Place name origins

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DiOz
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Location: South Australia. Birthplace: Lancashire. Age: 75.

Place name origins

Post by DiOz »

History and hidden meanings of Britain's place names

Seemingly ordinary place names on the map of Great Britain often hide fascinating stories of the landscape and local history. And it’s not just in Great Britain that this heritage is felt. Many towns and cities in America and the Commonwealth were named after British places and have their complicated roots here.

Unravelling how place names originated and what they really mean can be fascinating. The next time you are exploring the British countryside on foot, by bike or by car, take a moment to consider the places around you. There may be more to them than meets the eye.

Places were originally named in Old English, Norse, Scots, Welsh, Gaelic or Cornish, according to landscape features (topography), nature of settlement (habitat – city, town, village, fortifications) or the people or tribe living in the area, often combining two or three descriptive terms in one name. These names were then influenced and modified at various historical periods through language shift driven by socio-economic and political changes. These sometimes introduced new language influences, such as French from the Norman Conquest.

A word of caution… some modern names can deceptively cloak the true origins and meanings because these place names may have been modified quite dramatically over the centuries. Always try to look for the oldest usage of any place name for a more accurate interpretation of its original meaning. The origins of English place names are particularly complex, with very few general rules that can be applied.


Source: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsi ... lacenames/

Research sites....
Etymology Of British Place-names
English Place-Name Society
Scottish Place-Name Society
List of generic forms in British place names
UK place name origins
...Dave :g43:
Garrett Ace 250

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