Geographical etymology: a dictionary of place-names giving their derivations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

J

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

L

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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