Chapter V: Introduction (4)

a mountain; _e.g._ Daghestan (the mountainous district); Baba-dagh (father or chief mountain); Kara-dagh (black mountain); Kezel-dagh (red mountain); Belur-tagh (the snow-capped mountain); Aktagh (white mountain); Mustagh (ice mountain); Beshtau (the five mountains); Tak-Rustan (the mountain of Rustan); Tchazr-dagh (tent mountain); Ala-dagh (beautiful mountain); Bingol-tagh (the mountain of 1000 wells); Agri-dagh (steep mountain); Takht-i-Suliman (Solomon’s mountain).

[Sidenote: DAIL (Gadhelic), DOL (Cym.-Cel.), DAHL (Scand.), THAL (Ger.), DOL (Sclav.),]

a valley, sometimes a field, English _dale_ or _dell_, and often joined to the name of the river which flows through the district; _e.g._ Clydesdale, Teviotdale, Nithsdale, Liddesdale, Dovedale, Arundel, Dryfesdale, corrupt. to _Drysdale_ (the valley of the Clyde, Teviot, Nith, Liddel, Dove, Arun, Dryfe); Rochdale, on the Roch, an affluent of the Trivell; Dalmellington (the town in the valley of the mill). It is to be noted that in places named by the Teut. and Scand. races, this root-word, as well as others, is placed after the adjective or defining word; while by the Celtic races it is placed first. Thus, in Scandinavia, and in localities of Great Britain where the Danes and Norsemen had settlements, we have--Romsdalen and Vaerdal, the valleys of the Raumer and Vaer, in Norway; Langenthal, on the R. Langent, in Switzerland; Rydal (rye valley), Westmoreland; Laugdalr (the valley of warm springs), Iceland. In districts again peopled by the Saxons, Avondale, Annandale (the valleys of the Avon and Annan). This is the general rule, although there are exceptions--Rosenthal (the valley of roses); Inn-thal (of the R. Inn); Freudenthal (of joy); Fromenthal (wheat valley); Grunthal (green valley). In Gaelic, Irish, and Welsh names, on the contrary, _dal_ precedes the defining word; _e.g._ Dalry and Dalrigh (king’s level field); Dalbeth and Dalbeathie (the field of birches); Dalginross (the field at the head of the promontory or wood); Dalness and Dallas (the field of the cascade, _cas_); Dalserf (of St. Serf); Dailly, in Ayrshire, anc. _Dalmaolkeran_ (the field of the servant, _maol_, of St. Kiaran); Dalrymple (the valley of the rumbling pool, _ruaemleagh_); Dalgarnock (of the rough hillock); Dalhousie (the field at the corner of the water, _i.e._ of the Esk); Dalwhinnie (the field of the meeting, _coinneach_); Dalziel (beautiful field, _geal_); Dalguise (of the fir-trees, _giuthas_); Dalnaspittal (the field of the _spideal_, _i.e._ the house of entertainment); Dalnacheaich (of the stone); Dalnacraoibhe (of the tree); Dalbowie (yellow field). Dollar, in Clackmannan, may be from this root, although there is a tradition that it took its name from a castle in the parish called Castle-Gloom, Gael. _doillair_ (dark); Deal or Dole (the valley in Kent); Dol and Dole, in Brittany, with the same meaning; Doldrewin (the valley of the Druidical circles in Wales); Dolquan (the owl’s meadow); Dolau-Cothi (the meadows of the River Cothi); Dolgelly (the grove of hazels); Dalkeith (the narrow valley, _caeth_); Codale (cow field); Grisdale (swine field); Gasdale (goosefield); Balderdale, Silverdale, Uldale, Ennerdale, Ransdale (from the personal names, Balder, Sölvar, Ulf, Einer, Hrani); Brachendale (the valley of ferns); Berrydale, in Caithness, corrupt. from Old Norse, _Berudalr_ (the valley of the productive wood); Dalecarlia, called by the Swedes _Dahlena_ (the valleys); Dieppedal (deep valley); Stendal (stony valley); Oundle, in Northampton, corrupt. from _Avondle_; Kendal or Kirkby-Kendal (the church town in the valley of the R. Ken); Dolgelly (the valley of the grove), in Wales; Dolsk or Dolzig (the town in the valley), in Posen; Dolzen, in Bohemia; Bartondale (the dale of the enclosure for the gathered crops), in Yorkshire; Dalarossie, in Inverness, corrupt. from _Dalfergussie_, Fergus’dale; Dalriada, in Ulster, named from a king of the Milesian race, named _Cairbe-Raida_, who settled there. His descendants gradually emigrated to Albin, which from them was afterwards called Scotland; and that part of Argyleshire where they landed they also named Dalriada. The three brothers, Fergus, Sorn, and Anghus, came to Argyleshire in 503 A.D. Toul and Toulouse, situated in valleys, probably were named from the same root-word; Toulouse was anciently called _Civitas-Tolosatium_ (the city of the valley dwellers, _dol-saetas_).

[Sidenote: DAL, or GEDEL (A.S.), DEEL (Dutch), THEIL (Ger.), DAL (Irish),]

a part, a district; _e.g._ Kalthusertheil (the district of the cold houses); Kerckdorfertheil (the district of the village church); Baradeel (the barren district), in Germany and Holland. This word, rather than _dail_, may be the root of Dalriada; see above.

[Sidenote: DALEJ (Sclav.),]

far; _e.g._ Daliz, Dalchow, Dalichow (the distant place).

[Sidenote: DAMM (Teut.),]

an embankment, a dyke; _e.g._ Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Saardam, properly Zaandam (the embankment on the Rivers Rotte, Amstel, and Zaan); Schiedam, on the R. Schie; Leerdam (the embankment on the field, _lar_); Veendam (on the marsh, _veen_); Damm (the embankment), a town in Prussia; Neudamm (the new dyke); Dammducht (the embankment of the trench).

[Sidenote: DAN,]

in topography, signifies belonging to the Danes; _e.g._ Danelagh (that portion of England which the Danes held after their treaty with Alfred); Danby, Danesbury (the Danes’ dwellings); Danesbanks, Danesgraves, Danesford, in Salop, where the Danes are believed to have wintered in 896; Danshalt, in Fife, where they are said to have halted after their defeat at Falkland; Danthorpe, Denton (Danes’ town); Denshanger (Danes’ hill or declivity); Dantzic (the Danish fort, built by a Danish colony in the reign of Waldemar II.); Tennstedt, in Saxony, corrupt. from _Dannenstedi_ (the Danes’ station); Cruden, in Aberdeenshire, anc. _Cruor-Danorum_ (the slaughter of the Danes on the site of the last battle between the Celts and the Danes, which took place in the parish 1012). The Danish king fell in this battle, and was buried in the churchyard of Cruden. For centuries the Erroll family received an annual pension from the Danish Government for taking care of the grave at Cruden, but after the grave had been desecrated this pension was discontinued.

[Sidenote: DAR, DERA, DEIR (Ar.), DEH (Pers.),]

a dwelling, camp, or district; _e.g._ Dar-el-hajar (the rocky district), in Egypt; Darfur (the district of the Foor or Foorians, or the deer country), in Central Africa; Dera-Fati-Khan, Dera-Ghazi-Khan, Dera-Ismail-Khan (_i.e._ the camps of these three chiefs, in the Derajat, or camp district); Deir (the monk’s dwelling), in Syria; Diarbekr (the dwellings or tents of Bekr); Dehi-Dervishan (the villages of the dervishes); Deh-haji (the pilgrims’ village); Dekkergan (the village of wolves); Deir-Antonius (St. Anthony’s monastery), in Egypt; Buyukdereh (Turc. the great district on the Bosphorus).

[Sidenote: DAR, DERO, DERYN (Cym.-Cel.), DAIR (Gadhelic),]

an oak, cognate with the Lat. _drus_, and Sansc. _dru_, _doire_, or _daire_, Gadhelic, an oak-wood, Anglicised _derry_, _darach_, or _dara_, the gen. of _dair_; _e.g._ Daragh (a place abounding in oaks); Adare, _i.e._ _Athdara_ (the ford of the oak); Derry, now Londonderry, was originally _Daire-Calgaigh_ (the oak-wood of Galgacus, Latinised form of _Calgaigh_). In 546, when St. Columba erected his monastery there, it became Derry-Columkille (the oak-wood of Columba’s Church); in the reign of James I., by a charter granted to the London merchants, it obtained its present name; Derry-fad (the long oak-wood); Derry-na-hinch (of the island, _innis_); Dairbhre or Darrery (the oak forest), the Irish name for the Island of Valentia; Derry-allen (beautiful wood); Derrybane and Derrybawn (white oak-wood); Derrylane (broad oak-wood); Durrow, Irish _Dairmagh_, and Latinised _Robereticampus_ (the plain of the oaks); New and Old Deer (the oak-wood), in Aberdeenshire, was a monastery erected in early times by St. Columba, and given by him to St. Drostan. The old monastery was situated near a wooded hill, still called _Aikie-Brae_ (oak hill), and a fair was held annually in the neighbourhood, called _Mercatus querceti_ (the oak market)--_v._ _Book of Deer_, p. 48; Craigendarroch (the crag of the oak-wood); Darnock, or Darnick (the oak hillock), in Roxburghshire; Dryburgh, corrupt. from _Darach-bruach_ (the bank of oaks); Dori, the name of a round hill covered with oak-trees, in Wales; Darowen (Owen’s oak-wood), in Wales.

[Sidenote: DEICH, DYK (Teut.),]

a dyke or entrenchment. These dykes were vast earthen ramparts constructed by the Anglo-Saxons to serve as boundaries between hostile tribes; _e.g._ Hoorndyk (the dyke at the corner); Grondick (green dyke); Wansdyke (Woden’s dyke); Grimsdyke and Offa’s dyke (named after the chiefs Grim and Offa); Houndsditch (the dog’s dyke); Ditton, Dixton (towns enclosed by a dyke); Zaadik, in Holland, (the dyke) on the R. Zaad. Cartsdike, a village in Renfrewshire separated from Greenock by the burn Cart. Besides Grimesdyke (the name for the wall of Antoninus, from the R. Forth to the Clyde), there is a Grimsditch in Cheshire.

[Sidenote: DELF (Teut.),]

a canal, from _delfan_ (to dig); _e.g._ Delft, a town in Holland, intersected by canals; Delfshaven (the canal harbour); Delfbrüke (canal bridge).

[Sidenote: DEN, DEAN (Saxon),]

a deep, wooded valley. This word is traced by Leo and others to the Celtic _dion_ (protection, shelter); _e.g._ Dibden (deep hollow); Hazeldean (the valley of hazels); Bowden or Bothanden (St. Bothan’s valley), in Roxburghshire; Tenterden, anc. _Theinwarden_ (the guarded valley of the thane or nobleman), in Kent; Howden (the _haugr_ or _mound_ (in the valley), in Yorkshire; Howdon, with the same meaning, in Northumberland; Otterden (the otter’s valley); Stagsden (of the stag); Micheldean (great valley); Rottingdean (the valley of Hrotan, a chief); Croxden (the valley of the cross).

[Sidenote: DEOR (A.S.), DYR (Scand.), THIER (Ger.),]

a wild animal--English, a deer; _e.g._ Deerhurst (deer’s thicket); Durham, in Gloucester (the dwelling of wild animals). For Durham on the Wear, _v._ HOLM. Tierbach, Tierhage (the brook and the enclosure of wild animals).

[Sidenote: DESERT, or DISERT,]

a term borrowed from the Lat. _desertum_, and applied by the Celts to the names of sequestered places chosen by the monks for devotion and retirement; Dyserth, in North Wales, and Dyzard, in Cornwall; _e.g._ Dysart, in Fife, formerly connected with the monastery of Culross, or Kirkcaldy--near Dysart is the cave of St. Serf; Dysertmore (the great desert), in Co. Kilkenny; Desertmartin in Londonderry, Desertserges in Cork (the retreats of St. Martin and St. Sergius). In Ireland the word is often corrupted to _Ester_ or _Isert_--as in Isertkelly (Kelly’s retreat); Isertkeeran (St. Ciaran’s retreat).

[Sidenote: DEUTSCH (Ger.),]

from _thiod_, the people, a prefix used in Germany to distinguish any district or place from a foreign settlement of the same name. In Sclavonic districts it is opposed to the word _Katholic_, in connection with the form of religion practised by their inhabitants--as in Deutsch-hanmer (the Protestant village, opposed to Katholic-hanmer, belonging to the Catholic or Greek Church). In other cases it is opposed to _Walsch_ (foreign--_v._ WALSCH), as in Deutsch-steinach and Walsh-steinach (the German and foreign towns on the _Steinach_, or stony water). The Romans employed the word _Germania_ for _Deutsch_, which Professor Leo traces to a Celtic root _gair-mean_ (one who cries out or shouts); _e.g._ Deutschen, in the Tyrol; Deutz, in Rhenish Prussia; Deutschendorf, in Hungary; Deutschenhausen, in Moravia, i.e. the dwellings of the Germans. The earliest name by which the Germans designated themselves seems to have been _Tungri_ (the speakers). It was not till the seventeenth century that the word _Dutch_ was restricted to the Low Germans. The French name for Germany is modernised from the _Alemanni_ (a mixed race, and probably means _other_ men, or _foreigners_).

[Sidenote: DIEP, TIEF (Teut.), DWFN (Cym.-Cel.),]

deep; _e.g._ Deeping, Dibden, Dibdale (deep valley); Deptford (deep ford); Market-deeping (the market-town in the low meadow); Devonshire, Cel. _Dwfnient_ (the deep valleys); Diepholz (deep wood); Dieppe, Scand. _Duipa_ (the deep water), the name of the river upon which it was built; Abraham’s diep (Abraham’s hollow), in Holland; Diepenbeck (deep brook); Tiefenthal and Tiefengrund (deep valley); Teupitz (the deep water), a town in Prussia on a lake of this name; Defynock (a deep valley), in Wales.

[Sidenote: DINAS, or DIN (Cym.-Cel.),]

a fortified height, a city, cognate with the Gadhelic _dun_; _e.g._ Dinmore (the great fort), in Hereford; Dynevor, anc. _Dinas-fawr_ (great fortress), in Carmarthen; Denbigh, Welsh _Din-bach_ (little fort); Ruthin, in Co. Denbigh, corrupt. from _Rhudd-din_ (red castle); Dinas Bran, a mountain and castle in Wales named after an ancient king named Bran-Dinas-Powys, corrupt. from _Denes Powys_, a mansion built by the Prince of Powys in honour of the lady whom he had married, whose name was Denis; Hawarden, _i.e._ fixed on a hill, _den_, in Flint; its ancient name was Penarth-Halawig (the headland above the salt marsh); Dinefwr (the fenced hill), an ancient castle in the vale of the R. Tywy; Tenby (Dane’s dwelling)--_v._ DAN; Welsh _Denbych-y-Pysod_, _i.e._ of the fishes--to distinguish from its namesake in North Wales; Tintern, corrupt. from _Din-Teyrn_ (the king’s mount), in Wales; Dinan in France; Dinant in Belgium (the fortress on the water); Digne, anc. _Dinia-Bodionticarium_ (the fort of the Bodiontici), in France; London, anc. _Londinum_ (the fort on the marsh--_lon_, or perhaps on the grove--_llwyn_). Din sometimes takes the form of _tin_, as in Tintagel (St. Degla’s fort), in Cornwall; Tintern (the fort, _din_, of the prince, Welsh _teyrn_), in Monmouth.

[Sidenote: DINKEL (Ger.),]

a kind of grain; _e.g._ Dinkelburg, Dinkelstadt, Dinkellage, Dinklar, Dinkelsbuhl (the town, place, field, site, hill, where this grain abounded).

[Sidenote: DIOT, or theod (Teut.),]

the people; _e.g._ Thetford, corrupt. from _Theotford_ (the people’s ford); Detmold, corrupt. from _Theot-malli_ (the people’s place of meeting); Diotweg (the people’s highway); Dettweiller (the town of the Diet, or people’s meeting); Ditmarsh, anc. _Thiedmarsi_ (the people’s marsh); Dettingen (belonging to the people)--_v._ ING.

[Sidenote: DIVA, or DWIPA (Sansc.),]

an island; _e.g._ the Maldives (_i.e._ the 1000 islands); the Laccadives (the 10,000 islands); Java or _Yava-dwipa_ (the island of rice, _jawa_, or of nutmegs, _jayah_); Socotra or _Dwipa-Sukadara_ (the island of bliss); Ceylon or _Sanhala-Dwipa_ (the island of lions), but called by the natives Lanka (the resplendent), and by the Arabs Seren-dib (silk island); Dondrahead, corrupt. from _Dewandere_ (the end of the island), in Ceylon.

[Sidenote: DLAUHY, DLUGY (Sclav.),]

long, Germanised _dolge_; _e.g._ Dlugenmost (long bridge); Dolgenbrodt (long ford); Dolgensee (long lake); Dolgen, Dolgow, Dolgenow (long place).

[Sidenote: DOBRO, DOBRA (Sclav.),]

good; _e.g._ Great and Little Döbern, Dobra, Dobrau, Dobrawitz, Dobretzee, Dobrezin (good place); Dobberstroh (good pasture); Dobberbus (good village); Dobrutscha (good land), part of Bulgaria; Dobergast (good inn).

[Sidenote: DODD (Scand.),]

a hill with a round top; _e.g._ Dodd-Fell (the round rock), in Cumberland; Dodmaen (the round stone), in Cornwall, popularly called Dead Man’s Point.

[Sidenote: DOM (Ger.),]

a cathedral, and, in French topography, a house, from the Lat. _domus_; _e.g._ Dom, in Westphalia; Domfront (the dwelling of Front, a hermit); Dompierre (Peter’s house or church); Domblain (of St. Blaine); Domleger (of St. Leger); Dongermain (of St. Germanus), in France; but the word _domhnach_, in Ireland (_i.e._ a church), has another derivation. This word, Anglicised _donagh_, signifies Sunday as well as church, from the Lat. _Dominica_ (the Lord’s day); and all the churches with this prefix to their names were originally founded by St. Patrick, and the foundations were laid on Sunday; _e.g._ Donaghmore (great church); Donaghedy, in Tyrone (St. Caidoc’s church); Donaghanie, _i.e._ _Domnach-an-eich_ (the church of the steed); Donaghmoyne (of the plain); Donaghcloney (of the meadow); Donaghcumper (of the confluence); Donnybrook (St. Broc’s church).

[Sidenote: DONK, DUNK, DONG (Old Ger.),]

a mound surrounded by a marsh; _e.g._ Dong-weir (the mound of the weir); Dunkhof (the enclosure at the mound); Dongen (the dwelling at the mound); Hasedonk (the mound of the brushwood).

[Sidenote: DORF, DORP, DRUP (Teut.),]

a village or small town, originally applied to any small assembly of people; _e.g._ Altendorf, Oldendorf (old town); Sommerstorf (summer town); Baiarsdorf (the town of the Boii, or Bavarians); Gastdorf (the town of the inn, or for guests); Dusseldorf, Meldorf, Ohrdruff, Vilsendorf (towns of the Rivers Dussel, Miele, Ohr, and Vils); Jagersdorf (huntsman’s village); Nussdorf (nut village); Mattersdorf and Matschdorf, Ritzendorf, Ottersdorf (the towns of Matthew, Richard, and Otho); Lindorf (the village at the linden-tree); Sandrup (sandy village); Dorfheim, Dorpam (village home).

[Sidenote: DORN (Ger.), DOORN (Dutch), THYRN (A.S.), DRAENEN (Cym.-Cel.), DRAEIGHEN (Gadhelic),]

the thorn; _e.g._ Dornburg, Dornheim or Dornum, Dornburen, Thornton (thorn dwelling); Doorn, the name of several places in the Dutch colony, South Africa; Dornberg and Doornhoek (thorn hill); Dornach (full of thorns); but Dornoch, in Sutherlandshire, is not from this root; it is said to be derived from the Gael. _dorneich_, in allusion to a certain Danish leader having been slain at the place by a blow from a horse’s hoof. Thornhill, Thornbury, village names in England and Scotland; Thorney (thorn island); Thorne, a town in Yorkshire; Yr Ddreinog, Welsh (the thorny place), a hamlet in Anglesey; but Thorn, a town in Prussia--Polish _Torun_--is probably derived from a cognate word for _torres_, a tower. In Ireland: Dreen, Drinan, Dreenagh, Drinney (places producing the black thorn).

[Sidenote: DRECHT (Old Ger.),]

for _trift_, meadow pasture; _e.g._ Moordrecht, Zwyndrecht, Papendrecht, Ossendrecht (the moor, swine, oxen pasture, and the priest’s meadow); Dort or Dordrecht (the pasture on the water), situated in an island formed by the Maas; Maestricht, Latinised into _Trajectus-ad-Moesum_ (the pasture or ford on the Maas or Meuse); Utrecht, Latinised _Trajectus-ad-Rhenum_ (the ford or pasture on the Rhine), or _Ultra-trajectum_ (beyond the ford).

[Sidenote: DRIESCH (Ger.),]

fallow ground; _e.g._ Driesch and Dresche, in Oldenburg; Driesfelt (fallow field); Bockendriesch (the fallow ground at the beech-trees).

[Sidenote: DROICHEAD (Gadhelic),]

a bridge; _e.g._ Drogheda, anc. _Droichead-atha_ (the bridge at the ford); Ballydrehid (bridge town); Knockadreet (the hill of the bridge); Drumadrehid (the ridge at the bridge); Kildrought (the church at the bridge), in Ireland; _Ceann-Drochaid_ (bridge end), the Gaelic name for the Castleton of Braemar.

[Sidenote: DROOG, or DURGA (Sansc.),]

a hill fort; _e.g._ Savendroog (golden fort); Viziadroog (the fort of victory); Chitteldroog (spotted fort); Calliendroog (flourishing fort); Sindeedroog (the fort of the sun).

[Sidenote: DROWO, or DRZEWO (Sclav.), DRU (Sansc.), TRIU (Goth.), a tree,]

wood, or a forest; _e.g._ Drebkau, Drewitsch, Drewitz, Drohobicz (the woody place); Drewiz, Drehnow, Drehna, with the same meaning; Misdroi (in the midst of woods).

[Sidenote: DRUIM, DROM (Gadhelic),]

a ridge, from _droma_, the back-bone of an animal, cognate with the Lat. _dorsum_; _e.g._ Drumard (high ridge); Dromeen, Drumeen, Drymen (little ridge); Dromore (great ridge); Dromagh and Drumagh (full of ridges); Dromineer, Co. Tipperary, and Drumminer in Aberdeenshire (the ridge of the confluence, _inbhir_); Aughrim, Irish _Each-dhruim_ (the horses’ ridge); Leitrim, _i.e._ _Liath-dhruim_ (gray ridge); Dromanure (the ridge of the yew-tree); Drumderg (red ridge); Drumlane (broad ridge); Drumcliff, _i.e._ _Druim-chluibh_ (the ridge of the baskets); Drummond, common in Ireland and Scotland, corrupt. from _drumen_ (little ridge). In Scotland there are Drumoak (the ridge of St. Mozola, a virgin)--in Aberdeenshire it was originally Dalmaile (the valley of Mozola); Meldrum-Old (bald ridge), in Aberdeenshire; Drem (the ridge in East Lothian); Drumalbin, Lat. _Dorsum-Britanniae_ (the back-bone or ridge of Scotland); Drummelzier, formerly _Dunmeller_ (the fort of Meldredus, who, according to tradition, slew Merlin, whose grave is shown in the parish); Drumblate (the warm ridge, or the flowery ridge); Drumcliff, Co. Sligo, _i.e._ _Druimcliabh_ (the ridge of the baskets).

[Sidenote: DRWS (Welsh),]

a door or pass; _e.g._ Drws-y-coed (the pass of the wood); Drws-y-nant (of the valley); Drws-Ardudwy (of the black water).

[Sidenote: DU (Cym.-Cel.), DUBH (Gadhelic),]

black; _e.g._ Ddulas, a river in Wales; Douglas, in Scotland (the black stream); Dubyn (the black lake).

[Sidenote: DUB (Sclav.),]

the oak; _e.g._ Dubicza, Dubrau, Düben, Dubrow (the place of oak-trees); Teupliz, corrupt. from _Dublize_, with the same meaning; Dobojze, Germanised into _Daubendorf_ (oak village); Dubrawice (oak village); Dubrawka (oak wood), Germanised _Eichenwäldchen_, a colony from Dubrow. In Poland this word takes the form of Dombrowo Dombroka.

[Sidenote: DUN (Gadhelic),]

a stronghold, a hill fort, cognate with the Welsh _din_. As an adjective, _dun_ or _don_ means strong, as in Dunluce, _i.e._ _dun-lios_ (strong fort); Duncladh (strong dyke). As a verb, it signifies what is closed or shut in, _dunadh_, with the same meaning as the Teut. _tun_, as in Corra-dhunta (the closed weir). Its full signification, therefore, is a strong enclosed place, and the name was accordingly applied in old times to forts surrounded by several circumvallations, the remains of which are still found in Ireland and Scotland. Many such places are called simply _doon_ or _down_; _e.g._ Doune Castle, in Perthshire; Down-Patrick, named from an entrenched _dun_ near the cathedral; Down and the Downs, King’s Co. and West Meath; Dooneen and Downing (little fort); Dundalk, _i.e._ _Dun-Dealgan_ (Delga’s fort); Dundonald (the fort of Domhnall); Dungannon (Geanan’s fort); Dungarvan (Garvan’s fort); Dunleary (Laeghaire’s fort), now Kingston; Dunhill and Dunally, for _Dun-aille_ (the fort on the cliff); Downamona (of the bog); Shandon (old fort); Doonard (high fort); and many others in Ireland. In Scotland: Dumbarton (the hill fort of the Britons or Cumbrians); Dumfries (the fort among shrubs, _preas_, or of the Feresians, _Caer Pheris_)--_v._ Dr. Skene’s _Book of Wales_; Dunbar (the fort on the summit, or of Barr, a chief); Dunblane (of St. Blane); Dundee, Lat. _Tao-dunum_, probably for _Dun-Tatha_ (the fort on the Tay); Dunedin, or Edinburgh (Edwin’s fort), so named by a prince of Northumberland in 628--its earlier names were _Dunmonadh_ (the fort of the hill), or in Welsh _Dinas-Agned_ (the city of the painted people), and the _Castrum-Alatum_ of Ptolemy. The Pictish maidens of the royal race were kept in Edinburgh Castle, hence it was also called _Castrum-Puellarum_; Dunottar (the fort on the reef, _oiter_); Dunfermline (the fort of the alder-tree pool, or of the winding pool); Dundrennan (the fort of the thorn bushes); Dunlop (the fortified hill at the angle of the stream, _lub_); Dunkeld, anc. _Duncalden_ (the fort of hazels); Dunbeath (of the birches); Dunrobin (Robert’s fortress), founded by Robert, Earl of Sutherland; Dunure (of the yew-trees); Dunnichen, _i.e._ _Dunn-Nechtan_ (of Nechtan, a Pictish king); Dunsyre (the prophet’s hill or fort); Donegall, Irish _Dungall_ (_i.e._ the fort of the strangers, the Danes); Lexdon, in Essex, Lat. _Legionis-dunum_ (the fort of the legion); Leyden, in Holland, Lat. _Lugdunum-Batavorum_ (the fortress of the Batavians, in the hollow, _lug_); Lyons, anc. _Lugdunum_ (the fort in the hollow); Maldon, in Essex, anc. _Camelodunum_ (the fort of the Celtic war-god Camal); Melun, anc. _Melodunum_ (bald fort, _maol_), in France; Nevers, Lat. _Noviodunum_ (new fort), in France; Thuin, in Belgium, and Thun, in Switzerland (_dun_, the hill fort); Yverdun, anc. _Ebrodunum_ (the fort on the water, _bior_); Kempten, in Germany, anc. _Campodunum_ (the fort in the field); Issoudun (the fort on the water, _uisge_); Emden (the fort on the R. Ems); Dijon, anc. _Dibisdunum_ (the fort on two waters), at the conf. of the Ouche and Suzon; Mehun, Meudon, and Meuny, in France (the fort on the plain), Lat. _Magdunum_; Verdun, anc. _Verodunum_ (the fort on the water, _bior_), on the R. Meuse, in France; Verden, in Hanover, on the R. Aller, with the same meaning; Autun, corrupt. from _Augustodunum_ (the fortress of Augustus); Wimbledon, in Surrey, anc. _Wibbandun_ (from an ancient proprietor, Wibba); Sion, in Switzerland, Ger. _Sitten_, corrupt. from its ancient Celtic name _Suidh-dunum_ (the seat of the hill fort). From _Daingeann_ (a fortress) are derived such names as Dangen and Dingen, in Ireland; also Dingle, in its earlier form _Daingean-ui-Chuis_ (the fort of O’Cush or Hussey); it received its present name in the reign of Elizabeth; Ballendine and Ballendaggan (the town of the fort); Dangan was also the ancient name of Philipstown.

[Sidenote: DUNE, or DOWN (A.S.), DUN (Cel.),]

a grassy hill or mound; _e.g._ the Downs, in the south of England; the Dunes, in Flanders; Halidon Hill (the holy hill); Dunham, Dunwick, and Dutton, originally _Dunton_ (hill town); Croydon (chalk hill); Dunkirk, in Flanders (the church on the dunes); Snowdon (snowy hill), in Wales; its Welsh name is _Creigiawr_ (the eagle’s rock), _eryr_ (an eagle); Dunse, a town in Berwickshire, now _Duns_, near a hill of the same name; the Eildon Hills, in Roxburghshire, corrupt. from _Moeldun_ (the bald hill); Eddertoun, in Ross-shire (between the hills or dunes).

[Sidenote: DUR, or DOBHR (Gadhelic), DWFR, or DWR (Cym.-Cel.), DOUR (Breton),]

water; _e.g._ Dour, Douro, Dore, Duir, THUR, Doro, Adour, Durance, Duron (river names); Glasdur (green water); Calder, anc. _Caldover_ (woody water); Derwent (bright or clear water); Lauder (the gray water); Ledder and Leader (the broad water); Dorking, Co. Surrey, anc. _Durchinges_, or more correctly, _Durvicingas_ (dwellers by the water--_wician_, to dwell); Briare, on the Loire, anc. _Briva-durum_ (the town on the brink of the water, probably Dover, from this root); Dorchester (the fortress of the Durotriges--dwellers by the water), _trigo_, Cym.-Cel. (to dwell), called by Leland _Hydropolis_; Rother (the red river); Cawdor, anc. _Kaledor_ (woody water).

[Sidenote: DÜRRE (Ger.), DROOG (Dutch),]

dry, sterile; _e.g._ Dürrenstein (the barren rock); Dürrental (the barren valley); Dürrwald (the dry or sterile wood); Droogberg (the barren hill); Drupach (dry brook).

[Sidenote: DWOR (Sclav.), THUR (Ger.), DORUS (Cel.), DWAR (Sansc.),]

a door or opening, an open court; _e.g._ Dvoretz (the town at the opening), in Russia; Dwarka (the court or gate), Hindostan; Hurdwar (the court of Hurry or Siva), called also _Gangadwara_ (the opening of the Ganges), in Hindostan; Issoire, anc. _Issiodorum_ (the town at door or meeting of the waters, _uisge_), a town in France at the conf. of the Allier and Couze; Durrisdeer, Gael. _Dorus-darach_ (at the opening of the oak-wood), in Dumfriesshire; Lindores, in Fife, anc. _Lindoruis_ (at the outlet of the waters), on a lake of the same name which communicates by a small stream with the Tay.

[Sidenote: DYFFRYN (Welsh),]

a river valley; _e.g._ Dyffryn-Clydach, Dyffryn-Gwy, in the valleys of the R. Clwyd and Gwy, in Wales; Dyffryn-golych (the vale of worship), in Glamorgan.

E

[Sidenote: EA (A.S.), EY, AY, EGE or EG OE, O, or A (Scand.), OOG (Dutch),]

an island; from _ea_, _a_, _aa_, running water; _ea_ or _ey_ enter into the composition of many A.S. names of places which are now joined to the mainland or to rich pastures by the river-side, as in Eton, Eaton, Eyam, Eyworth, Eywick (dwellings by the water); Eyemouth, Moulsy, on the R. Mole; Bermondsey, now included in the Metropolis; Eamont, anc. _Eamot_ (the meeting of waters); Fladda and Fladday (flat island); Winchelsea (either the corner, A.S. _wincel_, of the water, or the island of Wincheling, son of the Saxon king Cissa, who founded it); Swansea (Sweyn’s town, on the water), at the mouth of the Tawey; Anglesea (the island of the Angles or English), so named by the Danes--its Welsh name was _Ynys-Fonn_ or _Mona_; Portsea (the island of the haven); Battersea (St. Peter’s isle), because belonging to St. Peter’s Abbey, Westminster; Chelsea (ship island, or the island of the sandbank)--_v._ p. 46, CEOL, CEOSEL; Ely (eel island); Jersey (Cæsar’s isle); Olney (holly meadow); Odensee (Woden’s island or town on the water); Whalsey (whale island, _hval_); Rona (St. Ronan’s isle); Mageroe (scraggy island); Nordereys and Sudereys--from this word Sudereys, the Bishop of Sodor and Man takes his title--(the north and south isles), names given by the Norsemen to the Hebrides and the Orkneys under their rule; Oesel (seal island); Oransay (the island of St. Oran); Pabba and Papa (priest’s isle). The Papae or Christian anchorites came from Ireland and the west of Scotland to Orkney and Shetland, and traces of them were found in Iceland on its discovery by the Norsemen, hence probably such names as Pappa and Crimea (the island of the Cymri or Cimmerians); Morea (the mulberry-shaped island); Shapinsay (the isle of Hjalpand, a Norse Viking); Faröe (the sheep islands--_faar_, Scand.); Faroe, also in Sweden; but Farr, a parish in the north of Scotland, is from _faire_, Gael. a watch or sentinel, from a chain of watch-towers which existed there in former times; Staffa (the island of the staves or columns, Scand. _stav_); Athelney (the island of the nobles); Bressay, Norse _Bardie’s ay_ (giant’s island); Bardsey (the bard’s island), the last retreat of the Welsh bards; Femoe (cattle island); Fetlar, anc. _Fedor’s-oe_ (Theodore’s island); Romney (marsh island), Gael. _Rumach_; Sheppey, A.S. _Sceapige_ (sheep island); Langeoog (long island); Oeland (water land); Torsay (the island with conical hills, _torr_); Chertsey, A.S. _Ceortes-ige_ (Ceorot’s island); Lingley (heathery island), _ling_, Norse (heather); Muchelney (large island); Putney, A.S. _Puttanige_ (Putta’s isle); Thorney (thorny island), but its more ancient name was _Ankerige_, from an anchorite who dwelt in a cell in the island.

[Sidenote: EADAR, EDAR (Cel.), between, ENTRE (Fr., Span., and Port.), INTER (Lat.),]

_e.g._ Eddertoun, Co. Ross (between hills)--_v._ DUNE; Eddra-chillis, _i.e._ _Eadar da Chaolas_ (between two firths), Co. Sutherland; Killederdaowen, in Galway, _i.e._ _Coill-eder-da-abhainn_ (the wood between two rivers); and Killadrown, King’s County, with the same meaning; Cloonederowen, Galway (the meadow between two rivers); Ballydarown (the townland between two rivers). In France: Entre-deux-mers (between two seas); Entrevaux (between valleys); Entre-rios (between streams), in Spain; Entre-Douro-e-Minho (between these rivers), in Portugal; Interlacken (between lakes), in Switzerland.

[Sidenote: EAGLAIS (Gadhelic), EGLWYS (Cym.-Cel.), ILIZ (Armoric), EGYHAZ (Hung.),]

a church. These and synonymous words in the Romance languages are derived from Lat. _ecclesia_, and that from the Grk. ὲκκλησια (an assembly); _e.g._ Eccles, a parish and suburb of Manchester, also the name of two parishes in Berwickshire; Eccleshall, in Staffordshire, so called because the bishops of Lichfield formerly had a palace there; Eccleshill (church hill), in Yorkshire; Eccleston (church town), in Lancashire; Ecclesmachan (the church of St. Machan), in Linlithgow; Eaglesham (the hamlet at the church), Co. Renfrew; Ecclescraig or Ecclesgrieg (the church of St. Gregory or Grig), in Kincardine; Eglishcormick (St. Cormac’s church), Dumfries; Ecclescyrus (of St. Cyrus), in Fife; Lesmahago, Co. Lanark, corrupt. from _Ecclesia-Machuti_ (the church of St. Machute, who is said to have settled there in the sixth century); Carluke, in Lanarkshire, corrupt. from _Eccles-maol-Luke_ (the church of the servant of St. Luke); Terregles, anc. _Traver-eglys_ (church lands), Gael. _treabhair_ (houses), in Kirkcudbright. In Wales: Eglwys Fair (St. Mary’s church); Hen-eglwys (old church); Aglish and Eglish (the church), the names of parishes in Ireland; Aglishcloghone (the church of the stepping-stones); Iglesuela (little church), in Spain; Fèhér eghaz (white church), in Hungary. In France: Eglise-aux-bois (the church in the woods); Eglise neuve (new church); Eglisolles, Eliçaberry, and Eliçaberria (the church in the plain). Such names as Aylesford, Aylsworth, Aylesby, etc., may be derived from _eglwys_ or _ecclesia_, corrupted.

[Sidenote: EAS, ESS, ESSIE (Gadhelic),]

a waterfall; _e.g._ the R. Ness and Loch Ness (_i.e._ the river and lake of the Fall of Foyers); Essnambroc (the waterfall of the badger); Essmore (the great waterfall); Doonass (_i.e._ Irish _Dun easa_ (the fort of the cataract), on the Shannon; Caherass, in Limerick, with the same meaning; Pollanass (the pool of the waterfall); Fetteresso, in Kincardine (the uncultivated land, _fiadhair_, near the waterfall); Edessa, in Turkey, seems to derive its name from the same root, as its Sclavonic name is _Vodena_, with the same meaning; Edessa, in Mesopotamia, is on the R. Daisan; Portessie (the port of the waterfall), Banff.

[Sidenote: EBEN (Ger.),]

a plain; _e.g._ Ebenried and Ebenrinth (the cleared plain); Ebnit (on the plain); Breite-Ebnit (broad plain); Holzeben (woody plain).

[Sidenote: ECKE, or EGG (Teut. and Scand.), VIG (Gadhelic),]

a nook or corner; _e.g._ Schönegg (beautiful nook); Eckdorf (corner village); Eggberg (corner hill); Reinecke (the Rhine corner); Randecke (the corner of the point, _rand_); Vilseek (at the corner of the R. Vils); Wendecken (the corner of the Wends or Sclaves); Edgcott (the corner hut); Wantage, Co. Berks (Wanta’s corner), on the edge of a stream; Stevenage, Co. Herts (Stephen’s corner); Gourock (the goal’s corner); Landeck, in the Tyrol (at the meeting or corner of three roads); Nigg, Gael. _N-uig_ (at the corner), a parish in Co. Kincardine, and also in Ross and Cromarty; Haideck (heath corner), in Bavaria.

[Sidenote: EGER (Hung.),]

the alder-tree; _e.g._ the R. Eger with the town of the same name.

[Sidenote: EILEAN (Gadhelic), EALAND (A.S.), EYLANDT (Dutch), INSEL (Ger.),]

an island, cognate with the Lat. _insula_. The Gaelic word is generally applied to smaller islands than _innis_; _e.g._ _Eilean-sgiathach_ or Skye (the winged island); Eilean-dunan (the isle of the small fort); Eilean-na-goibhre (of the goats); Eilean-na-monach (of the monks); Eilean-na-Clearach (of the clergy); Eilean-na-naoimbh (of the saints), often applied to Ireland; _Eilean-nam-Muchad_ or Muck (the island of pigs), in the Hebrides; Flannan, in the Hebrides, _i.e._ _Eilean-an-Flannan_ (of St. Flannan); Groote Eylandt (great island), off the coast of Australia; Rhode Island, in the United States, Dutch (_red_ island), or, according to another interpretation, so named from its fancied resemblance in form to the island of Rhodes.

[Sidenote: EISEN (Ger.),]

iron; _e.g._ Eisenstadt (iron town); Eisenach, in Germany (on a river impregnated with iron); Eisenberg (iron hill fort), in Germany; Eisenburg (iron town), Hung. _Vasvar_, in Hungary; Eisenirz (iron ore), on the Erzberg Mountains; Eisenschmidt (iron forge), in Prussia.

[Sidenote: ELF (Goth.), ELV,]

a river; _e.g._ Alf, Alb, Elbe, Elben, river names; Laagenelv (the river in the hollow); Dol-elf (valley river); Elbing, a town on a river of the same name.

[Sidenote: ENAGH, or ÆNAGH (Irish),]

an assembly of people, such as were held in old times by the Irish at the burial mounds, and in modern times applied to a cattle fair; _e.g._ Nenagh, in Tipperary, anc. _’n-Ænach-Urmhumhan_ (the assembly meeting-place of Ormund), the definite article _n_ having been added to the name--this place is still celebrated for its great fairs; Ballinenagh, Ballineanig, Ballynenagh (the town of the fair); Ardanlanig (the height of the fair); Monaster-an-enagh (the monastery at the place of meeting). But this word is not to be confounded with _eanach_ (a watery place or marsh), found under such forms as _enagh_ and _annagh_, especially in Ulster. Thus Annabella, near Mallow, is in Irish _Eanachbile_ (the marsh of the old tree); Annaghaskin (the marsh of the eels).

[Sidenote: ENDE (Teut.),]

the end or corner; Ostend, in Belgium (at the west end of the canal opening into the ocean); Ostend, in Essex (at the east end of the land); Oberende (upper end); Süderende (the south corner); Endfelden (the corner of the field), probably Enfield, near London. Purmerend (at the end of the Purmer), a lake in Holland, now drained.

[Sidenote: ENGE (Teut.),]

narrow; _e.g._ Engberg (narrow hill); Engbrück (narrow bridge); Engkuizen (the narrow houses).

[Sidenote: ERBE (Ger.),]

an inheritance or property; _e.g._ Erbstellen (the place of the inheritance, or the inherited property); Erbhof (the inherited mansion-house); Sechserben (the property or inheritance of the Saxons).

[Sidenote: ERDE (Teut.),]

cultivated land; _e.g._ Rotherde (red land); Schwarzenerde (black land).

[Sidenote: ERLE (Ger.),]

the alder-tree; _e.g._ Erla and Erlabeka (alder-tree stream); Erlangen (the dwelling near alder-trees); Erlau, a town in Hungary, on the Erlau (alder-tree river).

[Sidenote: ERMAK (Turc.),]

a river; _e.g._ Kizel-Ermack (red river); Jekil-Ermak (green river).

[Sidenote: ESCHE (Old Ger.),]

a common or sowed field; _e.g._ Summeresche, Winteresche (the field sown in summer and winter); Brachesche (the field broken up for tillage); Kaiseresche (the emperor’s common). For this word as an affix, _v._ p. 5; as a prefix it signifies the ash-tree, as in the Aschaff or ash-tree river; Aschaffenberg (the fortress on the Aschaff); Eschach (ash-tree stream); Escheweiller (ash-tree town); Eschau (ash-tree meadow).

[Sidenote: ESGAIR (Welsh),]

a long ridge; _e.g._ Esgair-hir (the long ridge); Esgair-yn-eira (the snow ridge).

[Sidenote: ESKI (Turc.),]

old; _e.g._ Eski-djuma (old ditch).

[Sidenote: ESPE, or ASPE (Ger.),]

the poplar-tree; _e.g._ Aspach (a place abounding in poplars, or the poplar-tree stream); Espenfield (the field of poplars); Aspenstadt (the station of poplars)--_v._ AESP, p. 5.

[Sidenote: ESTERO (Span.),]

a marsh or salt creek; _e.g._ Estero-Santiago (St. James’s marsh); Los-Esteros (the salt creeks), in South America.

[Sidenote: ETAN, TANA (Basque),]

a district, with the same meaning as the Cel. _tan_, Latinised _tania_; _e.g._ Aquitania (the district of the waters); Mauritania (of the Moors); Lusitania (the ancient name of Portugal). This root-word enters into the name of Britain, according to Taylor--_v._ _Words and Places_.

[Sidenote: EUDAN, or AODANN (Gadhelic),]

the forehead--in topography, the front or brow of a hill; _e.g._ Edenderry (the hill-brow of the oak-wood); Edenkelly (the front of the wood); Ednashanlaght (the hill-brow of the old sepulchre); Edenmore (the great hill-brow); Edina (one of the ancient names of Edinburgh).

[Sidenote: EVES (A.S.),]

a margin; _e.g._ Evedon (on the brink of the hill); Evesbatch (the brink of the brook); Evesham (the dwelling on the bank of the River Avon, in Worcester, or the dwelling of Eoves, a shepherd, afterwards made Bishop of Worcester).

F

[Sidenote: FAGUS (Lat.),]

a beech-tree; _Fagetum_, a place planted with beeches; _e.g._ La Fage, Le Faget, Fayet, Les Faus, Faumont, in France.

[Sidenote: FAHR, FUHR (Teut. and Scand.),]

a way or passage--from _fahren_, to go; _e.g._ Fahrenhorst (the passage at the wood); Fahrenbach, Fahrwasser (the passage over the water); Fahrwangen (the field at the ferry); Rheinfahr (the passage over the Rhine); Langefahr (long ferry); Niederfahr (lower ferry); Vere or Campvere, in Holland (the ferry leading to Kampen); Ferryby (the town of the Ferry), in Yorkshire; Broughty-Ferry, in Fife (the ferry near a _brough_ or castle, the ruins of which still remain); Ferry-Port-on-Craig (the landing-place on the rock, opposite Broughty-Ferry); Queensferry, West Lothian, named from Queen Margaret; Connal-Ferry (the ferry of the raging flood), _confhath-tuil_, in Argyleshire; Fareham, Co. Hants (the dwelling at the ferry).

[Sidenote: FALU, or FALVA (Hung.),]

a village; _e.g._ Uj-falu (new village); Olah-falu (the village of the Wallachians or Wallochs, a name which the Germans applied to the Sclaves); Hanus-falva (John’s village); Ebes-falva (Elizabeth’s village), Ger. _Elizabeth-stadt_; Szombat-falva (the village at which the Saturday market was held); Balars-falva (the village of Blaise); Bud-falva (the village of Buda).

[Sidenote: FANUM (Lat.),]

a temple; _e.g._ Fano, in Italy, anc. _Fanum-Fortunæ_ (the temple of fortune), built here by the Romans to commemorate the defeat of Asdrubal on the Metaurus; Famars, anc. _Fanum-Martis_ (the temple of Mars); Fanjeaux, anc. _Fanum-Jovis_ (of Jove); St. Dié, anc. _Fanum-Deodati_ (the temple of Deodatus, Bishop of Nevers); St. Dezier, anc. _Fanum-Desiderii_ (the temple of St. Desiderius); Florent-le-Vieul, anc. _Fanum-Florentii_ (of St. Florentius); St. Flour, _Fanum-Flori_ (of St. Florus).

[Sidenote: FARR (Norse),]

a sheep. This word seems to have given names to several places in the north of Scotland, as affording good pasture for sheep; _e.g._ Farr, a parish in Sutherlandshire); Farra, Faray, islands in the Hebrides and Orkneys; Fare, a hill in Aberdeenshire.

[Sidenote: FEARN (Gadhelic), FAUR, or VAUR (great)--_v._ MAUR,]

the alder-tree; _e.g._ Fernagh, Farnagh, and Ferney (a place abounding in alder-trees), in Ireland; Glenfarne (alder-tree valley); Ferns, Co. Wexford, anc. _Fearna_ (the place of alders); Gortnavern (the field of alders); Farney, Co. Monaghan, corrupt. from _Fearn-mhagh_ (alder-tree plain); Altanfearn (the little stream of alders); Sronfearn (the point of alders)--_v._ p. 178; Fearns (the alder-trees), in Ross-shire; Fearn, also in Forfar; Ferney, on the Lake of Geneva, probably with same meaning as Ferney in Ireland.

[Sidenote: FEHER (Hung.),]

white; Szekes-Fehervar, Ger. _Stulweissenburg_ (the throne of the white fortress).

[Sidenote: FEKETE (Hung.),]

black; _e.g._ Fekete-halam (black hill).

[Sidenote: FEL (Hung.),]

upper, in opposition to _al_, lower; _e.g._ Felsovaros (upper town); Alvaros (lower town).

[Sidenote: FELD, or VELD (Teut.),]

a plain or field; lit. a place where trees had been felled; _e.g._ Feldham (field dwelling); Feldberg (field fortress); Bassevelde, in Belgium (low plain); Gurkfeld (cucumber field); Leckfeld, Rhinfeld (the plain of the Rivers Leck and Rhine); Great Driffield, in Yorkshire (dry field); Huddersfield, in Doomsday _Oderesfeld_, from a personal name; Macclesfield (the field of St. Michael’s church); Sheffield, on the R. Sheaf; Mansfield, on the R. Mann; Lichfield, Co. Stafford (the field of corpses), A.S. _Licenfelt_, where, according to tradition, a great slaughter of the Christians took place in the reign of Diocletian; Wakefield (the field by the wayside, _waeg_); Spitalfields, (_i.e._ the fields near the hospital or place of entertainment), Lat. _hospitalium_. There is a watering-place near Berwick called Spital, also a suburb of Aberdeen called the Spital; Smithfield, in London, is a corruption of _Smethfield_ (smooth field); Beaconsfield, Berks, so called from having been built on a height on which beacon fires were formerly lighted); Coilsfield, in Ayrshire (the field of Coilus or King Coil). There is a large mound near it said to mark the site of his grave.

[Sidenote: FELL, FIALL, or FJELD (Scand.), FEL, FELSEN (Ger.),]

a high mountain or mountain range; _e.g._ Dovrefeld (the gloomy mountains); Donnersfeld (the mountain range of thunder or of Thor); Snafel, Iceland, and Sneefell, in the Isle of Man (snow mountain); Blaefell (blue mountain); Drachenfells (the dragon’s rock); Weissenfels (the white rock); Rothenfels (red rock); Scawfell (the mountain of the _scaw_ or promontory); Hartfell (of harts); Hestfell (of the steed); Lindenfels (of the linden-tree); Lichtenfels (the mountain of light), a Moravian settlement in Greenland; Fitful Head, corrupt. from _fitfioll_ (the hill with the promontory running into the sea), Old Norse _fit_--in Shetland; Falaise, in France, a promontory, derived from the Ger. _fell_; Fellentin (the fort, _dun_, on the rock), in France; Souter-fell, Cumberland; Saudfjeld, Norway; Saudafell, in Iceland (sheep hill), from Old Norse _sauder_, a sheep; perhaps Soutra Hill, in Mid-Lothian, may come from the same word; Criffel (the craggy rock), Dumfries; Felza, Felsbach (rocky stream), in France; Felsberg (rock fortress), in Germany; Goat-fell, in Arran, Gael. _Gaoth-ceann_ (the windy point), to which the Norsemen added their _fell_.

[Sidenote: FENN (Ger.), VEN, or VEEN (Dutch), FEN (A.S.),]

a marsh; _e.g._ the Fenns or marshy lands; Fen-ditton (the enclosed town on the marsh); Fenny-Stratford (the ford on the Roman road, _strat_, in the marshy land); Fenwick, Fenton, Finsbury (the town or enclosed place on the marsh); Venloo, in Belgium (the place in the marsh); Veenhof, Veenhusen (dwellings in the marsh); Houtveen (woody marsh); Diepenveen (deep marsh); Zutphen, in Holland (the south marsh); Ravenna, in Italy, called _Pludosa_ (the marshy). It was originally built in a lagoon, on stakes, like Venice; Venice, named from the _Veneti_, probably marsh dwellers; Vannes, in France, and La Vendée, may be from the same word, although others derive the names from _venna_ (a fisherman), others from _gwent_, Cel. (the fair plain); Finland (the land of marshes). The natives call themselves _Suomilius_, from _suoma_ (a marsh). _Fang_ in German and Dutch names, and _faing_ in French names, are sometimes used instead of fenn--as in Zeefang (lake marsh); Aalfang (eel marsh); Habechtsfang (hawk’s marsh); Faing-du-buisson, Dom-faing, etc., in the valleys of the Vosges.

[Sidenote: FERN, or FARN (Teut.),]

the fern; _e.g._ Ferndorf, Farndon, Farnham, Farnborough (dwellings among ferns); Farnhurst (fern thicket); Ferndale (fern valley); Farringdon (fern hill); Fernruit (a place cleared of ferns).

[Sidenote: FERT, FERTA (Gadhelic),]

a grave or trench; _e.g._ Farta, Ferta, and Fartha (_i.e._ the graves); Fertagh and Fartagh (the place of graves); Moyarta, in Clare, Irish _Magh-fherta_ (the field of the graves); Fortingall, in Perthshire, is supposed to have derived its name from this word, _Feart-na-gall_ (the grave of the strangers), having been the scene of many bloody battles.

[Sidenote: LA FERTE,]

contracted from the French _La fermeté_, from the Lat. _firmitas_ (strength), applied in topography to a stronghold; _e.g._ La Ferté Bernardi (Bernard’s stronghold); Ferté-freshal, from _Firmitas Fraxinelli_ (the stronghold of little ash-trees); La Ferté, in Nièvre and in Jura, etc.

[Sidenote: FESTE (Ger.), VESTING (Dutch), FAESTUNG (Scand.),]

a fortress; _e.g._ Altefeste (high fortress); Franzenfeste (the fortress of the Franks); Festenburg (the town of the fortress); Ivanich-festung (John’s fortress), in Croatia.

[Sidenote: FEUCHT (Ger.), VOICHTIG (Dutch),]

moist, marshy; _e.g._ Feuchtwang (the marshy field), in Bavaria, formerly called _Hudropolis_, in Greek, with the same meaning; Feucht (the damp place), also in Bavaria; Viecht-gross and Viecht-klein (the great and little damp place), in Bavaria.

[Sidenote: LES FÈVES (Fr.),]

beans, Lat. _faba_, from which come such places in France as La Favière, Favières, Faverage, Favray, Faverelles, etc.

[Sidenote: FICHTE (Ger.),]

the pine-tree; _e.g._ Schoenfichten (the beautiful pine-trees); Finsterfechten (the dark pine-trees); Fichthorst (pine-wood); Feichheim (a dwelling among pines). In topography, however, it is difficult to distinguish this word from _feucht_ (damp).

[Sidenote: FIN, FIONN (Gadhelic),]

fair, white, Welsh _gwynn_; _e.g._ Findrum (white ridge); _Fionn-uisge_ (the clear water). The Phœnix Park, in Dublin, was so called from a beautiful spring well on the grounds; Findlater (the fair slope, _leiter_); Fingart (fair field); Finnow, Finnan, and Finglass (fair stream); Finglen (fair glen); Knockfin (fair hill); Loch Fyne (clear or beautiful lake); Fintray, in Aberdeenshire; Fintry, in Stirling (fair strand, _traigh_); Ventry, Co. Kerry, _i.e._ _Fionn-traigh_ (fair strand); Finnow (the fair stream).

[Sidenote: FIORD, or FJORD (Scand.),]

a creek or inlet formed by an arm of the sea, Anglicised _ford_, or in Scotland _firth_; _e.g._ Selfiord (herring creek); Laxfiord (salmon creek); Hvalfiord (whale creek); Lymefiord (muddy creek); Skagafiord (the inlet of the promontory, _skagi_); Halsfiord (the bay of the neck or _hals_, _i.e._ the narrow passage); Waterford, named by the Danes _Vadre-fiord_ (the fordable part of the bay)--the Irish name of the town was _Port-lairge_ (the port of the thigh), from its form; Wexford (the western creek or inlet), also named by the Danes _Flekkefiord_ (the flat inlet)--its Irish name was _Inverslanie_ (at the mouth of the Slaney); Strangford Lough (_i.e._ the loch of the strong _fiord_); Carlingford, in Irish _Caerlinn_, the _fiord_ having been added by the Danes; Vaeringefiord, in Norway (the inlet of the Varangians or Warings); Breidafiord (broad inlet), in Ireland; Haverford, probably from Scand. _havre_ (oats).

[Sidenote: FLECKE (Teut. and Scand.),]

a spot or level place, hence a hamlet; _e.g._ Flegg, East and West, in Norfolk; Fleckney (the flat island); Fletton (flat town); Pfaffenfleck (the priest’s hamlet); Amtsfleck (the amptman’s hamlet); Schœnfleck (beautiful hamlet); Marktflecten (the market village); Fladda, Flatholme, Fleckeroe (flat island); Fladstrand (flat strand).

[Sidenote: FLEOT, FLIEZ (Teut.), VLIET (Dutch),]

a flush of water, a channel or arm of the sea on which vessels may float; _e.g._ Fleet (a river name), in Kirkcudbright; Fleet Loch; Swinefleet (Sweyn’s channel); Saltfleetby (the dwelling on the salt water channel); Shalfleet (shallow channel); Depenfleth (deep channel); Adlingfleet (the channel of the Atheling or noble); Ebbfleet, a place which was a port in the twelfth century, but is now half a mile from the shore; Purfleet, Co. Essex, anc. _Pourteflete_ (the channel of the port); Fleetwood (the wood on the channel of the R. Wyre); Mühlfloss (mill channel); Flushing, in Holland, corrupt. from _Vliessengen_ (the town on the channel of the R. Scheldt). In Normandy this kind of channel takes the form of _fleur_, _e.g._ Barfleur (the summit or projection on the channel); Harfleur or Havrefleur (the harbour on the channel); Biervliet (the fruitful plain on the channel). _Flad_ as a prefix sometimes signifies a place liable to be flooded, as Fladbury, Fledborough. The Lat. _flumen_ (a flowing stream) is akin to these words, along with its derivations in the Romance languages: thus Fiume (on the river), a seaport in Croatia, at the mouth of the R. Fiumara; Fiumicina, a small seaport at the north mouth of the Tiber; Fiume-freddo (the cold stream), in Italy and Sicily; Flims, in Switzerland, Lat. _Ad-flumina_ (at the streams); Fiume-della Fine, near Leghorn, is a corrupt. of its ancient name, _Ad-Fines_ (the river at the boundary).

[Sidenote: FÖLD (Hung.),]

land; _e.g._ Földvar (land fortress); Alfold (low land); Felföld (high land); Szekel-föld (the land of the Szeklers); Havasel-föld (the land beyond the mountains), which is the Hungarian name for Wallachia.

[Sidenote: FONS (Lat.), FONTE (It. and Port.), FONT, FONTAINE (Fr.), FUENTE, and HONTANA (Span.), FUARAN and UARAN (Gadhelic), FFYNNON (Cym.-Cel.),]

a fountain, a well; _e.g._ Fontainebleau, corrupt. from _Fontaine-de-belle-eau_ (the spring of beautiful water); Fontenoy (the place of the fountain); Fontenay (the place of the fountain); Les Fontaines, Fontanas (the fountains); Fontenelles (the little fountains); Fontevrault, Lat. _Fons-Ebraldi_ (the well of St. Evrault); Fuente (the fountain), the name of several towns in Spain; Fuencaliente (the warm fountain); Fuensagrada (holy well); Fuente-el-fresna (of the ash-tree); Fuente-alamo (of the poplar); Fontarabia, Span. _Fuentarrabia_, corrupt. from the Lat. _Fons-rapidans_ (the swift-flowing spring); Fuenfrido (cold fountain); Fossano, in Italy, Lat. _Fons-sanus_ (the healing fountain); Hontanas, Hontanares, Hontananza, Hontangas (the place of springs), in Spain; Hontomin (the fountain of the R. Omino), in Spain; Pinos-fuente (pine-tree fountain), in Granada; Saint-fontaine, in Belgium, corrupt. from _Terra-de-centum fontanis_ (the land of the hundred springs); Spa, in Belgium, corrupt. from _Espa_ (the fountain)--its Latin name was _Fons-Tungrorum_ (the well of the Tungri); Fonthill (the hill of the spring). The town of Spalding, Co. Lincoln, is said to have derived its name from a _spa_ of mineral water in the market-place. The Celtic _uaran_ or _fuaran_ takes the form of _oran_ in Ireland: thus Oranmore (the great fountain near a holy well); Knock-an-oran (the hill of the well); Ballynoran (the town of the well); Tinoran, corrupt. from _Tigh-an-uarain_ (the dwelling at the well); Foveran, in Aberdeenshire, took its name from a spring, _fuaran_, at Foveran Castle; Ffynon-Bed (St. Peter’s well), in Wales.

[Sidenote: FORD (A.S.), FURT, or FURTH (Ger.), VOORD (Dutch),]

a shallow passage over a river; _e.g._ Bradford (the broad ford), in Yorkshire, on the R. Aire; Bedford, _Bedican ford_ (the protected ford), on the Ouse; Brentford, on the R. Brenta; Chelmsford, on the Chelmer; Camelford, on the Camel; Charford (the ford of Ceredic); Aylesford (of Ægle); Hacford and Hackfurth (of Haco); Guildford (of the guilds or trading associations); Hungerford, corrupt. from _Ingle ford_ (corner ford); Oxford, Welsh _Rhyd-ychen_ (ford for oxen); Ochsenfurt, in Bavaria, and probably the Bosphorus, with the same meaning; Hertford (the hart’s ford); Hereford (the ford of the army), or more probably a mistranslation of its Celtic name, _Caer-ffawydd_ (the town of the beech-trees); Horsford, Illford, and Knutsford (the fords of Horsa, Ella, and Canute). Canute had crossed this ford before gaining a great battle; Watford (the ford on Watling Street); Milford, the translation of _Rhyd-y-milwr_ (the ford of the Milwr), a small brook that flows into the haven; Haverford West--_v._ HAVN--the Welsh name is _Hwlfford_ (the sailing way, _fford_), so called because the tide comes up to the town; Tiverton, anc. _Twyford_ (the town on the two fords); Stamford, A.S. _Stanford_ (stony ford), on the Welland; _Stoney Stratford_ (the stony ford on the Roman road); Stafford, anc. _Statford_ (the ford at the station, or a ford crossed by staffs or stilts); Crayford, on the R. Cray; but Crawford, in Lanarkshire, is corrupt. from _Caerford_ (castle ford); Wallingford, anc. _Gual-hen_, Latinised _Gallena_ (the old fort at the ford); Thetford, anc. _Theodford_ (the people’s ford), on the R. Thet; Dartford, on the R. Darent; Bideford, in Devonshire (by the ford); Furth and Pforten (the fords), in Prussia; Erfurt, in Saxony, anc. _Erpisford_ (the ford of Erpe); Hohenfurth (the high ford), Bohemia; Frankfort, on the Maine and on the Oder (the ford of the Franks); Quernfurt and Velvorde (the fords of the Rivers Quern and Wolowe); Steenvoord (stony ford); Verden, in Hanover (at the ford of the R. Aller).

[Sidenote: FORS, FOSS (Scand.),]

a waterfall; _e.g._ High-force, Low-force, on the R. Tees; Skogar-foss (the waterfall on the promontory), in Ireland; Wilberforce, in Yorkshire (the cascade of Wilbera); Sodorfors (the south cascade), in Sweden; Foston (the town of the waterfall).

[Sidenote: FORST, VORST (Teut.),]

a wood; _e.g._ Forst-lohn (the path through the wood); Forst-bach (forest brook); Eichenforst (oak forest); Forstheim (forest dwelling).

[Sidenote: FORT,]

a stronghold; from the Lat. _fortis_, strong--akin to the Irish _Longphorth_ (a fortress), and the French _La Ferté_, abridged from _fermeté_--_v._ p. 79; _e.g._ Rochefort (the rock fortress); Fort Augustus, named after the Duke of Cumberland; Fort-George (after George II.); Fort-William, anc. _Inverlochy_ (at the mouth of the lake), and surnamed after William III.; Fortrose (the fortress on the promontory); Fort-Louis, in Upper Rhine, founded and named by Louis XIV.; Charles-Fort, in Canada, named after Charles I. In Ireland the town of Longford is called in the annals _Longphorth O’Farrell_ (the fortress of the O’Farrells). This Irish word is sometimes corrupted, as in _Lonart_ for _Longphorth_, and in Athlunkard for Athlongford (the ford of the fortress).

[Sidenote: FORUM (Lat.),]

a market-place or place of assembly; _e.g._ Forli, anc. _Forum-Livii_ (the forum of Livius), in Italy; Feurs, in France, anc. _Forum-Segusianorum_ (the forum of the Segusiani); Forlimpopoli (the forum of the people); Ferrara, anc. _Forum-Alieni_ (the market-place of the foreigner); Fornova (new forum); Fossombrone, anc. _Forum-Sempronii_ (of Sempronius); Fréjus and Friuli, anc. _Forum-Julii_ (of Julius); Frontignan, anc. _Forum-Domitii_ (of Domitius), also called _Frontiniacum_ (on the edge of the water); Voorburg, in Holland, anc. _Forum-Hadriani_ (the market-place of Hadrian); Klagenfurt, anc. _Claudii-Forum_ (the forum of Claudius); Fordongianus, in Sardinia, anc. _Forum-Trajani_ (the forum of Trajan); Forcassi, anc. _Forum-Cassii_ (of Cassius); Fiora, anc. _Forum-Aurelii_ (of Aurelius); _Appii-Forum_ (of Appius); Marazion, in Cornwall, or _Marketjeu_, Latinised by the Romans into _Forum-Jovis_ (the forum of Jove or of God), resorted to in former times from its vicinity to the sacred shrine of St. Michael.

[Sidenote: FOSSE,]

a ditch or trench dug around a fortified place, from the Lat. _fodio_, to dig; _e.g._ Fosseway (the road near the trench); Foston (the town with the trench or moat); Fosse, in Belgium; Fos, at the mouths of the Rhone, anc. _Fossæ Marianæ Portus_ (the port of the trench or canal of Marius).

[Sidenote: FRANK (Ger.),]

free, but in topography meaning belonging to the Franks; _e.g._ Franconia (the district of the Franks); France, abridged from _Frankreich_ (the kingdom of the Franks or freemen); Frankenthal (the valley of the Franks); Frankenberg and Frankenfels (the hill and rock of the Franks); Frankenburg and Frankenhausen (the dwellings of the Franks); Frankenstein (the rock of the Franks); Frankenmarkt (the market of the Franks); Ville-franche and Ville-franche sur Saone (free town), in France; Villa-franca (free town), several in Italy; Villa-franca (free town), in Spain.

[Sidenote: FREI, or FREY (Ger.),]

a privileged place, as also _freiheit_ (freedom); _e.g._ Freyburg and Fribourg (the privileged city); Schloss-freiheit and Berg-freiheit (the privileged castle); Oude-Vrijheid (the old privileged place), in Holland; Freystadt, in Hungary, Grk. _Eleutheropolis_ (free city).

[Sidenote: FRÊNE (Fr.), FRASSINO (It.), FRESNO (Span.), FREIXO (Port.),]

the ash-tree; _e.g._ Les Frênes, Les Fresnes (the ash-trees); Frenois, Frenoit, Frenai, Frenay, Fresney (the place abounding in ash-trees), in France; Frassinetto-di-Po (the ash-tree grove on the R. Po).

[Sidenote: FREUDE (Ger.),]

joy; _e.g._ Freudenthal (the valley of joy); Freudenstadt (the town of joy).

[Sidenote: FRIDE,]

a hedge, from the Old Ger. word _vride_--akin to the Gael. _fridh_, and the Welsh _fridd_ (a wood); _e.g._ Burgfried (the hedge of the fortress); Friedberg, anc. _Vriduperg_ (a fortress surrounded by a hedge); but Friedland, in East Prussia, Grk. _Irenopyrgos_ (the tower of peace), is from _friede_, Ger. peace. The prefix _fried_ is also sometimes a contraction for Frederick--thus Friedburg may mean Frederick’s town.

[Sidenote: FRITH, or FIRTH,]