The word Fowl, which occurs in numerous places, had originally a much wider meaning than at present. Any flying creature, was a bird; and in this sense we find it in
The names of Fish seem rather scarce; we find
The Salmon (Lax) occurs in
The Trout (Truht) is found in
The Eel may be traced in
The Frog and Toad are perhaps the only reptiles we find in place-names. They evidently give names to
The Scandinavian term for the reptile is Padda, which occurs in
The insect Wigga, Wiega, a beetle, is perhaps found in
In German, the name of the beetle is Kafer, cognate with the En-Chafer, which occurs in
Trees performed no unimportant part in the division of land among the Teutonic nations; they were used as land marks and boundaries, and county courts were held under them.
The word Tree occurs very often in the names of places, and is no doubt connected with some historical circumstance: e.g.—
The Oak (Ac) is found in
The Ash (Aesc) occurs in
The Scandinavian form occurs in
The German form is found in
The Alder is found in
The Broom gives name to
The Beech may be traced in
The Birch gives name to
The Apple is found in
The Hazel occurs in
The Lime-tree (Linde) occurs in
The Maple-tree is found in
The Pine occurs in
The Thorn gives name to
The German form, Dorn, occurs in
The Willow (Welig) may be traced in
Sauch, Sough, Say, a willow, is the root of Nick-sough, Saw-ley, Saigh-ton, and Saug-hall.
The Yew appears in
The Brier occurs in
The Fern gives name to
The Furze (Fyrs), Whin, Scandinavian, occurs in
Flax (Lin) appears in
Grass (Gaers, and Sprot) is found in
Cress (Nasturtium) occurs in
Moss gives name to
Sedge appears in
The Rush is an element in
The Nettle in Nettle-combe, Nettle-den, Nettle-stead, and Nettle-ton.
The Reed gives name to
Barley (Bigg) may be traced in
Beans appear in
The Oat occurs in Oad-by, Ot-ley, and Oat-land.
The Scandinavian Haver (oats) gives names to Haver-ham, Haver-ford, and Haver-thwaite.
The Slow is easily seen in Slow-burn and Slow-combe.
Haw-ley and Haw-don derive their name from the haw; Apse, Asp-ley, and Asp-don from the asp (aps).
Wheat appears in Whit-field, Wheat-ley, Wheat-hamp-stead, Wheat-on, Whate-ly, and Whit-barrow.
Shrop-ham, Shrop-shire, Scrop-ton, Scrop-ley-hill, Scrap-loft, and Scrobb are derived from Scrybe, a shrub; as well as Screve-by, Scroo-by, and Scraf-ton.
Wort-ley, Wort-well, Wor-stead, Wors-borough, Wors-ley, Wroot, Wurz-burg, Wurz-ach, Wurz-em, &c., contain the root Wyrt, Wort, an herb.
Erz (German), Ore, occurs in
Clay in
Cisel (gravel)
Chalk gives name to Chalk-grove, Chal-ford, Chilt-ern, Kalk-stein, and Calke.
Gries (German), gravel, is found in
Marl occurs in Mar-low, Marl-borough, and Marls-ton.
Salt appears in Salter-ton, Salt-ash, Saltn-ey, Sal-combe, Salt-coats; Salz-brunn, Salz-burg, Salz-dahl-um, Salz-wedel, &c.
Eisen (German), iron, is found in Eisen-ach, Eisen-berg, Eis-eld, Eis-leben, Eis-grub, Eisen-burg, &c.
Sand gives name to Sand-wich, Sand-hurst, Sander-croft, &c.
Stone (Stan) appears in Stone-leigh, Stan-ley, Stan-ton, Staines, Stan-bury, Stain-land, Stain-drop, Stan-hope; Steen-bergen, Steen-wyk, Stein, Stein-ach, Stein-au, Stein-bach, Stein-borth, Stein-holm, Stein-horst, Stein-weiss, &c.
Al, Alt, Ald, Au (old)—Ald-borough, Al-thorpe, Al-bourne, Al-ton, Al-ford, Al-cester; Alten-burg, Alten-markt, Alten-dorn, Alten-feld, Al-torf, Olde-bach, Olde-boorn, Olden-dorf, Olden-burg, Au-burn, and Au-thorpe.
Brad (broad)—Brad-well, Brad-stock, Brad-ford; Breit-horn, Breiten-bach, &c.
Cheil, Col, Cald (cold)—Col-burn, Coal-brook, Cold-stream, Cold-side, Chels-field, Cowd-ham, Child-hay, Chilt-thorn, Chil-worthy, Cald-well; Calde-cote, Cal-bourne, Caude-bec (Calde-bec), Colden-weide, Colden-hoff, Kalt-brun, Kalten-nord-heim, and Kalten-sund-heim.
Deop (deep)—Dept-ford, Deep-dale, Diepen-beck, Diepen-heim, Diepen-au, &c.
Kine, King (royal, king)—Kine-ton, Kinner-ton, Kings-bury, Kinger-by.
Ost, Oost, Osten (east)—East-bourne, Eas-ton; Ost-ende, Oster-ach, Oster-end, Oster-holz, Oste-rode, Oster-sunde, Ost-hem, Ost-heim, Ost-wolde, Oost-burg, Ooster-einde, Ooster-wyk, Ooster-wolde, Oost-kerke, &c.
Hol (hollow)—Hol-beach, Hol-land, Hol-born, Hol-bek, Hollen-beek, &c.
Lang (long)—Lang-baurgh, Lang-don, Langen-hoe.
Lille (little)—Lilles-don, Lilles-hall.
Mickle, Much (large)—Mickle-fell, Mickle-field, Much-wen-lock.
Nor, Nord (north)—Nor-folk, Nor-ham, Nor-mandy, Nor-mark, Nor-den, Nord-heim, Norr-telge, Norr-land, Norr-koping, Nord-horn, Noord-welle, Noorder-wyk, Norden-ey, &c.
Neu, Nieu (new)—Neu-berg, Neu-haus, Neu-land, Neu-stadt, Nieu-wold, Nieuw-kerk, Nieu-berg, Ny-stad, Ny-kerk, &c.; New-lands, New-ark, New-bury, New-ton, &c.
Nieder, Nether (downward or further)—Nether-bury, Nether-compton, Nether-lands, Nieder-bronn, Nieder-rad, Niedern-hall, Nieder-wald, Nider-dorf, &c.
Sud, Sut (south)—Sur-rey, Suf-folk, Sut-ton, Sus-sex, South-leigh, Sout-ham, South-end, Sut-torp, Sud-bury, Suder-oe, Sunder-land, Kalten-Sund-heim, Sund-gau, Soder-fors, Soder-hamn, Soder-telge, Sorer-Koping, &c.
Sell (happy, fortunate)—Sel-by, Sel-kirk, Sell-hurst, &c.; Seligen-stadt, Seligen-thal, &c.
Up, Upper (higher)—Up-ton, Up-hay, Up-lyme, Up-sala, &c.
Under (lower) Under-barrow, Under-cliffe.
West, Wester, Vester (west)—West-bury, Wester-borg, Wester-by, Wester-holt, Wester-land, Wester-loo, West-heim, West-land, West-rup, Westr-um, Vest-irg, Vester-hoe, &c.
Ea.—This Anglo-Saxon word signifies (1) water in general, and (2) any running body of water, river, &c.—It occurs in the names of rivers, in the names of places near rivers, and in the names of marshes formed by rivers.
The rivers Medway and Stour were anciently written Meduw-ea, and Stur-ea. In the East Anglian counties the term is still preserved, for we meet with Popham’s ea, St. John’s ea, Hammond eau, &c.
Eye, Yeo, and Aye, are slightly altered forms of the same root, and ea is another name for the river Leven.
The following places near rivers contain some form of the Anglo-Saxon root, ea:—
It formerly belonged, together with Peter’s-ham, to St. Peter’s Abbey, Cherts-ey.
The plural form, Eas, water-course, occurs in Eas-dale, Eas-writh, and Eas-tyn.
In the Gothic we meet with the following cognate forms:—aha, aue, awe, owe, ahva, and ach, e.g.,
We find a, a contraction of aha, in Schwein-a, Asch-a, Born-a, Buch-a, Baren-wald-a, Konigs-werth-a, Hoyers-werd-a, Berk-a, Vach-a, Goth-a, &c.
In Burgundy, we find the terminations ay, oy, and y, used to designate habitations established along running water, e.g.—Cambr-ay, Tourn-ay, Dou-ay, Quesn-oy, Chaum-y, &c.
The ending ow, in Beesk-ow, Godan-owa, and Buch-ow, is another form of the same root.
The form Ach occurs in
The plural form, ar, er, signifying the confluence of waters, occurs in Ohre, Er-furt, Ohr-druf, and Neck-ar.
The Scandinavian forms for water, are, A, Aa, and Aae.
In England we find Cald-a, Routh-a, Rath-a, Ay-am, Ay-cliffe, &c.
Aa occurs as the name of several rivers in Hanover, France, Brabant, Groningen, and Switzerland.
Aa is found in
Ain, the river, forms part of the following names:—Glomm-en, Alt-en, Ul-en, Sus-en, &c.
Beck (Scandinavian), a rivulet.—In England, the following places contain this root:—
In Denmark we meet with Aale-beks, Aal-bek, Egje-bek, Vinde-bek, and Hol-bek.
In Oldenburg we find Vis-beck, sacred rivulet; in the south of Luxemburg we meet with Becke-rich, the district of the rivulet.
In West Flanders the form beke occurs in Roos-beke, Wam-beke, Haerle-beke, Meule-beke, &c.; in south Brabant the form beeke is prevalent, e.g.—Buns-beeke, Clab-beeke, &c. We also meet with a Becke-voort, having the same signification as Beck-ford in England. The root Beck occurs very frequently in the names of places in the neighbourhood of the rivers Rhine and Elbe, e.g.—Wandes-beck, Schwarzen-beck, Flot-beck, Stein-beck, Barn-beck, Suder-beck, Hals-beck, Schip-beck, &c.
In France we find the exact spots where many of the old Norse leaders settled down, by the presence of this root—e.g.,
In Germany and Austria we find the cognate form, Bach, a rivulet—e.g.,
Bath (baed, baeth, bad, Anglo-Saxon), water.—Bath, Bath-ford, Bath-easton, Bad-by, Bad-bury, Badon-hill, Bux-ton, Ba-ke-well, &c.
The German form, Bad, Pad, occurs in Baden, Wies-baden, Carls-bad.
Borne, Bourne, Burn, Burne (Anglo-Saxon), a stream, from Birnan, to burn.—It “denotes the bubbling of a welling running stream with the singing of the boiling water and the flaming of fire.”
We find Born on the continent, in Sal-born, Pader-born, Sonne-born, Eschen-born, &c.
The German form, Brun, occurs in
Botten, Botn (Scandinavian), the sea.—Gulf of Bothnia, Norr-botten, Boden-see, Bott-sand, Holt-pade, Lacus Bodam-icus (Lake Constance), Botten Viken, Botten Hafvet, &c.
Brigg, Bridge, a passage of wood or stone over a river.—It is often applied to fording and landing places.
The Scandinavian form, Bro, occurs in
As cognate forms, we find Bruges, Esten-brug, Coppen-brugge, Brugg, Brig, Inns-bruck, Del-bruck, Konigs-bruck, Hers-bruck, Bruck, Brucken-au.
Bred, Bread (Anglo-Saxon), border, shore-bank.—Bread-sale, Bret-by clump, Bred-hurst, Bred-field, Bred-sted.
Brad (Anglo-Saxon), broad, expansive, the expansion of a river in a flat country, a lake so formed.—Outton-broad, Braydon-broad, Breydon-water, Mut-ford-broad.
Broc (Anglo-Saxon), a brook, a rushing stream.—Brox-ash, Brox-bourne, Ock-brooke, Cole-brooke, Ful-brook, Wam-brook, Mill-brook, Bruck-land.
We find the same root in Rad-brock, Alten-brock, Ooster-brock, Wester-brock, Strad-broke.
Bruoch (old High German), and Bruch (German), evidently cognate forms, signify a bog or marsh, e.g.—Alten-bruch, Bruch-sal, Bruch-berg and Brussels (Bruschels).
Ceol, Ciol (Anglo-Saxon), Keol (Danish), a ship.—Kiel, Kieler-fiord, Culen-burg, and Kuylen-burg.
Crundel (Anglo-Saxon), a water-course, “a spring or well with its cistern, trough, or reservoir to receive water.”—Grindle, Grindla-ton, Grindles-mere, Cron-dall, Crow’s Crundel, Cradwan Crundel (Crowden Farm).
Comber (Scandinavian), Kumpr (Old Norse), a running sheet of water; and hence it enters into combination with the names of places bordering on ponds and water-troughs.—Comber-ton, Comber-mere, Comber-bach.
Dam, from Dammen (German), to bank, dam.—Amster-dam, (Armstel-dam), Rotter-dam, Saar-dam, Schie-dam, &c.
Delve (English), to dig.—Delve is a local word, signifying a quarry or ditch.—Delven-au and Delft.
Dic (Anglo-Saxon), a ditch, dike, or river.—Wans-dike, Wran-dyke, Dish, Flen-dish (Flamin-dic), Cars-dyke, Hague-dike, Dyck-buttel, Wolvers-dyke, &c.
Diupr, diup (Scandinavian), deep.—It is often applied to parts of the sea, and to rivers.—Dieppe, Diupa, Depe-dale, Hollands-diep, Mars-diep. We also find Linn Deeps.
Dub (Scandinavian), a pool or piece of water (from Dyb, (Danish), deep).—Ash-dub, the ash-pool.
Efes, Eves (Anglo Saxon), the bank of a river, a border, edge of a mountain.—Eaves-ham, Habergham-eaves, Eves-batch, Eves-knoll.
Elf (Scandinavian), a river.—Elfs-burg, Elfs-nabben, Kong-elf, Elf-karle-by, Elbe, Alb, &c.
Fiord (Danish), Fiorth (Old Norsk), Firth (Scotch), an inlet of the sea, a bay, a station for ships.—Firth of Forth, Firth of Tay. (Frith is a mis-spelling for Firth.)
The Ford in Mil-ford, Haver-ford, Water-ford, is not to be confounded with Ford, a passage, but is another form of the Scandinavian Fiord, in Kieler-fiord, Ecken-fiord, Laxe-fiord, &c.
Ford, Fort, Fyrd (Anglo-Saxon), Forth (Scandinavian), a passage through a stream.
The German Furt, a ford, occurs in Hirsch-furt (Hart-ford), Her-furt (Here-ford), Schwein-furt (Swine-ford), Ochsen-furt (Ox-ford).
The Dutch Voort, a ford, is found in Wester-voort, Becke-voort, Amers-foort, Brede-voort, &c.
Fen, Faen (Anglo-Saxon), wet-land.—Fen-ham Flats, Fen Ditton, Walling Fen, Fen-stan-ton, Feni-ton, Fins-bury, Fen-brig, &c.
The Dutch form, Veen, occurs in Amster-Veen, and in Ven-lo, &c.
Fljot, Floi, Flod (Scandinavian), Fleot, Fleth (Anglo-Saxon), Fleet (English), a flow or flush of water, channel or arm of the sea between the coast, and an island, a river, a tide creek.—The presence of the root marks habitations on the sea, rivers, or canals.—The Fleet, Long-fleet, Ben-fleet, Shal-fleet, Salt-fleet, Fax-fleet. The Flow (a piece of water in Scotland), Flow Moss, Solway Flow, Flout-ern, Scar-let, and Flow-ton.
In France the root Floi occurs under the form, Fleur, in Bar-fleur, Har-fleur, Vite-fleur (White-fleet), Flot-beck, Pos-flethe, Beyden-fleth, and Aver-fleth.
Fors, Forse, Force, Foss (Scandinavian), a water fall.—River Foss, Forss-water, Forse, Forsin-ard, Low-force, Scale-force, Billing-fors, Fos-kilde, and Fos-land.
Gat (Scandinavian), a sound.—Catte-gat, the Gatt, Helle-gat, Rams-gate, Mar-gate.
Gau (German), a district watered by a river.—Aar-gau, Tor-gau, Breis-gau, Bur-gau, Wolve-ga, and Finke-ga.—Gaw, in England, as a local word, signifies a hollow with water springing in it, a furrow.—Gaw-thorpe, Goy-don, &c.
Geo (Scandinavian), a hollow, a chasm in the shore, a small inlet.—Wolfs-geo, Gui-odin, Gue-odin (Odin’s-inlet), Varren-ge-fiord, Varen-ge-ville, Varren-gue-bec.
Goe (Old Norsk), a cleft, a small opening in the land, a bay.—Red-goe, Raven-goe, Tod’s-goe, Whale-goe.
Gill (Scandinavian), a small gravelly stream, also a glen or valley; Gool, a ditch.—Row-gill, Woo-gill-tarn, Kesh-gill-burn, Esh-gill, Ive-gill, Gils-land, &c.; Goole, Gille-by, Gille-skaal, &c.
Gout, Gote, a drain or ditch, from Geotan (Anglo-Saxon), to pour.—River Goyt, Win-thorpe-gout, Trus-thorpe-gout, Tyd-gote, Got-ham, &c.
From the German Giessen, gösse, gegossen, to pour, to water, are derived—Gies-en, Giess-bach, Goss-au, &c.
Haf (Scandinavian), the sea, Havn (Danish), a haven.—Stone-haven, White-haven.
The old Haaf, Havre, Haver-ford, Hafs-lund, Frische-haf, Aland Haf, Haff of Stettin, Hafs-loe, Westman’s havn, Havn-sur-Dive, Havn-sur-Mederet, &c.
Hamn (Scandinavian), a port, bay, gulf.—Hamna-voe, Soder-hamn, Carls-hamn, Torn-hamn-sudde, Quister-ham, Go-ham, Cane-ham, Estre-ham, Ham-bye, &c.
Hatch (Provincial), a flood-gate, dam.—Mers-ham-hatch, Kelve-don-hatch.
Hyd, Hithe, Hythe (Anglo-Saxon), originally a receptacle; (2), haven; (3), coast.—Hythe, Hyde, Seche-Hythe, Rother-hithe, Green-hithe, Lamb-eth.
Holm (Scandinavian), a river island, a green plot of ground surrounded by water, low land lying along the river or ocean.—Holm, Holmes, Holm-moss, Holm-head, Holm-forth, Kirk-yet-holm, Hipper-holme, Den-holm, Steep-holm, and Flat-holm, Houlmes (near Rouen), Engo-homme, Tur-hulm (Tor-holm), Stock-holm, Hoy-holm, Borg-holm, Born-holm.
Heafod (Anglo-Saxon), the source of a stream.—Wood-head, Holm-head, Leather-head, &c.
Ig (Anglo Saxon), an island.—It assumes the various forms of Eage, Aege, Eig, &c.—Aig-burth, Eigh-ton, Eg-ham, Ight-field, Ight-ham, &c.
Kell, Keld (Scandinavian), a spring, “the gathering of water within a hill side, which then bursts out with a considerable gush, and forms a strong stream.”—Kil-ham, Kil-bourn, Kel-sal, Kil-hope, Kel-stedge, Kel-sale, Kel-sey, Lath-kill, Gunner-kild-bottom, Oer-kell, Halli-keld, Sal-keld, Kielder Moors, Kelder-vik.
Lad, Lode, Lade (Anglo-Saxon), water running into the sea, a pan for water, a drain, a pool, a gentle lake, an artificial water-course.—River Lyde or Lythe, Even-lode, West-lode, Whap-lode, Salter’s Lode-sluice, So-ham-lode, Burwell-lode, Reach-lode, Swaff-ham-lode, Lech-lade.
Lays (Provincial), lakes; Lay, a large pond.—Lowes-toft, the field of lakes; the provincial form is Lays-toft; forest of Lowes, Lowes-by, &c.
Laug (Scandinavian), water.—Bal-laugh, Lamp-lugh, Laugh-ton, Skir-laugh, Winters-lag, &c.
Lock, meeting of waters, junction of rivers.—Mat-lock, Whee-lock, Wen-lock.
Lecha, Letch, a small river.—Leck-hamp-stead, Latch-ford, Leckon-field, Letch-worth.
Lagu, Lage, Lache (Anglo-Saxon), water, a lake.—River Lac, Mort-lake, Shock-lach, Laken-heath, Ship-lake, Burg-has-lach, Dur-lach, and Lace-by.
Mere (Anglo-Saxon), a lake.—Comber-mere, Winder-mere, Col-mere, Mer-ton-Say, Hornsea-mere, Youns-mere, Ring-mer, Aves-mere; Haar-lem-mere, Alk-maar, Mor-ton, Mar-tin.
Mire, the Scandinavian form, Myri (Old Norsk), signifies a marsh or bog.—Gris-mire, Ling-mire, Wrag-mire, Sour-mire.
In Norway we find Rosse-myre, and in Iceland, Skala-myre.
We find the Frisian form, Mar, in Mar-strand, Hiel-mar, Mar-stall, Wis-mar, Wol-mar.
Mersc, Mars, Mas (Anglo-Saxon), a marsh or bog.—Mars-ton-moor, Mers-ham, Raw-marsh, Alder-mas-ton, Merst-ham, Meas-ham, Marsk, Os-mas-ton, Mas-ham, Tor-mas-ton, Mars-den, the Mash.