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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q

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

R

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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