Chapter VII: Introduction (6)

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

[Sidenote: ITZ, IZ, IZCH,]

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

J

[Sidenote: JABLON (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: JAMA (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: JASOR (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: JASSEN (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: JAWOR (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: JAZA (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: JEZIRAH (Ar.),]

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

[Sidenote: JÖKUL (Scand.),]

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

[Sidenote: JONC (Fr.),]

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

K

KAAI, KAI, KADE (Teut.),

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

[Sidenote: KAHL (Ger.), CALO (A.S.),]

bald, cognate with the Lat. _calvus_; _e.g._ Kalenberg and Kahlengebirge (the bald mountains).

[Sidenote: KAISER (Ger.), KEYSER (Dutch), CYZAR (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KALAT, or KALAH (Ar.),]

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

[Sidenote: KAMEN (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KARA (Turc.),]

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

[Sidenote: KEHLE (Ger.),]

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

[Sidenote: KESSEL, KEZIL (Ger.), KYTEL (A.S.),]

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

[Sidenote: KIR (Heb.), KIRJATH,]

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

[Sidenote: KIRCHE (Ger. and Scand.), CYRIC (A.S.), KERK (Dutch),]

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

[Sidenote: KIS (Hung.),]

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

[Sidenote: KLAUSE, KLOSTER,]

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

[Sidenote: KLEIN (Ger.),]

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

[Sidenote: KNAB, KNOP (Scand. and Teut.), CNAP (Cel.),]

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

[Sidenote: KNOLL (Teut.), KNOW,]

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

[Sidenote: KOH (Pers.),]

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

[Sidenote: KOI (Turc.),]

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

[Sidenote: KÖNIG (Ger.), CING (A.S.),]

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

[Sidenote: KOPF, KOPPE (Ger.), COPA (Welsh), KUPA (Sclav.), CABO (Span.),]

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

[Sidenote: KOPRI, KUPRI (Turc.),]

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

[Sidenote: KOS (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KOSCIOL (Sclav.),]

a Romish church; _e.g._ Kostel, Kosteletz (towns with a Romish church), a Protestant church being called _Zbor_, and a Greek church _Zerkwa_.

[Sidenote: KRAL, KROL (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KRASNA (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KRE (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KREIS (Ger.),]

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

[Sidenote: KREM, KRIM (Sclav.),]

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

[Sidenote: KRONE, KRON (Teut. and Scand.),]

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

[Sidenote: KRUG (Ger.),]

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

L

[Sidenote: LAAG, LAGE (Ger.), LOOG (Dutch),]

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

[Sidenote: LAC (Fr.), LACHE (Ger.), LAGO (It., Span., and Port.), LAGUNA,]

a lake, cognate with the Lat. _lacus_ and the Cel. _loch_ or _lwch_. These words in the various dialects originally signified a _hollow_, from the roots _lag_, _lug_, and Grk. _lakos_; _e.g._ Lachen, Lat. _Adlacum_ (at the lake), a town on Lake Zurich; Interlachen (between the lakes), in Switzerland; Biberlachen (beaver lake); Lago Maggiore (the greater lake), with reference to Lake Lugano, which itself means simply the lake or hollow; Lago Nuovo (new lake), in Tyrol,--it was formed a few years ago by a landslip; Lagoa (on a lake or marsh), in Brazil; Lagow (on a lake), in Prussia; Lagos, in Portugal (on a large bay or lake); Laguna-de-Negrillos (the lake of the elms) and Laguna-Encinillos (of the evergreen oaks), in Spain; Laach, in the Rhine Provinces (situated on a lake), the crater of an extinct volcano; Anderlecht or Anderlac (at the lake or marsh), in Belgium; Chablais, Lat. _Caput-lacensis_ (at the head of the lake, _i.e._ of Geneva); Missolonghi, _i.e._ _Mezzo-laguno_ (in the midst of a marshy lagoon); Beverley, in Yorkshire, anc. _Biberlac_ (the beaver lake or marsh); Lago-dos-Patos (the lake of geese), in Brazil; Niederhaslach and Oberhaslach (lower and upper lake), in Bas Rhin; Lake Champlain takes its name from a Norman adventurer, Governor-general of Canada, in the seventeenth century; Alagoas (abounding in lakes), a province in Brazil, with its capital of the same name; Filey, in Yorkshire, in Doomsday _Fuielac_ (_i.e._ bird lake, _fugæ_).

[Sidenote: LAD (Scand.),]

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

[Sidenote: LADE, or LODE (A.S.),]

a way, passage, or canal; _e.g._ Ladbrook (the passage of the brook); Lechlade, in Gloucester (the passage of the R. Lech into the Thames); Evenlode (at brink of the passage or stream); Cricklade, anc. _Crecca-gelade_ or _Crecca-ford_ (the creek at the opening or entrance of the Churn and Key into the Thames).

[Sidenote: LAEN (Teut.), LEHEN,]

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

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

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

[Sidenote: LAG, LUG (Gadhelic), LÜCKE (Ger.),]

a hollow, cognate with the Lat. _lacus_ and the Grk. _lakkos_; _e.g._ Logie (the hollow), in Stirling; Logiealmond (the hollow of the R. Almond in Perth); Logie-Buchan, in Aberdeenshire; Logie-Coldstone, Gael. _Lag-cul-duine_ (the hollow behind the fort), Aberdeen; Logie-Easter and Logie-Wester, in Cromarty; Logie Loch and Laggan Loch (the lake in the hollow); Logan (the little hollow); Logierait, Gael. _Lag-an-rath_ (the hollow of the _rath_ or castle, so called from the Earls of Atholl having formerly had their castle there in Perthshire); Mortlach, Co. Banff, probably meaning the great hollow. In Ireland: Legachory, Lagacurry, Legacurry (the hollow of the pit or caldron, _coire_); Lugduff (dark hollow); Lugnaquillia (the highest of the Wicklow mountains), is from the Irish _Lug-na-gcoilleach_ (the hollow of the cocks, _i.e._ _grouse_); Lough Logan (the lake of the little hollow); Lagnieu, in France, anc. _Lagniacum_ (the place in the hollow of the waters); Laconia and Lacedemonia (in the hollow), in Greece.

[Sidenote: LANN (Gadhelic), LLAN (Cym.-Cel.), LAND (Teut.),]

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

[Sidenote: LAR, LAAR, LEER (Old Ger.), LAER (A.S.), LATHAIR, or LAUER (Gadhelic),]

a site, a bed; and in Germany, according to Buttmann, a field; in topography, synonymous with _lage_; _e.g._ Goslar (the site or field on the R. Gose), in Hanover; Somplar (marshy field); Wittlar (woody field); Dinklar (wheat field); Wetzlar, in Prussia, anc. _Wittlara_ (woody field); Wassarlar (watery field); Noordlaren (the northern site); Lahr (the site), a town in Baden. In Ireland this word takes the forms of _laragh_ and _lara_; _e.g._ Laraghleas (the site of the fort); Laraghshankill (of the old church). Lara, however, is sometimes a corrupt. of _Leath-rath_ (half rath), as in Laragh, in West Meath; and _laar_ and _lare_ often mean _middle_, as in Rosslare (the middle peninsula); Ennislare (the middle island); Latheron, in Caithness, is the site of the seal.

[Sidenote: LAUF, LAUFEND (Ger.), LOOP (Dutch),]

a current, a rapid, from _laufen_, Ger.; _hlaupen_, Scand.; _hleapen_, A.S. (to run, to leap); _e.g._ Laufen (the rapids), on the R. Salzach; Lauffenberg (the town near the rapids of the Rhine); Laufnitz (the leaping river); Lauffen (on the rapids of the R. Inn); Leixlip, in Ireland, Old Norse _Lax-hlaup_ (salmon-leap), on a cataract of the R. Liffey; Beck-loop (brook cataract), in Holland; Loop-Head, Co. Clare, Irish _Leim-Chon-Chuillerin_ (Cuchullin’s leap)--_v._ Joyce’s _Names of Places_.

[Sidenote: LAW (A.S.), _hleaw_, LOW,]

a hill, cognate with the Irish _lagh_; _e.g._ Houndslow (the dog’s hill); Ludlow (the people’s hill, _leod_); Greenlaw, in Berwickshire (the green hill)--the modern town is situated on a plain, but old Greenlaw was on a hill; Winslow (the hill of victory), in Berks; Marlow (the chalk or marshy hill); Wardlaw (guard hill); Hadlow, anc. _Haslow_ (hazel hill); Castlelaw, in the Lammermuir range, named from Roman camps on these hills; Sidlaw Hills (the south hills, in reference to their forming the southern boundary of Strathmore); Warmlow, Co. Worcester, anc. _Waermundes-hleau_ (the hill of Waermund, a personal name); Fala, a parish in Mid Lothian, abbreviated from _Fallaw_ (the speckled hill); Mintlaw, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from _Moan-alt-law_ (the hill at the moss burn).

[Sidenote: LAYA (Sansc.),]

an abode; _e.g._ Naglaya (the abode of snakes); the Himalaya Mountains (the abode of snow); Hurrial, for _Arayalaya_ (the abode of Hari or Vishnu).

[Sidenote: LEAC (Gadhelic), LLECH (Cym.-Cel.),]

a flat stone--in topography, found in the forms of _lick_ and _leck_, cognate with the Lat. _lapis_ and Grk. _lithos_; _e.g._ Lackeen, Licken (the little stone); Slieve-league (the mountain of the flagstone); Lickmollasy (St. Molasse’s flagstone); Bel-leek, Irish _Bel-leice_ (the ford of the flagstone), near Ballyshannon; Lackagh (full of flagstones); Lickfinn (white flagstone); Duleek, anc. _Doimhliag_ (the stone house or church); Auchinleck (the field of the stone), in Ayrshire; Harlech, in Merioneth; Ar-llech (on the rock, the place being situated on a craggy eminence); Llananl-lech--_v._ LLAN; Llech-trufin, probably originally Llech-treffen (the rock of the look-out, or _twrfine_); Llanml-lech (the church among many stones); Tre-llech (stone dwelling); Llech-rhyd (the ford of the flat stone); Leck, Lech, Leckbeck (the stony rivers); Leckfield (the field on the R. Leck); Leckwith, in Wales, for Lechwedd (a slope).

[Sidenote: LEAMHAN (Gadhelic),]

the elm-tree; _e.g._ the Laune, a river at Killarney, and the Leven, in Scotland (the elm-tree stream); Lennox or Levenach (the district of the R. Leven), the ancient name of Dumbartonshire; Lislevane (the fort of the elm-tree), in Ireland. According to Mr. Skene, the Rivers Leven in Dumbartonshire and in Fife have given their names to Loch Lomond and Loch Leven, while in each county there is a corresponding mountain called Lomond.

[Sidenote: LEARG (Gadhelic),]

the slope of a hill; _e.g._ Largy, in Ireland; Lairg, a parish in Sutherlandshire; Largs, in Ayrshire, and Largo, in Fife, from this word; Largan (the little hill-slope); Largynagreana (the sunny hill-slope); Larganreagh (gray hill-slope), in Ireland.

[Sidenote: LEBEN (Ger.),]

a possession, an inheritance. Forsteman thinks this word is derived from the Old Ger. _laiban_ (to leave or bequeath), cognate with the Grk. _leipa_, and not from _leben_ (to live); _e.g._ Leibnitz, anc. _Dud-leipen_ (the inheritance of Dudo); Ottersleben (of Otho); Ritzleben (of Richard); Germersleben (of Germer); Osharsleben (of Ausgar); Sandersleben (of Sander); Hadersleben (of Hada).

[Sidenote: LEGIO (Lat.),]

a Roman legion; _e.g._ Caerleon, on the Usk, anc. _Isca-Legionis_; Leicester, _Legionis-castra_ (the camp of the legion); Leon, in Spain, anc. _Legio_, being the station of the seventh Roman legion; Lexdon, anc. _Legionis-dunum_ (the fort of the legion); Megiddo, in Palestine, now Ledjun, anc. _Castra-legionis_ (the camp of the legion).

[Sidenote: LEHM (Ger.), LAAM (A.S.), LEEM (Dutch),]

clay, mud; _e.g._ the Leam (the muddy river); Leamington (the town on the R. Leam); Lehmhurst (the clayey wood); Lambourn (muddy brook); Leemkothen (the mud huts).

[Sidenote: LEITER (Gadhelic),]

the slope of a hill; _e.g._ Ballater, in Aberdeenshire (the town on the sloping hill); Letterfearn (the alder-tree slope); Letterfourie (the grassy hillside, _feurach_); Findlater (the cold hill-slope, _fionn_), in Scotland. In Ireland: Letterkenny (the hill-slope of the O’Cannons); Letterkeen (beautiful hill-slope); Lettermullen (Meallan’s hill-slope); Letterbrick (the badger’s hill-slope); Letterlickey (the hill-slope of the flagstone); Letherhead, in Surrey (at the head of the slope, Welsh _llethr_), on the declivitous bank of the R. Mole; Machynlleth for Mach-yn-Llethr (the ridge on the slope), a town in Montgomery.

[Sidenote: LEOD (A.S.), LEUTE (Ger.),]

the people; _e.g._ Leutkirch (the people’s church); Liège, Ger. _Lüttich_, anc. _Leodicus-vicus_ (the people’s town)--the hill on which the citadel stands was called _Publes-mont_ (the people’s hill); Leeds, in Yorkshire, anc. _Loidis_ (the people’s town, according to Bayley); Whittaker, however, makes it the town of Loidi, a personal name); but Leeds, in Kent, is said to have been named after Ledian, the Chancellor of Ethelred II.

[Sidenote: LESSO, LESSE (Sclav.),]

a wood or thicket; _e.g._ Lessau, Leske, Leskau, Lessen, Lissa (the woody place), towns in Prussia; Leschnitz, in Silesia, and Leizig, in Saxony, with the same meaning; Leschkirch (the church in the wood), in Transylvania; Liezegorike (woody hill).

[Sidenote: LEUCUS (Grk.),]

white, _e.g._ Leuctra, Leuctron, Leucadia, so named from the white rocks at its extremity; Leucasia (the white river); Leucate (the white promontory in Greece).

[Sidenote: LEY, LEA (A.S.), LEG,]

a district--in English topography generally applied to an open field or meadow; _e.g._ Leigh (the meadow), in Lancashire; Berkeley, Thornley, Oakley, Auchley, Alderley, Brachley (the meadow of birch, thorn, oak, alder, ferns); Hasley (of hazels); Hagley (the enclosed meadow); Horsley (the meadow of Horsa, or of horses); Brockley (of the badger); Hindley (of the stag); Everley (of the wild boar, _aper_); Bradley (broad meadow); Stanley (stony meadow); Loxley (of Loki, a Scandinavian deity); Ashley (ash-tree meadow); but Ashley, S. Carolina, was named after Lord Ashley in the reign of Charles II.; Morley (moor-field); Bisley (bean-field); Cowley (cow’s field); Linley (flax-field); Monkley (the monk’s field); Audley, Co. Stafford (old field); but Audley, in Essex, took its name from a palace erected by Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor of England; Ofley (the field of King Offa); Tarporley, in Cheshire, corrupt. from _Thorpeley_ (the farm-field or meadow); Chorley (the meadow of the R. Chor); Bosley (Bodolph’s field); West Leigh, North Leigh, Leighton, from the same root; Satterleigh (the field of Seator, an A.S. deity); Earnley, Sussex (eagle meadow); Ripley, in Yorkshire, from _Hryp_, a personal name; Bentley, _bent_, pasture (a coarse kind of grass); Tewesley and Tisley, from Tiw, a Saxon deity--as also Tewing, Tuoesmere, and Teowes (thorn); Henley (the old meadow or field), supposed to be the oldest town in Oxfordshire.

[Sidenote: LIN (Esthonian),]

a fort or town; _e.g._ Rialin, now Riga (the fortress of the Rugii), in Russia; Pernau, anc. _Perna-lin_ (the lime-tree fort); Tepelin (hill town; _tepe_, Turc. hill).

[Sidenote: LINDE (Ger.), LIND, LYND (A.S. and Scand.),]

the linden-tree; _e.g._ Lindhurst and Lyndhurst (the linden-tree wood); Lindheim, Lindorf, Limburg, in Germany (the town of linden-trees); as also Limburg, in Holland, formerly _Lindenburg_; Lindau (the linden-tree meadow); Lindesnaes (the promontory of linden-trees), in Norway; La Linde, Le Lindois (abounding in linden-trees); Limbœuf, Lindebœuf (linden-tree dwelling), in France.

[Sidenote: LINNE (Gadhelic), LLYNN (Cym.-Cel.), HLYNNA (A.S.),]

a pool, a lake, sometimes applied to a waterfall, not as associated with the cascade, but with the pool into which it is received, as in the Linn of Dee, in Aberdeenshire, and Corra-linn, on the Clyde. Dublin (the black pool) takes its name from that part of the R. Liffey on which it is built; and there are several other places in Ireland whose names have the same meaning, although variously spelt, as Devlin, in Mayo; Dowling and Doolin, in Kilkenny and Clare; Ballinadoolin (the town of the black pool), in Kildare. In several such cases the proper name was _Ath-cliath_ (hurdle ford), literally _Baile-atha-cliath_ (the town of the hurdle ford), the original name of Dublin. The ancient name of Lincoln, _Lindum_, is the hill fort on the pool; Linlithgow comes from the same root, and is probably the gray lake--how it came by the termination _gow_, _gu_, or _cu_, as it is variously spelt, cannot be determined; Linton, in Roxburghshire, is the town on the pool; Linton, in Peebles, on the R. Lyne--in Cambridge (on the brook, _hlynna_); Dupplin, on the R. Earn, in Perthshire (the black pool); Crailing, in Berwickshire, anc. _Traverlin_ (the dwellings, _treabhar_, on the pool); Edarline (between the pools); Aber-glas-lyn (the estuary of the blue pool), in Wales; Lynn-Regis (the king’s pool), in Norfolk; Roslin (the projecting point on the pool), in Mid Lothian; Lynn-yr-Afrange (the beaver’s pool), in Wales; Mauchline, in Ayrshire (the pool in the plain, _magh_); Lincluden, in Kirkcudbright (the pool of the R. Cluden); Lindores, in Fife, probably not from this root, but a corrupt. of _Lann-Tours_, being the seat of the abbey of Tours, founded by David, Earl of Huntingdon. Lyme-Regis (the king’s pool), in Dorset; Lymington, anc. _Linton_ (the town on the pool), in Hants; Llyn-hir (long pool); Llyn-y-cun (the dog’s pool), in Carnarvon; Llynn-y-Nadroedd (the adder’s pool); Llynn-ye-cae (the enclosed pool), all in Wales; Llyn-tegid (the fair or beautiful lake); Lly-gwyn, with the same meaning; Llyn-Teivy, of the R. Teivy, in Wales; Llyn-Safaddon, corrupt. from _Llyn-saf-baddon_ (the standing pool or fixed bathing place)--_v._ BAD.

[Sidenote: LIOS, or LIS (Gadhelic), LES (Breton and Cornish),]

an enclosure, a garden, or a fort. In Ireland it generally meant originally a place enclosed with a circular entrenchment, for the purpose of shelter and safety, and is often translated by the Lat. _atrium_ (the entrance-room to a dwelling or temple). There are eleven places in Ireland called Lismore (the great enclosure); Lismore also in Argyleshire; Listowel (Tuathal’s fort); Liscarrol (Carrol’s fort); Liscahane (Cathan’s fort); Lissan, Lissane, Lessany (the little fort); Ballylesson (the town of the little fort); Lisclogher (stone fort); Lislevane (the fort of the elm); Lismullin (of the mill); Lisnadarragh (of the oaks); Lisnaskea, _i.e._ _Lios-na-sceithe_ (of the bush); Lissard (high fort); Gortnalissa (the field of the fort); Lisbellaw, _i.e._ _Lios-bel-atha_ (the fort at the ford mouth); Dunluce (strong fort); Thurles, Co. Tipperary, from _Durlas_ (strong fort); Rathurles (the rath of the strong fort)--all in Ireland; Liskard or Liskeard (the enclosure on the height), in Cornwall and Cheshire; Lostwithel, in Cornwall, _i.e._ _Les-vthiel_ (the lofty palace), one of the ancient seats of the Duke of Cornwall; Lesmahago, in Lanarkshire, Lat. _Ecclesia-Machute_ (the enclosure or church of St. Machute); Lesneven, in Brittany, _i.e._ _Les-an-Evan_ (the enclosure or palace of Evan, Count of Leon); Leslie, in Fife (the enclosure on the R. Leven); Lessudden or St. Boswell’s, in Roxburghshire, bears the first name from Aidan, the Bishop of Lindesfarne, who is said to have lived there; and its second name from Boisel, a disciple of St. Cuthbert. The Spanish _llosa_ is akin to the Celtic _lios_, as in Lliosa-del-Obispo (the bishop’s enclosure).

[Sidenote: LIPA (Sclav.),]

the linden-tree; _e.g._ Leipzig, Lipten, Laubsdorf or Libanoise, Lauban or Luban, Luben, Laubst, Labolz, etc. (the places abounding in linden-trees); Lubeck and Lublin may come from the same root, or from a Sclavonic word signifying _beloved_.

[Sidenote: LLWYD (Welsh),]

gray-brown; _e.g._ Rhipyn Llwyd (the gray upland); Llwyd-goed (gray wood).

[Sidenote: LOCH, LOUGH (Gadhelic), LLWCH (Cym.-Cel.),]

a lake; _e.g._ Loch Broom (the lake of showers, _braon_); Loch Carron (of the winding water); Loch Doine (deep loch); Loch Duich, in Ross-shire (the lake of St. Duthic, the same person from whom the town of Tain took its Gaelic name, _Baile-Duich_, St. Dulhaick’s town); Loch Fyne (the fair lake); Loch Lomond (the lake of the elm-tree river); Loch Nell (of the swan, _eala_); Loch Ness (of the waterfall, _i.e._ of Foyers)--_v._ EAS; Loch Long (ship lake, Scand. _Skipafiord_); Gareloch (short lake, _gearr_), in Ross-shire, and also a branch of the Firth of Clyde; Loch Etive (dreary loch, _eitidh_); Lochlubnaig (the lake of the little bend, _lubnaig_); Lochbuie and Lochbuy (the yellow loch); Lochmuic (of the wild boar); Lochgorm (blue loch); Lochlaggan (of the hollow); Loch Tay (of the R. Tay or _Tamha_, quiet river); Lochgelly (of the fair water); Loch Maree (the lake of St. Malrube); Lochard (high loch); Loch Awe and Loch Linnhe (here duplicate names, _aw_ signifying water and _linne_ a pool); Loch-na-keal (the loch of the cemetery, _cill_); Loch Earn (the west loch, _i.e._ west of Loch Tay); Lochgelly (white lake, _gealich_); Loch Katrine, probably the lake of the Caterans or freebooters; Benderloch, in Argyleshire, _i.e._ _Bendaraloch_ (the hill between the lakes); Lochnagar, _i.e._ _Lochan-na-gabhar_ (the little lake of the goats, at the base of the mountain to which it gives its name); Lochmaben, probably the loch of the bald headland, as in an old charter the castle at the head of the loch is called _Lochmalban_; Lochfad (long loch), in the Island of Bute, five miles long and scarce half a mile broad; Loch Achray, in Perthshire (the loch of the _level_ plain, _reidh_); Leuchars, in Fife, formerly _Lough-yards_, the low grounds of the village used to lie under water for the greater part of the year. In Ireland there are Lough Derg (red lake), originally _Loch Dergderc_ (the lake of the red eye, connected with a legend); Lough Conn (from a personal name Conn); Loch Rea (gray or smooth lake, _reidh_, smooth); as also Loch Ryan, in Kirkcudbright (of the smooth water, _reidhan_); Loch Foyle (the lake of Febhal, the son of Lodan); Loughan, Loughane (little lake); Lochanaskin (the little lake of the eels); Lough Corrib, corrupt. from Lough Orbsen (the lake of Orbsen or Mannanan, over whose grave it is said to have burst forth); Lough Erne, in Ireland, named from the _Ernai_, a tribe; Lough Finn, named after a lady called Finn, who was drowned in its waters; Lough, _i.e._ _Loch-n’-Echach_ (the lake of Eochy, a Munster chief, who, with his family, was overwhelmed in the eruption which gave their origin to its waters); Loch Swilly, probably a Scand. name, meaning the lake of the surges or whirlpool, _swelchie_. The town of Carlow was originally _Cetherloch_ (the quadruple lake, _cether_, four), from a tradition that formerly the R. Barrow formed four lakes at this spot.

[Sidenote: LOCUS (Lat.), LOCA (A.S.), LOK, LLE (Cym.-Cel), LIEU (Fr.),]

a place; _e.g._ Netley, Lat. _Laeto-loco_ (at the pleasant, cheerful place), so called from a monastery founded there by Mereward, King of Mercia, in 658; Madley (the good place); Matlock (the meat enclosure or storehouse); Leominster, Lat. _Locus-fanum_ (temple place); Porlock or Portlock, in Somerset (the place of the port); Lok-Maria-Ker (the town of Maria Ker), in Brittany. In France: Richelieu (rich place); Chaalis, anc. _Carolis-locus_ (the place of Charles the Good, Count of Flanders); Beaulieu (beautiful place); Loctudey, at Finisterre, corrupt. from _Loc-Sancti-Tudené_ (the place of St. Tudy); Locdieu and Dilo, _i.e._ _Dei-locus_ (God’s place); Lieusaint (holy place); Baslieu (low place).

[Sidenote: LOH, LOO (Ger. and Dutch), LOHE,]

a meadow or thicket, and sometimes a marsh; _e.g._ Waterloo (watery meadow); Venloo (the marshy meadow), and perhaps _Louvain_ may have the same meaning; Groenloo (green thicket); Hohenlohe (the high marshy meadow); Tongerloo (the marshy meadow of the Tungri); Schwarzenloh (the black thicket); Anderlues (on the marsh).

[Sidenote: LOHN (Ger.), LOON (Dutch),]

a path; _e.g._ Iser-lohn (the path by the R. Iser); Forstlohn (the path in the wood); Neerloon and Oberloon (the lower and upper path); Loon-op-Zand (the path on the sand).

[Sidenote: LUCUS (Lat.), LLWYN (Welsh), a grove,]

a sacred grove; _e.g._ Lugo, in Italy, anc. _Lucus-Dianæ_ (the sacred grove of Diana); Lugo, in Spain, anc. _Lucus-Augusti_ (the sacred grove of Augustus); Les luches, in France, near the remains of an ancient temple; Luc, anc. _Lucus_, in Dauphiny.

[Sidenote: LUG, LUKA, or LUZ (Sclav.), LEOIG (Gadhelic), LAUK (Esthonian),]

a marsh, cognate with the Lat. _lutum_; _e.g._ Lusatia or Lausatz (the marshy land); Lassahn, Ger. _Laki-burgum_ (the town on the marsh); Lugos or Lugosch, Luko and Leignitz, with the same meaning, in Poland and Silesia; Podlachia (near the marshes), a district in Poland. The towns of Lyons, Laon, and Leyden were formerly named _Lugdunum_ (the fortress in the marshy land); Paris was formerly _Lutetia-Parisiorum_ (the marshy land of the Parisii). In France: Loches, formerly _Luccæ_ and _Lochiæ_ (the marshy land); and Loché, formerly _Locheium_ (the marshy dwelling), in the department of Indre et Loire.

[Sidenote: LUND (Scand.),]

a sacred grove; _e.g._ Lund, towns in Sweden and in the Shetlands; Lundgarth (the enclosed grove), in Yorkshire; Lundsthing (the place of meeting at the grove), in Shetland; Charlottenlund, Christianslund, and Frederickslund (the grove of Charlotte, Christian, and Frederick), villages in Denmark; and perhaps the island Lundy, in the Bristol Channel.

[Sidenote: LUST, LYST (Teut.),]

pleasure--applied, in topography, to a palace or lordly mansion; _e.g._ Ludwigslust, Charlottenlust, Ravenlust (the palaces of Ludovick, of Charlotte, and of Hrafen); Lostwithel, in Cornwall (the manor of Withel), in the old Brit. language, _Pen Uchel coet_ (the lofty hill in the wood, and the _Uzella_ of Ptolemy); Lustleigh (the valley of pleasure), in Devon.

[Sidenote: LUTTER, LAUTER (Teut.),]

bright, clear; _e.g._ Lutri, on Lake Geneva; Luttar, in Brunswick (the bright place); Latterbach and Lauterburn (clear stream); Lauterburg, in Alsace, on the R. Lauter; Lutterworth (the bright farm); Lauterecken, in Bavaria, at the corner, _eck_, of the R. Lauter.

[Sidenote: LUTZEL, LYTEL (Teut.), LILLE (Scand.),]

small; _e.g._ Lutgenrode (the little clearing); Luxemburg, corrupt. from _Lutzelburg_ (small fortress), Latinised _Lucis-Burgum_ (the city of light), and hence passing into Luxemburg; Lucelle or Lutzel, in Alsace; Lutzelsten (the small rock), in Alsace.

M

[Sidenote: MAEN (Welsh),]

a stone; _e.g._ Maentwrog (the tower-like pillar), a parish in Merioneth; Maen or Dewi (St. David’s possession).

[Sidenote: MAES, or FAES (Cym.-Cel.), MOED, or MEAD (A.S.), MATTE (Ger.),]

a meadow or field, cognate with the Gael. _magh_; _e.g._ Maescar (the pool in the field); Maisemore (great field), in Brecknock and Gloucestershire; Marden, in Hereford, anc. _Maes-y-durdin_ (the field of the water camp); Basaleg, a parish in Wales. The name has been corrupted _Maes-aleg_, signifying _elect land_, from an event famous in Welsh history, which took place there. Maes-teg (the fair field); Maes-yr-onnen (the field of ash-trees); Cemmaes (the plain of the ridge, _cefn_); Maes-y-Mynach (monk field); Cemmaes, _i.e._ _Cefn-maes_ (the ridge of the plain), in Wales; Runnymede, Co. Surrey (the meadow of the council), Latinised _Pratum-concilii_; Andermatt (on the meadow); Zermatt (at the meadow), in Switzerland; Matterhorn (the peak of the meadow); Aeschenmatt (ash-tree meadow); Maes-Garmon (the field of St. Germanus), in Wales; Soultzmatt (the meadow of mineral waters, _salz_), in Alsace.

[Sidenote: MAGEN, MEKEN, or MAIN (Teut.),]

great; _e.g._ the R. Main, anc. _Magen-aha_ (great water); Mainland, anc. _Meginland_ (great island), in the Orkneys; Mainhardt (great wood); Meiningen (the great field)--_v._ GEN--in Germany.

[Sidenote: MAGH (Gadhelic), MACH (Cym.-Cel.), a ridge,]

a field or plain, corrupt. into Maw or Moy, Latinised _magus_; _e.g._ Magh-breagh (the beautiful plain), in Ireland, extending from the R. Liffey to the borders of Co. Louth; Moy and May (the plain), both in Ireland and in Scotland; Moidart (the high plain), in Inverness-shire; Mayo (the plain of yew-trees); Moynalty, Irish _Magh-nealta_ (the plain of the flocks); Macosquin, in Londonderry, corrupt. from _Magh-Cosgrain_ (the field of Cosgrain); Mallow, in Cork, _Magh-Ealla_ (the plain of the R. Allo or Ealla, now the Blackwater); Moville and Movilla (the plain of the old tree, _bile_); Moycoba, for _Magh-Coba_ (the plain of Coba); _Machaire_, a derivative from _Magh_, is found under the forms of Maghera and Maghery, thus--Magheracloone (the plain of the meadow); Magheraculmony (the plain at the back of the shrubbery); Maynooth (the plain of Nuadhat); Moira, corrupt. from _Magh-rath_ (the plain of the forts), Co. Down; Moyarta (the plain of the grave, _ferta_). In Scotland we find Rothiemay, in Banff, corrupt. from _Rath-na-magh_ (the castle of the plain); Monievaird, _i.e._ _Magh-na-bhaird_ (the plain of the bards), in Perthshire; Machynlleth (the ridge on the slope), a town in Montgomeryshire, Wales. In its Latinised form this word is found in _Marcomagus_, now Margagen (the plain of the Marcomanni); Juliomagus and Cæsaromagus (of Julius and Cæsar); Noviomagus (the new plain); and again the same word became _magen_ or _megen_ among the Teutonic races, thus Noviomagus became Nimeguen; Nozon was anc. _Noviomagus_ or _Noviodunum_; Riom, in France, anc. _Ricomagus_ (rich plain); Maing or Meung, on the Loire, formerly _Magus_; Argenton, Argentomagus (silver field); Rouen, anc. _Rothomagus_ (the fort on the plain). The ancient name of Worms was _Bartomagus_, which Buttman says means high field; its present name was corrupted from _Vormatia_; Mouzon, in France, was Mosomagus (the plain of the R. Meuse).

[Sidenote: MAHA (Sansc.),]

great; _e.g._ Mahabalipoor (the city of the great god Bali); Mahanuddy (the great river); Mahadea Mountains (the mountains of the great goddess); Maha-vila-ganga (the great sandy river); Mantote, in Ceylon, corrupt. from _Maha-Totta_ (the great ferry).

[Sidenote: MAHAL, MAL, or MOLD (Teut.),]

the place of meeting; _e.g._ Mahlburg or Mailburg, in Lower Austria (the town of the place of meeting); Detmold, anc. _Theotmalli_ (the people’s meeting-place); Wittmold (the meeting-place in the wood); Moldfelde (in the field); Malton (the town of the meeting), in Yorkshire; Maulden (the valley of the meeting), in Bedfordshire; Kirch-ditmold (the church at the meeting-place).

[Sidenote: MALY, or MALKI (Sclav.),]

little; _e.g._ Malinek, Malinkowo, Malenz, Malchow, Malkow, Malkowitz (little town); Maliverck (the little height).

[Sidenote: MAN, or MAEN (Cym.-Cel.),]

a place or district; _Maenol_ or _Mainor_, Welsh (a possession), akin to the Lat. _mansio_ and the Fr. _maison_. From this word maybe derived Maine, a province of France; Mans and Mantes, although more directly they may probably come from the _Cenomanni_, a people who formerly inhabited that district in France; Mantua, in Italy, and La Mancha, in Spain, may be placed under this head; also Manchester, anc. _Mancunium_, and Mancester, anc. _Manduessedum_; Menteith, in Perthshire, the district of the R. Teith. In the Welsh language the letter _m_ is changed into _f_ and pronounced _v_, and _fan_ abridged to _fa_, thus--Brawdfa (the place of judgment); Eisteddfa (the sitting place); Gorphwzsfa (resting place); Morfa (the shore or sea place); Manaera (the place of slaughter), probably the site of a battle; Manclochog (the ringing-stone).[4]

[Sidenote: MANSUS (Lat.),]

a farm or rural dwelling, to which was attached a certain portion of land. It was often contracted into _mas_, _miex_, or _mex_; _e.g._ La Manse, Mansac, Manselle, Le Mas, Beaumets, Beaumais, in France. The Manse, _i.e._ the dwelling and glebe attached to a parish in Scotland; Mains, a parish in Forfar.

[Sidenote: MANTIL (Old Ger.),]

the fir-tree; _e.g._ Mantilholz (the fir-wood); Mantilberg (fir-tree hill); Zimmermantil (the room or dwelling at the fir-trees).

[Sidenote: MAR,]

a Ger. word, used both as an affix and a prefix, with various meanings. As a prefix, it occasionally stands for _mark_ (a boundary), as in Marbrook (the boundary brook), and Marchwiail (the boundary of poles), in Wales; sometimes for a _marsh_, as in Marbach, on the Danube, and Marburg, on the Neckar; sometimes also for _mark_, an Old Ger. word for a horse, as in Marburg, on the R. Lahn, and Marburg and Mardorf (horse town), in Hesse. As an affix, it is an adjective, and signifies, in the names of places and persons, clear, bright, distinguished, or abounding in; _e.g._ Eschmar (abounding in ash-trees); Geismar (in goats); Horstmar (in wood); Weimar (in the vine).

[Sidenote: MARK (Ger.), MEARC (A.S.), MARCHE (Fr.),]

the boundary; _e.g._ Styria or Stiermark, the boundary of the R. Steyer; Markstein (the boundary stone); Markhaus (the dwelling on the border); March, a town in Cambridge; La Marche (the frontier), a domain in France, having been the boundary between the Franks and Euskarians; Mercia, one of the kingdoms of the Heptarchy, bordering on Wales; and Murcia, in Spain, the boundary district between the Moorish kingdom of Granada and the other parts of Spain; Newmark, Altmark, Mittelmark (the new, old, and middle boundary), in Germany; Mark, in the Scandinavian language, meant a plain or district, thus Denmark means the plain of the Danes; Finnmark (of the Finns); Markbury, in Cheshire; Markley, in Hereford (the boundary town and field). The Marcomanni were the March or boundary men of the Sclavonic frontier of Germany; the R. March or Morava, the boundary between Lower Austria and Hungary; Marbecq and Marbeque, rivers in France; Mardick (the boundary dike).

[Sidenote: MARKT (Teut.), MERKT,]

a market, sometimes found as _mart_; _e.g._ Marktmühle (the market mill); Marktham, Marktflecken (market-town), in Germany; Martham, also in Norfolk; Neumarkt in Germany, and Newmarket in England (new market-town); Martock, in Somerset (the oak-tree under which the market of the district used to be held); Market-Raisin, in Lincoln, on the R. Raisin; Bibert-Markt, in Bavaria, on the R. Bibert; Kasmarkt, in Hungary, corrupt. from _Kaiser-Markt_ (the emperor’s market-town); Donnersmarkt, the German translation or corruption of _Csotartokhely_ (the Thursday market-place), in Hungary. The cattle-market at Stratford-on-Avon is still called the _Rother-market_, from an old word _rother_, for horned cattle.

[Sidenote: MARSA (Ar.),]

a port; _e.g._ Marsala, in Sicily, _i.e._ _Marsa-Allah_ (the port of God); Marsalquivir, _i.e._ _Marsal-el-kebir_ (the great port). In Malta: Marsa-scala, Marsa-scirocco, Marsa-muscetto, Marsa Torno.

[Sidenote: MAS (Irish),]

the thigh--applied in topography to a long low hill; _e.g._ Massreagh (gray hill); Mausrower (thick hill); Massareene, _i.e._ _Mas-a-rioghna_ (the queen’s hill); but Massbrook, Co. Mayo, is not from this root; it is a translation of _Sruthan-an-aiffrinn_ (the brook where the mass used to be celebrated).

[Sidenote: MAUM, MOYM, or MAM,]

Irish _madhm_ (a mountain pass or chasm); _e.g._ Maum-Turk (the boar’s pass); Maumakeogh (the pass of the mist); Maumnaman (of the women); Maumnahaltora (of the altar).

[Sidenote: MAVRO (Modern Grk.),]

black; _e.g._ Mavrovouno (the black mountain); Mavro Potamo (the black river), in Greece; Mavrovo and Mavroya (the black town), in Turkey.

[Sidenote: MAWR,]

by mutation _fawr_, Welsh (great)--_v._ MOR, p. 143.

[Sidenote: MEDINA (Ar.),]

a city or the metropolis; _e.g._ Medina, in Arabia, called by the Arabs _Medinat-al-Nabi_ (the city of the prophet). In Spain: Medina-de-las-torres (the city of the towers); Medina-del-campo (of the plain); Medina-delpomar (of the apple-orchard); Medina-del-rio-seco (of the dry river-bed); Medina-Sidonia (of the Sidonians). This city was so named by the Moors, because they believed it to have been built on the site of the Phœnician city Asidur.

[Sidenote: MEER, MERE (Teut.),]

a lake, sea, or marsh; _e.g._ Blakemere (the black lake, _blaec_), in Hereford; Great Marlow or Merelow (the hill by the marsh); Cranmere (the crane’s lake or marsh); Winandermere, so called, according to Camden, from the _winding_ of its shores; Wittleseamere, Buttermere, and Ellsmere, probably from personal names; Meerfeld, Meerhof, Meerholz, and Meerhout (the field, court, and wood near the lake or marsh), in Holland. But _mere_, in place-names, is said sometimes to mean a boundary--thus _Merse_, the other name for Berwickshire, may mean either the marshy land or the boundary county between England and Scotland. Closely connected with _meer_ (a lake) are the words in the Celtic as well as in the Teutonic languages, denoting marshy lands, _i.e._ lands that have lain under water, and are still partially submerged--such as _merse_, A.S.; _morast_, Ger.; _morfa_, Welsh; _marish_, Gadhelic; _marsk_, Scand.; and _marais_, Fr. Many places in Great Britain and the Continent derive their names from these words, thus--the Maros or Marosh; and the Morava (marshy rivers); Moravia (the district of the marshy river); Morast, in Sweden (the town on the marsh); Merton, in Berwickshire (the town on the marsh); Morebattle, in Roxburghshire, anc. _Mereboda_ (the dwelling on the marsh); Ostermarsh (east marsh), in Holland; Marengo (the marshy field), in Italy; Les Moeres (the marshes), in Flanders; Marchienne, Marchienes, Maresché, Maresches, Marest, etc., in France; Marcienisi, in Italy (marshy localities). The River Mersey may come from this word, or it may mean the border river between England and Wales.

[Sidenote: MENIL, MESNIL (Fr.),]

from _Mansionile_, the dim. of _mansus_; _e.g._ Grandmenil (the great dwelling or hamlet); Le Menil-la-comtesse (the manor of the countess); Mesnil-église (the church hamlet); Mesnil-Guillaume, Mesnil-Gilbert, Mesnil-Jourdan, named from the proprietors; Mesnil-sur-l’Estrée (the hamlet on the Roman road called _Strata Estrée_); Les Menils, Menillot, etc., in France.

[Sidenote: MENZIL (Ar.),]

a village; _e.g._ Miselmeri, corrupt. from _Menzil-el-Emir_ (the emir’s village); Mezojuso, from _Menzil-Yusuf_ (the village of Joseph).

[Sidenote: MEON (Cel.), MIO (Scand.),]

little, cognate with the Lat. _minor_; _e.g._ the Rivers Minnow and Mynwy, in Wales; the Mincio, in Italy; the Minho, in Portugal; Minorca (the less), in opposition to Majorca (the greater island); Miosen (the little sea or lake), in Norway.

[Sidenote: MICKLA, MYCEL (Teut. and Scand.),]

great, Scotch _muckle_; _e.g._ Mickledorf, Michelstadt, Michelham, Mickleton (great dwelling); Micklebeck (great brook); Michelau (great meadow); Mitchelmerse (the great marsh); Mecklenburg, anc. _Mikilinberg_ (the great town or hill fort); Muchelney (the great island), in Somersetshire, formed by the conf. of the Rivers Ivel and Parret; Meikle Ferry (the great ferry), on Dornoch Firth; Micklegarth (the great enclosure), the Scandinavian name for Constantinople, Grk. _Megalopolis_; but _mikil_ or _miklos_, especially in Russia and Hungary, is often an abbreviation of St. Nicholas, and denotes that the churches in these places were dedicated to that saint--thus Mikailov, Mikhailovskaia, Mikhalpol (St. Nicholas’s towns), in Russia; Miklos-Szent and Miklos-Nagy-Szent, in Hungary; Mikolajow, in Poland; Mitcham, in Surrey, in Doomsday is _Michelham_.

[Sidenote: MIN, MEN, or MAEN (Cym.-Cel.),]

a high rock or the brow of a hill; _e.g._ Maen-du (black rock), in Monmouth; Minto, a parish in Roxburghshire, on the brow of a steep hill; Meonstoke (hill station); East and West Meon, in Gloucestershire; Mendabia (at the foot of the hill), in Spain; Altmaen, corrupt. to “Old Man of Coniston,” in the Lake country, and to the “Old Man of Hoy,” in the Orkneys; the “Dodmaen,” in Cornwall--_v._ DODD--has been corrupted to _Deadman_.

[Sidenote: MINSTER, MYNSTER (A.S.), MUENSTER (Ger.),]

a monk’s dwelling or monastery, hence a cathedral--Lat. _monasterium_; _e.g._ Illminster, Axminster, Stourminster, Kremmunster, Charminster (the monasteries on the Rivers Ill, Ax, Stour, Krem, and Char); Beaminster, Co. Dorset, named after St. Bega; Kidderminster (the monastery of Earl Cynebert); Westminster (the minster west of St. Paul’s); Warminster (near the weir or dam of the R. Willey); Monasteranenagh (the monastery of the fair); Monasterboice (of St. Bœthus); Monasterevin (of St. Evin), in Ireland; Monasteria de la Vega (of the plain), in Spain. In France: Moutier, Moustier, Moustoir, Munster, Monestier (the monastery); Montereau, Montreuil, Marmoutier (the monastery of St. Martin); Masmoutier (of Maso); Noirmoutier and Rougemoutier (the black and red monastery); Toli-Monaster or Bitolia (the monastery of the beech-trees), in Turkey; Munster (the monastery), in Alsace; but Munster, a province in Ireland, is compounded from the Scand. _ster_--_qu._ _v._--and the Irish _Mumha_, a king’s name; Munster-eifel (the monastery at the foot of the Eifel-berg).

[Sidenote: MIR (Sclav.),]

peace; _e.g._ Mirgorod (the fortress of peace); Miropol, Mirowitz, Mirow (the town of peace).

[Sidenote: MITTEL, MIDDEL (Teut. and Scand.), MIEDZY (Sclav.),]

the middle, cognate with the Lat. _medius_, Grk. _mesos_, and Gadhelic _meadhon_; _e.g._ Middleby, Middleton, Middleham, Mitton, Middleburg (the middle town); Middlesex (the territory of the middle Saxons); Middlewich (the middle salt manufactory), in Cheshire--_v._ WICH; Midhurst (the middle wood), in Sussex; Midmar (the middle district of Mar), in Aberdeenshire; Ardmeanadh, Gael. _Ardmeadhonadh_ (the middle height), being the Gaelic name for Cromarty; Mitford (the middle ford); Melton-Mowbray, sometimes written _Medeltune_ (the middle town), formerly belonging to the Mowbray family; Mittelgebirge (the middle mountain range); Mittelwalde, Sclav. _Medzibor_ (the middle of the wood), in Silesia; Methwold, in Norfolk, with the same meaning; Mittweyda (in the midst of pasture ground), in Saxony; Methley and Metfield (middle field); Meseritz and Meseritsch, _i.e._ _mied-zyvreka_ (in the midst of streams), in Moravia and Pomerania; Mediasch (in the midst of waters), in Hungary; Misdroi (in the midst of woods), in Pomerania; Mediterranean Sea (in the middle of the land); Media (the middle country, as then known); Mesopotamia, Grk. (the country between the rivers); Mediolanum (in the midst of the plain or land)--_v._ LANN--the ancient name of Milan, Saintes, and some other towns.

[Sidenote: MLADY, MLODY (Sclav.),]

new; _e.g._ Mladiza, Mladowitz, Mladzowitz (new town), in Bohemia; Bladen and Bladow, corrupt. from _Mladen_, with the same meaning, in Silesia.

[Sidenote: MOEL (Cym.-Cel.), MAOL, MEALL (Gadhelic), MOOL (Scand.),]