List_of_generic_forms_in_place_names_in_the_British_Isles

List of generic forms in place names in the British Isles

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This article lists a number of common generic forms in place names in the British Isles, their meanings and some examples of their use. The study of place names is called toponymy; for a more detailed examination of this subject in relation to British and Irish place names, refer to Toponymy in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Key to languages: Bry: Brythonic; C: Cumbric; K: Cornish; I: Irish; L: Latin; ME: Middle English; NF: Norman French; OE: Old English (Anglo-Saxon); ON: Old Norse; P: Pictish; S: Scots; SG: Scots Gaelic; W: Welsh

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[oswelsh-1] [1]
"Welsh origins of place names in Britain". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.

[BLITON-2] [2]
James, Alan. "Brittonic Language in the Old North: A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2018.

[3] [3]
"Accrington". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[4] [4]
"Matlock". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[osgael-5] [5]
"Gaelic origins of place names in Britain". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.

[6] [6]
Morgan, Thomas (1887). Handbook Of The Origin Of Place-Names In Wales and Monmouthshire (PDF). Merthyr Tydfil: H.W. Southey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

[7] [7]
"Glossary of Welsh origins of place names in Britain". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

[8] [8]
"Ashton-in-Makerfield". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[9] [9]
"Astley". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[osscand-10] [10]
Stahl, Anke-Beate (May 2004). "Guide to Scandinavian origins of place names in Britain". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.

[11] [11]
"Selsey". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[12] [12]
"Holbeck". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[13] [13]
"Farnborough". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[kepn7138-14] [14]
"Bexhill". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[15] [15]
"Eastbourne". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[16] [16]
"Bradford". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[17] [17]
"Glastonbury". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[18] [18]
"Middlesbrough". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[19] [19]
"Grimsby". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[20] [20]
"Carlisle". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[21] [21]
"Lancaster". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[22] [22]
"Chipping Norton". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[23] [23]
"Highclere". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[24] [24]
"Coombe". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[25] [25]
"Swadlincote". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[kepn12983-26] [26]
"Culcheth". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[27] [27]
"Croydon". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[28] [28]
"Todmorden". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[29] [29]
"Abingdon". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[Watson2013-30] [30]
Watson, William (16 April 2013). Place Names of Ross and Cromarty. Read Books Limited. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-4474-8697-8.

[31] [31]
"Hornsey". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[32] [32]
"Romsey". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[33] [33]
"Sheffield". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[34] [34]
"Chapel en le Frith". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[35] [35]
"Fangfoss". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[36] [36]
"Gate Helmsley". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[37] [37]
Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003). "Gaelic Placenames F-J" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. p. 53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.

[38] [38]
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. 1913.

[39] [39]
Matthews, John Hobson, ed. (1905). Cardiff Records. Vol. 5, 'Glossary'. pp. 557–598. Retrieved 26 November 2009.

[40] [40]
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1972 reprint: "sewer".

[41] [41]
"Rotherham". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[42] [42]
"Hexham". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[43] [43]
Johnston, Rev. James B. (1915). The Place-Names of England and Wales. London: John Murray. p. 147.

[44] [44]
"Rotherhithe". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[45] [45]
"Holme". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[46] [46]
"Glossop". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[47] [47]
"Glossary of Scandinavian origins of place names in Britain". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

[48] [48]
"Lyndhurst". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[49] [49]
"Reading". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[50] [50]
"Epping". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[51] [51]
"Hastings". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[52] [52]
Gelling, Margaret (2000). "Chapter 5". Signposts to the Past (3rd ed.). Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 978-1-86077-064-7.

[53] [53]
"Threlkeld". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[54] [54]
previously Bishop's Lynn and Lynn Regis

[55] [55]
"Coningsby". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[56] [56]
"Langdales". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[57] [57]
"Ludlow". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[58] [58]
Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse. Retrieved 26 May 2010.

[59] [59]
"Barnsley". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[VikingIrelandWales-60] [60]
Fellows-Jensen, Gillian. "Nordic place-names in Ireland and Wales". Vikingeskibs Museet. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

[61] [61]
"Windermere". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[62] [62]
Ling, Penny (April 1998). "Medieval Shipden/Cromer". Cromer History. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.

[63] [63]
"Ilminster". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[64] [64]
"Moss Side". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[65] [65]
"Norwich". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[66] [66]
"Liverpool". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[67] [67]
"Openshaw". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[68] [68]
"Stamford". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[69] [69]
"Hemel Hempstead". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[70] [70]
"Stoke-upon-Trent". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[kepn6302-71] [71]
"Stow on the Wold". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[72] [72]
"Bristol". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 24 July 2016.

[73] [73]
"Sudbury". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[74] [74]
"Swinton". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[75] [75]
"Cleethorpes". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[76] [76]
"Brighton". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[77] [77]
"Warwickshire History: Anglo-Saxon Warwickshire". Warwickshire County Council. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.

[78] [78]
"Tamworth". Key to English Place-Names. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

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Term	Origin	Meaning	Example	Position	Comments
aber^[1]	C, W, P, K	mouth (of a river), confluence, a meeting of waters	Aberystwyth, Aberdyfi, Aberdeen, Abergavenny, Aberuthven	prefix	See also Aber and Inver (placename elements) Notably absent from northern England.^[2]
ac, acc, ock	OE	acorn, or oak tree	Accrington,^[3] Acomb, Acton, Matlock^[4]
afon, avon^[1]	Bry, C, P, W, SG, K, I	river	River Avon, Avonmouth, Avonwick, Glanyrafon		W afon is pronounced "AH-von"; several English rivers are named Avon. In Irish the word, spelled abhann, is mainly (though not exclusively) pronounced OW-en
ar, ard^[5]^[6]^[7]	I, SG	high, height	Armagh, Ardglass, Ardgay
ash	OE	ash tree	Ashby de la Zouch, Ashton-under-Lyne, Ashton-in-Makerfield^[8]
ast	OE	east	Aston, Astley^[9]	prefix
auch(en)/(in)-, ach-^[5]	I, SG	field	Auchendinny, Auchenshuggle, Auchinairn, Achnasheen	prefix	anglicised from achadh. Ach- is generally the Highland form, and Auch- the lowland. Auchen- (from Achadh nan ...) means 'field of the ...'
auchter-^[5]	I, SG	height, top of something	Auchtermuchty, Auchterarder	prefix	anglicised from uachdar
axe, exe, usk, esk	OE	from acsa, meaning river	Exeter, River Axe (Devon), River Exe, River Usk, Axminster, River Esk, Lothian
ay, y, ey^[10]	OE/ON	island	Ramsay, Westray, Lundy, Selsey,^[11] Orkney	suffix (usually)
bal, balla, bally, ball^[5]	SG, I	farm, homestead or mouth, approach	Ballachulish, Balerno, Ballymena, Ballinamallard, Ballater, Balmoral	prefix	anglicised from baile or sometimes also béal
beck,^[10] bach	OE,ON	stream	Holbeck,^[12] Beckinsale, Troutbeck, Beckton, Tooting Bec, Sandbach, Comberbach		cf. Ger. Bach
ban, bannau, bannock, bannog, ben, beinn, beann, binn	I, SG, W	mountain, summit, summits, mountainous	Bannau Brycheiniog, Bannockburn, Benbulbin, Ben Cruachan, Ben Nevis
berg, berry^[10]	OE/ON	hill (cf. 'iceberg')	Roseberry Topping, Berkhamsted, Sedbergh		In Farnborough (OE Fernaberga),^[13] berg has converged toward borough, Ger. berg
bex	OE	box, the tree	Bexley, Bexhill-on-Sea^[14]		The OE name of Bexhill-on-Sea was Bexelei, a glade where box grew.^[14]
blen, blaen	C, W	fell, hill, upland	Blencathra, Blencogo, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Blantyre
bost^[10]	ON	farm	Leurbost	suffix	cf. ster, (bol)staðr; this form is usually found in the Outer Hebrides. Related to Swedish 'bol' as in Bäckebol and Brandsbol, as well the direct cognate Bolstad.
bourne, burn	OE	large brook, large stream, small river	Bournemouth, Melbourne, Bourne, Eastbourne,^[15] Ashbourne, Blackburn, Bannockburn, Goulburn		cf. Ger. -born as in Herborn. The word "burn" is still in common use in Scotland in this sense.
brad	OE	broad	Bradford^[16]	prefix
bre^[1]	C, W, K	hill	Bredon, Carn Brea	prefix
bryn; also brin and bren	C, K, P, W	hill	Bryn, Brynmawr	usually a prefix
bury, borough, brough, burgh	OE	fortified enclosure	Aylesbury, Banbury, Canterbury, Dewsbury, Bury, Pendlebury, Newbury, Shrewsbury, Tewkesbury, Glastonbury,^[17] Middlesbrough,^[18] Edinburgh, Bamburgh, Peterborough, Knaresborough, Scarborough, Jedburgh, Aldeburgh	(usually) suffix	See also -bury and Borough for further information and other uses. Burgh is primarily Northumbrian and Scots. Cf. Nl. and Ger. Burg
by,^[10] bie	ON	settlement, village	Grimsby,^[19] Tenby, Derby, Whitby, Selby, Crosby, Formby, Kirkby, Rugby, Helsby, Corby, Wetherby, Lockerbie	usually suffix but compare Bicker (the town marsh)	also survives in bylaw and by-election
carden, cardden^[2]	C, P, W	enclosure	Kincardine, Cardenden, Pluscarden	suffix
caer, car^[1]	C, P, W	camp, fortification	Caerdydd, Caerleon, Carlisle,^[20] Caerfyrddin	prefix	See also Caer. Brythonic caer from Latin castrum; cf Chester (OE).
caster, chester, cester, (c/x)eter	OE (<L)	camp, fortification (of Roman origin)	Lancaster,^[21] Doncaster, Gloucester, Caister, Manchester, Chichester, Worcester, Chester, Exeter, Cirencester, Colchester, Tadcaster, Leicester, Towcester, Winchester	suffix
cheap, chipping	OE	market	Chipping Norton,^[22] Chipping Campden, Chepstow, Chipping		also as part of a street, e.g. Cheapside. Chippenham is from a personal name.
clere	Possibly W	Possibly clear or bright^[23]	Burghclere, Highclere
combe, coombe	Bry	valley	Barcombe ("Valley of the Britons"), Farncombe, Ilfracombe, Salcombe, Coombe Country Park,^[24]		usually pronounced 'coo-m' or 'cum', cognate with cwm
coed^[1]	W	wood, forest	Betws-y-coed
cot, cott	OE,W	cottage, small building or derived from Bry/W Coed or Coet meaning a wood	Ascot, Didcot, Draycott in the Clay, Swadlincote^[25]	suffix
Craig, crag, creag	Bry, SG, I	A jutting rock.	Craigavon, Creag Meagaidh, Pen y Graig, Ard Crags		This root is common to all the Celtic languages.
cul	C W	narrow	Culcheth^[26]	prefix
-cum-	L	with	Salcott-cum-Virley, Cockshutt-cum-Petton, Chorlton-cum-Hardy	interfix	Used where two parishes were combined into one. Unrelated to Cumbric cum.
cwm, cum^[1]	W, C	valley	Cwmaman, Cumdivock, Cwmann, Cwmbran, Cwm Head	prefix	cwm in Welsh and cum in Cumbric; borrowed into old English as suffix coombe.
dal^[5]	SG, I	meadow, low-lying area by river	Dalry, Dalmellington	prefix	Cognate with and probably influenced by P Dol
dale^[10]	OE/ON	valley OE, allotment OE	Airedale i.e. valley of the River Aire, Rochdale, Weardale	suffix	Cognate with Tal (Ger.), dalr (ON)
dean, den, don	OE - denu	valley (dene)	Croydon,^[27] Dean Village, Walkden, Horndean, Todmorden^[28]	suffix	the geography is often the only indicator as to the original root word (cf. don, a hill)
din, dinas^[1]	W, K	fort	Dinas Powys, Castle an Dinas	prefix	homologous to dun; see below
dol	Bry, P, W	meadow, low-lying area by river	Dolgellau, Dull	prefix
don, den	Bry via OE	hill, down	Abingdon,^[29] Bredon, Willesden	suffix
Druineach^[30]	SG	uncertain	Airigh nan Druineach, Cladh nan Druineach, Druineachan
drum^[5]	SG, I, W, C	ridge, back	Drumchapel, Drumnacanvy, Drumnadrochit, Dundrum, Mindrum	prefix	Gaelic examples are anglicised from druim
dubh,^[5] dow, dhu, duff	SG, I	black	Eilean Dubh, Eas Dubh, Dublin	suffix, occasionally prefix	anglicised from dubh
dun, dum, don, doune^[5]	SG, I, C, Bry, P	fort	Dundee, Dumbarton, Dungannon, Dumfries, Donegal, Dundalk, Dundrum	prefix	See also Dun. Derived from dùn.
Eagles, Eglos, Eglews, Eccles, Eglwys	W, K(<L), C, P	church	Eaglesham, Egloskerry, Ecclefechan		from Latin ecclesia, thus cognate to French église and G. eaglais
Eilean	I, SG	island	Eilean Donan, Eilean Sùbhainn		Sometimes anglicised to island as a prefix e.g. Island Davaar
ey	OE haeg	enclosure	Hornsey,^[31] Hay (-on-Wye)		unrelated to -ey 'island', below; see also -hay below
ey, ea, eg, eig	OE eg	island	Romsey,^[32] Athelney, Ely		cf. Low German -oog as in Langeoog, Dutch -oog as in Schiermonnikoog, Norwegian øy(-a) as in Ulvøya
field	OE	open land, a forest clearing	Sheffield,^[33] Huddersfield, Wakefield, Mansfield, Macclesfield, Mirfield, Chesterfield, Murrayfield, Whitefield, Lichfield, Driffield	suffix	cf. Ger. Feld
fin	SG	white, holy	Findochty	prefix	anglicised from fionn
firth,^[10] ford	ON, S	fjord, inlet	Burrafirth, Firth of Forth, Solway Firth, Firth of Clyde, Broadford, Milford Haven, Strangford, Waterford		from Norse fjorðr
firth, frith, fridd	OE W	wood or woodland or uncultivated land with small trees and bushes at the edge of cultivated land, especially on hillsides.	Holmfirth, Chapel-en-le-Frith^[34]	suffix
fold	OE	pen (enclosure)	Dunsfold, Chiddingfold, Cowfold, Alfold, Slinfold	suffix
ford, forth, ffordd	OE, W	ford, crossing, road	Saltford, Bradford, Ampleforth, Watford, Salford, Castleford, Guildford, Stafford, Chelmsford, Retford, Dartford, Bideford, Knutsford, Burford, Sleaford Penffordd, Hereford (Henffordd in Welsh), Ilford, Stratford, Romford		cf. Ger. -furt as in Frankfurt am Main
fos, foss, ffos	L, OE, W	ditch	River Foss, Fangfoss^[35]		Separate from ON foss, force, below
foss, force^[10]	ON	waterfall	Aira Force, High Force, Hardraw Force, Janet's Foss		Separate from L/OE fos, foss, above
gate	ON	road	Gate Helmsley,^[36] Harrogate
gar(t)^[10]	SG	enclosed field^[37]	Garscube, Gartmore, Gartness
garth^[10]	ON, W	enclosure, small summit or ridge	Aysgarth		cf. Ger. -gart as in Stuttgart
gill, ghyll^[10]	ON	ravine, narrow gully	Gillamoor, Garrigill, Dungeon Ghyll
glen,^[5] glyn	SG, I, W	narrow valley, dale	Rutherglen, Glenarm, Corby Glen		anglicised from gleann
glind	OE	enclosure	Glynde
gowt^[38]^[39]		Water outfall, sluice, drain	Guthram Gowt, Anton's Gowt		First reference gives the word as the local pronunciation of go out; the second as "A water-pipe under the ground. A sewer. A flood-gate, through which the marsh-water runs from the reens into the sea." Reen is a Somerset word, not used in the Fens. Gout appears to be cognate with the French égout, "sewer". Though the modern mind associates the word "sewer" with foul water, it was not always necessarily so.^[40]
ham	OE	farm, homestead, [settlement]	Rotherham,^[41] Newham, Nottingham, Tottenham, Oldham, Newsham, Faversham, West Ham, Birmingham, Lewisham, Gillingham, Chatham, Chippenham, Cheltenham, Buckingham, Dagenham, Evesham, Wrexham, Dereham, Altrincham, Durham, Billingham, Hexham^[42]	suffix	often confused by hamm, an enclosure; cf. Nl. hem and Ger. Heim
-hay, -hays, -hayes	OE	area of land enclosed by a hedge^[43]	Cheslyn Hay, Walsall; Floyer Hayes, Devon; Northern Hay, Shill Hay, Southern Hay, Northern Hay, Fryers Hay, Bon Hay, all surrounding the City of Exeter, Devon; Moor Hayes, Cullompton, Devon; Billinghay,Lincolnshire	suffix	see also Hayes (surname), sometimes derived from this topological source
hithe, hythe	OE	wharf, place for landing boats	Rotherhithe,^[44] Hythe, Erith
holm	ON, OE	holly, island	Holmfirth, Lealholm, Hempholme, Holme, Hubberholme^[45]
hope	OE	valley, enclosed area	Woolhope, Glossop^[46]		cf. Ger. Hof
howe	ON haugr	mound, hill, knoll	Howe, Norfolk, Howe, North Yorkshire^[47]
hurst, hirst	OE	(wooded) hill	Goudhurst, Herstmonceux, Woodhurst, Lyndhurst^[48]		cf. Ger. Horst
inch	C, I, P, SG	island, dry area in marsh	Ince, Inchmarnock, Insch, Keith Inch		cf. W. ynys. Occurs as Ince and Ins in Northern England.^[2]
ing	OE ingas	people of	Reading,^[49] the people (followers) of Reada, Spalding, the people of Spald, Wapping, Kettering, Worthing, Dorking, Barking, Epping^[50] Woking, Pickering	suffix	sometimes survives in an apparent plural form e.g. Hastings;^[51] also, often combined with 'ham' or 'ton'; 'homestead of the people of' (e.g. Birmingham, Bridlington); cf. Nl. and Ger. -ing(en) as in Groningen, Göttingen, or Straubing
ing	OE	place, small stream	Lockinge^[52]	suffix	difficult to distinguish from -ingas without examination of early place-name forms.
inver, inner^[5]	SG	mouth of (a river), confluence, a meeting of waters	Inverness, Inveraray, Innerleithen	prefix	cf. aber.
keld	ON	spring	Keld, Threlkeld^[53]
keth, cheth	C	wood	Penketh, Culcheth^[26]	suffix	cf. W. coed
kil,^[5] Cil	SG, I, W	monastic cell, old church, nook, corner	Kilmarnock, Killead, Kilkenny, Kilgetty, Cil-y-coed, Kilburn	prefix	anglicised from Cill
kin^[5]	SG, I	head	Kincardine, Kinallen	prefix	anglicised from Ceann. Cognate of C, P and W pen and in some place names, may represent a Gaelicisation of the C and P form.^[2]
king	OE/ON	king, tribal leader	King's Norton, King's Lynn,^[54] Kingston, Kingston Bagpuize, Seven Kings, Kingskerswell, Coningsby^[55]
kirk^[10]	ON	church	Kirkwall, Ormskirk, Colkirk, Falkirk, Kirkstead, Kirkby on Bain		See also Kirk (placename element). cf. ger -kirch as in Altkirch, Nl. -kerk as in Heemskerk
knock, cnwc	I, SG, C, Bry, W	hill, rocky hillock	Knockhill, Knock, County Clare, Knock, Isle of Lewis, Knockentiber, Knock, Cnwc-Parc-y-morfa, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Pen-cnwc, Pembrokeshire, Wales		anglicised from cnoc; Cronk on Isle of Man.
kyle, kyles^[5]	SG	narrows	Kyle of Lochalsh, Kyles of Bute	prefix	anglicised from Caol and caolas
lan, lhan, llan^[1]	C, K, P, W	church, churchyard, village with church, parish	Lanteglos (Cornwall), Lhanbryde (Moray), Lanercost, Llanbedr Pont Steffan, Llanybydder, Llandudno, Llanelli, Llangefni, Llangollen	prefix,	See also Llan (placename)
lang	OE, ON	long	Langdale,^[56] Great Langton, Kings Langley, Langbank, Langwathby, Lang Toun	prefix	cf. Ger. -langen as in Erlangen; still in use in English dialect and Scots.
law, low	OE	from hlaw, a rounded hill	Charlaw, Tow Law, Lewes, Ludlow,^[57] North Berwick Law	often standalone	often a hill with a barrow or hillocks on its summit; still in use in Scotland.
le	NF?	from archaic French lès,^[58] in the vicinity of, near to	Chester-le-Street, Burgh le Marsh, Stanford-le-Hope	interfix	Hartlepool appears to contain le by folk etymology; older spellings show no such element.
lea, ley, leigh	OE	from leah, a woodland clearing	Barnsley,^[59] Hadleigh, Leigh, Beverley, Keighley, Batley, Abbots Leigh	(usually) suffix	cf. Nl. -loo as in Waterloo, Ger. -loh as in Gütersloh
lin, llyn,^[1] Lynn	Bry, C, I, P, W	lake (or simply water)	Lindisfarne, Llyn Brianne	usually prefix	From Old Celtic lindon^[2]
ling, lyng	OE, ON	heather	Lingmell, Lingwood, Linga
lip	OE, ON^[60]	leap	Hartlip, Hindlip, Leixlip, Lippitts, Ruislip	usually a suffix	From Old English hlȳp, Old Norse hleypa, both meaning "a leap".
loch, lough	C, SG, I	lake, a sea inlet	Loch Ryan, Lough Neagh, Sweethope Loughs, Glendalough, Loch Ness		Generally found in Scotland and Ireland, but also a handful in England.
magna	L	great	Appleby Magna, Chew Magna, Wigston Magna, Ludford Magna		Primarily a medieval affectation
mawr	W	large, great	Pen-y-cae-mawr, Pegwn Mawr, Merthyr Mawr		Fawr is the mutated form
mere	OE	lake, pool	Windermere,^[61] Grasmere, Cromer,^[62] Tranmere		See also Mere (lake). cf. Ger. Meer
minster	OE	large church, monastery	Westminster, Wimborne Minster, Leominster, Upminster, Kidderminster, Minster Lovell, Ilminster^[63]		cf. Ger. Münster
more	I, SG	large, great	Dunmore, Lismore, Strathmore		Anglicised from mòr
moss	OE, S	Swamp, bog	Mossley, Lindow Moss, Moss Side^[64]		cf. Ger. Moos Occasionally represents Bry maɣes^[2]
mouth	ME	Mouth (of a river), bay	Plymouth, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Monmouth, Sidmouth, Weymouth, Lynmouth, East Portlemouth, Exmouth, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Dartmouth	suffix	cf. Ger. Münden or Gemünd
mynydd^[1]	W	mountain	Mynydd Moel	prefix
nan, nans	K	valley	Nancledra (Cornwall)	prefix
nant^[1]	C, W	ravine or the stream in it	Nantgarw, Nantwich	prefix	same origin as nan, nans above
ness^[10]	OE, ON	promontory, headland (literally 'nose')	Sheerness, Skegness, Furness, Durness, Dungeness, Bo’ness	suffix
nor	OE	north	Norton, Norbury, Norwich^[65]	prefix
pant^[1]	C, P, W	a hollow	Pant Glas, Pant (Merthyr Tydfil), Pant (Shropshire), Panbride
parva	L	little	Appleby Parva, Wigston Parva, Ruston Parva, Glen Parva, Thornham Parva, Ludford Parva
pen^[1]	C, K, W, ?P	head (headland or hill), top, far end of, end of	Penzance, Pendle, Penrith, Pen-y-ghent, Penarth, Pencoed, Penmaen, Pengam, Penffordd, Pembrokeshire, Pen-y-gwryd, ?Pennan	prefix,	also Pedn in W. Cornwall
pit	?Bry,?^[2] P, SG (< P)	portion, share, farm	?Corstopitum,^[2] Pitlochry (Perthshire), Pitmedden	usually a prefix	Scottish Pit- names typically employ a Pictish loanword into Gaelic.^[2] Homologous with K peath, W peth.^[2]
pol, pwll	C, K, W.	pool or lake	Polperro, Polruan, Polzeath, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Pwll, Llanelli	prefix
pont^[1]	L, K, W, C	bridge	Pontypridd, Pontypool, Penpont, Pontefract	prefix	can also be found in its mutated form bont, e.g., Pen-y-bont (Bridgend); originally from Latin pons (pont–)
pool	OE	harbour	Liverpool, Blackpool, Hartlepool, Welshpool^[66]	suffix
port	ME	port, harbour	Davenport, Southport, Stockport, Bridport, Portsmouth, Newport, Maryport, Ellesmere Port	suffix
porth^[1]	K, W	harbour	Porthcawl, Porthgain, Porthaethwy	prefix
rigg, rig	ON, S	ridge	Askrigg, Bonnyrigg	suffix
shaw	OE	a wood, a thicket	Openshaw, Wythenshawe, Shaw and Crompton^[67]	standalone or suffix	a fringe of woodland, from OE sceaga
shep, ship	OE	sheep	Shepshed, Shepton Mallet, Shipton, Shipley	prefix
stan	OE	stone, stony	Stanmore, Stamford,^[68] Stanlow	prefix	cf. Ger. Stein
stead	OE	place, enclosed pasture	Hampstead, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead^[69]	suffix	cf. Ger. Stadt or -stätt as in Eichstätt, Nl. -stad as in Zaanstad
ster^[10]	ON	farm	Lybster, Scrabster	suffix	cf. -bost from (bol)staðr
stoke	OE stoc	dependent farmstead, secondary settlement	Stoke-upon-Trent,^[70] Stoke Damerel, Basingstoke, Stoke Mandeville, Stoke Gabriel	(usually) standalone
stow	OE	(holy) place (of assembly)	Stow-on-the-Wold,^[71] Padstow, Bristol,^[72] Stowmarket, Felixstowe
strath^[5]	C,^[2] P, SG, I	wide valley, vale	Strathmore (Angus), Strabane, Ardstraw	prefix	Gaelic examples are derived from srath (but conflated with Brythonic Ystrad)
streat, street	L, OE	road (Roman)	Spital-in-the-Street, Chester-le-Street, Streatham		derived from strata, L. 'paved road'
sud, sut	OE	south	Sudbury,^[73] Sutton	prefix
swin	OE	pigs, swine	Swindon, Swinford, Swinton^[74]
tarn	ON	lake	Malham Tarn		In modern English, usually a glacial lake in a coombe.
thorp, thorpe	ON	secondary settlement	Cleethorpes,^[75] Thorpeness, Scunthorpe, Armthorpe, Bishopthorpe, Mablethorpe		See also Thorp. An outlier of an earlier settlement. cf. Ger. Dorf, Nl. -dorp as in Badhoevedorp
thwaite, twatt^[10]	ON thveit	a forest clearing with a dwelling, or parcel of land	Huthwaite, Twatt, Slaithwaite, Thornthwaite, Braithwaite, Bassenthwaite, Finsthwaite	suffix
tilly,^[5] tullie, tulloch	SG	hillock	Tillicoultry, Tillydrone, Tulliallan	prefix
toft^[10]	ON	homestead	Lowestoft, Fishtoft, Langtoft (Lincs), Langtoft (ER of Yorks), Wigtoft	usually suffix
Tre-,^[1] Tra-	C, K, P, W	settlement	Tranent, Trevose Head, Tregaron, Trenear, Treorchy, Treherbert, Trealaw, Treharris, Trehafod, Tredegar,	usually prefix
treath, traeth	K, W	beach	Tywardreath, Traeth Mwnt, Cardigan
tun, ton	OE tun	enclosure, estate, homestead	Skipton, Elston, Tunstead, Warrington, Patrington, Brighton,^[76] Coniston, Clacton, Everton, Broughton, Luton, Merton, Wincanton, Bolton, Workington, Preston, Bridlington, Stockton-on-Tees, Taunton, Boston, Acton, Brixton, Kensington, Paddington, Crediton, Honiton, Hamilton, Northampton, Southampton, Paignton, Tiverton, Helston, Wolverhampton, Buxton, Congleton, Darlington, Northallerton , Longframlington		OE pronunciation 'toon'. Compare en. town, Nl. tuin (garden) and Ger. Zaun (fence); all derived from Germanic root tun
upon, on, in	ME	by/"upon" a river	Newcastle upon Tyne, Kingston upon Hull, Stratford-upon-Avon, Staines-upon-Thames, Burton upon Trent, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Walton-on-Thames, Hampton-in-Arden
wall, walla, willa	OE	foreigners	Cornwall, Kirkwall, Heswall, Thingwall, Childwall, Wallasey, Willaston		Derived from wealas meaning 'foreigners', as was also applied to the Celtic people of Wales
weald, wold	OE	high woodland	Wealdstone, Stow-on-the-Wold,^[71] Southwold, Easingwold, Methwold, Cuxwold, Hockwold		cf. Ger. Wald
wes	OE	west	Wessex	prefix
wick, wich, wych, wyke	L, OE	place, settlement	Ipswich, Norwich, Alnwick, West Bromwich, Nantwich, Prestwich, Northwich, Woolwich, Horwich, Middlewich, Harwich, Bloxwich, Hammerwich, Sandwich, Aldwych, Gippeswyk, Heckmondwike, Warwick^[77]	suffix	related to Latin vicus (place), cf. Nl. wijk, Ger. weig as in Braunschweig
wick^[10]	ON vik	bay	Wick, Lerwick, Winwick, Barnoldswick, Keswick, Prestwick, North Berwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Goodwick, Glodwick, Ardwick, Beswick, Walberswick	suffix	cf. Jorvik (modern York)
win, vin, fin	Bry	white	Winchester, Wimborne (earlier Winborne), Vindolanda, Fintry	prefix	uenta- attested in Roman period. Compare with gwyn
worth, worthy, wardine	OE	enclosure	Tamworth,^[78] Farnworth, Rickmansworth, Nailsworth, Kenilworth, Lutterworth, Bedworth, Letchworth, Halesworth, Wirksworth, Whitworth, Cudworth, Haworth, Holsworthy, Bredwardine	usually suffix	cf. Nl. -waard as in Heerhugowaard
ynys^[1]	W	island	Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Ynyslas

List_of_generic_forms_in_place_names_in_the_British_Isles

List of generic forms in place names in the British Isles

See also

References

External links

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