A DICTIONARY OF PLACE-NAMES

A

A (Old Norse),

a possession;[2] e.g. Craika, Torfa, Ulpha; A (Scand.) also means an island—v. EA, p. 71.

AA, A (Scand.),

a stream; from Old Norse â, Goth. aha, Old Ger. aha (water). The word, in various forms, occurs frequently in river names throughout Western Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands, and often takes the form of au or ach; e.g. the rivers Aa, Ach, Aach; Saltach (salt river); Wertach (a river with many islands)—v. WARID, etc.; Trupach (troubled stream); Weser, i.e. Wesar-aha (western stream); Lauter, i.e. Hlauter-aha (clear stream); Danube or Donau, i.e. Tuon-aha (thundering stream); Main, i.e. Magin-aha (great stream); Fisch-aha (fish stream); Schwarza (black stream); Zwiesel-au (the stream of the whirlpool); Erlach (alder-tree stream); Gron-aha (green stream); Dachau (the clayey stream); Fulda, i.e. Fold-aha (land stream); Rod-aha (reedy stream); Saale and Saala from salz (salt stream). The simple a or o, with a prefix expressive of the character of the stream, is the most frequent form of the word in Iceland and Scandinavia, and in the districts of Great Britain colonised by Norsemen or Danes; e.g. Laxa (salmon river); Hvita (white river); Brora (bridge river); Rotha (red river); Greta (weeping river); Storaa (great river); Thurso (Thor’s river), which gives its name to the town; Lossie, anc. Laxi-a (salmon river).

AB (Sansc.), AW (Pers.),

water; e.g. Doab (the district of two waters); Menab (the mouth of the water), on the Persian Gulf; Busheab or Khoshaub (good water), a river in Hindostan, also an island in the Persian Gulf; Neelab (blue water); Punjaub (the district of the five streams); Chinab or Chenaub R., said to be a corrupt. of its former name Chaudra Bhagee (the garden of the moon), so called from a small lake of that name from which it proceeds. Cognate with this root is the Gadhelic abh, in its forms of aw or ow. Thus in Scotland we have the River Awe and Loch Awe; in Ireland, Ow and Owbeg (little stream); Ow-nageerah (the stream of the sheep); Finnow (clear stream). Cognate with these root-words is the Lat. aqua and its derivations in the Romance languages, as well as ae or ea (A.S. water). Forsteman finds river names, allied to the foregoing, throughout Germany and France, in such forms as ap, op, ep, etc., as in the Oppa, Lennep, Barop, Biberaffa.

ABAD (Pers. and Sansc.),

a dwelling or town, generally connected with the name of its founder; e.g. Hyderabad (the town of Hyder Ali, or of the Lion); Ahmedabad (of the Sultan Ahmed); Furrackabad (founded by Furrack the Fortunate); Agra or Akberabad (founded by Akber); Nujiabad (of Nujibah-Dowlah); Auringabad (founded by Aurungzebe); Jafferabad (the city of Jaffier); Jehanabad (of Shah Jehan); Jellabad (of Jellal, a chief); Moorshedabad (the town of Moorshed Khoolly-Khan); Moorabad (named after Morad, the son of Shah Jehan); Shahabad (of the Shah); Abbas-abad (founded by Abbas the Great); Dowladabad (the town of wealth); Hajiabad (of the pilgrim); Meschdabad (of the mosque); Islamabad (of the true faith); Allah-abad (of God); Secunderabad (named after Alexander the Great); Resoulabad (of the prophet); Asterabad (on the River Aster); Futteabad (the town of victory); Sadabad or Suffi-abad (the town of the sadi or suffi, i.e. the sage).

ABER (Cym.-Cel.), ABHIR and OBAIR (Gael.),

a confluence of waters; applied, in topography, to places at the conf. of streams, or at the embouchure of a river. The derivation of the term has been traced by some etymologists to the conjunction of ath (Gael.), a ford, and bior, water; by others to Cym.-Cel. at (at) and bior (water). This prefix is general in many of the counties of Scotland, throughout Wales, and, in a few instances, in Ireland, although in the latter country the synonyms inver and cumar are more frequent. Both words are found in the topography of the Picts, but the Scots of Argyleshire used only inver before they came from Ireland to settle in that district. The word aber seems to have become obsolete among them; and as there are no abers in Ayrshire, Renfrew, and Lanarkshire, the word had probably become obsolete before the kingdom of Strathclyde was formed. Dr. Joyce, in his Irish Names of Places, traces its use as prefix or affix to the Irish root abar (a mire), as in the little stream Abberachrinn (i.e. the river of the miry place of the tree). In Wales we find Aberconway, Aberfraw, Aberistwyth, Aberavon, Aberayron, Aberdare, Aberdaron, Abergavenny, at the embouchure of the Conway, Fraw, Istwyth, Avon, Aeron, Dar, Daron, Gavenny. Barmouth, corrupt. from Aber-Mowddy, a seaport in Merioneth, at the mouth of the R. Mowddy. Berriew, corrupt. from Aber-Rhiw (at the junction of the R. Rhiw with the Severn); Aberdaugledden, the Welsh name for Haverford-west, at the mouth of twin rivers resembling two swords (gledden), which unite at Milford Haven. It is called by the Welsh now Hwlford (the sailing road) because the tide comes up to the town. Aberhonddu, at the mouth of the R. Honddi or Honddu (the county town of Brecknock), and Aberdovey, at the embouchure of the R. Dovey in Wales. In Scotland, Aberbrothwick or Arbroath, Abercorn, anc. Aeber-curnig, Aberdour, Abergeldie, Abernethy, at the embouchure of the Brothock, Cornie, Dour, Geldie, and Nethy. Aberchirder is Abhir-chiar-dur (the conf. of the dark water); Abercrombie (the curved conf.); Aberfeldy, i.e. Abhir-feathaile (the smooth conf.); Aberfoyle (the conf. of the pool, phuill); Aberlemno (the conf. of the leaping water, leumnach); Arbirlot, anc. Aber-Elliot (at the mouth of the Elliot); Applecross for Abhir-croisan (the conf. of trouble); Old Aberdeen and New Aberdeen, at the mouths of the Don and Dee, Lat. Devana-castra; Fochabers (the plain, at the river mouth), Gael. faigh, a plain; Lochaber (at the mouth of the loch); Barmouth, in Wales, corrupt, of Aber-Mawdoch or Maw.

ABI (Turc.),

a river; e.g. Abi-shiran (sweet river); Abi-shur (salt river); Abi-gurm (warm river); Abi-gard (yellow river); Abi-kuren (the river of Cyrus); Ab-Allah (God’s river).

ABT (Teut.), an abbot, Lat. abbatis. ABIE, an abbey.

These and similar words, in the Romance languages, derived from the Heb. abba (father), were introduced into the languages of Europe in connection with the monastic system, and are attached to the names of places founded for monks, or belonging to church lands. Thus—Absberg (abbot’s hill); Apersdorf, for Abbatesdorf (abbot’s village); Absholz (abbot’s wood); Abtsroda (abbot’s clearing), in Germany; Appenzell, anc. Abbatiscella (abbot’s church), founded by the Abbot of St. Gall, A.D. 647; Abbeville (abbot’s dwelling), in France; Abbotsbury (the abbot’s fortified place), Dorset; Abbeydare (the abbey on the R. Dare in Hereford); Abbotshall, in Fife, so called from having been the occasional residence of the abbots of Dunfermline; Abdie (belonging to the abbey of Lindores); Abingdon, in Berks (abbot’s hill), Abington (with the same meaning), the name of two parishes in Cambridge and a village in Lanarkshire, and of two parishes in Ireland; Abbotsford (the ford of the Tweed in the abbey lands of Melrose); Abbotsrule (the abbey on the R. Rule in Roxburghshire); Abbeyfeale (on the R. Feale); Abbeyleix (the abbey of Lewy), an Irish chief Abbeygormacan (Irish mainister); Ua-g Cormacain (the abbey of the O’Cormacans); Abbeylara, i.e. Irish abbey, leath-rath (the abbey of the half-rath); Abbeyshrule, anc. Sruthair (the stream), named for a monastery founded by one of the O’Farells; Abbeystrowry (with the same meaning), in Ireland; Abbensee (the lake of the abbey), in Upper Austria; Newabbey, a Par in Kirkcudbright (named from an abbey founded in 1275 by Devorgilla, the mother of John Baliol); Badia-San-Salvatore (the abbey of the Holy Saviour); Badia-Torrita (the abbey with the little tower), in Italy; Appin, in Argyleshire, anc. Abbphon (abbot’s land), and Appin, in Dull, indicating probably the territory of a Celtic monastery.

ACH, or ICH,

a form of the Teut. aha (water), p. 1, as in Salzach (salt stream), but it is also a common affix to words in the Teut. and Cel. languages, by which a noun is formed into an adjective, signifying full of, or abounding in, equivalent to the Lat. terminations etum and iacum. Thus, in German topography, we find Lindach, Aichach, Aschach, Buchach, Tannich, Fichtig, i.e. abounding in lime, oak, ash, beech, fir, and pine wood; Affaltrach (in apple-trees); Erlicht (in alders); Heselicht (in hazels); Laubach (in leaves). In Ireland: Darach, Farnach (abounding in oaks and alders); Ounagh, in Sligo, and Onagh, in Wicklow (watery place), from the adjective Abhnach (abounding in streams). In the Sclav. languages, again, the affix zig has the same meaning, as in Leipzig (abounding in lime-trees).

ACHADH (Gadhelic), AUCH, AUGH, AUCHEN,

a field, plain, or meadow; e.g. Aghinver (the field of the confluence); Aghindarragh (of the oak wood); Achonry, anc. Achadh-Chonaire (Conary’s field); Ardagh (high field); Aghabeg (little field); Aghaboy (yellow field); Aghamore (great field); Aghaboe (the cow’s field); Aghadown (of the fort); Aghadoe, i.e. Achadh-da-eo (of the two yew-trees). In Scotland: Auchclach, Auchinleck, Auchnacloich (the stony field); Achray (smooth field); Auchinleith (the physician’s field); Auchindoire (the field of the oak grove); Auchinfad (of the peats); Auchinrath (of the fort); Auchincruive (of the tree, craoibhe); Auchline (of the pool); Auchnacraig (of the rock); Auchindinny and Auchteany (the field of the fire)—teine, i.e. probably places where the Beltane fires were kindled.

AESC (A.S.), ASK (Scand.), ESCHE (Ger.),

the ash-tree; e.g. Ashton, Ashby, Askham (ash-tree dwelling); Ashrigg (the ash-tree ridge), in England. In Germany: Eschdorf, Eschweil, Eschweiller (ash-tree dwelling); Eschenbach (ash-tree brook); Eschwege (ash-tree road).

AESP (A.S.), ASP (Scand.),

the aspen or poplar; e.g. Aspley, Aspden (poplar field or valley).

AIN (Semitic), AAYN,

a fountain; e.g. Aenon (the fountains); Enshemish (the fountain of the sun); Engedi (of the goat); Enrogel (of the fuller’s field); Dothan (the two fountains); Aayn-el-kebira (the great fountain); Ain-halu (the sweet fountain); Aayn-taiba (the good fountain); Engannim (the fountain of the gardens); Enrimmon (of the pomegranates).

AITE, or AIT (Gadhelic), AEHT, or EIGEN (Teut.),

a place, a possession; e.g. Daviot, anc. Damh-aite (the place of the ox), in Aberdeenshire, and also in Inverness; Tynet, i.e. ait-an-taimhu (the place of the river), in Banffshire. In Ireland the word is used in combination with tigh (a house); e.g. Atty (the dwelling-place); Atty-Dermot (the dwelling of Dermot); Atti-duff (the dark dwelling); Oedt (the possession), a town in Prussia, on the Niers; Iberstolfs-eigen (the possession of Iberstolf); Iberstolfs-eigen, Smurses-eigen (i.e. the possession of Iberstolf and Smurse); Souder-eygen (south possession).

AITH, or AED, or EID (Scand.),

a headland; e.g. Aithsvoe (the bay of the headland); Aithsthing (the place of meeting on the headland); Eidfoss (the waterfall on the headland).

AK, or AEK (A.S.), EK, or EG (Scand.), EYKE (Dutch), EICHE (Ger.),

an oak; e.g. Acton, Acworth (oak town and manor); Oakley (oak meadow); Oakham (oak dwelling); Auckland (oakland); Acrise (oak ascent); Wokingham or Oakingham (the dwelling among oaks); Sevenoaks, anc. Seovanacca, named from some oak-trees which once occupied the eminence on which it stands, but Okehampton, in Devon, is on the R. Oke. In Germany and in Holland are Eichstadt, Eichdorf, Eikheim (oak dwelling); Ekholta (oak wood); Eichhalden (oak height); Eichstegen (oak path); Echehout, in Hainault (oak wood); Eykebusch (oak thicket).

AK (Turc.),

white; e.g. Ak-tag, Ak-dagh (the white mountains); Ak-su (white river); Ak-hissar (white castle); Ak-serai (white palace); Ak-shehr (white dwelling); Ak-meschid (white mosque); Ak-kalat (white fortress).

AL (the Arabic definite article);

e.g. Alkalat (the fortress); Almaden (the mine); Alcantara (the bridge); Alkasar (the palace); Almeida (the table); Almeria (the conspicuous); Almazen (the storehouse); Alcarria (the farm); Alcana (the exchange); Algezira (the island), anc. Mesopotamia (i.e. between the rivers); Algeciras (the islands), in Spain; Algarve (the west); Almansa (the plain); Almazara (the mill); Alhambra (the red); Alhucen (the beautiful); Alpuxarras (the grassy mountains).

ALD, EALD (A.S.), ALT (Ger.), OUDE, OLDEN (Dutch),

old; e.g. Alton, Oldham, Althorpe, Alcaster, Aldwark (old dwelling, farm, camp, fortress); Audlem (old lyme or border); Audley (old field), in England. In Germany: Altenburg, Altendorf, Oldenburg (old dwelling); Altenmarkt (old market); Altmark (old boundary); Altstadt (old place); Altsattel (old seat); Altofen (old oven), so called from its warm baths; Oudenarde (old earth or land); Oudenbosch (old thicket); Oude-capel (old chapel).

ALDEA (Span. and Port., from the Arabic),

a village; e.g. Aldea-del-Cano (the dog’s village); Aldea-vieya (old village); Aldea-el-Muro (the walled village); Aldea-del-Rio (of the river); Aldea Galliga (of the Gauls).

ALIT (Cym.-Cel.), ALT (Irish),

a height or cliff; e.g. Alltmaur (the great height); Builth, in Wales, i.e. Bu-allt (the steep place of the wild oxen). The Alts (heights or glen-sides), Monaghan; Altachullion (the cliff of the holly); Altavilla, i.e. Alt-a-bhile (the glen-side of the old tree); Altinure (the cliff of the yew-tree); Altanagh (abounding in cliffs); Altan (the little cliff).

ALP, AILPE (Celtic), AIL,

a rock or cliff; e.g. the Alps; Albainn (the hilly or high land), the anc. name of Scotland; Albania, with the same meaning; Alpenach (the mountain stream), at the foot of Mount Pilate; Alva and Alvah (the rocky), parishes in Scotland; Cantal (the head of the rock), in France. In Ireland the word ail takes the form of oil, aspirated foyle or faill; e.g. Foilycleara (O’Clery’s cliff); Foilnaman (the cliff of the women): but while the aspirated form of ail is confined to the south, aill is found all over Ireland; Ayleacotty, i.e. Aill-a-choite (the cliff of the little boat); Ailla-gower (the goat’s cliff); Alleen (the diminutive) is found in Alleen-Hogan and Alleen-Ryan (Hogan’s and Ryan’s little cliff). When, however, foyle comes in as a termination, it is commonly derived from poll (a hole), as in Ballyfoyle and Ballyfoile (the town of the hole). The anc. name of Britain, Albion, has sometimes been traced to this root, but more generally to the white cliffs (Lat. albus) on the coast of Kent, as seen first by the Romans.

ALR (A.S.), ALNUS (Lat.), AUNE (Fr.),

the alder-tree; e.g. Alr-holt, Aldershot (alder-tree wood); Alresford (Alderford); Alrewas (alder-tree pasture); Alderley (alder-tree meadow), in England; Aulney, Aulnoy, Aulnois, Aunay, Auneau (alder grove), in France.

ALT (Gadhelic),

a stream; e.g. the Alt, Aldan, Alta (river names); Alt-dowran (otter stream); Aultsigh (gliding stream); Alt-na-guish (the stream of the fir-trees); Aldivalloch, i.e. Allt-a-bhealaich (the stream of the pass); Alness, i.e. Allt-an-casa (of the cascade); Alltmore (great stream); Auldearn, i.e. Allt-fearn (alder-tree stream); Cumbernauld, corrupt. from Cumar-nan-alta (the confluence of the streams); Garavault in Aberdeenshire, Garvault in East Lothian, and Garvald in Dumfriesshire (rough stream); Altderg (red stream).

ALTUN, or ALTAN (Tartar),

golden; e.g. the Altai, or golden mountains; Altanor (golden lake); Altan-su (golden river); Alta-Yeen (the golden mountains); Altun-tash (golden rock); Altun-kupri (golden bridge).

AM, or AN,

contrac. from Ger. an den (on the, or at the); e.g. Amberg (at the hill); Amdorf or Ambach, Amsteg, Amwalde (at the village, brook, path, wood).

AMAR (Old Ger.),

a kind of grain; e.g. Amarbach, Amarthal, Amarwang, Amarveld (the brook, valley, strip of land, field where this grain grew).

AMBACHT, or AMT (Ger.),

a district under the government of an Amtman or bailiff; e.g. Amt-sluis (the sluice of the Ambacht); Amthof (the court of the Amtman); Graven-Ambacht (the duke’s district); Ambachtsbrug (the bridge of the Ambacht).

AMBR,

an Indo-Germanic word, signifying a river, allied to the Sansc. ambu (water). According to Forsteman (v. Deutsche Ortsnamen) the suffix r was added by most European nations before their separation from the Asiatic tribes, as appears in the Greek ombros and the Lat. imber (a shower). The word appears in the names of tribes and persons, as well as of places, on the European continent; e.g. the Ambrones (or dwellers by the water), and perhaps in Umbria; Amberloo and Amersfoort (the meadow and ford by the water), in Holland; and in such river names as the Ammer, Emmer, Emmerich, Ambra, etc.

ANGER (Ger.),

a meadow or field; e.g. Rabenanger (the raven’s field); Kreutzanger (the field of the cross); Moosanger (mossy field); Wolfsanger (the wolf’s field, or of Wolf, a man’s name); Vogelsanger (the birds’ field); Angerhusen (the field houses); Angerbach (the field brook); Anger (the field), a town in Austria; Angerburg (the fortress in the field).

ANGRA (Port.),

a creek or bay; e.g. Angra (a sea-port in the Azores); Angra-de-los-reyes (the king’s bay).

AQUA (Lat.), AGUA (Span. and Port.), ACQUA (It.), EAU (Fr.; Old Fr. AX),

water; e.g. Aix, anc. Aquæ-Sextiæ (the warm springs, said to have been discovered and named by Sextus Calvenus, B.C. 123), in Provence; Aix, in Dauphiny, anc. Aquæ-Vocontiorum (the waters of the Vocontii); Aix-les-bains (the bath waters), in Savoy; Aachen or Aix-la-Chapelle, celebrated for its mineral springs, and for the chapel erected over the tomb of Charlemagne; Plombières, anc. Aquæ-plombariæ (waters impregnated with lead); Veraqua, in New Granada, corrupt. from Verdes-aguas (green waters); Aigue-perse (the bubbling water), in Auvergne; Aigue-vive (the spring of living water); Aigue-belle (beautiful water); Aigue-noire (black water, etc.), in France; Dax, celebrated for its saline springs, corrupt. from Civitas aquensis (the city of waters); Aigues-mortes (stagnant waters); Aguas-bellas (beautiful waters), Portugal; Aguas-calientes (warm waters), Mexico; Evaux, Evreux (on the waters), France; Evian, anc. Aquarum (the waters), Savoy; Entreves and Entraigues (between the waters), anc. Interaquæ; Yvoire, anc. Aquaria (the watery district), on Lake Geneva; Aas or Les Eaux (the waters), Basses Pyrénées; Nerac, anc. Aquæ Neriedum (the waters of the Nerii); Amboise and Amboyna (surrounded by waters); Bordeaux (the dwelling on the water), borda, Low Lat. (a dwelling); Vichy, anc. Aquæ calidæ (warm waters), on the Allier; Bex (upon the two waters), at the juncture of the Rhone and Avençon; Outre L’Eau (beyond the water); Acapulca, in Mexico, corrupt. from Portus aquæ pulchræ (the port of beautiful waters); Agoa-fria (cold water), Brazil; Aqui, in North Italy, celebrated for its baths; Acireale, anc. aguas calientes (the warm waters); Agoa-quente (hot spring), Brazil.

ARA,

a frequent element in river names, with various and even opposite meanings. Some of the river names may have come from the Sansc. ara (swift, or the flowing), and in Tamil aar means simply a river. There is another Sanscrit word arb (to ravage or destroy), with which the Gadhelic words garw, garbh (rough) may be connected; and, on the other hand, there is the Welsh araf (gentle). According to the locality and the characteristics of the stream, one must judge to which of these roots its name may belong. There are, in England, the Aire, Arre, Arro, Arrow; in France, the Arve, Erve, Arveiron, etc.; in Switzerland and Germany, the Aar, Are; in Spain and Italy, the Arva, Arno; and in Scotland, the Ayr, Aray, Irvine, etc. Many of these names may signify simply flowing water (the river), while others beginning with the syllable ar may be referred to the adjectival forms, araf, arb, ara, or garbh, followed by another root-word for water, as in Arrow (the swift stream); Yarrow (the rough stream); ow (water); Arveiron (the furious stream); avon (water); Arar (the gentle stream), now the Saone.

ARD, AIRD (Gadhelic),

a height, or, as an adjective, high; e.g. the Aird (the height) on the south coast of the island of Lewis, also in Inverness-shire; Aird Point in the island of Skye; Aird-dhu (the black height), a hill in Inverness-shire; the Airds (high lands in Argyleshire); Airdrie, Gael. Aird-righ (the king’s height), or, perhaps, Aird-reidh (the smooth height); Aird’s Moss (a muirland tract in Ayrshire); Ardbane (white height); Ardoch (high field); Ardclach (high stony ground); Ardach and Ardaghy (high field); Ardmore (great height); Ardeen and Arden (the little height); Ardglass (green height); Ardfert (the height of the grave or ditch, Irish fert); Ardrishaig (the height full of briers, driseach); Ardnamurchan (the height of the great headland, ceann, or of the great ocean, cuan); Ardgower (goat’s height); Ardtornish (the height of the cascade, cas and torr); Ardross (high point); Ardrossan (little high point); Ardchattan (St. Cathan’s height); Ardersier, Gael. Ard-ros-siar (the high western height); Ardlui (the height of the fawn, laoidh); Ardentinny (of the fire, teine); Ardboe (of the cow); Ardbraccan (of St. Brachan); Ardfinan (St. Finan’s height); Armagh, in Ireland, anc. Ardmacha (the height of Macha, the wife of one of the early Irish colonists); Arroquhar, in Dumbarton, i.e. Ardthir (the high land); Ardmeanach (the mossy height or the black isle); Ardgask (the hero’s height, Gael. gaisgeach, a hero); Ardnacrushy (of the cross); Ardtrea (St. Trea’s height); Ardnarea, i.e. Ard-na-riaghadh (the height of the executions, with reference to a dark tale of treachery and murder); Ardgay (windy height); Ardblair (high field); Ardwick (high town, a suburb of Manchester). The Lat. root arduus (high) is found in Ardea, in Italy; the Ardes (or heights), in Auvergne; Auvergne itself has been traced to Ar-fearann (high lands), but Cocheris, Au Noms de Lieu, gives its ancient name as Alverniacus (i.e. the domain of the Auvergni). Ardennes, Forest of (high-wooded valleys); Ardwick-le-street (the high town on the great Roman road), stratum. Ard, art, and artha are also Persian prefixes attached to the names of places and persons; e.g. Ardboodha (the high place of Buddha); Aravalli (the hill of strength); and such personal names as Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Artamenes. In some cases it may refer to the agricultural habits of the Indo-Germanic races (Lat. aro, Grk. αροω, Goth. arjan, Old High Ger. aran, Cel. ar (to plough), hence the Aryan tribes are those belonging to the dominant race—the aristocracy of landowners, as distinguished from the subject races—v. Taylor’s Names of Places.

ARN, ERN (Teut.), ARNE, ARA (Lat.), a home, AREA, bas (Lat.), AIRE (Fr.), AROS (Cel.),

a place, farm, dwelling; e.g. Heddern (hiding-place); Beddern (sleeping-place); Suthern (south place); Arne, a town in Yorkshire; Chiltern (chalk place); Whithorn, in Wigton, A.S. Whitern, Lat. Candida-casa (white house); Asperne (the place of poplar-trees); Femern (of cattle); Domern (of judgment); Thalern (valley dwelling); Mauthern (toll place); Bevern and Bevergern (the dwelling on the R. Bever); Aire, Lat. Area-Atrebatum (the dwelling of the Atrebates), on the Adour, in France; also Aire, on the Lys; Les Aires (the farms); Airon, etc., in France, Bavaria, Ger. Baiern (the dwelling of the Boii); Aros, Gael. (the dwelling), in Mull; Arosaig (corner dwelling), Argyle.

ARN (Old Ger.), ARI (Norse), ERYR (Welsh),

an eagle. This word is used in topography either with reference to the bird itself, or to a personal name derived from it; e.g. Arnfels (eagle’s rock); Arnberg, Arnstein, Arlberg (eagle mountain or rock); Arisdale (eagle valley, or the valley of a person called Arix); Arnau (eagle meadow); Arnecke (eagle corner); Arendal (eagle valley); Arenoe (eagle island); Eryri (the eagle mountain), the Welsh name for Snowdon.

ARX (Lat.),

a fortress; e.g. Arcé, anc. Arx, a town in Italy with a hill fortress called Rocca d’Arcé (the rock of the fortress); Arcis sur Aube (the fortress on the R. Aube), in France; Arcole and Arcola, in Lombardy and Sardinia; Saar-Louis, anc. Arx-Ludovici-Sarum (the fortress of Louis on the Saar), founded by Louis XIV., 1680; Arx-fontana or Fuentes (the fortress of the fountain), in Spain; Monaco, anc. Arx-Monæci (the fortress of the Monæci), on the Gulf of Genoa; Thours, anc. Tuedæ-Arx (the fortress on the R. Thouet), in France.

AS, or AAS (Scand.),

a hill ridge; e.g. Astadr (ridge dwelling); As and Aas, the names of several towns in Sweden and Norway; Aswick, Aastrap, Aasthorp (the village or farm on the ridge) in Shetland.

ASTA (Basque),

a rock; e.g. Astorga, in Spain, Lat. Asturica-Augusta (the great city on the rocky water, ura); Astiapa and Estepa (the dwelling at the foot of the rock), in Spain; Astulez and Astobeza, also in Spain; Asti, a district in Sardinia which was peopled by Iberians or Basques; Astura (the rocky river); Asturias (the country of the dwellers by that river); Ecija, in Spain, anc. Astigi (on the rock); Estepa and Estepona (rocky ground).

ATH, AGH (Gadhelic), AUGH,

a ford. This root-word is more common in Ireland than in Scotland, and is cognate with the Lat. vadum, and the A.S. wath or wade; e.g. Athy, i.e. Ath-Ae (the ford of Ae, a Munster chief who was slain at the spot); Athmore (great ford); Athdare (the ford of oaks); Athenry (the king’s ford); Athlone, i.e. Ath Luaen (the ford of St. Luan); Athleague (stony ford); Athane (little ford); Aghanloo (Lewy’s little ford); the town of Trim is in Irish Athtruim (the ford of the elder trees); Agolagh, i.e. Athgoblach (the forked ford); Aboyne (the ford of the river), on the Dee in Aberdeenshire; Athgoe, i.e. Ath-goibhne (the ford of the smiths), in Dublin.

ATHEL (A.S.), ADEL (Ger.), ADELIG (Gothic),

noble, or the nobles; e.g. Adelsdorf, Adelsheim, Adelshofen, Attelbury (the nobles’ dwelling); Athelney (the island of the nobles), in Somersetshire, formerly insulated by the rivers Tone and Parret; Addelsfors (the nobles’ waterfall); Adelsberg (the nobles’ hill); Adelsclag (the nobles’ wood-clearing); Adelsoe (the nobles’ island); Adelmanns-felden (the nobleman’s field).

AU, AUE (Ger.), AUGIA (Lat.),

a meadow, formed from aha (water), and frequently annexed to the name of a river; e.g. Aarau, Ilmenau, Rheinau, Wetterau, Oppenau, Muhrau (the meadow of the Aar, Ilmen, Rhine, Wetter, Oppa, Muhr); Frankenau (the Franks’ meadow); Lichtenau (the meadow of light); Reichenau (rich meadow); Schoenau (beautiful meadow); Greenau (green); Langenau (long); Weidenau (pasture-meadow); Rosenau (the meadow of roses); Lindau (of lime-trees); Herisau, Lat. Augia-dominus (the Lord’s meadow); Eu, anc. Augia (the meadow), in Normandy; Hanau (the enclosed meadow); Nassau (the moist meadow); Iglau (the meadow of the R. Igla, in Moravia); Troppau, in Silesia (the meadow of the R. Oppa).

AUCHTER or OCHTER (Gadhelic), UCHDER (Welsh),

the summit, or, as an adjective, upper; e.g. Auchtertyre, anc. Auchterardower (the summit on the water); Auchterarder (the upper high land); Auchterblair (upper field); Auchtercairn (upper rock); Auchtermuchty (the upper dwelling, tigh, of the wild boar, muc); Auchterau (the upper water); Auchtertool (the upper land on the R. Tiel), in Fife; Auchterless (the upper side, slios). In Ireland this word takes the form of Oughter; e.g. Oughterard (upper height); Oughter-lough (upper lake, in reference to Loch Erne); Balloughter (upper town); Lissoughter (upper fort); Killoughter (upper church). The Irish adjective uachdar is not unfrequently Anglicised water, as in Clowater in Carlow, i.e. Cloch-uachdar (upper stone or castle); Watree, in Kilkenny, i.e. Uachdaraighe (upper lands)—v. Joyce’s Irish Names of Places.

AVON, AFON (Cym.-Cel.), ABHAIN, ABHUINNE (Gael.), AMNIS (Lat. Sansc. ap.),

water, a river; e.g. the Avon, Aven, Aune, Auney, Inney, Ewenny, Aney, Eveny, river names in England, Wales, and Ireland; Avengorm (red river); Aven-banna (white river); Avenbui (yellow river); Avonmore (great river), in Ireland; the Seine, anc. Seimh-au (smooth river); the Mayenne or Meduana (probably the middle river, from Cel. meadhou). In France there are from this root—the Ain, Avenne, Vilaine, Vienne; the Abona, in Spain. In Scotland: the Almond or Awmon; Devon (deep river); Doon (dark river); Kelvin (woody river); Annan (quiet river); the Leith, Leithen, Lethen (the broad or the gray river); the Don, in Scotland and England (dark or brown river); Irvine and Earn (the west-flowing river); Anwoth, in Kirkcudbright, i.e. Avonwath (the course of the river); the Spey, speach-abhain (swift river); the Allan (beauteous river, aluinn); the Boyne, anc. Bouoninda (perhaps yellow river, buidhe). Many towns derive their names from their rivers, or from their vicinity to water: thus, Avignon and Verona (on the water); Amiens, the cap. of the Ambiani (dwellers on the water, i.e. of the Samara or Somme). Teramo, anc. Interamnia (between the rivers), and Terni, with the same meaning; Avenay, anc. Avenacum (on the river); Avesnes, celebrated for its mineral springs. But such names as Avenay, Avennes, etc., may have been derived in many cases from Lat. avena, Fr. avoine (oats)—v. Cocheris’s Noms de Lieu.

B

BAAL,

a prefix in Phœnician names, derived from the worship of the sun-god among that people; e.g. Baalath and Kirjath-Baal (the city of Baal); Baal-hazor (Baal’s village); BaalHermon (near Mount Hermon); Baal-Judah, etc., in Palestine. Sometimes, however, the word is used as synonymous with beth (a dwelling), as Baal-tamar and Baal-Meon (for Bethtamar and Beth Meon). But Baal-Perazim, we are told, means the place of breaches, and has no reference to the sun-god, Baalbec (the city of the sun), in Syria.

BAB (Ar.),

a gate or court; Babel and Babylon, according to the Arabic (the gate of God), or from a word signifying confusion, Gen. xi. 9; Baab (the gate), a town in Syria; El-Baab (the gate), in the Sahara; Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of (the gate of tears), so called by the Arabs from its dangerous navigation; Bab-el-estrecho (the gate of the narrow passage), the Arabic name for the Strait of Gibraltar.

BACH, BATCH (Teut.), BEC, BOEK (Scand.), but bach, by mutation fach or vach, in Welsh names means small, little,

a brook; e.g. Snail-batch and Caldbeck (cold brook or swift brook); snell in A.S. and Old English means active, sharp, quick; and in Scotland, as applied to the weather, it means sharp or severely cold; Crumbeck (crooked brook); Lauterbach (clear brook); Skurbeck (dividing brook); Griesbach and Sandbach (sandy brook); Gronenbach (green brook); Over-beck (upper); Reichenbach (rich); Marbeck (boundary); Schoenbach (beautiful brook); Beckford (the brook ford); Bacheim and Beckum (the dwelling at the brook); Beckermet (the meeting of brooks); Bickerstith (the station at the brook); Laubach and Laybach (the warm brook); but Laubach may also mean rich in leaves—v. ACH. Bec in Normandy is named from a brook that flows into the Risle: Birkbeck in Westmoreland (the birch-tree brook); Ansbach or Anspach (at the stream in Bavaria); Schwalbach (the swallow’s brook), in Nassau; Houlbec, in Normandy, Holbeck, in Lincoln and in Denmark (the brook in the hollow); Fulbeck (Lincoln) and Foulbec, in Normandy (muddy brook).

BAD (Teut.), BADD (Cym.-Cel.),

a bath or mineral spring; e.g. Baden, anc. Thermæ-Austricæ (the Austrian warm springs); Baden-Baden, anc. Civitas Aquenses Aurelia (the watering-place of Aurelius); Baden-bei-Wien (the baths near Vienna); Baden-ober (the upper baths); Franzens-bad (the bath of the Franks); Carlsbad or Kaiser-bad (the bath-town of the Emperor Charles IV. of Bohemia); Marien-bad, Lat. Balneum Mariæ (the bath-town of the Virgin Mary); Wiesbaden, anc. Fontes-Mattiaci (the baths or springs of the Mattiaci, dwellers on the meadow)—v. WIESE; Badborn (bath well); Wildbad (wild bath, i.e. not prepared by art), in the Black Forest; Slangenbad (the bath of snakes), so called from the number of snakes found in the mineral springs; Badsdorf (bath village), Bohemia. The Celtic name of the English city Bath was Caer-badon, or Bathan-ceaster (bath city or fortress); the Anglo-Saxons made it Akeman-ceaster (the sick man’s camp), or Aquæ Sulis (dedicated to a British divinity, Sulis, identified with Minerva).

BAGH (Ar. and Turc.),

a garden; e.g. Bag, or Baug, in Hindostan. Bagdad superseded Seleucia, which, it is related, was reduced to such a state of ruin as to have nothing remaining on the spot where it stood formerly but the cell of the monk Dad; hence the name of the new city founded by the Caliph Almazar, A.D. 762. Baghdad, i.e. the garden of Dad, a monk who had his cell near the site of the city; Bala-Bagh (high garden), in Affghanistan; Karabagh (black garden), a district in Armenia, so called from its thick forests; Alum-bagh (the garden of the Lady Alum), in Hindostan; Baktschisarai (the palace of the garden), in Crimea.

BAGNA (It.), BANO (Span.), BANHO (Port.), BAIN (Fr.),

from the Lat. balneum (a bath); e.g. Bagnacavallo (the horses’ bath); Bagna-di-aqua (water bath); Bagnazo, Bagnara, Bagnari, towns in Italy, celebrated for their baths. In France there are Bagnères-de-Bigorre (the baths of Bigorones, i.e. the dwellers between two heights); Bagnères-de-Luchon (the baths on the R. Luchon); Bains-les-du-mont-doré (the baths of the golden mount); with numerous names with similar meanings, such as Bagneux, Bagneaux, Bagnol, Bagnoles, Bagnolet, Bagnot, etc. In Italy: Bagnolina (the little bath); Bagni-di-Lucca, Bagni-di-Pisa (the baths of Lucca and Pisa).

BAHIA (Port.),

a bay; e.g. Bahia or St. Salvador (the town of the Holy Saviour), on the bay, in Brazil; Bahia-blanca (white bay); Bahia-hermosa (beautiful); Bahia-honda (deep); Bahia-negra (black); Bahia-neuva (new bay); Bahia-de-Neustra-Senora (the bay of Our Lady); Bahia-Escosesa (Scottish bay), in Hayti; Bayonna, in Spain, and Bayonne, in France (the good bay), from a Basque word, signifying good; Baia (the town on the bay), in Naples; Bahia-de-todos los Santos (All Saints’ Bay), in Brazil.

BAHN (Ger.),

a way or path; e.g. Winter-bahn (winter path); Langen-bahn (long path); Wild-bahn (wild or uncultivated path).

BAHR, or BAHAR (Ar.),

a sea, a lake, and sometimes a river; e.g. Bahar-el-Abiad (the white); Bahar-el-azrak (the blue river), forming together the Nile; Bahar-belame (waterless river), in Egypt; Baraach (the sea of wealth), in Hindostan; Bahari (the maritime district), Lower Egypt; Bahr-assal (salt lake), Africa; Bahrein (the two seas), a district in Arabia, between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea; also a group of islands on the same coast.

BAILE, BALLY (Gadhelic),

originally merely a place, a home, then a fort, a town, allied to the Grk. polis. The word joined with the article an is found as ballin for baile-an; e.g. Ballinrobe (the town of the R. Robe); Balbriggan (Brecon’s town); Ballintra and Ballintrae, in Ireland, and Ballantrae, in Scotland (the dwelling on the strand); Ballinure (the town of the yew); Ballintubbert (the town of the well); Ballinakill (of the church or wood); Ballinahinch (of the island); Ballinamona (of the bog), in Ireland; Ballycastle (castle town); Ballymena (middle town); Ballymony (of the shrubbery); Balmagowan and Ballingown (of the smiths); Ballymore and Ballmore (great town); Nohoval, corrupt. from Nuachongbhail (new dwelling), localities in Ireland. In Scotland: Balvanie, anc. Bal-Beni-mor (the dwelling of Beyne, the great first Bishop of Mortlach), in Aberdeenshire; Balmoral (the majestic dwelling, morail); Ballater (the dwelling on the hill-slope, leitir); Balmerino (on the sea-shore, muir); Balachulish, Gael. Baile-na-caolish (the dwelling on the narrow strait); Baldernock, Gael. Baile-dair-cnoc (the dwelling at the oak hill); Balnacraig (dwelling of the rock); Balfour (cold dwelling); Balgay (windy dwelling, gaoth, wind); Balfron (of mourning, bhroin), so called, according to tradition, because a number of children had been devoured by wolves at the place; Balgreen (the sunny place, grianach); Balgarvie (of the rough stream); Ballagan and Ballogie (the dwelling in the hollow); Balgownie and Balgonie (of the smiths); Balbardie (of the bard); Balmac Lellan (the dwelling of the Bal-MacLellan), in Kirkcudbright; Balmaghie (of the Maghies); Balquhidder (the town at the back of the country); Balblair (of the field or plain).

BALA (Turc.),

high; e.g. Bala-hissar (high castle); Bala-dagh (high mountain); Bala-Ghauts (the high Ghauts); Balasore (high dwelling); Balkan (high ridge), also called Mount Haemus (the snowy mount), hima (Sansc.), snow; Balkh (high town), anc. Bactra.

BALKEN (Ger.),

a ridge; e.g. Griesen-balken (sandy ridge); Moes-balken (mossy ridge); Schieren-balken (clear ridge)—the word is applied to chains of mountains in general.

BALTA (Scand.), BALTEUS (Lat.),

a strait or belt; e.g. Balta (the island of the strait); Baltia (the country of belts or straits), the ancient name of Scandinavia. The Great and Little Belts, or straits.

BAN (Gadhelic),

white, fair; e.g. Rivers Bann, Bane, Bain, Bana, Banon, Bandon, Banney, etc.; Banchory (the fair valley).

BAN (Cym.-Cel.),

a hill or height; e.g. Cefn-y-fan (the hill-ridge); Tal-y-fan (the face of the hill), in Wales. B by mutation becomes f.

BANT, BANZ (Ger.), POINT and PAINT, Ahd,

a district or enclosure, from Old Ger. pyndan (to confine), cognate with Cym.-Cel. pant; e.g. Brabant, i.e. Brach-bant (the ploughed district); Altenbanz (the old); Ostrevant (the eastern); Grunnenbant (the green district); Hasel-point (hazel field); Pound-stock (the enclosed place), in Germany; Drenthe, corrupt. from Thri-banta (the three districts), in Holland; Bantz, in Bavaria. From pant we have in Monmouth, Panteg (beautiful valley, têg); Pant-y-goitre (the valley of the town in the wood).

BANYA (Hung.),

a mine; e.g. Uj-banya (new mine); Nagy-banya (great mine), a town of Hungary with gold and silver mines, named by the Germans Neustadt; Abrud-banya (the mine on the R. Abrud, a district abounding in metals).

BARR (Gadhelic), BAR (Cym.-Cel.), BARD (Scand.),

a summit; e.g. Barmona (the summit or top of the bog); Barra-vore (great height, mor); Barmeen (smooth summit), in Ireland. In several counties in Scotland we have Barr (the uplands), but Barr in Ayrshire took its name from St. Barr; Barbreac (spotted point); Barrie and Barra (the head of the water, abh); Barcaldine (hazel point, calltunn); Barbeth (birch point); Barrglass (gray point); Bar-darroch (the summit of the oak grove); Bardearg (red point); Barcaple (the horses’ point); the Bard of Mousa and of Bressay, in the Shetlands, is the projection on these islands; the ancient name of the town of Perth was Barr-Tatha (the height of the R. Tay); Barwyn for Bar-gwn (a white-topped mountain, or tipped with snow), in Wales. In France the prefix bar is applied to strongholds, as in Bar-le-Duc (the duke’s citadel); Bar-sur Saone, Bar-sur Aube (the stronghold on the rivers Saone and Aube).

BARROW (Scand.), BEORH (A.S.),

a mound of earth, especially over a grave; e.g. Barrow-by (the dwelling at the mound); Ingle-barrow (the mound at the grave of Ingold). But, in some cases, barrow may be a form of A.S. boerw (a grove), as in Barrow-den (the grove hollow), in Rutland.

BAU (Ger.), GEBAUDE, BAÜEN, to build,

a building; e.g. Brun-bau (the well-house); Neu-bau and Alten-bau (the old and new building); Buittle (the building), a parish on the Solway Firth; Tichel-boo (brick building); Forst-gebaude (the building in the forest). It takes the form of bottle and buttel in Germany, and battle in Britain—v. p. 27; Newbattle (new building in Mid Lothian); Wulfen-buttel (the dwelling of Ulpha); Bolton, in Lancashire, anc. Botl.

BAUM (Ger.) BEAM (A.S.), BOOM (Dut.),

a tree, a post; e.g. Baumburg (tree town); Baumgarten (the orchard); Baumgartenthal (orchard valley); Baum-krüg (the tree inn); Schöenbaum (beautiful tree); Heesbaum (the hazel-tree), in Germany; Bampton and Bempton (tree town), in Oxford and Yorkshire; but Bampton in Devon takes its name from the R. Bathom—its ancient name was Bathom-ton.

BEDD (Welsh),

a grave; e.g. Bedd-gelert (the grave of a favourite hound of Llewelyn, or, as others affirm, the grave of a saint named Kelert).

BEDW (Cym.-Cel.), BEITH (Gadhelic), BEDWEN (Welsh),

the birch-tree, cognate with the Lat. betula; e.g. Beddoe (the birches), Salop; Bedwelty, i.e. Bedw-gwal-ty (the wild beast’s dwelling among the birches), in Monmouth; Penbedw (birch hill), Monmouth. In Ireland: Beagh, Beaghy, Behagh, Behy, i.e. (birch land); Kilbehey, i.e. coill-beithne (birch wood); Behanagh (birch-producing river); Ballybay, i.e. Bel-atha-beithe (the ford mouth of the birch); Aghaveagh (birch field). In Scotland: Beith and Beath, in Fife and Ayrshire; Dalbeath, Dalbeth, Dalbeathie (the birch field or valley); Barbeth (the summit of birches).

BEEMD (Dutch),

a meadow; e.g. Beemd and Beemte (on the meadow); Haagschbeemden (enclosed meadow); Beemster-polder (the meadow embankment).

BEER, BIR (Heb. and Ar.),

a well; e.g. Beer-sheba (the well of the oath); Beer-Elim (the well of heroes); Beer-lahai-roi (the well of the living sight); Beirout (the city of wells), in Palestine; Bir, a town of Asiatic Turkey.

BEER, or BEAR (Teut.), BUR (A.S.), BYR (Old Ger.),

a farm, cottage, or dwelling; e.g. Beer-Regis (the king’s farm); Beer-Alston (the dwelling of Alston); Beardon and Berewood (the dwelling on a hill and in a wood); Aylesbear (the dwelling of Aegle); Bühren, in Hanover and Switzerland; Beuren, in Swabia; Grasbeuren (grassy dwelling); Sandbuur (sandy dwelling); Erlesbura (dwelling among elms); Beerendrecht (the dwelling on the pasture); Nassenbeuren (damp dwelling); Blaubeuren (the blue dwelling); Benediktbeuren (the dwelling of the Benedictines).

BEG, BEAG (Gadhelic), BACH, or BYCHAN, by mutation fach or fychan (Cym.-Cel.),

little; e.g. Morbihan (the little sea), in Brittany; Taafe-fechan (the little River Taafe), in Wales. In Ireland: Castlebeg (little castle); Downkillybegs (the fortress of the little church); Bunbeg (small river mouth); Rathbeg (little fort).

BEIM,

a contraction of the Ger. bei-dem (by the); e.g. Beimbach, Beimberg, Beimhofen (by the brook, the hill, the court).

BEINN (Gadhelic), BEN,

a mountain, cognate with the Cym.-Cel. pen; e.g. Beanach (a hilly place); Ben-more (great mountain); Ben-a-buird (table mountain); Ben-a-bhaird (the bard’s mountain); Benan, i.e. Binnean (the peaked hill or pinnacle); Bencleuch (stony mountain); Ben-cruachan (the stack-shaped mountain, cruach); Bendearg (red mountain); Bendronach (the mountain with the hunch, dronnag); Bengloe (the mountain with the covering or veil, gloth); Benamore and Bannmore (the great peaks, beanna, peaks); Bennachie (the hill of the pap, at its summit, ache); Benavoir (the mountain of gold, or), in Jura; Benclibrig (the hill of the playing trout); Benloyal, i.e, Ben-laoghal (the hill of the calves); Ben-na-cailleach (nun’s hill); Ben Lomond, named from Loch Lomond, quod vide; Benmacdhui, i.e. Beinn-na-muc-dubh (the mountain of the black sow); Ben Nevis (the cloud-capped or snowy mountain); Benvenue (the little mountain), as compared with Benledi; Benwyvis (stupendous mountain, uabhasach); Benvrachie (spotted mountain); Benvoirlich (the mountain of the great loch). In Ireland: Benbo, i.e. Beannabo (the peaks of the cows); Dunmanway, in Cork, corrupt. from Dun-na-mbeann (the fortress of the pinnacles). In Ireland ben is more generally applied to small steep hills than to mountains; e.g. Bengore (the peak of the goats, gabhar); Benburb, Lat. pinna superba (proud peak), in Tyrone; the Twelve Pins, i.e. bens or peaks, in Connemara; Banagh and Benagh (a place full of peaks); Bannaghbane and Bannaghroe (white and red hilly ground); Banaghar, King’s Co., and Bangor, Co. Down, anc. Beannchar (the pointed hills or rocks); but Bangor, in Wales, signifies the high choir; Drumbanagh (the ridge of the peaks).

BEL, BELLE, BEAU (Fr.), BELLO, BELLA (Port., Span., It.),

beautiful, fine, from the Lat. bellus; e.g. Belchamp, Belcastro (beautiful field and camp); Belle-isle and Belile (beautiful island); Beaufort, Beaulieu, Beaumont, Beaumanoir (fine fort, place, mount, manor); Beaumaris (the fair marsh), so named in the reign of Edward I. Some think it may have been formerly Bimaris (between two seas), a name applied by Horace to Corinth; Belvoir (beautiful to see), in Rutland; Bewley and Bewdley, corrupt. from Beaulieu; Beauley, a river and village in Inverness-shire, named from Prioratus-de-bello-loco (the priory of the beautiful place), founded in 1230; Beachy Head, according to Camden, is the head of the beach, but Holland, who published Camden’s Britannia, says it was called Beaucliff, or, more probably, Beauchef (beautiful headland); Beaudesert (beautiful retreat); Belper, i.e. Beau-repaire (with the same meaning), in Warwick and Derbyshire; Leighton-Buzzard, corrupt. of its ancient name Legionbuhr (the fortress of the legion); Balaclava, corrupt. from its ancient name Bella-chiava (the beautiful frontier town, chiave), founded by the Genoese.

BEL, BIALA (Sclav.),

white; e.g. Biela (white stream); Bela, Belaia (white place); Belowes and Belowiz (white village); was or wies (a town or village); Belgrade, Ger. Weissenburg (white fortress); Bialgorod, Turc. Akkermann (white castle); Belki or Bielki (a name applied in Russia to snow-capped mountains); Berat, in Albania, corrupt. from Belgrade (white fort).

BEL, BEAL (Gadhelic),

a mouth, in its literal sense, but in a secondary sense, signifying an entrance into any place. In Ireland it is often united with ath (a ford), forming belatha (ford entrance). The word bel itself is often used to denote a ford; e.g. Belclair, i.e. Bel-an-chlair (the ford or entrance to the plain); Belatha (Anglicised Bella) is found in many names, as in Bellanagare, i.e. Bel-atha-na-gcarr (the ford mouth of the cars); Lisbellaw (the fort at the ford mouth); Bel-atha is often changed in modern names to balli or bally, as if the original root were baile (a town), as in Ballinamore (the mouth of the great ford); Ballinafad (the mouth of the long ford); Ballyshannon is corrupt. from Bel-atha-Seanach (Shannagh’s ford); Belfast, anc. Bel-feirsde (the ford of the farset or sandbank); Ballinaboy, i.e. Bel-an-atha-buide (the mouth of the yellow ford); Ballinasloe, Bel-atha-na-sluaigheadh (the ford mouth of the armies); Bel (a ford) is not found in Scotland, but a word with a kindred meaning as applied to land, bealach (a pass or opening between hills), is frequent there, as well as in Ireland, and takes the form of ballagh or balloch; e.g. Ballaghboy in Ireland, and Ballochbuie in Scotland (the yellow pass); Ballaghmore (great pass); Ballaghkeen (the beautiful pass, cæin); Ballaghadereen (the pass of the little oak grove); Balloch alone occurs in several counties of Scotland, the best known being Balloch, at the entrance to Loch Lomond; Ballochray (smooth pass, reidh); Ballochmyle (the bald or bare pass); Ballochgair (short pass); Ballochcraggan (of the little rock); Balloch-nam-bo (the pass of the cattle), etc.

BELED, or BELAD (Ar.),

a district; e.g. Beled-es-Shurifa (the district of the nobles); Belad-es-Sûdân (the district of the Blacks); Belad-es-Sukkar (sugar district); Belad-t-moghrib (the district of the West), the Arabian name for Morocco, also called Beled-el-Djered (the land of dates); Beled-el-Sham (the district of the north or on the left), the Arabic name for Syria, to distinguish it from Yemen (to the south or right). Syria was also called by the Turks Soristan, and by the Greeks Suria, i.e. the country of Tyre (Tzur, the rock). The word in its secondary sense means prosperous or happy—hence the Greeks called it Αραβια ἡ εὐδαίμων, to distinguish it from Arabia deserta (Ar.), El-Badiah (the desert), hence the Bedawees or Bedouins.

BENDER (Ar.),

a market or harbour. Bender is the name of several towns on the Persian Gulf, and also of a town on the Dniester; Bender-Erekli (the harbour of the ancient Heraclea), on the Black Sea.

BENI (Ar.),

sons of; e.g. Beni-Hassan (a town named from the descendants of Hassan); Beni-Araba (belonging to the sons of the desert); Beni-Calaf (to the sons of the Caliph); Beni-Sham (the sons of Shem), i.e. Syria; Beni-Misr (the land of Mizraim or Egypt).

BERG (Ger.), BIERG (Scand.), BRIG, BRAIGH (Celtic),

a hill, a summit; e.g. Ailberg (eagle hill); Bleyberg (lead hill); Schneeberg (snowy hill); Walkenberg (the hill of clouds); Donnersberg (of thunder); Habsberg, Falkenberg, Valkenberg (of hawks); Finsterberg (dark hill); Groenberg (green hill); Teufelsberg (the devil’s hill); Greiffenberg (the griffin’s hill); Geyersberg (of the vulture); Jarlsberg (of the earl); Dreisellberg (the hill of three seats); Kupperberg (copper hill); Heilberg (holy hill); Silberberg (silver hill, near a silver mine); Schoenberg (beautiful hill). The word berg, however, is often applied to the names of towns and fortresses instead of burg; and, when this is the case, it indicates that the town was built on or near a hill, or in connection with a fortress; e.g. Kaiserberg (the hill fort of the Emperor Frederick II.); Würtemberg, anc. Wirtenberg (named from the seignorial chateau, situated upon a hill). The name has been translated (the lord of the hill) from an Old Ger. word wirt (a lord). Heidelberg is a corrupt. of Heydenberg (the hell of the pagans), or from heydel myrtle, which grows in great abundance in the neighbourhood; Lemberg, Lowenburg, or Leopolis (the fortress of Leo Danielowes), in Galicia; Nurnberg, anc. Norimberga or Castrum Noricum (the fortress of the Noricii); Lahnberg (on the R. Lahn); Spermberg (on the Spree); Wittenberg (white fortress); Köningsberg (the king’s fortress), in E. Prussia and in Norway; Bamberg (named after Babe, daughter of the Emperor Otho II.), in Bavaria; Havelberg (on the R. Havel). There are several towns in Germany and Scandinavia called simply Berg or Bergen; e.g. Bergen-op-Zoom (the hill fort on the R. Zoom), in Holland; Bergamo (on a hill), in Italy. Berg (a hill) sometimes takes the form of berry, as in Queensberry, in Dumfries; also of borough, as in Flamborough Head and Ingleborough (the hill of the beacon light). Gebirge signifies a mountain range; e.g. Schneegebirge (the snow-clad range); Siebengebirge (the range of seven hills); Fichtelgebirge (of the pines); Erzegebirge (the ore mountain range); Glasischgebirge (of the glaciers); Eulergebirge (of the owls).

BETH (Heb.), BEIT (Ar.),

a house; e.g. Bethany (the house of dates); Bethphage (of figs); Bethsaida (of fish); Bethoron (of caves); Bethabara (of the ford); Bethlehem (the house of bread), but its present name, Beit-lahm, means the house of flesh; Bethesda (of mercy); Betharaba (desert dwelling); Bethjesimoth (of wastes); Bethshemish Grk. Heliopolis (the house or city of the sun); its Egyptian name was Aun-i-Aun (light of light), contracted to On; Beit-Allah (the house of God), at Mecca; Beit-el-Fakih (the house of the saint), on the Red Sea.

BETTWS (Cym.-Cel.),

a portion of land lying between a river and a hill, hence a dwelling so situated; e.g. Bettws-yn-y-coed (the dwelling in the wood); Bettws-disserth (the retreat dwelling); Bettws-Garmon (of St. Germanus, where he led the Britons to the famous Alleluia victory over the Saxons); Bettws-Newydd (new dwelling).

BETULA (Lat.), BOULEAU (Fr.),

the birch-tree; e.g. Le Boulay, La Boulay, Les Boulages, Les Boulus, Belloy (places planted with birch-trees).

BIBER, BEVER (Teut.), BOBR (Sclav.),

the beaver; e.g. the Biber, Beber, Biberich, Beber-bach (rivers in Germany); Bober, Boberau, Bobronia (beaver river), in Silesia and Russia; Bobersburg (on the R. Bober); Biberschlag (beaver’s wood clearing); Biberstein (beaver rock); Beverley, in Yorkshire, anc. Biberlac (beaver lake), formerly surrounded by marshy ground, the resort of beavers; Beverstone, in Gloucester; Beverloo (beaver marsh), in Belgium.

BILL,

an old German word, signifying plain or level; e.g. Bilderlah (the field of the plain); Billig-ham (level dwelling); Wald-billig (woody plain); Wasser-billig (the watery plain); Bilstein (level rock); Bielefeld (level field); Bieler-see (the lake on the plain).

BIOR (Gadhelic),

water, an element in many river names; e.g. the Bere, in Dorset; Ver, Hereford; Bervie, in Mearns. The town of Lifford, in Donegal, was originally Leith-bhearr (the gray water); Berra, a lake in France; the Ebura or Eure, in Normandy; and in Yorkshire, the Ebro, anc. Iberus; Ivry, in Normandy, anc. Ebarovicus (the town on the Ebura).

BIRCE, BIRKE (Teut.), BERK, (Lat.) BETULA, BEORC (A.S.),

the birch-tree; e.g. Birkenhead (the head of the birches); Birchholt (birch wood); Berkeley (birch field); Birchington, Birkhoff (the birch-tree dwelling and court); Birkhampstead (the home place among the birches); Oberbirchen (the upper birches); but Berkshire is not from this root; it was called by the Anglo-Saxons Berroc-shyre, supposed to be named from the abundance of berroc (boxwood), or the bare-oak-shire, from a certain polled oak in Windsor Forest, where the Britons were wont to hold their provincial meetings.

BLAEN (Cym.-Cel.),

the source of a stream; e.g. Blaene-Avon, Blaen-Ayron, Blaen-Hounddu (river sources in Wales); Blaen-porth (the head of the harbour); Blaen-nant (of the brook); Blaen-Bylan, abbreviated from Blaen-pwll-glan (the top of pool bank); Blaen-Sillt, at the top of a small stream, the Sillt, in Wales; Blaen-afon (of the river).

BLAIR, BLAR (Gadhelic),

a plain, originally a battle-field; e.g. Blair-Athole, Blair-Logie, Blair-Gowrie (the battle-field in these districts); Blairmore (the great); Blaircreen (the little plain); Blairdaff (the plain of the oxen, daimh); Blair-burn (of the stream); Blair-craig (of the rock); Blair-linne (of the pool); Blair-beth (of birches); Blair-ingone (the field of spears), in Perthshire; Blair-glass (gray plain); Blarney (little field), in Ireland; Blair-Drummond, Blair-Adam, modern places named after persons.

BLANC (Fr.), BLANCO (Span.), BIANCO (It.), BRANCO (Port.), BLANC (A.S.), BLANK (Ger.),

white; e.g. Mont-Blanc, Cape-blanco, Sierra-blanca (white mountain-ridge); Castella-bianca (white castle); Villa-bianca (white town); Blankenburg (white town); Blankenham (white dwelling); Blankenhavn, Blankenloch, Blankenrath, Blankenese (white haven, place, wood-clearing, cape), in Germany; Bianchi-mandri (white sheep-folds), in Sicily; Branco (the white stream), in Brazil; Los-Brancos (the white mountains); Cata-branca (the white cove); Casa-branca (the white house), in Brazil.

BLISKO (Sclav.),

near; e.g. Bliesdorf, Bliesendorf, Blieskendorf (near village); Bliskau (near meadow).

BLOTO, BLATT (Sclav.),

a marsh; e.g. Blotto, Blottnitz (marshy land); Wirchen-blatt (high marsh); Sa-blatt, Sablater, Zablatt (behind the marsh); Na-blatt (near the marsh). In some cases the b in this word is changed into p, as in Plotsk and Plattkow (the marshy place); Plattensee or Balaton (the lake in the marshy land).

BOCA (Span., Port., and It.),

a mouth—in topography, the narrow entrance of a river or bay; e.g. Boca-grande, Boca-chica (great and little channel), in South America; La Bochetta (the little opening), a mountain pass in the Apennines; Desemboque (the river mouth), in Brazil.

BOD (Cym.-Cel.),

a dwelling; e.g. Bodmin, in Cornwall, corrupt. from Bodminian (the dwelling of monks); Bodffaris (the site of Varis), the old Roman station on the road to Chester; Hafod, the name of several places in Wales, corrupt. from Hafbod (a summer residence); Bosher or Bosherston, corrupt. from Bod and hir, long (the long ridge abode), in Wales.

BODDEN (Teut.), BOD (Scand.),

a bay, the ocean swell; e.g. Bodden (an arm of the sea which divides the island of Rugen from Pomerania); Bodden-ness (the headland of the bay), on the east coast of Scotland.

BODEN (Ger.),

the ground, soil—in topography, a meadow; e.g. Gras-boden (grassy meadow); Dunkel-boden (dark meadow). It may sometimes, however, be used instead of bant or paint—v. p. 18; and in Bodenburg, in Brunswick, it is a corrupt. of Ponteburg (bridge town); and Bodenheim is from a personal name, like Bodensee—v. SEE.

BOGEN (Ger.),

a bend or bow—in topography, applied to the bend of a river; e.g. Bogen, anc. Bogana (the bending river); Bogen, a town of Bavaria, on a bend of the Danube; Ellbogen or Ellenbogen, Lat. Cubitus (the town on the elbow or river bend), in Bohemia; Bogenhausen (the houses on the river bend); Langen-bogen (the long bend); Entli-buch (the bend on the R. Entle), in Switzerland.

BOLD, BATTLE, or BOTTLE, BÜTTEL, BLOD (Teut.), BOL, or BO (Scand.),

a dwelling; e.g. Newbattle, Newbottle, Newbold (new dwelling), as distinguished from Elbottle (old dwelling); Morebattle (the dwelling on the marshy plain); Bolton, in Lancashire, A.S. Botl; Buittle, in Kirkcudbright; Newbald, Yorkshire; Harbottle (the dwelling of the army, here), a place in Northumberland where, in former times, soldiers were quartered; Erribold (the dwelling on the tongue of land, eir); Maybole, in Ayrshire, anc. Minnibole (the dwelling on the mossy place, Cym.-Cel., myswn); Exnabul, in Shetland (a place for keeping cattle); yxn, Scand. (a bull or cow); Walfenbuttel (the dwelling of Ulpha); Brunsbottle (of Bruno); Ritzbüttel (of Richard); Griesenbottel (sandy dwelling); Rescbüttel (the dwelling among rushes).

BONUS (Lat.), BUEN (Span.), BOA, BOM (Port.),

good; e.g. Bonavista, Boavista (good view); Buenos-Ayres (good breezes), in South America; Buenaventura (good luck), in California.

BOOM (Sansc.),

Bhuma (land, country); e.g. Birboom (the land of heroes); Arya-Bhuma (the noble land), the Sanscrit name for Hindostan.

BOR (Sclav.),

wood; e.g. Bohra, Bohrau, Borowa, Borow (woody place); Borovsk (the town in the wood); Sabor and Zaborowa (behind the wood); Borzna (the woody district); the Borysthenes, now the R. Dnieper (the woody wall), from stena (a wall or rampart), the banks of the river having been covered with wood; Ratibor (the wood of the Sclavonic god Razi).

BRACHE (Teut.), BRAK (Scand.),

land broken up for tillage, Old Ger. pracha (to plough); e.g. Brabant, anc. Bracbant (the ploughed district); Brachstadt, Brachfeld, Brachrade (the ploughed place, field, clearing); Brakel (the ploughed land), in Holland; Hohenbrack (high ploughed land).

BRAND (Ger.),

a place cleared of wood by burning; e.g. Eber-brand and Ober-brand (the upper clearing); Newen-brand and Alten-brand (the old and new clearing); Brandenburg (the burned city), so called, according to Buttman, by the Germans; by the Wends corrupted into Brennabor, and in their own language named Schorelitz (the destroyed city), because, in their mutual wars, it had been destroyed by fire. Bran and Brant, in English names, are probably memorials of the original proprietors of the places, as in Brandon, Cumbran, Brandeston; Brantingham (the home of the children of Brand)—v. ING, INGEN.

BRASA (Sclav.), BERESA,

the birch-tree; e.g. Briesnitz, Beresoff, Beresek, Beresenskoi, Beresovoi (places where birches abound); Gross-Briesen (great birch-tree town); Bresinchen (little Briesen), a colony from it; Birsa and Beresina (the birch-tree river); Birsk, a town on the R. Birsa; Brzesce-Litewski (the house of mercy at the birches); the letter b in this word is often changed into p by the Germans, as in Presinitz for Brezenice (birch-tree village), in Bohemia; also Priebus, with the same meaning, in Silesia; Priegnitz, i.e. the town of the Brizanen (dwellers among birches); Briezen (the place of birches), in Moravia, is Germanised into Friedeck (woody corner); Bryezany (abounding in birches), in Galicia.

BRAY (Cel.),

damp ground, a marshy place; e.g. Bray, in Normandy; Bray sur Somme and Bray sur Seine, situated on these rivers; Bray-Maresch, near Cambray; Bré Côtes-de-Nord; Bray-la-Campagne (calvados, etc.)

BREIT (Ger.), BRAD (A.S.), BRED (Scand.),

broad; brede, Dutch (a plain); e.g. Breitenbach and Bredenbeke (broad brook); Breda (the flat meadowland), in Holland; Breitenbrunn (broad well); Breitenstein, Breitenburg (broad fortress); Bradford, in Yorkshire, and Bredevoort, in Holland (broad ford); Bredy (the broad water), in Dorset; Brading, in Isle of Wight, and Bradley (broad meadow); Bradshaw (broad thicket); Broadstairs, corrupt. from its ancient name Bradstow (broad place).

BRIA (Thracian),

a town; e.g. Selymbria, Mesymbria.

BRIGA (Cel.), BRIVA,

a general name among the Celts for a town—so called, apparently, from the Celtic words braigh, brugh, brig (a heap, pile, or elevation), because the nucleus of towns, among uncivilised tribes in early times, were merely fortified places erected on heights; cognate with the Teut. and Scand. burg, byrig, the Sclav. brieg (an embankment or ridge), and the Scottish brae (a rising ground). Hence the name of the Brigantes (dwellers on hills); the word Brigand (literally, a mountaineer); Briançon, anc. Brigantium (the town on the height); Brieg, a town in Silesia; Braga and Bragança, fortified cities in Portugal; Talavera, in Spain, anc. Tala-briga, the town on the tala, Span. (a wood clearing); Bregenz, anc. Brigantium, in the Tyrol; Breisach Alt and Neuf (the old and new town on the declivity), in the duchy of Baden—the old fortress was situated on an isolated basalt hill; Brixen (the town among the hills), in the Tyrol. In Scotland there are Braemar (the hilly district of Mar); Braidalbane (the hill country of Albainn, i.e. Scotland); Braeriach (the gray mountain, riabhach); the Brerachin, a river and district in Perthshire; Brugh and Bruighean, in Ireland, signifying originally a hill, was subsequently applied to a palace or a distinguished residence. The term, as applied to the old residences, presupposed the existence of a fortified brugh or rath, several of which still remain. The word has suffered many corruptions: thus Bruree, in Limerick, is from Brugh-righ (the king’s fort); and Bruighean (little fort) has been transformed into Bruff, Bruis, Bruce, or Bryan. The word briva, on the other hand, was generally applied to towns situated on rivers—as in Amiens, anc. Samarabrina, on the R. Somme—and was gradually used as synonymous with pons (bridge), as in Pontoise, anc. Briva-Isara (the bridge on the Ouse); Briare, anc. Brivodurum (the bridge over the water); Brionde, anc. Brives.

BRINK (Ger.),

a grassy ridge; e.g. Osterbrink (east ridge); Mittelbrink (middle ridge); Zandbrink (sand ridge); Brinkhorst (the ridge of the thicket).

BRO (Cym.-Cel.),

a district; e.g. Broburg (the fort of the district), in Warwickshire; Pembroke (the head, pen, of the district, it being the land’s end of Wales).

BROC (A.S.),

a rushing stream; e.g. Cranbrook (the stream of the cranes); Wallbrook (probably the stream at the wall); Wambrook (Woden’s stream).

BROC (A.S.), BROX,

the badger; e.g. Brox-bourne and Broxburn, Brogden, Brokenhurst, Brockley, Broxholme (the stream, hollow, thicket, meadow, and hill of the badger).

BROD (Sclav.),

a ford; e.g. Brod and Brody (at the ford), the name of several towns in Moravia, Bohemia, Hungary, and Turkey; Brod-sack (ford dwelling); Brod-Ungarisch (the Hungarian ford), on the Olsawa; Brod-Deutsch (the German ford), on the Sasawa; Brod-Bohmisch (the Bohemian ford), on the Zembera; Krasnabrod (beautiful ford); Eisenbrod (the ford of the Iser); Brodkowitz (ford station).

BROEK, BRUOCH (Teut.),

a marsh; e.g. Broek, a town in Holland; Bogen-brok (the bending marsh); Breiden-bruch (the broad marsh); Aalten-broek (the old marsh); Eichen-bruch (the oak marsh); Broekem and Broickhausen (marsh dwelling); Bruchmühle (the mill on the marsh); Brussels or Bruxelles, anc. Bruoch-sella (the seat or site on the marsh); Oberbruch and Niederbruch (upper and lower marsh).

BROG (Sclav.), BROW,

a dam; e.g. Biesenbrow and Priebrow, from Pschibrog (elder-tree dam), by the Germans called Furstenberg, on the Oder; Colberg, Sclav. Kola-brog (around the dam).

BRON (Welsh),

the slope or side of a hill; e.g. Brongest (the slope of the cest or deep glen); Bronwydd (the slope covered with trees); Wydd, in Wales.

BRÜCKE (Ger.), BRIGGE (A.S.), BRO, BRU (Scand.),

a bridge; e.g. Brugg-Furstenfeld (the bridge at the prince’s field); Brugg-an-der-Leitha (the bridge across the Leitha); Brugg-kloster (the bridge at the monastery); Langenbrück, Langenbrücken (long bridge); Bruges, in Belgium (a city with many bridges); Saarbrook (on the R. Saar); Osnaburg, in Hanover, anc. Osnabrücke or Asenbrücke (the bridge on the R. Ase); Voklabrück (on the R. Vökle); Bruchsal, in Baden (the bridge on the Salzbach); Zweibrücken or Deux-ponts (the two bridges); Zerbruggen (at the bridge). In England: Bridgenorth, anc. Brugge-Morfe (the bridge at the wood called Morfe, on the opposite bank of the Severn); Brixham, Brixworth, and Brigham (bridge town); Brixton, A.S. Brixges-stan (the bridge stone); Cambridge, Cel. Caer-Grant (the fort and bridge on the R. Granta, now the Cam); Tunbridge (over the R. Tun or Ton), a branch of the Medway; Colebrook, in Bucks (the bridge over the R. Cole); Oxbridge (the bridge over the water, uisge); Staley-bridge (at a bridge over the R. Tame), named after the Staveleigh, a family who resided there; Bridgewater, corrupt. from Burgh-Walter (the town of Walter Douay, its founder); Bridgend and Brigham, villages in different parts of Scotland; Brora (bridge river), in Sutherlandshire, named when bridges were rarities; Trowbridge, however, did not get its name from this root, but is a corrupt. of its ancient name, Trutha-burh (the loyal town).

BRÜEL (Teut.), BRÜHL,

a marshy place, overgrown with brushwood, cognate with the French breuil and bruyère (a thicket), the Welsh pryskle, and the Breton brügek; e.g. Bruel, Bruhl, and Priel, in Germany; Bruyères, Broglie, and Brouilly (the thicket), in France; also Breuil, Bruel, Breuillet, Le Brulet, etc., with the same meaning, or sometimes a park. St. Denis du Behellan, in Eure, was formerly Bruellant, i.e. the breuil or park of Herland.

BRUNN, BRUNNEN (Ger.), BRONGA (Scand.),

a well, especially a mineral well; e.g. Heilbroun (holy well); Frau-brunnen, Lat. Fons-beatæ-Virginis (the well of Our Lady); Brunn-am-Gebirge (the well at the hill-ridge); Haupt-brun (well-head); Lauter-brunnen (clear well); Salz-brunn, Warm-brunn, Schoen-brunn, Kaltenbrunn (the salt, hot, beautiful, cold, mineral wells); Baldersbrunnen, Baldersbrond (the well of the Teutonic god Balder); Cobern, corrupt. from Cobrunnen (the cow’s well); Paderborn (the well or source of the R. Pader), in Germany. In the north of France, and in the departments bordering on Germany, we find traces of this German word; e.g. Mittel-broun (middle well); Walsch-broun (foreign well); Belle-brune (beautiful well); Stein-brunn (stony well), etc.

BRYN (Cym.-Cel.),

a hill-ridge; bron (a round hill); e.g. Brincroes, Brin-eglwys, Bron-llys (the cross, church, palace, on the hill); Bryn-gwynn (fair hill); Brynn-uchil (high hill); Bron-Fraidd (St. Bridget’s hill); Brown-Willy, in Cornwall, corrupt. from Bryn-huel (the tin mine ridge); Brindon-hill, in Somerset (merely the hill), with synonymous word dun added to Bryn; and Brandon, in Suffolk, with the same meaning; Bryn-mawr (the great hill), in Wales; Bron-gwyn (white hill); Bryn-y-cloddian (the hill of fences, clawd), so called from its strong fortifications; Bryn-Barlwm (the bare-topped mountain); Bryn-Gwyddon (the hill of Gwyddon, a mythological philosopher); Bryn-kinallt (a mountain without trees); Bryn-berian (the kite’s hill, beri, a kite); Bryn-bo, with the same meaning, boda in Wales; Bryn-chwarew (the hill of sports); here the ancient inhabitants of Wales used to meet to play different games in competition; Brienne-la-château (the castle on the hill), in France; Brientz, in Switzerland, on the Brienz See (a lake surrounded by hills); Brendenkopf (hill-head), and the Brennen Alps, the culminating points in the mountains of Tyrol.

BUCHE (Ger.), BOC (A.S.), BOG (Scand.), BUK (Sclav.),

the beech-tree; e.g. Buch-au, Buch-berg, Buch-egg (the meadow, hill, corner of the beeches); Buchholtz and Bochholt (beech-wood); Bockum, Bucheim (beech-dwelling); Butchowitz (the place of beeches), in Moravia; Bochnia and Buchowina (with the same meaning), in Poland; Bickleigh (beech-meadow). But Bocking in Essex, and the county of Buckingham, as well as Bouquinheim in Artois, and Bochingen in Wurtemberg, were named from the Bocingas (a tribe), probably the dwellers among beeches.

BUDA, BUS (Sclav.), BWTH, BOTH (Gadhelic), BOD (Cym.-Cel.), BUDE (Ger.), BOTHY (Scotch), BOT (Brez.),

a hut or dwelling; e.g. Budin, Budzin, Bautzen, or Budissen (the huts); Budweis (the district of hut villages), in Bohemia; Budzow, Botzen (the place of huts); Briebus (birch-tree dwelling); Trebus and Triebus (the three dwellings); Putbus (under the hut); Dobberbus (good dwelling, dobry, good); but Buda, in Hungary, took its name from Buda, the brother of Attila, as well as Bud-var and Bud-falva (Buda’s fort and village). The island of Bute, in the Firth of Clyde, is said to have derived its name from the bwth or cell of St. Brandon, but its earlier name was Rothsay, from a descendant of Simon Brek (i.e. Rother’s Isle), while its Gaelic name is Baile-Mhoide (the dwelling of the court of justice); Bothwell, anc. Both-uill (the dwelling on the angle of the R. Clyde). In Ireland we meet with Shanboe, Shanbogh (the old hut, sean); Raphae, in Donegal, is Rath-both (the fort of the huts); Bodoney, in Tyrone, is Both-domhnaigh (the tent of the church); Knockboha (the hill of the hut); Bodmin, in Cornwall, anc. Bodmanna, p. 27 (the abode of monks, the site of an ancient priory); Merfod, corrupt. from Meudwy-bod (the dwelling of a hermit); Bodysgallen (the abode of the thistle, ysgallen); and Bod-Ederyryn (Edryn’s dwelling). In Lancashire the word takes the form of booth, as in Barrowford booth and Oakenhead booth, etc.

BÜHIL, BÜCKEL (Ger.),

a hill; e.g. Dombühil (the dwelling on the hill); Grünbühill (green hill); Eichenbühil (oak hill); Birchenbühil (birch hill); Holzbühil (wood hill); Dinkelsbühil (wheat hill); Kleinbühil (little hill).

BÜHNE, BÖHEN (Ger.),

a scaffold, sometimes in topography a hill; e.g. Hartböhen (wood hill); Bündorf (hill village); Osterbeuna (east hill).

BUN (Gadhelic),

the foot, in topography applied to the mouth of a river; e.g. Bunduff (at the mouth of the dark river, dubh); Bunderan and Bunratty, the mouth of the R. Dowran and Ratty; Bunowen (at the mouth of the water). The town of Banff is a corrupt. of Bunaimh (the mouth of the river); Bunawe (at the opening of Loch Awe); Buness (of the cascade, cas).

BURG, BURGH (Teut.), BOROUGH, BURY, BORG (Scand.), BOURG (Fr.), BORGO (It. and Span.),

a town or city, literally an enclosed and fortified dwelling, from bergen, Teut. to cover or protect. As these fortified places were often erected on heights for security, as well as to enable their inmates to observe the approaches of an enemy, the word berg (a hill) was frequently used synonymously with burg, as in the name of Königsberg and other towns—v. BERG. Burgh and borough are the Anglican forms of the word in England and Scotland, while bury is distinctively the Saxon form; e.g. Sudbury (south town), as also Sidbury in Salop, but Sidbury in Devon takes its name from the R. Sid. Tewkesbury, from Theoc (a certain hermit); Glastonbury, anc. Glastonia (a district abounding in woad, glastum); Shaftsbury (the town on the shaft-like hill); Shrewsbury, anc. Shrobbesbyrig (the fortress among shrubs), being the Saxon rendering of the native name Pengwerne (the hill of the alder grove), which the Normans corrupted into Sloppesbury, hence Salop; Tenbury, on the R. Teme; Canterbury, i.e. Cant-wara-byrig (the town of the dwellers on the headland), Cantium or Kent; Wansborough, in Herts; Wanborough, in Surrey and Wilts; Woodensborough, in Kent; Wednesbury, Stafford; Wembury, Devon (the town of the Saxon god Woden); Aldeborough, on the R. Alde; Marlborough, anc. Merlberga, situated at the foot of a hill of white stones, which our forefathers called marl, now chalk; Richborough, anc. Ru-tupium (rock town); Aylesbury, perhaps church town, ecclesia, or from a person’s name; Badbury (the city of pledges, bad), in Dorset; the Saxon kings, it is said, kept their hostages at this place; Malmesbury, the town of Maidulf, a hermit; Maryborough, named for Queen Mary. Burg or burgh, in the names of towns, is often affixed to the name of the river on which it stands in Britain, as well as on the Continent; e.g. Lauterburg, Lutterburg, Schwartzburg, Salzburg, Saalburg, Gottenburg, Rotenburg, and Jedburgh (on the rivers Lauter, Lutter, Schwarza, Salza, Saale, Gotha, Rothbach, and Jed). Still more frequently, the prefix is the name of the founder of the town, or of a saint to whom its church was dedicated; e.g. Edinburgh (Edwin’s town); Lauenburg, after Henry the Lion; Fraserburgh, in Aberdeenshire, founded by Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth in 1570; Peterborough, from an abbey dedicated to St. Peter; Petersburgh, named by its founder, Peter the Great; Tasborough, Norfolk, on the R. Thais; Banbury, anc. Berinburig (Bera’s town); Queenborough, in the Isle of Sheppey, named by Edward III. in honour of his queen; Helensburgh, in Dumbartonshire, after the lady of Sir James Colquhoun; Pittsburg, U.S., after Mr. Pitt; Harrisburg, U.S., after the first settler in 1733; Sumburgh, in Shetland, and Svendborg, Sweden (Sweyn’s fortress); Oranienburg, in Brandenburg (the fortress of the Orange family); Bury St. Edmund’s (in memory of Edmund the Martyr); Rabensburg (the fort of Hrafn, a Dane); Marienburg (the town of the Virgin), founded by the Grand Master of the Teutonic order in 1274; Rothenburg, in Prussia, Sclav. Rostarzewo (the town of the Sclav. god Razi); Duisburg, corrupt. from Tuiscoburgum (the town of the Teut. god Tuesco); Flensburg, in Sleswick, founded by the knight of Flenes; Cherbourg, supposed to be Cæsar’s town; Augsburg (the town of the Emperor Augustus); Salisbury, anc. Searesbyrgg (the town of Sarum, a chief); Bamborough (the town of Bebba, the Queen of Ida, of Northumberland); Carrisbrook, corrupt. from Gwïhtgarabyrig (the fortress of the men of Wight); Amherstburg, in Canada, named in 1780 after Lord Amherst; Loughborough, anc. Leirburg (the town on the R. Leir, now the Soar); Hapsburg or Habichtsburg (hawk’s fortress); Schässburg, Hung. Segevar (treasure fort); Luneburg, in Hanover (the fort of the Linones, a tribe); Aalburg (Eel-town) on the Lyme-fiord. There are several towns in Germany named simply Burg (the fortress), also Burgos in Spain, and Burgo in Italy. As a derivative from this Teut. root, there is the Irish form of the word, introduced by the Anglo-Normans—buirghes, Anglicised borris and burris, as in Borris in Ossory, Burriscarra, Burrishoole (i.e. the forts erected in the territories of Ossory, Carra, and Umhal); Borrisokane (O’Keane’s fortress).

BURNE (A.S.), BURNE (Gadhelic),

a small stream; e.g. Milburn (mill stream); Lambourne (muddy stream, lam); Radbourne and Redbourne (reedy stream); Sherbourne (clear stream, or the dividing stream); Cranbourne, Otterbourne (the stream frequented by cranes and otters); Libourne, in France (the lip or edge of the stream); Bourne, in Lancashire (on a stream); Burnham (the dwelling on a stream), in Essex; Melburne, in Yorkshire, in Doomsday Middelburn (middle stream); Auburn, formerly a village in Yorkshire, called Eleburn or Eelburn; Bannockburn (the stream of the white knoll); Sittingbourne, in Kent (the settlement on the stream); Eastbourne, contracted from its former name Easbourne (probably the stream of the water or the cascade, cas); Ticheburne (the kid’s stream, ticcen, A.S. a kid).

BUSCH, BOSCH (Ger.), BOSC (A.S.), Low Lat. Boscus, BUISSON (Fr.), BOIS, BOSCO, BOSQUE (Span. and Port.), BOD or BAD (Celtic),

a bushy place or grove; e.g. Boscabel (the beautiful grove); Bushey (a par. Co. Hertford); Buscot (the hut in the grove); Badenoch (a place overgrown with bushes), in Inverness; Breitenbusch (the broad grove); Hesel-boschen (hazel grove); Eichbusch (oak grove); Ooden-bosch (old grove), in Holland; Auberbosc (Albert’s grove), in France; Stellenbosch, in S. Africa, founded in 1670 by Van der Stelle, the governor of the Dutch colony; Biesbosch (the reedy thicket), in Holland; Aubusson (at the grove), France. Boissac, Boissay, Boissière, Boissey, etc., in France, from the same root; Bois-le-Duc (the duke’s wood); Briquebosq (birch-wood), in Normandy.

BWLCH (Welsh),

a pass or defile; e.g. Dwygyflch (i.e. the joint passes), in Wales; Bwlch-newydd (the new pass); Bwlch-y-groes (of the cross).

BYSTRI (Sclav.),

swift; e.g. Bistritza, Bistrica, Weistritz (the swift stream); Bistritz (the town on this river), called by the Germans Neusohl (new station).

BY, BIE, BIGGEN-BO, BŒUF (Fr.),

(Scand.), a dwelling, a town—from biga (Norse), to build. This word occurs frequently in town names in the N.E. of England and in some parts of Scotland formerly possessed by the Danes or Normans; e.g. Derby, i.e. Dearaby (deer town), formerly called North Worthige (the northern enclosure); its Celtic name was Durgwent (the white water), from its river; Whitby (white town), A.S. Streones-heal (treasure-hall, streone); Selby (holy town); Danby (Dane’s dwelling); Rugby, anc. Rochberie (the dwelling on the rock, in reference to its castle); Appleby (the town of apple-trees); Sonderby (southern town); Ormsby, Lockerby, Thursby, Grimsby, Lewersby (the dwellings of Ormv, Loki, Ulf, Grimm, Leward); Risby (beech-tree dwelling); Canisby, in Caithness, and Canoby or Cannonbie, Dumfries (the dwelling of the canon), or perhaps Canisby is Canute’s dwelling; Haconby (of Haco); Harrowby, in Doomsday, is Herigerby (the town of the legion), A.S. herige; Kirby, Moorby, Ashby (church town, moor town, ash-tree town); Ashby-de-la-Zouch was simply Ascebi or Esseby, perhaps the town of the Asci, a tribe. It received the addition to its name from the family of the Zouches, its proprietors. In France: Daubœuf, for Dalby (vale dwelling); Elbœuf (old dwelling); Quittebœuf (white dwelling); Quillebœuf (welltown); Lindebœuf (lime-tree town); Karlby-gamba and Karlby-ny (old and new Charles’ town), in Finland; Criquebœuf (crooked town).

C

CAE, KAE (Cym.-Cel.),

an enclosure; e.g. Ca-wood (wood-enclosure); Cayton (wood town or hill). This root is frequently used in Welsh names.

CAELC, or CEALC (A.S.),

chalk or lime—cognate with the Lat. calx, Cel. cailc, sialc; e.g. Challock, Chaldon, Chalfield (chalk place, hill, and field); Chalgrove (the chalk entrenchment, grab); the Chiltern Hills (the hills in the chalky district, ern); Chockier, corrupt. from Calchariæ (the lime kilns), in Belgium; Kelso, anc. Calchou (the chalk heugh or height), so called from a calcareous cliff at the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot, now broken down.

CAER, CADAER (Welsh), CATHAIR, CAHER (Gadhelic), KAER, KER (Breton),

an enclosed fortification, a castle, a town, and in Ireland a circular stone fort; e.g. Caer-leon, anc. Isca-legionem (the fort of the legion), on the R. Usk;[3] Caerwent, in Monmouth, anc. Venta-silurum (the fortress in the province of Gwent); Caerwys (of the assizes, gwys, a summons); Caermarthen, anc. Maridunum (the fort on the sea-shore); Caernarvon, Welsh Caer-yn-ar-Fon (the fortress opposite to Mona); Cardigan (the fortress of Caredig, a chieftain)—Cardigan is called by the Welsh Aberteifi (the mouth of the R. Teify); Cardiff, on the R. Taff; Carriden, anc. Caer-aiden or eden (the fort on the wing), in Linlithgow; Caerphilly (the fort of the trench, vallum), corrupt. into philly; Cader-Idris (the seat of Idris, an astronomer); Caer-gyffin (the border fortress); Grongar, corrupt. from Caer-gron (the circular fortress); Caer-hen or hun, corrupt. from Caer-Rhun, named from a Welsh prince; Carlisle, anc. Caergwawl (the fort at the trench); its Latin name was Luguvallum (the trench of the legion). It was destroyed by the Danes in 675, and rebuilt by William II. In Mid-Lothian, Cramond, i.e. Caer-Almond, on the R. Almond; Cathcart, on the R. Cart, Renfrew; Crail, anc. Carraile (the fort on the corner, aile), in the S.E. angle of Fife; Caerlaverock (the fort of Lewarch Ogg), founded in the sixth century; Sanquhar, i.e. Sean-cathair (old fort); Carmunnock or Carmannoc (the fort of the monks); Kirkintilloch, corrupt. from Caer-pen-tulach (the fort at the head of the hill); Cardross (the promontory fort); Kier, in Scotland, for Caer or Cathair; Carew (the fortresses), a castle in Wales; Carhaix, in Brittany, i.e. Ker-Aes (the fortress on the R. Aes—now the Hières). In Ireland: Caher (the fortress); Cahereen (little fortress); Cahergal (white fort); Cahersiveen, i.e. Cathair-saidbhin (Sabina’s fort); Carlingford, Irish Caer-linn, fiord being added by the Danes; its full name is, therefore, the ford of Caer-linn. It was also called Suamh-ech (the swimming ford of the horses); Derry-na-Caheragh (the oak grove of the fort); Caer-gwrle (the fortress of the great legion), i.e. Caer-gawr-lleon, with reference to the twentieth Roman legion stationed at Chester, or Caer-gwr-le (the boundary-place in Flintshire).

CALA (Span.),

a creek or bay—probably derived from Scala (It.), a seaport, Cel. cala (a harbour), and cognate with the Teut. kille; e.g. Callao, in S. America; Cale, the ancient name of Oporto, and probably Calais; Scala (a seaport), in Italy; Scala-nova (new port), in Turkey; Kiel, in Sleswick, so called from its fine bay.

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

bald or bare—synonymous with the Lat. calvus and the Fr. chauve; e.g. Caumont and Chaumont (bald hill), in France; Kahlenberg, anc. Mons Calvus (bald hill), belonging to a branch of the Alps called Kahlen Gebirge.

CAM (Gadhelic), CAM (Cym.-Cel.), CAMBUS,

a creek, crooked; e.g. Rivers Cam, Camon, Camil, Cambad, Camlin, Cambeck (crooked stream); Kembach, a parish in Fife, so called from the R. Kem or Kame; Cambusmore (the great creek in Sutherland); Cambuscarrig, in Ross, near which a Danish prince (Careg) was buried; Cambuskenneth (the creek of Kenneth, one of the kings of Scotland); Camelon (on the bend of the water), near Falkirk; Cambuslang (the church or enclosure, lann, on the bending water), in Lanark; Cambus, in Clackmannan; Cambusnethan (on the bend of the R. Nethan); Campsie, anc. Kamsi (the curved water); but Camus, a town in Forfarshire, is not from this root, but in memory of a Danish general who was slain in battle near the place; Camlyn (the crooked pool), in Anglesea; Cambray or Cambrai, in France, anc. Camaracum (on a bend of the Scheldt); Chambery, in Savoy, anc. Camberiacum, with the same meaning; Morecambe Bay (the bend of the sea).

CAMPUS (Lat.), CAMPO (It., Span., and Port.), CHAMP (Fr.), KAMPF (Ger.),

a field or plain; e.g. Campania, Campagna, Champagne (the plain or level land); Féchamp, Lat. Campus-fiscii (the field of tribute); Chamouni, Lat. Campus-munitus (the fortified field); Kempen (at the field); Kempten, Lat. Campodunum (the field of the fortress); Campvere (the ferry leading to Campen), in Holland; Campo-bello, Campo-chiaro, Campo-hermoso (beautiful or fair field); Campo-felici (happy or fortunate field); Campo-frio (cold field); Campo-freddo (cold field); Campo-largo (broad field); Campillo (little field); the Campos (vast plains), in Brazil; Capua, supposed to be synonymous with Campus.

CANNA (Lat. and Grk.),

a reed; e.g. Cannæ, in Italy; Cannes, in the south of France; Canneto and Canosa (the reedy place), in Italy.

CAOL (Gadhelic), CAEL,

a sound or strait; e.g. Caol-Isla, Caol-Muileach (the Straits of Isla and Mull); the Kyles or Straits of Bute; Eddarachylis (between the straits), in Sutherlandshire. As an adjective, this word means narrow; e.g. Glenkeel (narrow glen); Darykeel (narrow oak grove).

CAPEL (Cel.), KAPELLE (Ger.),

a chapel, derived from the Low Lat. capella; e.g. How-capel (the chapel in the hollow), in Hereford; Capel-Ddewi (St. David’s chapel); Capel St. Mary and Maria-Kappel (St. Mary’s chapel); Capel-Garmon (St. Germano’s chapel); Chapelle-au-bois (the chapel in the wood); Capelle-op-den-Yssel (the chapel on the R. Yessel), in Holland; Kreuzcappel (the chapel with the cross).

CAPER (Lat.), CHÈVRE (Fr.), CAPRA, CABRA (Span., Port., and It.), GABHAR, and GOBHAR (Gadhelic), GAFR, or GAVAR (Cym.-Cel.),

a goat; e.g. Capri, Caprera, Cabrera (goat island); Chèvreuse, anc. Capriosa (the place of goats); Chevry, Chevrière, Chevreville, with the same meaning, in France; Gateshead, in Co. Durham, Lat. Capræ-caput, perhaps the Latin rendering of the Saxon word (the head of the gat or passage)—the Pons Ælius of the Romans; or, according to another meaning, from the custom of erecting the head of some animal on a post as a tribal emblem. In Ireland, Glengower (the glen of the goats), and Glengower, in Scotland; Ballynagore (goat’s town), in Ireland; Gowrie and Gower, in several counties of Scotland; Ardgower (goat’s height); Carnan-gour (the goat’s crag).

CAR (Cel.),

crooked or bending; e.g. the Rivers Carron, in several parts of Scotland; Charente and Charenton, in France; also the Cher, anc. Carus (the winding river).

CARN, CAIRN (Gadhelic), CARN (Welsh), CARNEDD, a heap of stones, such as was erected by the ancient Britons over the graves of their great men; e.g. Carn-Ingli (the cairn of the English); Carn-Twrne (the cairn of the turnings). It was named from a stupendous monument which stood on three pillars, within a circuit of upright stones.

a heap of stones thrown together in a conical form, also a rocky mount; e.g. Carnac (abounding in cairns), in Brittany; Carnmore (great cairn); Carnock (the hill of the cairn); Carntoul, Gael. Carn-t-sabhal (the cairn of the barn); Carntaggart (of the priest); Carnrigh (of the king); Cairndow, Cairnglass, Cairngorm (the black, the gray, the blue mountains); Cairnan and Cairnie (little cairn); Carnwath (the cairn at the ford); Carnoustie (the cairn of heroes); Carnbee (the birch cairn), in Scotland. In Ireland: Carntochar (the hill of the causeway); Carn-Tierno (Tigernach’s cairn); Carnbane (white cairn); Carnsore Point, in Irish being simply the carn or monumental heap, ore (a promontory) having been added by the Danes; Carnteel, Irish Carn-t-Siadhal (Shiel’s monument). In Wales: Carn-Dafydd (David’s cairn); Carn-Llewelyn (Llewelyn’s cairn); Carnfach (little cairn), in Monmouth; Fettercairn, perhaps the deer’s cairn, Gael. feidh (deers); Chirnside (the side or site of the cairn), on one of the Lammermuir Hills; Carnoch (abounding in cairns), a parish in Fife; Boharm, in Banffshire, anc. Bocharin (the bow about the cairn). The countries of Carniola and Carinthia probably derived their names from this Celtic root.

CARRAIG, CARRICK (Gadhelic), CRAG, or CARREG (Welsh), CARRAG (Cornish),

a rock. The words are usually applied to large natural rocks, more or less elevated. Carrick and Carrig are the names of numerous districts in Ireland, as well as Carrick in Ayrshire; Carrigafoyle (the rock of the hole, phoill), in the Shannon; Carrickaness (of the waterfall); Ballynacarrick (the town of the rocks); Carrigallen, Irish Carraig-aluinn (the beautiful rock); Carrickanoran (the rock of the spring, uaran); Carrickfergus (Fergus’s rock), where one Fergus was drowned; Carrick-on-Suir (on the R. Suir); Carriga-howly, Irish Carraig-an-chobhlaigh (the rock of the fleet); Carrickduff (black rock); Carrigeen and Cargan (little rock); Carragh (rocky ground); but Carrick-on-Shannon is not derived from this root—its ancient name was Caradh-droma-ruise (the weir of the marsh ridge); Cerrig-y-Druidion (the rock of the Druids), in Wales.

CARSE,

a term applied in Scotland to low grounds on the banks of rivers; e.g. the Carse of Gowrie, Falkirk, Stirling, etc.

CASA (It. and bas Lat.),

a house; e.g. Casa-Nova and Casa-Vecchia (new and old house), in Corsica; Casal, Les Casals, Chaise, Les Chaises (the house and the houses), in France; Chassepiare (corrupt. from Casa-petrea (stone house), in Belgium.

CASTEL, CHATEAU, CASTELLO, CASTILLO, CASTELL (Cym.-Cel.),

words in the Romance languages derived from the Lat. castellum (a castle). Caiseal, in the Irish language, either cognate with the Lat. word or derived from it, has the same meaning, and is commonly met with in that country under the form of Cashel; e.g. Cashel, in Tipperary; Cashelfean and Cashelnavean (the fort of the Fenians); Caislean-n’h-Oghmaighe, now Omagh (the castle of the beautiful field). It is often changed into the English castle, as in Ballycastle, in Mayo (the town of the fort); but Ballycastle, in Antrim, was named from a modern castle, not from a caiseal or fort; Castle-Dargan (of Lough Dargan); Castlebar, Irish Caislean-an-Bharraigh (the fort of the Barrys); Castle-Dillon, Castle-Dermot, and Castle-Kieran were renamed from castles erected near the hermitages of the monks whose names they bear. Castel, Lat. Castellum (the capital of the Electorate of Hesse-Cassel); Castel Rodrigo (Roderick’s castle), in Portugal; Castel-Lamare (by the sea-shore); Castel-bianco (white castle); Castel del piano (of the plain); Castiglione (little castle), in Italy. In France: Castelnau (new castle); Castelnaudary, anc. Castrum-novum-Arianiorum (the new castle of the Arians, i.e. the Goths); Chateaubriant, i.e. Chateau-du-Bryn (the king’s castle); Chateau-Chinon (the castle decorated with dogs’ heads); Chateau-Gontier (Gontier’s castle); Chateaulin (the castle on the pool); Chateau-vilain (ugly castle); Chateau-roux, anc. Castrum-Rodolphi (Rodolph’s castle); Chatelandrew (the castle of Andrew of Brittany); Chateaumeillant, anc. Castrum-Mediolanum (the castle in the middle of the plain or land, lann); Neufchatel (new castle); Newcastle-upon-Tyne, named from a castle built by Robert, Duke of Normandy, on the site of Monkchester; Newcastle-under-Line, i.e. under the lyme or boundary of the palatinate of Chester, having its origin in a fortress erected by Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, instead of the old fort of Chesterton; Castleton, in Man, is the translation of Ballycashel (castle dwelling), founded by one of the kings of the island; Bewcastle (the castle of Buith, lord of Gilsland); Old and New Castile, in Spain, so named from the numerous fortresses erected by Alphonso I. as defences against the Moors. Cassel, in Prussia, and various places with this prefix in England and Scotland, owe the names to ancient castles around which the towns or villages arose, as Castletown of Braemar, Castle-Douglas, Castle-Rising, etc.; Castlecary, in Stirlingshire, supposed to be the Coria Damnorum of Ptolemy, and the Caer-cere of Nennius; Barnard Castle, built by Barnard, the grandfather of Baliol; Castell-Llechryd (the castle at the stone ford), on the banks of the R. Wye, in Wales; Cestyll-Cynfar (castles in the air).

CASTER, CHESTER, CEASTER (A.S.),

a fortress, city, town, from the Lat. castrum (a fortified place), and castra (a camp); e.g. Caistor, Castor, Chester (the site of a Roman fort or camp). The Welsh still called the city of Chester Caerleon, which means the city called Legio, often used as a proper name for a city where a Roman legion was stationed; Doncaster, Lancaster, Brancaster, Illchester, Leicester, Colchester (i.e. the camps on the Rivers Don, Lune, Bran, Ivel, Legre or Leir, Colne); Alcester, on the Alne; Chichester (the fortress of Cissa, the Saxon prince of the province); Cirencester, anc. Corinium-ceaster (the camp on the R. Churn); Exeter, Cel. Caer-Isc (the fortress on the river or water, wysk); Towcester, on the R. Towey; Gloucester, Cel. Caer-glow (the bright fortress); Godmanchester (the fort of the priest), where Gothrun, the Dane, in the reign of Alfred, embraced Christianity; Chesterfield and Chester-le-Street (the camp in the field and the camp on the Roman road, stratum); Winchester, Cel. Caer-gwent (the camp on the fair plain), p. 38; Dorchester (the camp of the Durotriges (dwellers by the water); Worcester, Hwicwara-ceaster (the camp of the Huiccii); Silchester, Cel. Caer-Segont (the fort of the Segontii); Manchester, probably the camp at Mancenion (the place of tents), its ancient name; Rochester, Cel. Durobrivae (the ford of the water), A.S. Hrofceaster, probably from a proper name; Bicester (the fort of Biren, a bishop); Alphen, in Holland, anc. Albanium-castra (the camp of Albanius); Aubagne, in Provence, anc. Castrum-de-Alpibus (the fortress of the Alps); Champtoceaux, Lat. Castrum-celsum (lofty fortress); St. Chamond, Lat. Castrum-Anemundi (the fortress of Ennemond); Chalus, Lat. Castrum-Lucius (the fortress by Lucius Capriolus, in the reign of Augustus); Passau, in Bavaria, Lat. Batavia-Castra (the Batavians’ camp), corrupted first to Patavium and then to Passau; La Chartre, Chartre, and Chartres (the place of the camps), in France; Chartre-sur-Loire, Lat. Carcer-Castellum (the castle prison or stronghold); Castril, Castrillo (little fortress); Castro-Jeriz (Cæsar’s camp); Ojacastro (the camp on the R. Oja), in Spain.

CAVAN, CABHAN (Irish), CAVA, LA (It.), CUEVA (Span.), a cave, COFA (A.S.), a cove,

a hollow place, cognate with the Lat. cavea or cavus; e.g. Cavan (the hollow), the cap. of Co. Cavan, and many other places from this root in Ireland. Cavan, however, in some parts of Ireland, signifies a round hill, as in Cavanacaw (the round hill of the chaff, catha); Cavanagh (the hilly place); Cavanalick (the hill of the flagstone); Covehithe, in Suffolk (the harbour of the recess); Runcorn, in Cheshire, i.e. Rum-cofan (the wide cove or inlet); Cowes (the coves), in the Isle of Wight; La Cava, in Naples; Cuevas-de-Vera (the caves of Vera); Cuevas-del-Valle (of the valley), in Spain.

CEALD (A.S.), KALT (Ger.), KOUD (Dut.),

cold; e.g. Caldicott, Calthorpe, Calthwaite (cold dwelling); Koudhuizon, Koudaim, with the same meaning; Caldbeck, Kalbach, Kallenbach (cold stream); Kaltenherberg (cold shelter); Calvorde (cold ford); Kaltenkirchen (cold church); Colwell (cold well).

CEANN (Gadhelic),

a head, a point or promontory—in topography kin or ken; e.g. Kinnaird’s Head (the point of the high headland); Kintyre or Cantire (the head of the land, tir); Kenmore (the great point), at the head of Loch Tay; Kinloch (the head of the lake); Kincraigie (of the little rock); Kinkell (the head church, cill); Kendrochet (bridge end); Kinaldie and Kinalty (the head of the dark stream, allt-dubh); Kingussie (the head of the fir-wood, guith-saith); Kinnaird (the high headland), the name of a parish in Fife and a village in Stirling. Kinross may mean the point (ros) at the head of Loch Leven, with reference to the town or with reference to the county, which in early times formed part of the large district called the Kingdom of Fife, anciently called Ross; and in this sense it may mean either the head of the promontory or of the wood, both of which are in Celtic ros. The ancient name of Fife, Ross, was changed into Fife in honour of Duff, Earl of Fife, to whom it was granted by Kenneth II., and in 1426 Kinross was separated from it, or, according to Nennius, from Feb, the son of Cruidne, ancestor of the Picts. Kintore (the head of the hill, tor); Kinneil, i.e. Ceann-fhail (the head of the wall), i.e. of Agricola; Kinell, Kinellar (the head of the knoll); King-Edward, corrupt. from Kinedur (the head of the water, dur); Kinghorn, from Ceann-cearn (corner headland)—Wester Kinghorn is now Burntisland; Kingarth, in Bute, i.e. Ceann-garbh (the rough or stormy headland); Kinnoul (the head of the rock, ail); Kintail (the head of the flood, tuil), i.e. of the two salt-water lakes in Ross-shire; Boleskine (the summit of the furious cascade, boil cas), i.e. of Foyers, in Inverness-shire; Kinmundy, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from Kinmunny (the head of the moss, moine); Kinglassie, in Fife, was named after St. Glass or Glasianus); Kenoway, Gael. ceann-nan-uamh (the head of the den); Kent, Lat. Cantium (the country of the Cantii, or dwellers at the headland). In Ireland: Kenmare in Kerry, Kinvarra in Galway, and Kinsale in Cork, mean the head of the sea, i.e. ceann-mara and ceann-saile (salt water), the highest point reached by the tide; Kincon (the dog’s headland); Kinturk (of the boar); Slyne Head, in Ireland, is in Irish Ceann-leime (the head of the leap), and Loop Head is Leim-Chonchuillinn (Cuchullin’s leap); Cintra, in Portugal, may mean the head of the strand, traigh.

CEFN (Cym.-Cel.),

a ridge, cognate with the Grk. κεφαλη, a head; e.g. the Cevennes, the Cheviots; Cefn-Llys (palace ridge); Cefn-bryn (hill ridge); Cefn-coed (wood ridge); Cefn-coch (red ridge); Cefn-y-Fan (the hill ridge); Cefn-Rhestyn (the row of ridges); Cefn-cyn-warchan (the watch-tower ridge); Cemmaes (the ridge of the plain), in Wales; Cefalu (on the headland), in Sicily; Chevin Hill, near Derby; Chevin (a high cliff), in Yorkshire; Cephalonia (the island of headlands), also called Samos (lofty); Cynocephale (the dog’s headland), in Thessaly.

CEOL (A.S.), KIELLE (Teut.),

a ship; e.g. Keal and Keelby, in Lincoln (ship station); Ceolescumb, Ceolëswyrth, Ceolseig, and perhaps Kiel, in Denmark; Chelsea, i.e. Ceolesig, on the Thames.

CEORL (A.S.),

a husbandman; e.g. Charlton (the husbandman’s dwelling); Charlinch (the husbandman’s island), formerly insulated.

CEOSEL (A.S.),

sand, gravel; e.g. Chesil (the sand-hill), in Dorset; Chiselhurst (the thicket at the sand-bank); Chiseldon (sand-hill); Chiselborough (the fort at the sand-bank); Winchelsea, corrupt. from Gwent-ceoseley (the sand-bank on the fair plain, gwent), or, according to another etymology, named after Wincheling, the son of Cissa, the first king of the South Saxons; Chiswick (sandy bay), on the Thames.

CERRIG (Welsh),

a heap of stones; e.g. Cerrig-y-Druidion (the Druids’ stones); Cerrig-y-Pryfaed (the crag of the teachers), probably the Druids, in Wales.

CHEP, CHEAP, CHIPPING (Teut.), KIOPING, KIOBING,

a place of merchandise, from A.S. ceapan, Ger. kaufen (to buy); e.g. Chepstow, Chippenham, Cheapside (the market-place or town); Chipping-Norton and Chipping-Sodbury (the north and south market-town); Chippinghurst (the market at the wood or thicket); Copenhagen, Dan. Kioben-havn (the haven for merchandise); Lidkioping (the market-place on the R. Lid); Linkioping, anc. Longakopungar (long market-town), in Sweden; Arroeskiœbing (the market-place in the island of Arroe); Nykoping, in Funen, and Nykjobing, in Falster, Denmark (new market-place). The Copeland Islands on the Irish coast (the islands of merchandise), probably used as a storehouse by the Danish invaders; Copmansthorpe (the village of traders), in Yorkshire; Nordköping (north market), in Sweden; Kaufbeuren (market-place), in Bavaria; Sydenham, in Kent, formerly Cypenham (market-place).

CHLUM (Sclav.),

a hill, cognate with the Lat. culmen, transposed by the Germans into kulm and sometimes into golm; e.g. Kulm, in W. Prussia (a town on a hill); Kulm, on the R. Saale; Chlumek, Chlumetz, Golmitz, Golmüz (the little hill).

CILL (Gadhelic), CELL (Cym.-Cel.), from CELLA (Lat.), and in the Provence languages, CELLA, CELLULE,

a cell, a burying-ground, a church; in Celtic topography, kil or kel; e.g. Kilbride (the cell or church of St. Bridget), frequent in Ireland and Scotland; Kildonan (of St. Donan); Kilkerran (of St. Kieran); Kilpeter (of St. Peter); Kilcattan (of St. Chattan); Kilmichael, Kilmarnock, Kilmarten, Kelpatrick, Kilbrandon (the churches dedicated to St. Michael, St. Marnock, St. Martin, St. Patrick, St. Brandon); Kilmaurs, Kilmorick, Kilmurry (St. Mary’s church); I Columkil or Iona (the island of Columba’s church); Kilwinning (St. Vimen’s church); Kilkenny (of St. Canice); Kilbeggan, in Ireland, and Kilbucho, in Peeblesshire (the church of St. Bega); Kil-Fillan (of St. Fillan); Killaloe, anc. Cill-Dalua (the church of St. Dalua); Killarney, Irish Cill-airneadh (the church of the sloes)—the ancient name of the lake was Lough Leane, from a famous artificer who lived on its shores; Killin, i.e. Cill-Fhinn (the burying-ground of Finn, which is still pointed out); Kilmany (the church on the mossy ground, moine); Kilmelfort, Cel. Cill-na-maol-phort (the church on the bald haven); Kilmore generally means the great church, but Kilmore, Co. Cork, is from Coillmhor (great wood), and in many places in Ireland and Scotland it is difficult to determine whether the root of the names is cill or coill; Kildare, from Cill-dara (the cell of the oak blessed by St. Bridget); Kilmun, in Argyleshire, is named from St. Munna, one of St. Columba’s companions; Kilrush, Co. Clare (the church of the promontory or of the wood); Kells (the cells) is the name of several places in Ireland, and of a parish in Dumfries; but Kells, in Meath and Kilkenny, is a contraction of the ancient name Ceann-lios (the head, lis, or fort); Closeburn, in Dumfries, is a corrupt. of Cella-Osburni (the cell of St. Osburn); Bischofzell and Appenzell (the church of the bishop and of the abbot); Maria-Zell (of St. Mary); Kupferzell, Jaxt-zell, Zella-am-Hallbach, Zell-am-Harmarsbach (the churches on the rivers Kupfer, Jaxt, Hallbach, and Harmarsbach); Zell-am-Moss (the church on the moor); Zell-am-See (on the lake); Zella St. Blasii (of St. Blaise); Sabloncieux, in France, anc. Sabloncellis (the cells on the sandy place); but in France La Selle and Les Selles are often used instead of cella or cellules, as in Selle-St.-Cloud for Cella-Sanct.-Clotoaldi (the church dedicated to this saint); Selle-sur-Nahon, anc. Cellula (little church); Kilconquhar, in Fife (the church of St. Conchobar or Connor); Kilbernie, in Ayrshire (the church of Berinus, a bishop); Kilspindie (of St. Pensadius); Kilblane and Kilcolmkill, in Kintyre (of St. Blane and St. Columba); Kilrenny (of St. Irenaeus); Kilchrenan, in Argyleshire (the burying-place of St. Chrenan, the tutelary saint of the parish).

CITTÀ, CIVITA (It.), CIUDAD, CIDADE (Sp. and Port.), CIOTAT (Fr.),

a city or borough, derived from the Lat. civitas; e.g. Cittadella and Civitella (little city); Città di Castello (castellated city); Città-Vecchia (old city), in Malta; Civita Vecchia (old city), in Central Italy, formerly named Centum-cellæ (the hundred apartments), from a palace of the Emperor Trajan; Civita-de-Penné (the city of the summit), in Naples; Cividad-della-Trinidad (the city of the Holy Trinity); Ciudad-Rodrigo (Roderick’s city); Ciudad-Reäl (royal city); Ciudad-de-Gracias (the city of grace), in Spain; Ciudadella (little city), in Minorca.

CLACH, CLOCH, CLOUGH (Gadhelic),

a stone; e.g. Clach-breac (the speckled stone); Clach-an-Oban (the stone of the little bay); Clach-na-darrach (the stone of the oak grove); Clachach (a stony place). The word clachan, in Scotland, was originally applied to a circle of stones where the Pagan rites of worship were wont to be celebrated; and, after the introduction of Christianity, houses and churches were erected near these spots, and thus clachan came to mean a hamlet; and, at the present day, the expression used in asking a person if he is going to church is—“Am bheil-thu’dol do’n clachan?” (i.e. “Are you going to the stones?”) There is the Clachan of Aberfoyle in Perthshire; and in Blair-Athole there is a large stone called Clach n’iobairt (the stone of sacrifice). In Skye there is Clach-na-h-Annat (the stone of Annat, the goddess of victory); and those remarkable Druidical remains, called rocking-stones, are termed in Gaelic Clach-bhraeth (the stone of knowledge), having been apparently used for divination. There are others called Clach-na-greine (the stone of the sun), and Clach-an-t-sagairt (of the priest). The village of Clackmannan was originally Clachan-Mannan, i.e. the stone circle or hamlet of the district anciently called Mannan. In Ireland this root-word commonly takes the form of clogh or clough, as in Cloghbally, Cloghvally (stony dwelling); Clogher (the stony land); Clomony (the stony shrubbery); Clorusk (the stony marsh); Cloichin, Cloghan, Clogheen (land full of little stones); but the word clochan is also applied to stepping-stones across a river, as in Clochan-na-bh Fomharaigh (the stepping-stones of the Fomarians, i.e. the Giant’s Causeway); Cloghereen (the little stony place); Ballycloch and Ballenaclogh (the town of the stones); Auchnacloy (the field of the stone); Clochfin (the white stone); Clonakilty, corrupt. from Clough-na-Kiltey (the stone house of the O’Keelys).

CLAR, CLARAGH (Irish),

a board, a plain, a flat piece of land; Clare is the name of several places in different counties of Ireland, sometimes softened to Clara. County Clare is said to have derived its name from a plank placed across the R. Fergus, at the village of Clare. Ballyclare, Ballinclare (the town of the plain); Clarbane (white plain); Clarderry (level oak grove); Clarchoill (level wood); Clareen (little plain).