Part 17 (1/2)

[28] From a similar origin is the name of the Scandinavian Vikings, Vik-ing, from _vik_, a bay.

[29] _Archaeological Journal._

[30] The reader must bear in mind that Ang.-Sax. _ae_ is p.r.o.nounced as _a_ in ”ant.”

[31] I take the word contained herein to be ”ganz,” an ancient stem in names.

[32] Properly, I think, ”Maedlingas,” as it has nothing to do with Ang.-Sax. ”maegd,” _maid_.

[33] The same, I take it, as the ”Myrgingas” in the _Traveller's Tale_.

[34] Properly, I take it, ”Trumingas,” Ang.-Sax. ”_trum_” firm, strong.

CHAPTER V.

MEN'S NAMES IN PLACE-NAMES.

We have seen in a preceding chapter that the earliest Saxon place-names in England are derived from a personal name, and that the idea contained is that of a modified form of common right. We shall find that a very large proportion of the later Anglo-Saxon place-names are also derived from the name of a man, but that the idea contained is now that of individual owners.h.i.+p or occupation. The extent to which English place-names are derived from ancient names of men is, in my judgment, very much greater than is generally supposed. And indeed, when we come to consider it, what can be so naturally a.s.sociated with a _ham_ as the name of the man who lived in that home, of a _weorth_ as that of the man to whom that property belonged, of a Saxon _tun_ or a Danish _by_ or _thorp_ as that of the man to whom the place owed its existence? If we turn to Kemble's list of Anglo-Saxon names of places as derived from ancient charters, in the days when the individual owner had succeeded to the community, we cannot fail to remark to how large an extent this obtains, and how many of these names are in the possessive case. Now, it must be observed that there are in Anglo-Saxon two forms of the possessive, and that when a man's name had the vowel ending in _a_, as noted at p. 24, it formed its possessive in _an_, while otherwise it formed its possessive in _es_. Thus we have Baddan byrig, ”Badda's borough,” Bennan beorh, ”Benna's barrow” or grave, and in the other form we have Abbodes byrig, ”Abbod's borough,” Bluntes ham, ”Blunt's home,”

and Sylces wyrth, ”Silk's worth” or property. And as compound names did not take a vowel ending, such names invariably form their possessive in _es_, as in Haywardes ham, ”Hayward's home,” Cynewardes gemaero, ”Cyneward's boundary,” &c. I am not at all sure that _ing_ also has not, in certain cases, the force of a possessive, and that aelfredincgtun, for instance, may not mean simply ”Alfred's town” and not Alfreding's town.

But I do not think that this is at any rate the general rule, and it seems scarcely possible to draw the line. From the possessive in _an_ I take to be most probably our present place-names Puttenham, Tottenham, and Sydenham, (respecting the last of which there has been a good deal of discussion of late in _Notes and Queries_), containing the Anglo-Saxon names _Putta_, _Totta_, and _Sida_. With regard to the last I have not fallen in with the name _Sida_ itself. But I deduce such a name from Sydanham, C.D. 379, apparently a place in Wilts, also perhaps from Sidebirig, now Sidbury, in Devon; and there is, moreover, a corresponding O.G. _Sido_, the origin being probably A.S. _sidu_, manners, morals. Further traces of such a stem are found in _Sidel_ deduced from Sidelesham, now Sidlesham, in Suss.e.x, and also from the name _Sydemann_ in a charter of Edgar, these names implying a pre-existing stem _sid_ upon which they have been formed.

As well as with the _ham_ or the _byrig_ in which he resided, a man's name is often found among the Anglo-Saxons, connected with the boundary--whatever that might be--of his property, as in Abbudes mearc, Abbud's mark or boundary, and Baldrices gemaero, Baldrick's boundary.

Sometimes that boundary might be a hedge, as in Leoferes haga and Danehardes hegeraew, ”Leofer's hedge,” and ”Danehard's hedge-row.”

Sometimes it might be a stone, as in Sweordes stan, sometimes a ridge, as in Eppan hrycg, ”Eppa's ridge,” sometimes a ditch or d.y.k.e, as in Tilgares dic and Colomores sic (North. Eng. syke, wet ditch). A tree was naturally a common boundary mark, as in Potteles treow, Alebeardes ac (oak), Bulemaeres thorn, Huttes aesc (ash), Tatmonnes apoldre (apple-tree). Sometimes, again, a man's name is found a.s.sociated with the road or way that led to his abode, as in Wealdenes weg (way), Sigbrihtes anstige (stig, a footpath), Dunnes stigele (stile). Another word which seems to have something of the meaning of ”stile” is _hlip_, found in Freobearnes hlyp and in Herewines hlipgat. In Anglo-Saxon, _hlypa_ signified a stirrup, and a ”hlipgat” must, I imagine, have been a gate furnished with some contrivance for mounting over it. Of a similar nature might be Alcherdes ford, and Brochardes ford, and also Geahes ofer, Byrhtes ora, and aescmann's yre (_ofer_, contr. _ore_, sh.o.r.e or landing-place). Something more of the rights of water may be contained in Fealamares broc (brook), Hykemeres strem (stream), and Brihtwoldes were (weir); the two latter probably referring to water-power for a mill. The sense of property only seems to be that which is found in Cybles weorthig, aescmere's weorth (land or property), Tilluces leah (lea), Rumboldes den (_dene_ or valley), Bogeles pearruc (paddock), Ticnes feld (field). Also in Grottes graf (grove), Sweors holt (grove), Pippenes pen (pen or fold), Willeardes hyrst (grove), Leofsiges geat (gate), Ealdermannes haec (hatch), and Winagares stapol (stall, market, perhaps a place for the sale or interchange of produce).

The site of a deserted dwelling served sometimes for a mark, as in Sceolles eald cotan (Sceolles old cot), and Dearmodes ald tun (Deormoda's old town, or inclosure, dwelling and appurtenances?).

But it is with a man's last resting-place that his name will be found in Anglo-Saxon times to be most especially a.s.sociated. The princ.i.p.al words used to denote a grave are _beorh_ (barrow), _byrgels_, and _hloew_ (low), in all of which the idea seems to be that of a mound raised over the spot. We have Weardes beorh, ”Weard's barrow,” also Lulles, Cartes, Hornes, Lidgeardes, and many others. We have Scottan byrgels, ”Scotta's barrow,” also Hoces, Wures, and Strenges. And we have Lortan hlaew, ”Lorta's low,” also Ceorles, Wintres, Hwittuces, and others. There is another word _ho_, which seems to be the same as the O.N. _haugr_, North. Eng, _how_, a grave-mound. It is found in Healdenes ho, Piccedes ho, Scoteho Tilmundes ho, Caegesho, and Fingringaho. It would hardly seem, from the location of four of them, Worcester, Ess.e.x, Beds, Suss.e.x, that they can be of Scandinavian origin. Can the two words, _haugr_ and _hlau_ (_how_, and _hlow_), be from the same origin, the one a.s.suming, or the other dropping an _l_?

I take the names of persons thus to be deduced from Anglo-Saxon place-names, and which are in general correspondence with the earlier names in the preceding chapter, though containing some new forms and a greater number of compound names, to give as faithful a representation as we can have of the every-day names of Anglo-Saxons. And as I have before compared the names of those primitive settlers with our existing surnames, so now I propose to extend the comparison to the names of more settled Anglo-Saxon times.

Anglo-Saxon Men's Names. Place-Names. English Surnames.

Abbod Abbodesbyrig } _Abbott_ Abbud Abbudesmearc } aecemann aecemannes ceaster _Ackman, Aikman_ Acen Acenes feld _Aikin_ aegelweard aegelweardes mearc _Aylward_ Alberht Alcherdes ford _Allcard_ Alder Aldrestub _Alder_ aelfgar aelfgares gemaero _Algar_ aelfred aelfredes beorh _Alfred_, _Allfrey_ aelfher, or } aelfheri } aelfheres stapol _Alvary_ aescmer aescmeres weorth _Ashmore_ aescmann aescmannes yre _Ashman_ Alebeard Alebeardes ac _Halbard_ Amber Ambresbyrig _Amber_ aethelstan aethelstanes tun _Ethelston_

Babel Babeles beorh _Bable_ Badherd Badherdes sled _Beddard_ Baldher Baldheresberg _Balder_ Baldric Baldrices gemaero _Baldridge_ Baldwin Baldwines heath _Baldwin_ Beored, or Beoret Beoredes treow _Berrette_ Beornheard Beornheardes lond _Bernard_ Beornwold Beornwoldes saetan _Bernold_ Blunt Bluntesham _Blunt_ Bogel Bogeles pearruc _Bogle_ Bohmer Bohmeres stigele _Bowmer_ Bregen Bregnesford _Brain_ Brochard Brochardes ford _Brocard_ Buga Buganstoc } _Bugg_ Bugga Bugganbroc } Bulemaer Bulemaeres thorn _Bulmer_ Buntel Bunteles pyt _Bundle_ Bunting Buntingedic _Bunting_ Burhgeard Burhgeardeswerthig _Burchard_

Carda Cardan hlaew _Card_, _Cart_ Ceapa Ceapan hlaew _Cheape_ Ceawa Ceawan hlaew _Chew_ Cerda Cerdan hlaew _Chard_ Cissa Cissan anstige _Cheese_ Chetol (Danish) Chetoles beorh _Kettle_ Creoda Creodan ac } _Creed_ Cridd Criddes ho } c.u.men c.u.menes ora _c.u.mmin_ Ceatewe Ceatewesleah _Chattoway_ Ceada Ceadanford _Chad_ Catt Cattes stoke _Cat_, _Catty_ Caestael Caestaelesham _Castle_ Cludd Cludesleah _Cloud_ Coten Cotenesfeld _Cotton_ Cruda Crudan sceat _Crowd_ Colomor Colomores sic _Colmer_ Cydd Cyddesige _Kidd_ Cyble Cybles weorthig _Keble_ Celc Celces ora _Kelk_ Cylman Cylmanstun _Killman_ Cynlaf Cynlafes stan _Cunliffe_ Cynric Cynrices gemaero _Kenrick_ Cyneward Cynewardes gemaero _Kenward_ Cyppa Cyppanham _Chipp_

Daegel, or Daeglesford } _Dale_ Deil Deilsford } Dearnagel Dearnagles ford _Darnell_ Daeneheard Daeneheardes hegerawe _Denhard_ DeorlafDeorlafestun _Dearlove_ Deormod[35] Deormodes ald tun _Dermott_ Dodd Doddesthorp } _Dodd_ Dodda Doddan hlaew } Dolemann Dolemannes beorh _Dollman_ Duceman Ducemannestun _Duckman_ Ducling Duclingtun _Duckling_ Dunn Dunnes stigele _Dunn_ DoG.o.d DoG.o.deswel _Doggett_, _Dugood_ Dydimer Dydimertun _Tidemore_

Ealder Ealdersc.u.mb _Alder_ Ealdmann Ealdmannes wyrth _Altman_ Ealdermann[36] Ealdermannes haec _Alderman_ Ealmund Ealmundes treow _Almond_ Eanulf Eanulfestun _Enough_ Earn Earnesbeorh _Earney_

Eastmond Eastmondestun _Esmond_ Ecgell Ecgeles stiel _Edgell_, _Eagle_

Fealamar Fealamares broc { _Fillmore_ { _Phillimore_ Flegg Flegges garan _Flew_ Focga Focgancrundel _Fogg_, _Foggo_ Freobearn Freobearnes hlyp _Freeborn_ Frigedaeg Frigedaeges treow _Friday_ Fuhgel Fuhgeles beorh _Fuggle_, _Fowl_

Gandar Gandrandun _Gander_ Gaecg Gaecges stapol { _Gay_ Geah Geahes ofer { Gatehlinc Gatehlinces heafod _Gatling_ Geleca Gelecancamp _Jellicoe_ Geyn Geynes thorn _Gain_ Giselher Gislhereswurth _Giller_ G.o.dincg G.o.dincges gemaero _G.o.dding_ G.o.dmund G.o.dmundesleah _G.o.dmund_ G.o.dwin G.o.dwines gemaero _G.o.dwin_ Grobb Grobbes den _Grove_, _Grubb_ Grott Grottes graf _Grote_ Gund Gundestige _Gunn_, _Gundey_