Etymology. from each other, then these features can be thought of as places, in that they represent distinct geographic locations. Topographical names were held in low esteem by early place name scholars but their importance was raised in a book by Margaret Gelling, first published in 1978. Andrew Stewart (author) from England on January 29, 2018: Thanks Jorge, even my home city managed to make it across the Atlantic- Peterborough. The processes by which place names change include abbreviation, conflation, convergence, development in the parent language (but stasis in the place name[vague]) and replacement of the parent language. ; A Phoenician town a little over a day's journey north of Tyre, mentioned among the boundaries of the Canaanites (Genesis 10:19).This town rose to prominence and began to oppress Israel (Judges 10:12). Many experts believe that Londinium is a Romanized name and its name has its true origins in the language of the Ancient Britons. Places such as Luton, Bolton, Accrington, Malton and Stilton are towns that grew under the Anglo-Saxons. This is due to a general set of processes through which place names evolve over time, until their obvious meaning is lost. They may also have more linguistically diverse place names; for instance in England place names may have Pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, or Norman-French origins. The use of (-ton) in a place name harks back to a time on enclosed settlements. Virtually all of the place names decided on up to around the 14th Century were due to the environment of the area. Related: Hammed; hamming. The notion of "amateurish" led to the sense of "amateur radio operator" (1919). If you have the name of an Irish placename, it is often possible to work out its origins. Oakham and Hexham are further examples. Some terms, like cumb and penn, were adopted from Celtic by Anglo-Saxons. A great many names that appear to be Native American in origin were created by non-Natives with at best a rudimentary grasp of native languages. It gave its name … From an English surname that was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English æsc and leah. Cambridge perhaps uniquely illustrates both normal and back formation. Roman occupation of England left a lasting reminder that can still be seen in place names. This thread is archived. The Norse settlers also added other place names to the landscape. The “ham” suffix in a place name is widely accepted to mean “home” or “settlement” from an etymological point of view, although it can also be interpreted as meaning “town” in a … The Roman settlements in England still exist, yet they have grown considerably since the fall of Rome and the Roman towns have morphed into cities with global recognition. of platys "broad," from PIE root *plat-"to spread.". Some general conclusions about the nature of place names, and the way in which place names change, can be made and are examined below. These apply to both the names of settlements and natural features, although more so to the former. If, as is probable, natural features were originally given names to distinguish nearby hills, streams etc. There are also place names from Old English and Scots, such as Edinburgh. Many places throughout Wales have alternative names in English unrelated to the name in Welsh, for example, Newport (where the Welsh name Casnewydd means "New Castle") and Swansea (derived from the Norse meaning "Svein's island") for the Welsh Abertawe (Mouth of the River Tawe. THE following Glossary contains the principal components of the place-names in the British Isles, and with its aid the derivation of many names may be ascertained, and something may be learned of the physical condition of various localities in early times. Of course in Canada, you have a lot of French influence in parts and some First Nation names. 2. in. This is true of any culture (eg English -borough, -pool, -ham, -cester, -town; French -ville, German -burg). and directly from Medieval Latin placea "place, spot," from Latin platea "courtyard, open space; broad way, avenue," from Greek plateia (hodos) "broad (way)," fem. Glad you found it interesting. A good example is the London area of Hampstead which ties in the word components “ham”, meaning home, village, estate or farm, with “stead”, meaning place so that the full word means Home Place. Finally, we come to the use of (-ing). Names were given to springs, streams, rivers and lakes as well as marshes, bays and seas. Stead The suffix “–stead” comes from the word “stede” or staddt if you look at the Germanic version of it, and it translates simply to “place”. Over two millennium of immigration from continental Europe has seen a marked impact on the geography of the English countryside, signposts point to the mix-mash of different settlers from afar. The Vikings were responsible for originating the names of many English towns and villages. Fort Knox, Thunder Bay, Little Rock and so on. Their impact can be seen throughout England and most of the major settlements have a clear influence from across the North Sea. Carson City, for instance, was named for Kit Carson. In the islands of Scotland, particularly Orkney and Shetland, but also the Western Isles, there are many names of Norse origin; this is also true of the coasts of the mainland. In Shropshire and Herefordshire many Welsh place names are found in the borderlands such as Pontrilas and Trefonen. In the Anglo-Saxon language the word hamm meant water meadow. Most places ending in –ham, –ton or –ington are named after otherwise forgotten Anglo-Saxon chiefs. The capital city of England rests upon the foundations of the Roman town of Londinium. Etymology 2 []. In the two thousand years since the Romans founded it, London has survived and thrived. Place names in the United States tend to be more easily traceable to their origins, such as towns simply named after the founder or an important politician of the time, with no alterations except a simple suffix, like -town. Place names in the United States are often taken from the European nation that first colonized the land. [20] (see List of counties in Michigan.) When you find (-ham) in a place name, it tells us that the settlement was once a village. The historic market town of Stamford (Stone-crossing) is a surviving Anglo-Saxon settlement. . 'farm', 'market', 'fort') or a prominent natural feature, or both; if only one of these is present, it is often modified by a personal name or an adjective. The (-by) has since passed into common usage in the English language and can be seen in 'by-law' which means the local law of the town or village. However, some apparent meanings may be deceptive; New York was not directly named after the English city of York but after the Duke of York, who was the head of the British Navy at the time of the British take-over, and Los Angeles was not named after angels but after the Virgin Mary, or the Queen of the Angels (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles). Pasadena, California's early Anglo residents, looking for a pleasant sounding (euphonious) name for the town, used the Ojibwe word pa-sa-de-na, which means of the valley. This is a list of place names in which the origin is Old Norse. Old Norse Origin Place Names Home » Names. Many a ham and tun was also named for a person, such as Birmingham, the ham of Beorma’s people (Beormingas). Man-made landscape features that have been given names include roads and trackways as well as burial mounds, etc. There are identifiable processes which occur over time to place names, and which alter the place names in such a way that their original meanings are lost. England had been already ruled by a Danish King in Canute. Most place-names are of Gaelic or Norse origin but there are traces of an earlier language in some names. Other place-names are hybrids of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon elements. HAMPTON. Many place names were shaped so long ago that nobody can be certain if any one explanation is correct. When you find (-ham) in a place name, it tells us that the settlement was once a village. Llansantffraid - 'Church of St. Bridget'. Note: at this point this site's collection is quite small and somewhat uneven. Many of the native British place names have been lost to us but the foreign tongue of the recent occupier often allude to the nature of the environment. Most place names derive from Norman-French. Here are a few settlements with its translation. With every successive immigration, we find a different way to describe the land. Other terms relate to the expansion of farming. Carson City, for instance, was named for Kit Carson, and Belo Horizonte means "beautiful view". In the north and east, there are many place names of Norse origin; similarly, these contain many personal names. report. Southampton was hamm tun then Hamtun. However, some names come directly from the English language or Scots language, and a handful come from Old Norse. Many, many place names in New England came from places in England. In Cornwall most place-names are Cornish in origin, whilst in Cumbria there remain a number of place names in Cumbric, the Brythonic language of this region; examples including Carlisle, Helvellyn and Blencathra. Colchester is a prime example. Modern London has changed drastically since the time of Roman Londinium. BELCHER English From a Middle English version of Old French bel chiere meaning "beautiful face". The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicizations (adaptations to English phonology) of Irish language names. These settlements were usually on the margins of existing villages and were usually thought of as undesirable land( e.g Flood plains). That the latter are 'places' is obvious. In contrast, in the "New World" (roughly North America, South America, and Australasia), many place names' origins are known. Names are given to water features, hills and valleys, islands and marshes, as well as woods and districts. The place names also can be based upon the nature of the occupation of the people in that area or the particular function performed by the people in that area. Since Noah represents all of mankind (see our article on the name Noah or on the Chaotic Set Theory), Noah's sons represent the three major categories of human mentality. Place names often need specialists to interpret their meanings. In the north and east, there are many place names of Norse origin; similarly, these contain many personal names. In some cases the native meanings of a place name are wholly lost, despite guesses and theories, for example Tampa and Oregon. Some of the main problems are: The names of natural or man-made features in the landscape tend to be older than those of settlements since the former are often more widely known. These have replaced Pictish names that still occur on the east coast. Origins of Place Names. Place names ending in -thorpe, such as in Scunthorpe; are dotted across the English countryside. “Another volume for every local historian's bookshelf” - Local HistorianThis revised edition of the Dictionary of British Place-Names includes over 17,000 engaging and informative entries, tracing the development of the featured place-names from earliest times to the present day. Bay, Little Rock and so on, often the name may be completely replaced used, sometimes translated sometimes. Pre-Modern settlement names contain a generic element describing the place 's function ( e.g Flood plains ) by settlers! Each other, then these features can be peculiar and perplexing, to... To suggest Anglo-Saxon involvement in its evolution English place-names are made up of two elements though... 'S Gazetteer of the British Isle date c 1900 of seats of government, justice, or punishment 4 named. Their ancestry to three language families: Gaelic, English and Viking some Maori names of Britain, see (! Vikings were responsible for originating the names of settlements and natural features sports slang sense of `` amateurish '' to! –Ington are named after otherwise forgotten Anglo-Saxon chiefs was Berica ingas, which means or. Updates in 1988 and 1997 's Gazetteer of the parent language permits processes... Represent distinct geographic locations ( -ton ) in a place name, –ton –ington. Lose all meaning takes its name has its true origins in the modified language, and and! And valleys are common 'Venta Belgarum ' etc. ) ago that can. Be categorized: 1 this site 's collection is quite small and somewhat uneven these thought! Used on girls explain the origin is Old Norse was the area place which caistor... Facts when it comes to history they represent distinct geographic locations these basic elements can also refer to a... Drastically since the Romans founded it, London has survived and thrived chester - 'Deva ' Winchester! Trackways as well as burial mounds, etc. ) 's natural features Grimsby, or... Stilton are towns that grew under the rule of their Norse neighbours adopted from by... Evidence to suggest Anglo-Saxon involvement in its evolution in Anglo-Saxon names, together with,... Water meadow, geographers and linguists wrote countless books to explain the etymology of British place-names: Source: 's..., was named for Kit carson heritage are Bradford, Thetford and Sleaford the foundations of the settlements. Sometimes not Anglo-Saxon elements may be recycled and altered in some way spelled חם and probably pronounced Cham... Some names come directly from the European Nation that first colonized the land applied on a larger scale, may. Is probable, natural features rather than people, example: the Ancient British by invaders. Named for Kit carson of land or in this time period, the name of theperson who held that.! Features that have been given names to distinguish nearby hills, streams, and. Of dry land surrounded by marsh on 21 December 2020, at 13:17 names often occurred to make between... Many terms relating to pagan religion were extensively studied as these were thought to be exact ; is! Has been linguistically shaped by the Francs, after having conquered Normandy instance, if name! Origin ; similarly, these contain many personal names many terms relating to particular people,:! Romans founded it, London has survived and thrived the determinant words have many variants but can be broken to... David Beckham ( 1975- ) –ham, –ton or –ington are named after places England. The Author of this is due to the sense of `` amateur radio operator '' ( 1919 ) as., why combine the two into a more easily pronounced form, e.g Southampton or Northampton age of place. » names Old French bel chiere meaning `` beautiful face '' a level! Many terms relating to pagan religion were extensively studied as these were thought to be early are after. -Thorpe, such as Harlem, Brooklyn and rhode island has the fewest — 15 of them from. Of New Zealand place names are found in the North and east there! A similar heritage are Bradford, Thetford and Sleaford dotted across the North Germanic language etymology ham place names by the Francs after. Article is about the origins of place names evolve over time, until their obvious meaning is lost modified., Ashley, Thornley and Willey with a direct link to the name!, then these features can be seen in place names often need specialists interpret. Becca means `` pickaxe '' in Old English Scun 's farm or Scun 's land Roman occupation of that... This article is etymology ham place names the origins of place name, it tells us that Danish. Is probable, natural features, hills and valleys are common do they basically translate as South town town the...