A Dictionary of British Place-NamesOver 15,000 A-Z entries covering England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, make this the most comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary of British place names available. From Abbas Combe to Zennor, it gives the meaning and origin of names of counties, towns, and villages, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day. Invaluable for anyone finding out about a local area, lexicographers and local historians alike will be fascinated by what these place-names reveal. The dictionary features an in-depth introductory essay which discusses the chronology and development of British place-names, different types of formation, and sections focusing on Irish, Welsh, and Scottish place-names. It also includes an extensive bibliography for further research, maps of Britain showing old and new boundaries, and provides a Glossary of common elements in place-names. This critically acclaimed dictionary has been described as 'an indispensable travellling companion' (Landscape History), and 'another volume for every local historian's bookshelf' (Local Historian). |
Contents
Introduction | |
List of Counties and Unitary Authorities | |
Dictionary of British PlaceNames | |
Select Bibliography for Further Reading | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
12th cent Antrim Baile burh dative byrig burna Cambs Ches church Cill Cork Cornwall Cumbria dative plural form denu Derbys Devon Distinguishing affixes Donegal Dorset dūn E. R. Yorks early possession Essex Estate associated examples include family or followers farm farmstead or hamlet Farmstead or village feld ford Gaelic Galway genitive plural Glos grow halh hām or hamm Hants Herefs hill hōh Homestead or enclosure Homestead or village hyll Identical in origin ingas island Kent Kerry Lancs lēah Leics Limerick Lincs Manorial affix Mayo name genitive name means Nook of land Norfolk Northants Northum Notts OE hēah OE pers OE tūn Offaly OFrench Open land OScand Outlying farmstead Oxon place-names Possibly farmstead previous name Probably farmstead ridge settlement Shrops Somerset spring or stream stān Stronghold Suffolk Sussex Tipperary Townland Tyrone valley Warwicks wella Welsh Westmeath wīc Wilts wood or clearing Woodland clearing Worcs wudu