and Saxons; Pwll-tin-byd (the very deep pool, literally the pool at the bottom of the world); Pwll-y-wrach (the hag’s pool), in Wales. Pill, in Gloucester, means the mouth of a brook, e.g. Cow-pill, Horse-pill, etc.; Polmont, Co. Stirling, corrupt. from poll-monaidh (the pool near the hill).

POMMIER (Fr.),

the apple-tree; pomeratum (a place planted with apple-trees); e.g. La Pommerée, Pommeray, Pomiers, Pommera, Pommeraie, Pommereau, Pommereuil, in France.

PONS (Lat.), PONT (Welsh),

the bridge, with its derivatives in the Romance and in the Welsh languages; e.g. Pontefract, Lat. Ad-pontem-fractum (at the broken bridge); Pontoise (the bridge across the R. Oise); Pont-Audemer (the bridge built by Aldemar across the R. Rille); Pont-de-briques (the bridge of bricks); Pont-d’Espagne, corrupt. from Pont-de-sapins (the fir-tree bridge); Ponteland, in Northumberland, corrupt. from Ad-pontem-Ælianum (at the bridge of Ælius); Pontigny (bridge town); Les-Ponts-de-Cé (the bridges of Cæsar), a town in France, with four bridges across the Loire; Negropont, probably a corrupt. of Egripo, which the Italian sailors translated into Negripo or Negropont (black bridge), in allusion to the narrow strait called in Greek Euripos (i.e. the strait with the violent current), on which the town was built—the name of the town was gradually extended to the whole island, till then called Eubœa; Ponte-vedra (the old bridge), and Puenta-de-la-Reyna (the queen’s bridge), in Spain; Grampound, in Cornwall, Welsh Pout-maur (the great bridge), corrupt. from the Fr. Grand-pont; Paunton, in Lincoln, anc. Ad-pontem (at the bridge); Pontesbury (bridge town), in Cheshire; Ponte-corvo (the crooked bridge), in Campania; Deux-ponts (the two bridges), in Bavaria. In Wales: Pont-faen (stone bridge); Pont-newydd (new bridge); Pont-glasllyn (the bridge at the blue pool); Pont-y-glyn (the bridge of the glen); Pont-y-pair (the bridge of the cauldron); Pont-ar-ddulas (the bridge on the dark water); Pont-ar-Fynach (the devil’s bridge); Pontypool (the bridge of the pool); Pant-yr-ysgraff, probably corrupt. from Pont-yr-ysgraff (the bridge of boats). In France: Poncelle, Ponchel, Poncelet, Ponceaux, etc.; Pont-à-couleuvre, in the depart. of Oise, probably from an Old Lat. text, in which this place is called Pont-à-qui-l’ouvre (i.e. the bridge to whomsoever may open), it being a bridge closed by barriers—Cocheris’s Noms de Lieu.

POOR, PORE, PURA (Sansc.),

a city; e.g. Nagpoor (snake city); Chuta Nagpore (the little snake city); Amarapoora (divine city); Bejapore or Visiapoor (the city of victory); Berampore (of the Mahometan sect called Bohra); Bhagulpore (tiger city); Ahmedpore (the city of Ahmed); Ahmedpore Chuta (the little city of Ahmed); Callianpoor (flourishing city); Bhurtpore (the city of Bhurat, the brother of the god Ram); Rampoor (Ram’s city); Bissenpoor (of Vishnu); Ferozepore (of Feroze-Togluk); Huripoor (of Hari or Vishnu); Shahjehanpoor (of Shah Jehan); Mahabalipoor (of Bali the Great); Caujapoor (of the Virgin); Rajapore (of the rajah); Cawnpoor or Khanpur (of the Beloved One, a title of Krishna); Hajipoor (of the pilgrim); Ghazipore (of Ghazi, a martyr); Mirzapoor (the city of the emir); Secunderpoor (of Secunder Lodi); Sidhpoor (of the saint); Singapore (of the lions); Russoulpoor (of the prophet); Chandpoor (of the moon); Joudpoor (war city); Ratnapoor (of rubies); Munnipora (of jewels); Darmapooram (of justice); Dinajpore (of beggars); Futtepoor (of victory); Sudhapura (bright city); Conjeveram, corrupt. from Canchipura (the golden city); Trivandrum, corrupt. from Tiruvanan-thapuram (the town of the holy Eternal One), in Travancore.

PRAAG, PRAYAGA (Sansc.),

a holy place; e.g. Vissenpraag (the holy place of Vishnu); Devaprayaga (God’s holy place).

PRADO (Span. and Port.), PRATA (It.), PRAIRIE (Fr.),

a meadow, derived from the Lat. pratum; e.g. the Prairies or meadow lands; Prato-Vecchio (the old meadow), in Tuscany; Ouro-preto, corrupt. from Ouro-prado (the gold meadow), near a gold mine in Brazil. In France, Prémol, i.e. pratum molle (the smooth meadow); Prabert, i.e. Pratum Alberti (Albert’s meadow); Pradelles, Les Prések, Prémontié, Lat. Pratum-mons (the mount in the meadow), the site of an abbey, chief of the order of the Prémontié.

PUEBLA (Span.),

a collection of people, hence a village; e.g. La Puebla, in Mexico; La Puebla-de-los-Angelos (the village of the angels), in Mexico.

PULO (Malay),

an island; e.g. Pulo-Penang (betel-nut island).

PUSTY (Sclav.),

a waste place; e.g. Pustina (on the waste ground); Pusta-kaminica (the stony waste).

PYTT (A.S.), PFUTZE (Ger.), PYDEN (Welsh),

a well or pool of standing water, cognate with the Lat. puteus and its derivatives in the Romance languages; e.g. Puozzuoli in Italy, and Puteaux in France, anc. Puteoli (the place of wells); Le Puiset, anc. Puteolis castrum (the camp of the well); Pfutzenburg and Pfutzenthal (the town and valley of the wells or pools), in Germany; Poza-de-la-sal (the salt well), near a salt mine in Spain; also in Spain: Pozanca and Pozancos (the stagnant pools); Pozo-blanco and Pozo-hondo (the white and deep pool); Putney, anc. Puttenheath (the pool on the heath), in Surrey; Puttenheim, in Belgium (a dwelling near a well or pool).

Q

QUELLE (Ger.), WEDEL (Old Ger.), WYL (A.S.), KILDE (Scand.), KILL (Dutch),

a place from which water flows—from quellen, to spring, and wyllan, to flow; e.g. Mühlquelle (the mill fountain); Hoogkill (corner well), and Bassekill (low well), in Holland; Quillebœuf (well town), in Normandy; Roeskilde (the fountain of King Roe), in Denmark; Salzwedel (salt well); Hohenwedel (high well); Tideswell, in Derbyshire—probably from a personal name, as there is a Tideslow in the neighbourhood; Wells, in Norfolk (a place into which the tide flows); Wells, in Somerset, named from a holy fountain dedicated to St. Andrew; Motherwell, in Lanarkshire, named from a well dedicated to the Virgin Mary; Amwell, in Hants, corrupt. from Emma’s well; Holywell, in Wales, named from St. Winifred’s well—in Welsh it is called Treffynnon (the town of the well); Shadwell, in London (St. Chad’s well); Bakewell, anc. Badican-wylla (the bath wells), in Derbyshire; Walston, a parish in Lanarkshire, named from a sacred well near the site of the church; Ashwell (the well among ash-trees), in Hertford; Ewell, in Surrey, found written Etwell and Awell (at the well).

R

RADE, RODE (Teut.),

a place where wood has been cut down, and which has been cleared for tillage, from reuten, to root out, to plough or turn up. The word in its various forms, reud, reut, and rath, is common in German topography; e.g. Wittarode (the cleared wood); Herzegerode (the clearing on the Hartz Mountains); Quadrath (the clearing of the Quadi); Lippenrode (the clearing on the R. Lippe); Rade-vor-dem-walde (the clearing in front of the wood); Randarath and Wernigerode (the clearing of Randa and Werner); Zeulenroda (the clearing on the boundary, ziel); Schabert, corrupt. from Suabroid (the Swabian clearing); Pfaffrath (the priest’s clearing); Baireuth (the cleared ground of the Boii or Bavarians); Schussenried (the clearing on the R. Schussen). Royd, in England, means a path cut through a wood, as in Huntroyd, Boothroyd, Holroyd. Terra-rodata (rode land) was so called in opposition to Terra-Bovata, i.e. an ancient enclosure which had been from time immemorial under the plough, i.e. Ormeroyd (Ormer’s rode land).

RAIN, RAND, RA (Teut. and Scand.), RHYNN (Cym.-Cel.), RINN (Irish), ROINN (Gael.),

a promontory or peninsula; e.g. Rain, a town name in Bavaria and Styria; Randers, on a promontory in Denmark; Hohenrain (high promontory); Steenrain (rock headland); Renfrew (the promontory of the stream, frew), anc. Strathgriff, on the R. Griff; the Rhinns (i.e. the points), in Galloway; Rhynie, a parish in Aberdeenshire; Rhind, a parish in Perthshire, with the parish church situated on a headland jutting into the R. Tay; Rinmore (the great point), in Devon, Argyle, and Aberdeenshire; Rindon, in Wigton; Tynron, Gael. Tigh-an-roinne (the house on the point), a parish in Dumfriesshire; Reay, in Sutherlandshire, and Reay, a station on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, from Ra, Norse (a point); Penryn (the head of the point), in Cornwall. This word, in various forms, such as rin, reen, rine, ring, is of frequent occurrence in Ireland; e.g. Ringrone (the seal’s promontory); Rineanna (the promontory of the marsh, eanaigh); Ringville and Ringabella, Irish Rinn-bhile (the point of the old tree); Ringfad (long point); Ringbane (white point); Rineen (little point); Ringagonagh (the point of the O’Cooneys); Rinville, in Galway (the point of Mhil, a Firbolg chieftain); Ringsend, near Dublin (the end of the point).

RAJA, RAJ (Sansc.),

royal; e.g. Rajamahal (the royal palace); Rajapoor (royal city); Rajpootana (the country of the Rajpoots, i.e. the king’s sons—putra, a son).

RAS (Ar.), ROSH (Heb.),

a cape; e.g. Ras-el-abyad (the white cape); Rasigelbi, corrupt. from Rasicalbo (the dog’s cape); Rasicarami (the cape of the vineyards); Ras-el-tafal (chalk cape); Rasicanzar (the swine’s cape); Ras-el-shakah (the split cape); Ras-el-hamra (red cape); Rascorno (Cape Horn).

RATH, RAED (Teut.),

council; e.g. Rachstadt or Rastadt (the town of the council or court of justice); Rathenau (the meadow of the council): Raithby (the dwelling of the court of justice).

RATH (Gadhelic),

a round earthen fort or stronghold, cognate with the Welsh rhath, a mound or hill; e.g. Rathmore (the great fort); Ratass or Rathteas (the south fort); Rattoo or Rath-tuaith (northern fort); Rathbeg (little fort); Rathduff (black fort); Rathglass (green fort); Rathcoole (the fort of Cumhal, the father of Finn); Rathcormac (of Cormack); Rathdrum (of the ridge); Rathdowney, Irish Rath-tamhnaigh (of the green field); Rathbane (white fort); Rathfryland (Freelan’s fort)—all in Ireland. Rattray, in Perthshire, where there are the remains of an old fortress on a hill, and near what is called the Standing Stones, supposed to have been a Druidical temple; Rathven (hill-fort), in Banffshire; Rathmorail (the magnificent fort), in Aberdeenshire; Raphoe, Co. Donegal, abbrev. from Rathboth (the fort of huts).

REICH, REIKE (Goth.), RICE (A.S.), RIGH (Scand.),

a kingdom; e.g. France, i.e. Frank-reich (the kingdom of the Franks, who are supposed to have derived their name from a kind of javelin called franca); Austria, Œstreich (the eastern kingdom), as opposed to Neustria (the western); Surrey or Sud-rice (the southern kingdom); Goodrich, in Hereford (Goda’s rule or kingdom); Rastrick (Rasta’s rule), in Yorkshire; Norway or Nordrike (the northern kingdom); Ringerige, in Norway (the kingdom of King Ringe); Gothland, anc. Gotarike (the kingdom of the Goths); Sweden, anc. Sviarike (the kingdom of the Suiones).

REIDH (Gadhelic),

smooth, used also as a noun to signify a level field, and Anglicised re, rea, or rey; e.g. Remeen (the smooth plain); Muilrea (smooth hill, mullagh, p. 145); Rehill for Redh-choill (smooth wood).

REKA (Sclav.),

a river; e.g. Riga, Rega, Regan, Regnitz (river names); also the R. Spree, Sclav. Serbenreka (the river of the Serbs or Wends); Meseritz and Meseritsch (in the midst of rivers), in Moravia and Wallachia; Rakonitz (the town on the river), in Russia; Reka, the Sclavonic name for Fiume, It. (the river), a town on the Adriatic, at the mouth of a stream of the same name.

RHEDIG (Cym.-Cel.), RUITH (Gadhelic), REO (Grk.), RUO (Lat.), RI, SRI (Sansc.),

to flow, from whence are derived rivus and rivula, Lat.; rio, Span. and Port.; rivola, raes, and rith, A.S. (a stream). The Eng. river comes through the Fr. rivière, and that from riparia, in Mediæval Lat. a river, but literally a river-bank. From these root-words many river names are derived, or from rhe, rea (swift), joined to root-words signifying water; e.g. the Rhone, anc. Rhodanus, the Rhine, Rye, Rea, Rhee, Rhea, Rey, Rheus, Roe, Ruhr, etc.; Rio-doce and Rio-dulce (sweet or fresh river), in opposition to Rio-salada (salt river); Rio-branco (white river); Rio-bravo-del-norte (the great north river); Rio-grande-do-sul (the great south river); Rio-negro (black river); Rio-tinto (coloured river); Rio-colorado, with the same meaning; Rio-de-Janeiro, generally called Rio—so named by the Portuguese discoverer because the bay was discovered on the feast of St. Januarius: the city founded at the place, and now called Rio, was originally named St. Sebastian; Rio-de-Cobra (the snake river), in Jamaica; Rio-dos-Reis (the river of the kings), in Africa, so named by Vasco de Gama, because discovered on the feast of the Epiphany; Rio-de-Ouro (the river of gold), on the coast of Guinea; Rio-azul (the blue river); Rio-Marahão (the tangled river); Rio-de-la-Plata (the river of plata, i.e. silver), so called from the booty taken on its banks.

RHIADUR (Cym.-Cel.),

a cataract; e.g. Rhayadar (the cataract), a town in Radnor, near a fall of the R. Wye, removed in 1780. Radnor itself is supposed to have taken its name from Rhiadur-Gwy (the cataract of the R. Wye); Rhiadur-mawr (the great cataract), in Caernarvonshire; Rhaidr-y-wennol (the cataract of the swallow), so named from the rapidity of its motion, like that of the bird.

RHIW (Welsh),

an ascent; e.g. Ruabon, corrupt. from Rhiw-Fabon (the ascent of St. Mabon).

RHOS, ROS (Cym.-Cel.),

in Wales signifying a moor, in Cornwall a valley; e.g. Ross, a town in Hereford; Rhoscollen (the moor of hazels), in Anglesea; Rhos-du (black moor); Penrhos (the head of the moor), in Wales. In Cornwall: Roskilly (the valley of hazels); Rosecrewe (the valley of the cross); Rosvean (little valley); Rosmean (stony valley).

RHUDD (Cym.-Cel.), RUADH (Gadhelic), ROTH and RUD (Teut.), ROD (Scand.),

red; e.g. Rutland (red land), or perhaps cleared ground—v. RODE; Rhuddlan (the red bank, glan); Rhuthin, corrupt. from Rhudd-din (the red land); Llanrhudd (the red church), in Wales; Romhilde, anc. Rotemulte (red land); Rother, Rotha, Rothback (red stream); Rotherthurm, Hung. Vörostoroney (red tower); Rothen-haus, Sclav. Czerweny-hradek (red house or castle), in Bohemia; Rotenburg, in Switzerland (the town on the red brook); Rothenburg, in Hanover and Bavaria (the red fortress); Rothenburg, in Prussia proper, is called by the Sclaves Rostarezewo (the town of the Sclavonic deity Ratzi); Rothenfels (red rock); Rotherham (the dwelling on the red river); Roughan and Rooghaun (reddish land), in Ireland. But the prefix rud is sometimes the abbreviation of a proper name, thus— Rudesheim, in Germany, is from Hruodinesheim (the dwelling of Hruodine); Rudby, in Yorkshire (of Routh); Rudkioping, in Denmark (the market-town of Routh).

RHYD (Welsh),

a ford; e.g. Rhyderin, corrupt. from Rhyd-gerwin (the rough ford); Rhyd-y-Boithan, corrupt. from Byddin (the ford of the army); Rhydonen, corrupt. from Rhyd-hen (the old ford); Rhyd-dol-cynfar (the ford of the valley of the ancient fight).

RIDING, or THRITHING,

the three things, q.v., i.e. the three places or districts where the Scandinavians held their judicial assemblies; e.g. the Ridings, in Yorkshire, so named under the Danish rule; Lincoln was divided by the Danes in the same manner.

RIED (A.S.),

a reed; e.g. Retford and Radford (the reedy ford); Radbourne (reedy brook); Redbridge, in Hants, anc. Reideford (reedy ford). Bede calls it Arundinis-vadum, Lat. (the ford of the reeds).

RIGGE (A.S.), RÜCHEN (Ger.),

a ridge; e.g. Hansrücke (John’s ridge); Hengistrücke (the horses’ ridge); Hundsricke (the dog’s ridge); Rudgeley (the field at the ridge); Brownrigg, Grayrigg (the brown and gray ridge); Reigate (the passage through the ridge), contracted from ridgegate; Lindridge (lime-tree ridge); Rucksteig (the steep path on the ridge); Langrike (long ridge); Steenrücke (stony ridge).

RIPA (Lat.), RIVA (It.), RIBA (Span. and Port.), RIVE (Fr.),

a bank or the border of a stream; e.g. Riva (on the bank of Lake Como); Riva or Rief (on Lake Garda); Rive-de-Gier and Aube-rive (on the banks of the R. Gier and Aube); Aute-rive and Rives-altes (the high river-banks); Rieux, anc. Rivi-Castra (the camp of the river-bank); Riberac (on the bank of the water), in France; Rivalta (the high bank), in Piedmont; Rivoli, anc. Ripula (the little bank), in Piedmont; Romorantin, anc. Rivus-Morentini (the bank of the R. Morantin), in France; Riveria or Riberia, in Low Lat. signified a plain on the bank of a river—hence Rivière, Rivières, Hautes-Rivières, La Rivoire, etc., in France; Rivarrennæ, i.e. Ripa-arenæ (the sandy bank), on the R. Cher; the Rialto at Venice is corrupt, from Riva-alto (the high bank); Rye, in Sussex, in Lat. records Ripa; Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, formerly Rye (on the bank of the water); Altrupp, on the R. Rhone, anc. Alta-ripa (the high bank); Ribaute and Autrepe, for Haute-rive (high bank), in Belgium; Ribadavia and Riba-de-Sella (the bank of the Rivers Avia and Sella), in Spain; Ripon, in Yorkshire, anc. Ripum (on the bank of the R. Ure).

RISCH (Ger.), RISGE (A.S.), ROGOSCHA (Sclav.),

the rush; e.g. Ruscomb (the rushy hollow); Rushbrook (the rushy stream); Rushford, Rushmere, Rushholme, Ryston (the rushy ford, marsh, island, and town); Rogatzn, in Poland, and Rogatchev, in Russia (the place of rushes).

ROC, ROCHE (Fr.), ROCCA (It.), ROC (A.S.),

a rock—derivatives from the Lat. rupes; e.g. Rocca-bianca (white rock); Rocca-casale (rock village or dwelling); Rocca-secura (the safe rock fortress), in Italy; Rocca-Valoscuro (the rock in the dark valley), in Naples; Rochefort-sur-mer (the strong fortress on the sea), at the mouth of the R. Charente; La Rochelle (the little rock fortress); Rochefort (rock fortress), in Belgium; Rochester, Co. Kent (the fortress on the rock), or, according to Bede, the fort of Hrop, a Saxon chief; Rochester, in New York, named after Colonel Rochester, one of the early settlers; Roche-Guyon, Lat. Rupes-Guidonis (the rock fortress of Guido); Roche-Foucault, anc. Rupes-Fucaldi (the fortress of Foucalt); Rocroi, Lat. Rupes-Regia (the royal fortress), in France; Roxburgh (the rock fortress)—the ancient town, as well as the county, taking their name from the strong castle, situated on a rock near the junction of the Tweed and Teviot—the ancient name of the castle was Marchidun (the hill-fort on the marshy land).

ROS, ROSS (Gadhelic),

a promontory or isthmus, and also, in the south of Ireland, a wood; thus New Ross, Co. Wexford, anc. Ros-mic-Treoin (the wood of Treuon’s son); Roscommon (of St. Coman); Roscrea (Cree’s wood); Ross-castle (on a promontory on Lake Killarney); Muckross (the peninsula of the pigs), in several places in Ireland; Muckros (with the same meaning—the pig’s headland) was the ancient name of the town of St. Andrews; Rossbegh (of the birches); Rossinver (of the confluence); Port-rush (the landing-place of the promontory); Ross-shire seems to have taken its name from Ross (a wood); Montrose, anc. Monros (the promontory on the marshy land, moin); Rosneath, anc. Rosneveth (the promontory of St. Nefydd), in Dumbartonshire; Roslin (the promontory on the pool); Kinross (the head of the promontory), either with reference to the county—in regard to Fife, of which it anciently formed part—or with reference to the town at the head of Loch Leven. Fife was anciently called Ross: it got the name of Fife in honour of Duff, Earl of Fife, to whom it was given by Kenneth II.; and in 1426 Kinross was made a separate county. Roskeen (the head or corner of Ross-shire); Rosehearty, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from Ros-ardty (the dwelling on the high promontory).

RÜHE (Ger.),

rest; e.g. Ludwigsrühe (Ludowic’s rest); Carlshrühe (Charles’s rest), founded by Charles William, Margrave of Baden, in 1715; Henricksrühe (Henry’s rest).

RUN (A.S.),

council; e.g. Runhall (the hall of the council); Runnington, anc. Runenton (the town of the council); Runnymede (the meadow of the council).

RYBA (Sclav.),

fish; e.g. Rybnik, Rybniza (the fish pond); Rybinsk, Rybnaia (fish town).

RYSCH, or ROW (Sclav.),

a dam or ditch; e.g. Prierow (near the dam); Prierosbrück (the bridge near the dam); Ryswick (the town on the dam); Riez, Rieze, Riezow, Riezig (at the dam).

S

SA (Sclav.), ZA,

behind; e.g. Sabor (behind the wood); Zadrin (behind the R. Drin); Zamosc (behind the moss); Zabrod (behind the ford); Zablat (behind the marsh).

SABHALL (Gadhelic),

a barn; e.g. Saul, Co. Down, anc. Sabhall-Patrick (Patrick’s barn), being the first place of worship used by St. Patrick in Ireland; Saval (the barn used as a church), near Newry; Drumsaul (the barn or church on the ridge); Sawel, a mountain in Ireland, probably from the same root; Cairntoul, a hill in Aberdeenshire, originally Carn-t-Sabhall (the cairn of the barn).

SABLE (Fr.),

sand; e.g. Sable, Sablé, Sablat, Sablon, Sablières, La Sablonière, in France.

SALH, SAEL (A.S.), SALIX (Lat.),

the willow; e.g. Salehurst (willow copse); Salford (willow ford); Saul, in Gloucestershire (the place of willows). In France many places take their name from Saule, Fr. (the willow); e.g. Sailly, from Salicetum (a place planted with willows), as also Saux, Saules, Saulzais, etc.

SALL (Teut.), ZAAL,

a stone dwelling; sel, a cottage, cognate with the Span. and Port. sala; e.g. Hohensale (high dwelling); Nordsehl (north dwelling); Oldenzeel (old dwelling); Eversal (the dwelling of the wild boar); Brunsele (the dwelling at the well); Holzselen (at the wood); Laufenselden (the dwelling near the waterfall); Marsal (on the marsh), in France. In Spain: Salas (the halls); Salas-de-la-ribera (the dwellings on the river-bank); Salas-de-los-Infantes (the dwellings of the infantry); Upsal, Scand. Upsalr (the high halls), in Sweden.

SALZ (Ger.), SALANN (Gadhelic), SOL (Sclav.), HALEN (Cym.-Cel.),

salt, cognate with the Lat. sal and the Grk. hals; e.g. the Rivers Saale, Salzach, Salzbach, Sal, Salat (salt stream); Salies, Salins, Salinas, Salines, Salenillas, Salskaia, place-names in France, South America, and Russia (in the neighbourhood of salt mines or springs); Saalfeld, on the R. Saal, in Saxony; also Saalfelden, in Austria (the salt field); Salamanca, in Spain, anc. Salmantica (the place in the neighbourhood of salt springs); Salzburg, on the R. Salzach; Salzbrunn (the salt well); Salzkammergut (the public treasury of the salt-works); Soultz or Soultzbad (the saline bath); Soultzbach (the salt brook); Soultz-sous-forets (the salt springs under the woods); Soultzmatt (the meadow of the salt springs); Selters, anc. Saltrissa, in Nassau, near the Selzar or mineral springs; Saltzkotten (the huts of the salt miners), in Westphalia; Solikamsk (the town of the salt-works on the R. Kama), in Russia; salt and saltz, as affixes, are also applied to dwellings on the sea-coast, thus—Westersalt, Ostersalt, Neusaltz (the west, east, and new watering-place by the sea); but Salton, a parish in East Lothian, does not come from this word. It is said to have derived its name from Nicolas de Soules, who possessed that part of the country in the thirteenth century. Hal, the Celtic word for salt, still exists in the names of places where there are or were salt-works; e.g. Haling, in Hants; Halton, in Cheshire; Halsal and Hallaton, in Lancashire; Halle, in Prussian Saxony, stands on the R. Saala; Reichenhall, on the Saale; Hallein, on the Salza, near the salt mines in Tyrol.

SANG (Ger.),

a place cleared of wood by burning, from sengen, to burn; e.g. Feuersang (the fire clearing); Altensang (the old clearing); but Vogelgesang means the place of singing-birds.

SARN (Welsh),

a road. The word sarn refers to the old Roman road which the Emperor Maximus called in honour of his wife Helen, a Welsh princess whom he had married; e.g. Sarn-Helen (Helen’s road); Pen-Sarn (the head or end of the road); Tal-Sarn (the face of the road).

SAX, SAHS (Teut.),

a stone, cognate with the Lat. saxum; e.g. Sachsa (the stony water in the neighbourhood of quarries); Sasso, in Italy (the stone or tomb); Sassoferrato (the fortified rock); Sassuolo (the little rock or stone), in Italy; but these words, either as prefixes or affixes, in topography generally indicate places belonging to the Saxons, who were so called from the seax, a kind of sword which they used in warfare; thus Sachsenberg, Sachsenburg, Sachsenheim, Sachsendorf, Sassetot, denote the dwellings of the Saxons; Saxony, in Germany (peopled by Saxons); Sussex, Essex, and Wessex (the south, east, and west districts of the Saxons), in England; Saxby (the Saxons’ town), in Lincoln; Saxlingham (the home of the descendants of the Saxons), in Norfolk; Sassenberg (the Saxons’ hill), in Westphalia.

SCALE, SKALI (Scand.), SHEAL, SHEALING (Scotch),

a hut or shed; e.g. Scalby and Scaleby (hut town); Scalloway (the huts on the bay, vig), in Shetland; Galashiels (the huts on the R. Gala); Biggarshiels (the huts near the town of Biggar); Larbert, Co. Stirling, formerly Lairbert-scheills (the huts of a man named Lairbert); North and South Shields, originally a collection of fishermen’s huts; but as scald, in the Scandinavian language, means a bard—that word is likely to have formed an element in place-names. Scaldwell is probably the bard’s well; Skalholt, in Iceland, may be the bard’s hill.

SCAM (Old Ger.),

little; e.g. Schambach, Schamach (the little stream).

SCHANZE (Ger.),

a bulwark; e.g. Rheinschanze (the bulwark of the Rhine); Hochschanze (high bulwark).

SCHEIDE (Ger.),

a watershed, from scheiden, to divide; e.g. Lennscheide, Remschede, Nettenscheide (the watershed of the Rivers Lenn, Rems, and Nette); but this word sometimes means a place separated by an enclosure from the surrounding land, as in Scheidhof (the separated or enclosed court); Scheidlehen (the separated fief).

SCHENKE (Ger.),

a public-house; e.g. Schenholtz (the wood near the public-house); Shenklein (the little public-house); Shenkendorf (the inn village).

SCHEUNE (Ger.),

a shed or barn; e.g. Ziegelscheune (the brick barn); Kalkscheune (lime-shed); Scheunenstelle (the place of sheds).

SCHLAG (Ger.),

a wood clearing or field; e.g. Leopoldschlag (the field of Leopold); Grafenschlag (of the count); Pfaffenschlag (of the priest); Kirchsclag (of the church); Schlagenwald (the cleared wood); Schlagberg and Schlaghöck (the cleared hill and corner); Murzuschlag (the clearing on the R. Murz), in Styria.

SCHLANGE (Ger.),

a snake; e.g. Slagenhorst (snake thicket); Schlangenbad (snake bath).

SCHLEUSE (Ger.), SLUYS (Dutch), ECLUSE (Fr.),

a sluice; e.g. Rhinschleuse (the sluice of the Rhine); Sluys, in Holland; and Slooten, also a town in Holland, on a lake of the same name (from sloot, a ditch); Sluispolder (the reclaimed land at the sluice); Schlusseburg, in Russia (the fortress at the sluice), built on an island at the spot where the R. Neva issues from Lake Ladoga; Helvoetsluis (the sluice on the Haring-vliet, an arm of the R. Maas); Fort de l’Ecluse (the fortress of the sluice), in France.

SCHLOSS (Ger.),

a castle; e.g. Marienschloss (the castle of the Virgin Mary); Heidenschloss (the castle on the heath); Schlossmühle (castle mill); Schlosshof (the castle court).

SCHMAL (Ger.), SMAA (Scand.),

little; e.g. Schmalkalden, anc. Schmalenaha (the town on the small stream); Smalley, with the same meaning; Smaalehlen (the small fief), in Norway; Smallburgh (little town); Schmallenberg (little hill); Smailholm (little hill), a parish in Roxburghshire.

SCHMEIDE (Ger.),

a smithy; e.g. Nagelschmeide (the nail smithy); Schmeidefeld and Schmeidsiedel (the field and site of the smithy); Schmeideberg (the hill of the smithy).

SCHWAIG (Old Ger.), SCHWEIG,

a cattle-shed; e.g. Herrnschweige (the count’s cattle-shed); Brunswick, anc. Braunsweig (Bruno’s shed, or the town of Bruno).

SCHWAND (Ger.),

a wood clearing; e.g. Schwand or Schwandt, in Bavaria; Schwanden, in Switzerland; Schwandorf (the village at the wood clearing).

SCHWARZ (Ger.),

black; e.g. Schwarza, Schwarzach, Schwarzbach, Schwarzwasser (black stream); Schwarzburg (black fortress); Schwarzberg (black mountain); Schwarzwald (black wood); Schwarzkreutz (the black cross).

SCHWERE (Sclav.),

a wild beast; e.g. Schwerin and Schwerinlake, in Mecklenburg; and Schwersentz, in Posen (places infested by wild beasts).

SCIR (A.S.), SCER,

clear, bright; e.g. Sherbourne (the clear stream); but this word is sometimes used instead of scyre, a division or shire, as in Sherwood (the wood where the shire meetings were held); Sherston (shire boundary stone); Shardlow and Shardhill (the boundary hill); Sharnford (the boundary ford); Sharrington (the town of the children of the shire or division).

SEANN (Gadhelic),

old; e.g. Shanmullagh (the old summit); Shandrum (the old ridge); Shangarry (the old garden); Shanbally and Shanvally (the old dwelling); Shanbo, Shanboe, and Shanbogh (the old hut), in Ireland; also Shankill (old church), and Shandon, Irish Seandun (old fort). There are several places in Ireland called Shannon from this word, but it is uncertain what is the origin of the R. Shannon, whose ancient name was Senos; Sanquhar, Gael. Seann-Cathair (the old fortress), in Dumfriesshire, named from an old castle near the town.

SEE (Ger.), ZEE (Dutch),

a lake or sea; e.g. Ostsee and Oostzee (east lake); Zuyderzee (the Southern Sea); Zealand and Zeeland (land surrounded by the sea); Gransee (boundary or corner lake); Bodensee or Lake Constance, named from Bodami-Castrum, the castle of the legate of the Carlovingian kings on its shore, and latterly from a fortress erected by Constantine the Great; Dolgensee, Sclav. (the long lake); the Plattensee (the lake on the marsh, blatto); Unterseen (below the lakes); the Red Sea, the translation of the sea of Edom (the red).

SEIFEN (Ger.),

a place where metals are washed; e.g. Seifen and Seifendorf (towns where metals were washed); Seifengold (where gold is washed); Seifenzinn (where tin is washed); Seifenwerk (the hill of the metal washing).

SEILLE,

an affix in French and Belgian topography, signifying a wood or forest, derived from the Lat. saltus and sylva; e.g. Baseille (low wood); Haseille (high wood); Forseille (out of the wood); Senlis, Lat. Civitas Sylvanectensium (the town of the Sylvanectes, i.e. dwellers in the woods); Savigny and Souvigny, Lat. Sylvaniacum (in the woods); Selvigny, Souvigné, with the same meaning; La-silve-bénite (the blessed wood); Silve-réal (royal wood), etc., in France; Transylvania (the district beyond the woods)—its Hungarian name, Erdely-Orsag, means the woody country; Selwood, anc. Brit. Coit-mawr, Lat. Sylva-magna (the great wood), perhaps Selby, in Yorkshire.

SELENY, or ZIELENY (Sclav.),

green; e.g. Selinga (the green river); Zelendorf (green village); Zielonagora (green mountain); Zieleng-brod (green ford); Zielenzig and Szelenek (green place).

SELIG (Teut.),

holy; e.g. Seligenstadt, Seligenfeld, Seligenthal (the holy place, field, valley); Sellyoak (holy oak), perhaps Selby, in Yorkshire, if it is not from sylva, wood.

SET, SEATA (A.S.), ZETEL (Dutch), SITZ (Ger.), SSEDLIO (Sclav.), SUIDHE (Gadhelic),

a seat, settlement, or possession, cognate with the Lat. sedes; e.g. Dorset (the settlement of the Durotriges, i.e. dwellers by the water); Wiltshire, anc. Wilsaetan (the settlement on the R. Willy); Shropshire, anc. Scrobsaetan (the settlement among shrubs); Somerset, named from Somerton (the summer seat of the West Anglo-Saxon kings); Settle, in Yorkshire (the settlement); Sittingbourne, in Kent (the settlement on the brook). In the Lake District, colonised by Norsemen, this word often takes the form of side; e.g. Ormside, Ambleside, Kettleside, Silverside (the settlement of Ormr, Hamel, Ketyl, Soelvar), etc.; Pecsaeten (the settlement at the peak), in Derbyshire; Alsace, anc. Alsatia, i.e. the other settlement, with reference to the German settlements on the west bank of the Rhine, as distinguished from the Franks or Ripuari, on the east; Holstein, anc. Holtsatia (the settlement in the woods); Waldsassen (wood settlement); Winkelsass and Endzettel (the corner settlement); Neusass, Neusiedel, and Neusohl (the new settlement); Einsiedeln (the settlement of Eina), in Switzerland; Wolfsedal (of Wolfa); Soest or Söst, in Prussia, for Suth-satium (the southern seat). In Sclavonian names we have Sedlitz (the possession); Stary-Sedlo (the old possession); Sedlitz-gross (the great settlement); Sursee, in Switzerland (the seat or dwelling, Old Fr. Zi), on the R. Sur; Sion or Sitten, in Switzerland, Cel. Suidh-dunum (the seat on the hill-fort). In Ireland: Seagoe, Irish Suidhe-Gobha (St. Gobha’s seat); Seeoran (Oran’s seat); Seaghanbane (the white seat); Seaghandoo (the black seat); Shinrone, anc. Suidhe-an-roin (literally the seat of the seal, but figuratively of a certain hairy man); Hermosillo, in Mexico, Span. (beautiful seat).

SHAN (Chinese),

a mountain; e.g. Shan-tung (east of the mountain); Shan-se (west of the mountain); Thian-Shan (the celestial mountain).

SHAMAR (Pers.),

a river; e.g. Samer, Samara, Sambre, river names. The Samur, which flows into the Sea of Asoph.

SHAW (A.S.), sceaga, SKEG (Scand.),

a wood or grove; e.g. the Shaws, in Cumberland and Lanarkshire; Birchenshaw (the birch grove); Pollokshaws (the woods near the village of Pollok); Bradshaw (broad wood); Shaugh-Prior (the prior’s wood); Shawbury (the town in the wood); Evershaw (the wood of the wild boar, eofer); Skegness (the headland of the wood).

SHEHR (Pers.), CHERI (Tamil),

a dwelling; e.g. Begshehr (the dwelling of the beg or bey); Abou-shehr (the dwelling of Abou); Allah-shehr (God’s house); Eskshehr (old dwelling); Yenishehr (new dwelling); Anoopshehr (incomparable dwelling); Pondicherry, originally Pudicheri (new dwelling or town); Paraicherie (the village of Pariahs)—probably Shiraz and Shirvan belong to this root.

SIDH, SITH (Gadhelic),

a fairy or a fairy hill. The belief in these supernatural beings is still general among the Celtic races. It was believed that they resided in the interior of pleasant hills called sidhe or siodha. The word frequently takes the form of shee, as in the Shee Hills, in Co. Meath; Glenshee, in Perthshire; Mullaghshee (the fairy hillock); Sheetrim, i.e. Sidh-dhruim (the fairy ridge), the old name of the rock of Cashel; Killashee (the church near the fairy hill); Rashee (the fort of the fairies); also Shean, Sheann, Sheane, Shane, in Ireland.

SIERRA (Span.), CERRO (Port.),

a mountain chain, having a serrated appearance, from the Lat. serra, a saw; or perhaps from the Ar. sehrah, an uncultivated tract of land, being the root of the desert of Sahara, in Africa; e.g. Sierra-de-fuentes (the mountain chain of the fountains); Sierra-de-los-vertientes (of the cascades); Sierra Leone (of the lion); Sierra-Calderona (the mountain chain with the cauldrons or craters); Sierra-de-las-Monas (of the apes); Sierra Morena (the dark mountain range); Sierra Nevada (the snowy); Sierra Estrella (the starry mountain range); Sierra-de-Culebra (of the snake); Sierra-de-gata (of agates); Esmeraldas-Serradas (the emerald mountains), in Brazil; Cerro-da-vigia (the mountain of observation); Cerro-de-la-Giganta (of the giantess); Cerro-largo (broad mountain); Cerro-gordo (fruitful mountain); Cerro-del-cobre (of the snake); but serra, in Italian, means a narrow place—as in Serra-capriola (the narrow place of the goats); and Serra-Monascesca (of the monks).

SKAER (Scand.), SGOR and SGEIR (Gadhelic),

a sharp rock-allied to the Welsh skerid, cleft asunder, ysgariad; e.g. Skerid-fawn and Skerid-fach (the great and little skerid or division). Esgair is another word from the same root, applied to a long ridge; e.g. Esgair-hir (the long ridge); Esgair-graig (the rock ridge)—e.g. Scarcliff (the cliff of the sharp rock); Nashscaur (the promontory of the steep rock); Scarborough (the town on the rock or cliff); Scorton, with the same meaning, in Yorkshire; Scarnose and Scarness (the sharp cape); Skerryford, Skeerpoint, on the coast of Wales; Sheerness (the sharp headland), on the Thames; Scaranos, with the same meaning, on the coast of Sicily; Scarabines (the sharp points), in Caithness; Scuir (a sharp rock), on the island of Egg; Scordale, in Westmoreland, and Scordal, in Iceland (the valley of the steep rock); Scarsach (abounding in steep rocks), in Perth; Scarba (the island of the sharp rock), and Scarp, in the Hebrides; the Skerry and the Skerries, in the Shetlands, and on the coast of Ireland and Wales; Skerry-vore (the great rock), in the Hebrides.

SKAW, SKAGI (Scand.),

an isthmus or promontory; e.g. the Skaw or Skagen Cape, on the coast of Denmark; Skagerack or Skagen-rack (the strait near the promontory).

SKI, SK, SKIA,

an affix in Sclav. topography, signifying a town, often annexed to the name of the river near the town, or to the name of its founder; e.g. Tobolsk, Tomsk, Pinsk, Vitepsk, Volsk, Omsk, on the Rivers Tobol, Tom, Pina, Viteba, Volga, Om; Irkutsk, Berdiansk, Bielorietzk, Bobroninsk, Illginsk, Miask, Olekminsk, Okhotsk, Olensk, on the Rivers Irkut, Berda, Biela, Bobronia, Ilga, Miass, Olekma, Okhota, and Olenek; Bielozersk (the town on the white island); Jarensk (the town on the Jarenga or strong river); Kesilskaia (on the red river); Krasno-Ufimsk (the beautiful town of the R. Ufa); Petsk (silk town), in Turkey, where the mulberry-tree is extensively cultivated; Yakutsk (the town of the Yakuts, a Tartar tribe); Salskaia, on the R. Sal; Sviajsk (the town on the Sviga, holy river); Sviatskaia (the town of Sviatovid, a Sclav. deity); Dmitrovisk (the town of Demetrius, a Russian saint); Kupiansk and Kupiszki (the town on the promontory, kupa).

SKIP (Scand.), SCHAEF (A.S.),

a sheep; e.g. Skipton, Skipwich, Schaefheim (sheep town); Shapfells (sheep hills); Sheppey (sheep island); Skipsia (sheep’s stream); Schaefmatt (sheep meadow); Shefford (sheep’s ford); Scaefstadt (sheep town).

SLIABH, SLIEVE, or SLIEU (Gadhelic),

a mountain or heath, akin to the Ger. sliet, a declivity; e.g. Slieve-Anieran (the iron mountain), so called from its mines; Slievesnaght (snowy mountains); Slieve-Bernagh (gapped mountain); Bricklive (speckled mountain); Beglieve (small mountain). In all these places in Ireland the original names have been corrupted: Sleaty (the mountains); Sleeven (the little hill); Slievenamon, i.e. Sliabh-na-mban-fion (the mountain of the fair women or fairies); Slievebloom (Bladh’s mountain); Slieve-beagh (birch-tree hill); Slieve-corragh (rugged hill); Slieveroe (the red hill); Sliabh-cuailgne, now the Cooley Mountains, in Ireland; Sleibhe-Cuillinn (the Coolin or Cuchullin Hills), in Skye; Slamannan (the sliabh or moor of the district formerly called Manan, parts of Stirling and Clackmannanshire).

SLOG (A.S.),

a slough or marshy place; e.g. Slough, Co. Bucks; Sloby, Slawston, Slaugham (the dwelling on the marshy ground).

SLUAGH (Gadhelic),

a multitude, a host; e.g. Ballinasloe (the ford-mouth of the hosts), in Co. Galway; Srahatloe, i.e. Srath-a’-tsluagh (the river holm of the hosts); Knockatloe and Tullintloy (the hill of the hosts), in Ireland.

SNAID, SNOED (Teut.),

a separated piece of land, from the Old Ger. sniden and Modern Ger. schneiden (to cut); e.g. Eckschnaid (the oak snaid); Hinterschnaid (behind the snaid); Snaith, in Yorkshire; Snead, Montgomery; Sneyd, Co. Stafford; Sneaton (the town on the snaid); Snodland and Snodlands (the separated lands); Snodhill (the hill on the snaid).

SOC (A.S.), SOKE (Scand.),

a place privileged to hold local courts; e.g. Thorpe-le-Soke and Kirby-le-Soken (the village and church-town where the courts were wont to be held); Walsoken and Walton-le-Soken (the place near the wall, or perhaps the well, where the court was held); Sockbridge and Sockburn (the bridge and stream near the court station).

SOTO (Span.),

a grove; e.g. Soto, the name of several places in Spain; Sotilla (the little grove); Sotilla-de-las-Palomas (the little grove of the doves); Sotilla-de-la-ribera (the little grove of the river-bank).

SPINA (Lat.), EPINE (Fr.),

a thorn; e.g. Epinac, Epinal, Epinay, in France; Espinosa, in Spain (the thorny place); Epinville (the thorny villa); Epineuil (the thorny fountain, œuil); Epinoy, Epineuse, etc., in France; Speen, in Co. Berks, anc. Spinæ (the thorny place).

SPITAL (Nor.-Fr.), YSPYTTY (Cym.-Cel.), SPIDEAL (Gadhelic),

an hospital or place of entertainment for strangers or invalids, from the Lat. hospitium; e.g. Spittal, in Caithness and Co. Pembroke; Spittle, in Cheshire and in Berwickshire; the Spital of Glenshee, in Perthshire; Dalna-Spidal (the field of the hospital); Spittalfields, in Middlesex; Yspytty-Rhew-Ystwith, on the R. Ystwith; Yspytty-Evan (Evan’s hospital), in Wales; Llanspithid, in Brecknock, which derived its name from an ancient Ysbytty hospitium that existed here, supported by the priory of Malvern. These names and many others in England and Scotland derived their names from hospitals attached to religious houses in the Middle Ages.

SPRING (Teut.), SPRONG (Scand.),

a water-source; e.g. Springthorpe (the farm at the fountain); Adlerspring (the eagle’s fountain); Lippspring (at the source of the R. Lippe); Springe (at the source of the R. Haller); Magdespring (the maiden’s fountain).

SRATH (Gadhelic), YSTRAD (Cym.-Cel.),

an extensive valley, Anglicised strath; e.g. Strathmore and Strathbeg (the great and little valleys); Strathavon, Strathblan, Strathbogie, Strathconan, Strathearn (the valleys of the Rivers Avon, Blane, Bogie, Conan, and Earn); Strathyre, corrupt. from Srathiar (the western valley, with reference to Strathearn, the eastern), in Perthshire; Strathclyde, Strathnaver, Strathspey, Strathallan, Strathpeffer, Strathbran, Strathgriffe (the valleys of the Rivers Clyde, Naver, Spey, Allan, Peffer, Bran, and Griffe); Strath Tary, in Sutherlandshire (the bull’s strath, tairebb); Strichen, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from Srath-Ugie (the valley of the R. Ugie); Strathdon, corrupt. from Srath-domhain (the valley of the deep river); Ystrad-Tywy (the valley of the R. Tywy), in Wales; Ystrad-yw (yew-tree valley or the valley of the brook Ywen); Yester, a parish in East Lothian, from Ystrad; Ystrad-fflur (the flowery valley), called by the Romans Strata-Florida; Ystrad-gwnlais (the valley of the trench, clais, through which a stream flows); Straiton, in Ayrshire (the town on the Strath); Traquhair (sheep valley).

SRON (Gadhelic), TRWYN (Cym.-Cel.),

a nose, hence a promontory; e.g. Stronaba (the cow’s promontory); Stronaclacher (the stony promontory); Stronechrigen (the rocky point); Stronfearn (the point of the alders); Strondeas (the southern point); Strontian (the little promontory); Sorn, in Ayrshire, named from an ancient castle situated on a rocky headland; Troon (the promontory), on the Ayrshire coast; Sroan-keeragh (the sheep’s promontory); Shrone-beha (birch-tree promontory), in Ireland; Duntroon Castle (the fortress on the promontory), in Argyleshire; Turnberry Head, in Ayrshire, from trwyn; also Trwyn Point, in Ayrshire; Au-tron (on the point), in Cornwall; Trwyn-y-Badan (the promontory of the boats), in Wales.

SRUTH, SRUTHAIR (Gadhelic), SROTA (Sansc.),

a river or flowing water; sru, Sansc., to flow—cognate with stroum, Teut., struja, Sclav.; e.g. Srue, Sruh, Shrough, Sroughan (the stream), in Ireland; also Abbeyshrule (the abbey on the stream); Bealnashrura (the ford-mouth of the stream); Sroolane, Srooleen, Sruffan, and Sruffaun (little stream); Killeenatruan, anc. Cillin-a-tsruthain (the little church of the stream); Anstruther in Fife, and Westruther in Berwickshire, probably from the same root; but Strowan, in Perthshire, is named for St. Rowan; Ardstraw, in Tyrone, is a corrupt. of Ard-sratha (the height near the bank of the stream).

STACKR (Scand.), STUAIC (Gadhelic),

a projecting rock or point; e.g. the Stack Rocks and South Stack, on the coast of Wales; the Stags, on the Irish coast; Stack Island, Wales; and St. Bude’s Stack. In Ireland this word is generally Anglicised into stook; thus—the Stookans (the little rock pinnacles), near the entrance of the Giant’s Causeway; Stookan and Stookeen (the little rock).

STADT and STATT (Ger.), STEDE, or STEAD (A.S.),

a place or town; gestade, a station for ships; stadel, a small town; staeth, a bank or shore; e.g. Carlstadt, TheresienStadt, Christianstadt (towns named after one of the German emperors, Charles, after the Empress Theresa, and after Christian IV. of Sweden); Darmstadt, Illstadt, Stadt-Steinach, Lippstadt (towns on the Rivers Darm, Ill, Steinach, and Lippe); Bleistadt (lead town), near lead mines; Brahestadt, in Russia (founded by Count Brahe); Elizabethstadt, Hung. Ebes-falva, named after the Empress Elizabeth; Frederickstadt (Frederick’s town), in Denmark and in Norway; Gerbstadt, in Saxony (the town of Gerbert); Glückstadt, Lat. Fanum-fortunæ (the fortunate town or the temple of fortune); Halbertstadt (the town of Albert); Heiligenstadt (holy town); Hermanstadt (the town of Herman, one of the Germans who colonised certain German cities in Transylvania in the twelfth century); Ingoldstadt, in Bavaria (the town of Ingold)—the name of this town was mistranslated by Latin and Greek authors into Auripolis and Chrysopolis (the golden city); Rudolstadt (the town of Rudolph); Grimstadt, in Norway, and Grimstead, in Co. Wilts (the town of Grim, a common Scandinavian name); Stade (the station), in Hanover; Scoppenstadt, in Brunswick, anc. Scipingestete (the ship station); Stadt-am-hop (the town at the court), in Bavaria; Tennstadt, anc. Dannenstedi (the station of the Danes), in Saxony; Kroppenstadt, the Germanised form of the Sclav. Grobenstadt (the count’s town); Reichstadt (rich town); Altstadt (old town); Elstead, in Sussex and in Surrey (the place of Ella, the Saxon); Stadhampton (the town at the home place), in Oxford; Thaxsted (the thatched place), in Essex; Boxstead (the place of beech-trees, or of the Bokings, a patronymic); Hampstead (the home place); Wanstead (Woden’s place); Armenianstadt, in Transylvania, colonised by Armenians in 1726; Staithes (the banks), in Cumberland; Stathern (the dwelling on the bank), Leicester; Halstead, A.S. Haelsted (a healthy place).

STAEF, STAUF (Teut.), STAV (Scand.),

a stake or pole, also, in Germany, applied to a perpendicular rock; e.g. Stauffenberg (the mountain with pillar-like rocks), in Lower Hesse; Donaustauff (the steep rock on the Danube); Hohenstauffen (the high rocks), in Wurtemberg; Regenstauf (the rock on the R. Regen); Staufen (a fort situated on a rock), in Baden; Staffa (the island with the pillar-like rocks), off the coast of Argyleshire; Staffenloch (the lake of the pillars), in the Island of Skye.

STAL, STUHL (Teut.), STELLE,

a stall, place, or seat; e.g. Hohenstellen (the high place); Herstal (the place of the army); Tunstall (the place on the hill, dun), in Co. Stafford.

STAN (A.S.), STEIN (Ger.), STEEN (Dutch),

a stone or rock, and in topography sometimes applied to a rock-fortress; e.g. Staunton, Steynton (the town on the stony ground); Stanton, in Gloucestershire, named from a remarkable stone in the neighbourhood); Fewstone (fire stone), in Yorkshire, said to have been named from a fire-circle near the place; Staines (the stones), in Middlesex, marking the jurisdiction of the mayor of London; Stantz (the stony place), in Switzerland; Steenbeke, Steenbegue, Steinbach (the stony brook); Stanley (stony field), in Yorkshire; Steenbirge, Steenbrugge, Steenhout, Steenkirche (the stony hill, bridge, wood, church), in Belgium; Steenvorde (stony ford); Stein-am-anger (the rock on the field); Steinitz (the German rendering of Sczenz, dog town), in Moravia; Offenstein (the fortress of Offa); Lahnstein (the fortress on the R. Lahn); Lauenstein (the lion’s fortress, with reference to some person who bore that sobriquet); Ehrenbreitstein (the broad stone of honour); Stennis (the headland of the stones), in Orkney; Hauenstein, in Baden (the hewn rock), so called because the precipices of the Jura in that locality resemble masonry; Ysselstein (the rock on the R. Yssel); Bleistein (lead rock), near lead mines, in Bavaria; Dachstein, in Alsace, anc. Dagoberti Saxum (the rock of Dagobert); Frankenstein (the rock of the Franks); Falkenstein (of the falcon or of the personal name Falk); Greiffenstein (of the vulture); Schaunstein (the beautiful rock or fortress); Neckar-Steinach (the stony place on the Neckar); Iselstein, on the Isel; Wetterstein, on the Wetter; Buxton, in Derbyshire, was named from the piles of stones called buck-stones, found in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire moors; Standish, in Gloucestershire, corrupt. from Stonehouse. In some cases the affix stone is used instead of town or ton, as in Maidstone, A.S. Medwegston, Cel. Caer-Medwig (the town on the R. Medway); Goodmanstone (the priest’s town), Dorsetshire; and in Cumberland and Westmoreland, where the Norsemen had settlements, this word often marks the site of the grave of one of their heroes, as in Haroldstone, Hubberstone, Thurston, Gamfrestone, Silverstone, Stanton, Drew (the Druid’s stone), in Somersetshire, near an ancient stone-circle; Kingston, in Surrey, where in the centre of the town is still shown the stone on which the A.S. kings were crowned.

STAN (Pers.), STHANA (Sansc.),

a district or region; e.g. Hindostan (the district watered by the R. Indus, Pers. hindu—water); Affghanistan (the district of the Affghans, who are said to have taken their designation from a certain chief called Malik Afghāna); Rajpootana (the district of the Rajpoots or king’s sons); Kurdistan (of the Kurds); Beloochistan (of the Beluchis); Gurgistan or Georgia (the district watered by the R. Kur or Kyros); Kaffaristan or Kaffraria (of the unbelievers); Arabistan (of the Arabs); Bootan (the district of the Highlanders); Dushistan (the south region), also called Gurmsir (warm country); Gulistan (the district of roses); Baghistan (of gardens); Khorasan (the country of the sun); Zangistan or Zanguebar, Pers. and Ar. (the country or coast-lands of the Zangis)—v. BAHR.

STAPLE (Teut.),

literally a prop, support, or heap; but in the commerce of the Middle Ages it was applied, in the first place, to the buildings or towns in which the chief products of a district were treasured up or sold; and, in the second place, to the commodities themselves; e.g. Stapleton (the town of the market); Staplehurst and Stapleford (the wood and ford near the market-place); Dunstable (the market-place on the hill), formerly Dunstaple; Whitstable (white market-place); Barnstaple, anc. Berstable (the market-place for the produce of the district—beor, what it bears). In France: Etaples, L’étape, Staple, etc.

STARY (Sclav.),

old; e.g. Stargard, Starogard (the old fortress); Stary-sedlo, Storosele, Starosol (the old settlement); Starodub (the old oak-tree); Starwitz, Staria, Starinka, Stariza (old place); Starobielsk (the old town on the R. Biela); Staro-Constantinov (the old town of Constantine). In places where the population is chiefly German this word takes the form of stark, as in Starkenburg, Starkenhorst; Istarda or Starova (old town), in Turkey; Staroi-Oskol (the old town on the R. Oskol, in opposition to Novoi-Oskol, the new town on that river).

STEIG, STIG, STY (Teut. and Scand.),

a steep path; e.g. Stickney (the island or watery meadow by the steep path); Kirchsteg (the steep path to the church); Durnsteeg (thorny path); Stiegmühle (the mill on the steep path); Amsteg (at the steep path).

STEORT (A.S.), STERZ (Old Ger.),

the tail—in topography a point; e.g. Startpoint, in Devonshire; Starston (the town on the point); Sterzhausen, Sterzmühle, Staartpolder—v. HAUS, MÜHLE, POLDER; Staartven (the marsh on the point).

STEPPES (Sclav.),

an uncultivated waste—a word applied to the extensive desert plains in Russia.

STER, or ESTER,

in Brittany, a stream; e.g. Ster-boueux (the muddy stream); Stercaer (the stream at the fort); Sterpoulder (of the black pool), etc. According to Forsteman, there is a Teutonic river-root, str, which he finds in the names of 100 German streams; e.g. Elster, Alster, Wilster, Gelster, Laster, and Ister—an ancient name of the Danube—Stour, Stura, etc.

STER (Scand.),

Old Norse setr (a station or place), contracted from stadr (a place); bu-stadr (a dwelling-place), contracted to bister or buster; e.g. Grunaster (green place); Keldabister (the place at the well or fountain); Kirkbuster (the dwelling at the church); Hesting-ster (the settlement of Hesting). The same word appears in the names given by the Danes to three of the provinces of Ireland—Ulster, for the Irish Uladh, i.e. Ulla-ster; Leinster, Irish Laighen or Layn; Munster, Irish Mumha (named after a king).

STOC, STOW (Teut.),

literally a stake or the trunk of a tree, applied at first to a place protected by a stockade, or surrounded by stocks or piles; and in German topography sometimes applied to hills, as in Hochstock (high hill); Stockheim (the home on the hill); sometimes to places built upon stakes, as in Stockholm. In Great Britain, standing alone, it means simply the place, as Stock, in Essex; Stow, a parish in Mid Lothian; Stoke-upon-Trent; Stow-in-the-Wold or waste land; Stoke-Bardolph, Stoke-Fleming, Stoke-Gabriel, Stoke-Poges, Stoke-Edith (named from the proprietors); Stow-market (the market-place); Stow-Upland (the place in the high lands); Kewstoke (at the quay); Elstow, in Wilts (old place); Elstow, in Bedford (St. Helen’s place), the site of a nunnery dedicated to that saint; Basingstoke (the place belonging to the Basings, a patronymic); Bridstow (St. Bridget’s place); Bristol, anc. Briegstow (the place at the breach or chasm, brice, through which the R. Avon passes)—its Celtic name was Nant-Avon (on the valley of the Avon); Padstow, in Cornwall, anc. Petrocstowe, Welsh Llan-petroc (the place or church of St. Petroc); Tavistock and Tawstock (places on the Rivers Tavy and Taw). As a prefix, stock often denotes the chief place in a district, as in Stockton (the chief town on the Tees), and in Stockport (the chief port on the Mersey).

STOLL (Ger.),

a mine-shaft; e.g. Stollenberg (the hill of the mine-shaft); Stollenschmeide (the smithy at the mine-shaft); but Stollenkirchen, i.e. Stallinchirchun, is from Stalla (a person’s name).

STOLPE (Sclav.),

a rising ground in a marshy place; e.g. Stolpe, the name of a circle and of several towns in Hungary and Pomerania; Stolpen, in Saxony.

STÖR (Scand.),

great; e.g. Störfiord (the great bay); Störhammer (great hill); Störoe (great island); Störaa (great river); Störsjon and Störsoen (great lake); Störa-kopparberg (the great copper mountain), in Sweden and Norway.

STRAD (A.S.), STRASSE (Ger.), STRŒDE (Scand.), SRAID (Gadhelic), YSTRAD (Cym.-Cel.),

a row, a street, a road, borrowed from the Lat. strata; e.g. Stratford (the ford near one of the great Roman roads, called streets); Stratford-le-Bow (the ford with the bow or bridge near the Roman road); Stratsett (the road station); Streatham and Stretton (the town on the road); Stratton, in Cornwall, and Stradbally, in Ireland (the village of one street); Straid, Strade (the street); Stradeen (little street), in Ireland; Strond, on the R. Strond; Strasbourg, in West Prussia (the town on the highway); but Strasbourg, in Alsace, anc. Stratiburg, is the German translation of its Latin name Argentoriatum (the town of silver—strati, Teut., silver); Stony Stratford (the stony ford on the great Roman road, called Erming Street); Watling Street is said to have been named from waedla (the mendicant or pilgrim); Icknield Street from the Iceni; Erming Street from earm (a pauper).

STRAZNA (Sclav.),

a watch-tower, akin to the A.S. streone; e.g. Straznitz, in Moravia (the town with the watch-tower).

STRELITZ (Sclav.),

a huntsman; e.g. Strelitz-klein and Strelitz-gross (the great and little town of the huntsman, or of the Strelitzi, the name given to the lifeguards), in Russia; Strelitzkaia and Strielinskaia, with the same meaning.

STROM, STROOM (Teut.),

a stream or current; e.g. the Maelstrom (mill stream, so called from its rushing sound); Rheinstrom (the Rhine current); Stroomsloot (the sluice of the current); Stroma, Stromoe, Stromsoe, Stromay (the island of the current); Stromen and Stromstadt (the place near the current); Stromen-Fiorden (the bay of the current); Stromberg (the town or hill on the stream); Stromness (the headland of the current).

SU (Turc.),

water; e.g. Ak-su (the white stream); Kara-su (the black stream); Adji-su (bitter water).

SUD, SUTH, SODER, SOUDEN,

the south; Buttman traces this word to the sun, the oldest form of the word being sundar; e.g. Sonnenburg, Sonderhausen, Sundheim, Soudham, Southofen (the south dwelling or enclosure); Southdean (south hollow); Southwark, Dan. Sydvirche (the south fortress); Southover (south shore); Suffolk (the district of the south people, as distinguished from Norfolk); Sutton and Sodbury (south town); Sudborne (south stream); Suderoe (south island); Sudetic Mountains (the southern mountain chain); Sudereys (the southern islands), a name applied by the Norsemen to all the British islands under their rule south of the Orkneys and north of the Island of Man—hence the bishoprick of Sodor and Man; Sutherland (the land to the south of Caithness); Soderköping (the south market-town), in Sweden; Soest, in Prussia (on the Sosterbach); Sidlaw Hills (the south hills, in reference to their forming the south boundary of Strathmore).

SUMAR, SOMAR (Teut.),

summer; e.g. Somercotes, Somersall, Somerton (summer dwellings); Somerghem in Belgium, and Sommerberg in Bohemia, with the same meaning; but Somarsheim, in Hungary, is the German corrupt. of Szomorfalva (the village of sorrow); Szmarja or Szent-marfa (St. Mary’s town), Germanised into Sommarein.

SUND (Scand.),

a strait; e.g. the Sound, between Sweden and Zealand; Christiansund, at the mouth of a narrow inlet, founded by Christian IV.; Frederichsund, on a narrow inlet in Zealand; Ostersund (the eastern strait), in Sweden; Stralsund (the arrow-like strait—straele, an arrow).

SUNTARA (Teut.),

privileged land; e.g. Frankensundern (the privileged place of the Franks); Beversundern (the privileged place on the R. Bever); Sontra, in Hesse-Homburg (the privileged place); Sunderland (the privileged land), in Durham.

SZASZ (Hung.),

Saxon; e.g. Szasvaros, Ger. Sachsenstadt (the town or fortress of the Saxons), in Transylvania; Szasz-Sebes (the Saxon-Sebes or swift stream).

SZENT (Hung.), SANT (Welsh),

a saint; e.g. Szenta, Szentes (the saints’ town or holy town); e.g. Szendro (St. Andrew’s town); Mindszent (the town of All Saints); Szent-kercsyt (the town of the holy cross); Santarem, in Portugal, from St. Irene, Santiago (for St. James); St. Denis, named after St. Dionysius, where the remains of this saint were interred; St. Heliers, in Jersey (for St. Hilarius); Szent-György (St. George’s town); St. Ives, in Cornwall, named after an Irish saint called Jia, who came to that spot; St. Ives, in Huntingdon, named after Ivon, a bishop.

T

TA (Chinese),

great; e.g. Ta-kiang (the great river); Ta-Hai (the great lake); Ta-Shan (great mountain); Ta-Gobi (the great desert).

TABERNA (Lat. and Span.), TAFARN (Welsh),

an inn; e.g. Taberna, in Spain; Zabern-Rhein (the inn on the Rhine); Zabern-berg (the hill inn); Zabern-Elsass (the Alsatian inn), called in French Savernæ, corrupt. from the Lat. Tabernæ; Tavernes and Taverny, in France.

TAING, TANGA (Teut. and Scand.), TUNGA,

a tongue, a point of land; e.g. Tongue, a parish in Sutherlandshire; Tong, in Ross; Tongland, in Kirkcudbright, upon a peninsula formed by the Rivers Dee and Tarf; Tonge, in Lancashire; but Tongres, Tongrinnes, and Tongerloo, in Belgium, derive their names from the Tungri, a tribe; Tong-fell, in Cumberland, and Tangfjeld, Norway, and Tunga-fell, Iceland (the mountain with the tongue or point); Thong-castle, in Kent, and Thong-castor, near Grimsby.

TAL (Cym.-Cel.),

the forehead, or, as an adjective, high; e.g. Talgarth (the brow of the hill; Talibont (bridge-end, pont); Talbenny (the head of the hill-pen), in Wales. Tal-y-cavn (the head of the trough); Tal-y-Llychan (the head of the pools), in Caermarthen; Talachddu (the head of the black water, a small brook called Achddu), a parish in Brecknock.

TAMH, TAW (Cym.-Cel.),

quiet, cognate with A.S. tam, found in many river names; e.g. the Tame, Tamar, Tamer, Teane, Teign, Thame, Taw, Tawey, Tavoy, Tay, Temesch, Tees, Thames (the quiet water), joined to uisge, a, y, o, or, ri (flowing water).

TAMNACH (Gadhelic),

a green field, common in Irish topography under various forms, such as Tawny, Tawnagh, Tonagh, and Taminy; e.g. Tonaghneeve, for Tamhnaich-naemh (the field of the saints), now Saintfield; Tawnaghlahan (broad field); Tawnkeel (narrow field); Tamnaghbane (white field); Tavnaghdrissagh (the field of the briers).

TANNA (Old Ger.),

wood; tanne (modern), the fir-tree; e.g. Niederthan (the lower wood); Hohenthan (high wood); Thanheim, Thanhausen, Tandorf (the dwellings at the wood); Tanberg (wood hill).

TARBERT, or TAIRBERT (Gadhelic),

an isthmus; e.g. Tarbet, in Cromarty and Ross; Tarbert, in Harris; Tarbet, on Loch Lomond; East and West Tarbert, in Argyleshire; Tarbetness (the point of the isthmus), in Ross-shire.

TARBH (Gadhelic), TARW (Cym.-Cel.),

a bull, cognate with the Lat. taurus and the Grk. tauros; e.g. Knockatarriv and Knockatarry (the hill of the bull); Clontarf, anc. Cluain-tarbh (the bull’s meadow); Cloontarriff and Cloontarriv, with the same meaning. Some river names, such as Tarf, Tarras, Tarth, Tarn, may have this word as a prefix, or perhaps tara, Irish, rapid.

TARNIK (Sclav.),

the thorn; e.g. Tarnowce and Tarnowitz (thorn village); Tarnau, Tarnow, Tornow, Torniz (a thorny place); Tarnograd (thorn fortress); Tarnopol (thorn city).

TEACH and TIGH (Gadhelic), TY (Cym.-Cel.),

a house or dwelling, cognate with the Lat. tectum, Ger. dach, and Scand. tag, a roof; Anglicised tagh, in the genitive, tigh. This word, under various forms, is common in Irish topography; e.g. Tagheen (beautiful house); Taghboy and Taghbane (the yellow and white house); Taghadoe (St. Tua’s house); Tiaquin, in Co. Galway, i.e. Tigh-Dachonna (St. Dachonna’s house); Timahoe, for Tech-Mochua (St. Mochua’s house or church). Joined to the genitive of the article, it takes the form of tin or tinna, thus—Tinnahinch (the house of the island or river holm, innis); Tincurragh (of the marsh); Tinakilly (of the church or wood); Timolin (of St. Moling); Tigh-na-bruaich, in Argyleshire (the dwelling on the edge of the bank); Tynron, in Dumfries, i.e. Tigh-an-roinne (the house on the point); Tyndrum, in Perthshire (the dwelling on the ridge); Tisaran, anc. Teach-Sarain (the house of St. Saran), in King’s Co. Stillorgan, also in Ireland, corrupt. from Tigh-Lorcain (the house of St. Lorcain or Lawrence); Saggard, from Teach-Sacra (of St. Mosacra); Cromarty, anc. Crum-bachtyn (the dwelling on the winding bay); Tinnick, in Ireland, i.e. Tigh-cnuie (the house on the hill). In Wales: Ty-gwyn (white house); Ty-Ddewi (St. David’s house); Great Tey and Little Tey (great and little dwelling); Tey-at-the-elms, in Essex.

TEAMHAIR (Irish),

a palace situated on an elevated spot; e.g. Tara, anc. Teamhair, the ancient capital of Meath, and several other places called Tara, in Ireland. This word sometimes takes the form of tavver, tawer, or tower, as in Towerbeg and Towermore (the little and great palace).

TEAMPULL (Gadhelic),

a temple or church, derived from the Lat. templum; e.g. Templemichael, Templebredon (the churches of St. Michael and St. Bredon); Templemore (the great church or cathedral); Templecarriga (of the rock); Temple-tochar (of the causeway), in Ireland; Templemars and Talemars, in France, anc. Templum-Martis (the temple of Mars).

TEINE (Gadhelic), TÂN (Cym.-Cel.),

fire. In topography this word is found in the forms of tin and tinny, and must indicate spots where fires of special importance were wont to be kindled. Whether these fires were beacon-fires, or whether they referred to the Beltane fires kindled by the ancient Celts on May Day, cannot, in special cases, be determined; but that the Beltane fires were connected with the religious rites of the Druids is allowed, even by those who do not derive the word Beltane from the name of a Celtic deity, or trace the observance of these rites to the sun and fire worship once alleged to have existed among the Celtic tribes, but now held to be an untenable theory by Celtic scholars.[5] In Ireland, near Coleraine, we find Kiltinny (the wood of the fire); Tamnaghvelton (the field of the Beltane sports); Clontinty, Co. Cork (the meadow of the fires); Mollynadinta, anc. Mullaigh-na-dtaeinte (the summit of the fires); Duntinny (the fort of the fire), Co. Donegal. In Scotland tinny is also found in topography, thus—Ardentinny and Craigentinny (the height and rock of the fire); Auchteany, and perhaps Auchindinny (the field of the fires); Tinto (the hill of the fire), in Lanarkshire.

TEPETL (Astec),

a mountain; e.g. Popocatepetl (the smoky mountain), in Mexico; Citlaltepetl (the star-like mountain—citaline, a star); Naucampatepetl (the square-shaped mountain), in Mexico.

TEPLY (Sclav.),

warm; e.g. Tepla (the warm stream); Tepel, on the R. Tepla (in the neighbourhood of warm mineral waters); Teplitz, the name of towns in Hungary, Bavaria, and Illyria, sometimes written Toplitz; Teplik and Teplovka, in Russia; Teflis, in Georgia, celebrated for its warm baths.

TERRA (Lat., It., and Port.), TIERRA (Span.), TERRE (French), TIR (Gadhelic and Cym.-Cel.),

land; e.g. Terciera (the rough land), in the Azores; Terranova (the new land), in Sicily, supposed to be on the site of the ancient Gela; Tierra-del-fuego (the land of fire), so named on account of the numerous fires seen on the land by the first discoverers; Terregles (church land); Tiree Island, Gael. Tir-ith (the land of corn); Terryglas, i.e. Tir-da-ghlas (the land of the two rivers), Co. Tipperary; Terryland, i.e. Tir-oilein (the land of the island); Tyrone, anc. Tir-Eoghain (Owen’s land); Tir-Rosser, i.e. Tir-Rhos-hir (the long peat land), in Caermarthen; Pentir (the headland); Gwydir, from the roots gwy, water, and tir, a general term for moist land in different places in Wales. It was the ancient name of Glastonbury; Tiranascragh (the land of the sand hill, esker), Co. Galway; Tyrconell (the land of Conell), the ancient name of Co. Donegal; Carstairs, in Lanarkshire, anc. Casteltarras, probably corrupt. from Castelterres (the castle lands), the castle in the village having been the site of a Roman station; Culter, in Lanarkshire, anc. Cultir (the back of the land); Finisterroe (land’s end), now Cape Finistère, the north-west extremity of France; Blantyre (warm land—blane, warm), in Lanarkshire; Terrebonne (good land), in Canada; Terre-haute (high land), in Indiana.

THAL (Ger.),

a valley—v. DAL.

THING, or TING,

a term applied by the Scandinavians to the legislative assemblies of their nation, and also to the places where these assemblies met, from an old word tinga, to speak. Traces of these institutions appear in the topography of certain districts in Great Britain formerly occupied by Danes or Norwegians. The Norwegian Parliament is still called the Storthing or great assembly; smaller courts are called Lawthings, and the Althing was the general assembly of the whole nation. These meetings were generally held on some remote island, hill, or promontory, where their deliberations might be undisturbed. The Swedish Parliament used to assemble on a mound near Upsala, which still bears the name of Tingshogen, Scand. haugr; Thingveller (the council-plains), in Iceland; Sandsthing (the place of meeting on the sand), in Iceland; Aithsthing (the meeting-place on the headland), in Iceland; Dingwall, in Ross-shire, has the same derivation—its Gaelic name is Inverpeffer (at the mouth of that stream); Tingwall, in Shetland, Tynwald Hill, Isle of Man, Thingwall in Cheshire, and Dinsdale in Durham, from the same root; Tinwald, in Dumfries (the wood of the meeting); Tain, in Ross-shire, Norse Thing—its Gaelic name is Baile-Duich (St. Duthic’s town).

THOR and THUR,

prefixes derived from the Saxon and Scandinavian deity Thor; e.g. Thorley, Thurley, Thursley, Thorsby, Thurlow, the valley, dwelling, and hill, named after Thor, or perhaps from a people or family name derived from the god, i.e. the Thurings, from whence also probably come Thorington in England, and Thorigné and Thorigny in France; Thüringerwald, in Germany; Thurston, Thursford, Thurscross, Thurlstone, etc.; Thorsoe (Thor’s island); Thurso (Thor’s stream, on which the town of Thurso is situated); Thorshaven (Thor’s harbour), in Norway and in the Faroe Islands. On the continent the god Thor was worshipped under the name of Thunor, hence the English word thunder and the German Donner (supposed, in the Middle Ages, to be Thor’s voice). From this word are derived Thunersberg and Donnersberg (the mountain of Thor); Donnersbach (Thor’s stream), in Styria; Torslunde (Thor’s sacred grove), in Denmark.

THORPE (A.S.),

an assembly of people, cognate with the Welsh torf (a crowd or troop), Gael. treubh (a tribe), and troupe, French; and then gradually coming to denote a farm or village; e.g. Thorp, in Northamptonshire; Calthorpe (cold village); Langthorpe (long village); Ingelthorpe, Kettlesthorpe, Swansthorpe, Bischopsthorpe (the farm or village of Ingold, Kettle, Sweyn, and the bishop); Nunthorpe (the nun’s village); Raventhorpe (Hrafen’s village); Thorparch, in Yorkshire (the village bridge), on the R. Wharfe; Milnethorpe (the village of the mill); Althorpe (old villages); Basingthorpe (the village of the Basings, a patronymic); Copmanthorpe (of the merchant).

THWAITE (Scand. thveit),

a cleared spot or an isolated piece of land, akin to the Danish tvede, a peninsula; e.g. Harrowthwaite, Finsthwaite, Ormathwaite, Sattersthwaite, places cleared and cultivated by the Scandinavians, whose names they bear; Applethwaite (of apples); Calthwaite (cold clearing); Birkthwaite (of birches); Micklethwaite (great clearing); Crossthwaite, in Cumberland, where St. Kentigern is said to have erected a cross; Lockthwaite (Loki’s clearing).

TOBAR (Gadhelic),

a fountain or well, from the old word doboir, water. Wells and fountains were held in great veneration by the Celts in heathen times, and are the subjects of many traditions in Ireland and Scotland. Many of the early preachers of Christianity established their foundations near these venerated wells, which were the common resorts of the people whom they had come to convert. In this way the new religion became associated in the minds of the converts with their favourite wells, and obtained the names of the saints, by which they are known to this day; e.g. Tobermory (St. Mary’s well), in the Island of Mull; Tobar-na-bhan-thighern (the chieftainess’s well), in Badenoch; Ballintobar (the town of the well), Co. Mayo, now called Tobermore (the great well), which had a well blessed by St. Patrick; Tibbermore or Tippermuir (the great well), in Perthshire; Tobar-nam-buadh, in Skye (the well of virtues); Tipperary, anc. Tiobrad-Arann (the well of the district of Ara); Tipperkevin (St. Kevin’s well); Tipperstown, anc. Baile-an-tobair (the town of the well); Tobercurry (the well of the cauldron); Toberbilly (the well of the old tree); Tobernaclug (the well of the bells, clog). Bells were held sacred by the Irish on account of a certain bell favoured by St. Patrick. Perhaps the rivers Tiber and Tiverone, as well as Tivoli, anc. Tibur, may come from this root.

TOFT, TOT (Scand.),

an enclosure or farm; e.g. Lowestoft, Dan. Luetoft (the enclosure or place of the beacon-fire, which in early times was placed on the promontory where the town stands); Langtoft (long farm); Monk’s Tofts (the monk’s farm), and West Tofts, in Norfolk; Ecclestofts (the church farm buildings), in Berwickshire; Ivetot, anc. Ivonis-tot (the farm of Ivo and Hautot (high farm), in Normandy; Sassetot (the Saxon’s farm); Littletot (little farm); Berguetot (birch farm), in Normandy.

TOM (Gadhelic and Welsh),

a knoll or mound; e.g. Tomintoul (the knoll of the barn), Gael. Tom-an-t-sabhail, Co. Banff; Tomachuraich (the boat-shaped knoll), Inverness-shire; Tom-ma-Chessaig (St. Kessag’s mound), at Callander; Tom-na-faire (the knoll of the watch-tower), on Loch Etive; Tomatin (the knoll of the fire, teine); Tomnacroiche (of the gallows); Tom-da-choill (of the two woods); Tombreck (speckled knoll); Tomgarrow (rough knoll); Tomnaguie (windy knoll), in Ireland; Tom-bar-lwm (the mound of the bare hill); Tommen-y-Bala (the mound of Lake Bala, having been raised as representative of Mount Ararat); Tommen-y-mur (of the rampart).

TON (A.S.), TUN (Scand.),

an enclosure, a town. The primary meaning of this word comes from the Gothic tains, Scand. teinn, Ger. zaun, a fence or hedge formed of twigs. Originally it meant a place rudely fortified with stakes, and was applied to single farm-steadings and manors, in which sense tun is still used in Iceland, and toon in Scotland. The word toon retained this restricted meaning even in England in the time of Wickliffe. These single enclosures became the nucleus of a village which, gradually increasing, became a town or city, in the same manner as villages and towns arose around the Celtic duns, raths, and lises. This root, in the names of towns and villages, is more common than any other in Anglo-Saxon topography, being an element in an eighth part of the names of dwelling-places in the south of Great Britain. The greatest number of these names is connected with those of the original proprietors of the places, of which but a few examples can be given here. In such cases, the root ton is generally preceded by s or ing—qu. v.; e.g. Grimston, Ormiston, Ribston, Haroldston, Flixton, Kennington (the property of Grim, Orm, Hreopa, Harold, and Felix); Canewdon (of Canute); Addlington and Edlington (of the nobles); Dolphinton, Covington, and Thankerton, parishes in Lanarkshire, took their names from Dolphine, Colban, and Tancred, to whom the lands were given in very early times; Symington and Wiston, in Lanarkshire, are found mentioned in old charters, the one as Symington, in Ayrshire, named from the same Simon Lockhart, the progenitor of the Lockharts of Lee; Cadoxton, i.e. Cadog’s town, in Wales; Ecclesia de uilla Simonis Lockard (the church of Simon Lockhart’s villa), and the other, Ecclesia uilla Withce (the church of Withce’s villa); Haddington (the town of Haddo); Alfreton, Wimbledon, Herbrandston, Houston (of Alfred, Wibba, Herbrand, Hugh); Riccarton, in Ayrshire, formerly Richardston, took its name from Richard Waleys, i.e. Richard the Foreigner, the ancestor of the great Wallace); Stewarton, in Ayrshire, had its name from the family which became the royal race of Scotland; Boston, in Lincoln (named after St. Botolph, the patron saint of sailors); Maxton, a parish in Roxburghshire (the settlement of Maccus, a person of some note in the reign of David I.); Flemingston and Flemington (named from Flemish emigrants); Woolston (from St. Woolstan); Ulverston (from Ulphia, a Saxon chief); Wolverhampton and Royston (from ladies who endowed religious houses at these places); Minchhampton (the home of the nuns, minchens); Hampton (the enclosed home); Preston and Presteign (priest’s town); Thrapston (the dwelling at the cross-roads); Broughton (the town at the fort or mound), a parish in Peeblesshire, with a village of the same name; Albrighton (the town of Aylburh); Harrington (of the descendants of Haro); Barton and Barnton (the enclosure for the crop; literally, what the land bears); Shettleston, in Lanarkshire, Lat. Villa-filii-Sadin (the villa of Sadin’s son); Bridlington (the town of the Brihtlingas, a tribe), sometimes called Burlington; Adlington (town of Eadwulf); Prestonpans, in Mid Lothian, named from the salt pans erected there by the monks of Newbattle; Layton, in Essex, on the R. Lea; Luton, in Bedford, also on the Lea; Makerston, in Roxburghshire, perhaps from St. Machar; Johnstone, in Renfrew (founded by the Laird of Johnston in 1782); Liberton, near Edinburgh, where there was an hospital for lepers; Honiton, Co. Devon, Ouneu-y-din (the town of ash-trees); Kensington (of the Kensings); Edmonton, in Middlesex (Edmond’s town); North and South Petherton, in Somerset (named from the R. Parret), anc. Pedreda; Campbeltown, in Argyleshire, received its name from the Argyle family in 1701—its Gaelic name was Ceann-Loch (the loch head); Launceston—v. LANN; Torrington, in Devon (the town on the hill, tor, or on the R. Torridge); Watlington (the village protected by wattles). Of towns named from the rivers near which they are situated, Collumpton, Crediton, Frampton, Taunton, Lenton (on the Culm, Credy, Frome or Frame, Tone, and Lee); Northampton (on the north shore of the R. Aufona, now the Nen); Okehampton, on the R. Oke; Otterton, Leamington, Bruton, Moulton, Wilton, on the Otter, Learn, Brue, Mole, and Willy; Darlington or Darnton, on the Dar; Lymington, in Hants, anc. Lenton (on the pool); Southampton (the south town on the Anton or Test, which with the Itchen forms Southampton Water); Ayton, in Berwickshire, on the R. Eye.

TOPOL (Sclav.),

the poplar-tree; e.g. Töplitz, Neu and Alt (the place of poplars), in the basin of the R. Elbe, to be distinguished from Teplitz, in Bohemia—v. TEPLY, which is sometimes misnamed Töplitz.

TORGAU (Sclav.),

a market-place; e.g. Torgau, Torgovitza, Torgowitz (market-towns).

TORR (Gadhelic), TWR (Cym.-Cel.),

a mound, a heap, a conical hill, cognate with the Lat. turris, the Ger. thurm, and the Grk. pyrgos (a tower); Tor, in Ireland, means a tower also; e.g. Toralt (the tower of the cliff); Tormore (great tower or tower-like rock); Tornaroy (the king’s tower); Tory Island, off the Irish coast, had two distinct names—Torach (i.e. abounding in tower-like rocks), and Toirinis (the island of the tower), so named from a fortress called Tor-Conaing (the tower of Conaing, a Fomorian chief); Torran, Tortan (little tower), applied to little knolls, as in Toortane and Turtane; Mistor and Mamtor, in Devonshire; Croken Torr, in Cornwall (a hill where meetings were held—gragan, Welsh, to speak); Torphichen (the raven’s hill), a parish in West Lothian; Torbolton, in Ayrshire, tradition says is the town of Baal’s mound. There is a beautiful hill in the parish where superstitious rites are still held; a bonfire is raised, and a sort of altar erected, similar to those described in the sacrifices to Baal on Mount Carmel; Torbay, in Devonshire, named from the hill which overlooks the bay, which gives its name to Torquay; Torrdubh and Torrduff (black hill); Torbane and Torgorm (the white and the blue hill); Torbreck (speckled hill); Torinturk (the wild boar’s hill); Kintore (at the head of the hill), in Aberdeenshire; Turriff, in Banffshire, is the plural form of toir. From the Lat. turris and its derivatives, come Tordesillas (the tower of the bishop’s see), in Spain; Torquemada, Lat. Turris cremata (the burned tower); Torr-alba and Torre-blanca (the white tower); Torrecilla, Lat. Turricellæ (the church-towers), in Spain; Torres-novas and Torres-vedras (the new and old towers), in Portugal; Torella (the little tower), Naples; Truxillo, in Spain, i.e. Turris-Julii (the tower of Julius); Tourcoing (corner tower), in France; La-tour-Sans-Venin, near Grenoble, is a corrupt. of Tour-Saint-Verena—to this saint the chapel was dedicated; Tournay, in Belgium, Lat. Turris Nerviorum (the tower of the Nervii); Torres-Torres (the fortifications of the mountains), Tours, in France, is not named from this root, but from the Turones, a tribe; but Torres Strait was named after the navigator Torres, who discovered it in 1606. In the Semitic languages also Tzur means a rock; it is the root of the names of the city of Tyre, and of Syria, of which in early times it was the chief city. Taurus or Tor is a general name for a mountain chain; Tabris (the mountain town), a city of Persia.

TRAETH (Cym.-Cel.), TRAIGH (Gadhelic),

a strand; e.g. Traeth-mawr (great strand); Traeth-bach (little strand); Trefdraeth (the dwelling on the strand), in Wales; Traeth-coch (red strand), in Anglesea. In Ireland: Tralee, Co. Derry, is from Traigh-liath (the gray strand); Tranamadree (the strand of the dogs), Co. Cork; Ballintra, when it occurs on the coast, means the town on the strand, but inland it comes from Baile-an-tsratha (the town on the river-holm); Ventry, Co. Kerry, is from Fionn-traigh (white strand); as also Trabane, Trawane, and Trawbawn, which derive their names from the whitish colour of the sand; Fintray, a parish in Aberdeenshire on the R. Don, is also white strand; but Fintray, in Dumbartonshire, was formerly Fyntref or Fyntre, probably the dwelling, tre, on the Fenach, which is the boundary-stream of the parish on one side; Traeth-Saith, in Wales, named after a mythological patriarch.

TRANK (Ger.),

a tank for watering animals; e.g. Kleintrank (little tank); Rosstrank (horse tank); Trankmühle (mill tank).

TRAWA (Sclav.),

grass; e.g. the Traun and the Trave (i.e. the grassy rivers); Traunkirchen (the church on the Traun); Traunik, Trawitz (the grassy place); Traunviertel (the district of the R. Traun), in Silesia and Austria.

TRE, or TREF (Cym.-Cel.), TREABHAIR (Gael.),

a dwelling, a town; e.g. Treago, anc. Tref-y-goll (hazel-tree dwelling), in Monmouth; Tre-n-eglos (church town), in Cornwall; Tremaine (stone dwelling), Cornwall; Tref-y-clawdd (the town of the dyke, i.e. Offa’s dyke), the Welsh name for Knighton, in Pembrokeshire; Oswestry might come naturally from this word, but the Welsh call it Croes-Oswald (the place of St. Oswald’s martyrdom); Coventry, too, might be from the same root, but Camden says it is a corruption of Conventria (the district of the convent); Daventry, abridged from Dwy-avon-tre (the dwelling on the two rivers); Truro, i.e. Tre-rhiw (the dwelling on the sloping bank, or on the stream); Redruth, in Cornwall, anc. Tref-Derwydd (the Druid’s town); Trefrhiw (the town on the stream), in Caernarvon; Tremadoc (Madoc’s dwelling); Trecoid (the dwelling in the wood); Braintree, Co. Essex (hill dwelling); Dreghorn, in Ayrshire, anc. Trequern (the dwelling near alder-trees); Thrisk, in Yorkshire, anc. Tref-Ysk (the dwelling by the water); Tranent, in Mid Lothian, corrupt. from Treabhairnant (the dwellings in the valley); Crailing, in Berwickshire, anc. Traverlin (the dwellings on the pool); Tring, Co. Herts, anc. Treungla or Treangle (the village at the corner), Welsh ongl, Lat. angulus; Trelech (the dwelling at the stone, called Harold’s grave); Tre-Taliesin (the dwelling of Taliesin, the celebrated Welsh bard); Trenewydd (new dwelling), in Wales; Rhuddry, a parish in Glamorgan, probably corrupt. from Yr-yw-tre (the yew-trees’ home); Tre’r Beirdd (bard’s town); Trefawr, Trefach (great and little town); Tredegar, i.e. Tre-deg-fair-ar (land), (the choice abode); Tre-Wyddel (the forester’s abode); Trefhedyn, i.e. Tref-y-din (hill town).