A
A (Old Norse),
a possession;[2] e.g. Craika, Torfa, Ulpha; A (Scand.) also means an island—v. EA, p. 71.
AA, A (Scand.),
a stream; from Old Norse â, Goth. aha, Old Ger. aha (water). The word, in various forms, occurs frequently in river names throughout Western Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands, and often takes the form of au or ach; e.g. the rivers Aa, Ach, Aach; Saltach (salt river); Wertach (a river with many islands)—v. WARID, etc.; Trupach (troubled stream); Weser, i.e. Wesar-aha (western stream); Lauter, i.e. Hlauter-aha (clear stream); Danube or Donau, i.e. Tuon-aha (thundering stream); Main, i.e. Magin-aha (great stream); Fisch-aha (fish stream); Schwarza (black stream); Zwiesel-au (the stream of the whirlpool); Erlach (alder-tree stream); Gron-aha (green stream); Dachau (the clayey stream); Fulda, i.e. Fold-aha (land stream); Rod-aha (reedy stream); Saale and Saala from salz (salt stream). The simple a or o, with a prefix expressive of the character of the stream, is the most frequent form of the word in Iceland and Scandinavia, and in the districts of Great Britain colonised by Norsemen or Danes; e.g. Laxa (salmon river); Hvita (white river); Brora (bridge river); Rotha (red river); Greta (weeping river); Storaa (great river); Thurso (Thor’s river), which gives its name to the town; Lossie, anc. Laxi-a (salmon river).
AB (Sansc.),
AW (Pers.),
water; e.g. Doab (the district of two waters); Menab (the mouth of the water), on the Persian Gulf; Busheab or Khoshaub (good water), a river in Hindostan, also an island in the Persian Gulf; Neelab (blue water); Punjaub (the district of the five streams); Chinab or Chenaub R., said to be a corrupt. of its former name Chaudra Bhagee (the garden of the moon), so called from a small lake of that name from which it proceeds. Cognate with this root is the Gadhelic abh, in its forms of aw or ow. Thus in Scotland we have the River Awe and Loch Awe; in Ireland, Ow and Owbeg (little stream); Ow-nageerah (the stream of the sheep); Finnow (clear stream). Cognate with these root-words is the Lat. aqua and its derivations in the Romance languages, as well as ae or ea (A.S. water). Forsteman finds river names, allied to the foregoing, throughout Germany and France, in such forms as ap, op, ep, etc., as in the Oppa, Lennep, Barop, Biberaffa.
ABAD (Pers. and Sansc.),
a dwelling or town, generally connected with the name of its founder; e.g. Hyderabad (the town of Hyder Ali, or of the Lion); Ahmedabad (of the Sultan Ahmed); Furrackabad (founded by Furrack the Fortunate); Agra or Akberabad (founded by Akber); Nujiabad (of Nujibah-Dowlah); Auringabad (founded by Aurungzebe); Jafferabad (the city of Jaffier); Jehanabad (of Shah Jehan); Jellabad (of Jellal, a chief); Moorshedabad (the town of Moorshed Khoolly-Khan); Moorabad (named after Morad, the son of Shah Jehan); Shahabad (of the Shah); Abbas-abad (founded by Abbas the Great); Dowladabad (the town of wealth); Hajiabad (of the pilgrim); Meschdabad (of the mosque); Islamabad (of the true faith); Allah-abad (of God); Secunderabad (named after Alexander the Great); Resoulabad (of the prophet); Asterabad (on the River Aster); Futteabad (the town of victory); Sadabad or Suffi-abad (the town of the sadi or suffi, i.e. the sage).
ABER (Cym.-Cel.),
ABHIR and OBAIR (Gael.),
a confluence of waters; applied, in topography, to places at the conf. of streams, or at the embouchure of a river. The derivation of the term has been traced by some etymologists to the conjunction of ath (Gael.), a ford, and bior, water; by others to Cym.-Cel. at (at) and bior (water). This prefix is general in many of the counties of Scotland, throughout Wales, and, in a few instances, in Ireland, although in the latter country the synonyms inver and cumar are more frequent. Both words are found in the topography of the Picts, but the Scots of Argyleshire used only inver before they came from Ireland to settle in that district. The word aber seems to have become obsolete among them; and as there are no abers in Ayrshire, Renfrew, and Lanarkshire, the word had probably become obsolete before the kingdom of Strathclyde was formed. Dr. Joyce, in his Irish Names of Places, traces its use as prefix or affix to the Irish root abar (a mire), as in the little stream Abberachrinn (i.e. the river of the miry place of the tree). In Wales we find Aberconway, Aberfraw, Aberistwyth, Aberavon, Aberayron, Aberdare, Aberdaron, Abergavenny, at the embouchure of the Conway, Fraw, Istwyth, Avon, Aeron, Dar, Daron, Gavenny. Barmouth, corrupt. from Aber-Mowddy, a seaport in Merioneth, at the mouth of the R. Mowddy. Berriew, corrupt. from Aber-Rhiw (at the junction of the R. Rhiw with the Severn); Aberdaugledden, the Welsh name for Haverford-west, at the mouth of twin rivers resembling two swords (gledden), which unite at Milford Haven. It is called by the Welsh now Hwlford (the sailing road) because the tide comes up to the town. Aberhonddu, at the mouth of the R. Honddi or Honddu (the county town of Brecknock), and Aberdovey, at the embouchure of the R. Dovey in Wales. In Scotland, Aberbrothwick or Arbroath, Abercorn, anc. Aeber-curnig, Aberdour, Abergeldie, Abernethy, at the embouchure of the Brothock, Cornie, Dour, Geldie, and Nethy. Aberchirder is Abhir-chiar-dur (the conf. of the dark water); Abercrombie (the curved conf.); Aberfeldy, i.e. Abhir-feathaile (the smooth conf.); Aberfoyle (the conf. of the pool, phuill); Aberlemno (the conf. of the leaping water, leumnach); Arbirlot, anc. Aber-Elliot (at the mouth of the Elliot); Applecross for Abhir-croisan (the conf. of trouble); Old Aberdeen and New Aberdeen, at the mouths of the Don and Dee, Lat. Devana-castra; Fochabers (the plain, at the river mouth), Gael. faigh, a plain; Lochaber (at the mouth of the loch); Barmouth, in Wales, corrupt, of Aber-Mawdoch or Maw.
ABI (Turc.),
a river; e.g. Abi-shiran (sweet river); Abi-shur (salt river); Abi-gurm (warm river); Abi-gard (yellow river); Abi-kuren (the river of Cyrus); Ab-Allah (God’s river).
ABT (Teut.), an abbot, Lat. abbatis.
ABIE, an abbey.
These and similar words, in the Romance languages, derived from the Heb. abba (father), were introduced into the languages of Europe in connection with the monastic system, and are attached to the names of places founded for monks, or belonging to church lands. Thus—Absberg (abbot’s hill); Apersdorf, for Abbatesdorf (abbot’s village); Absholz (abbot’s wood); Abtsroda (abbot’s clearing), in Germany; Appenzell, anc. Abbatiscella (abbot’s church), founded by the Abbot of St. Gall, A.D. 647; Abbeville (abbot’s dwelling), in France; Abbotsbury (the abbot’s fortified place), Dorset; Abbeydare (the abbey on the R. Dare in Hereford); Abbotshall, in Fife, so called from having been the occasional residence of the abbots of Dunfermline; Abdie (belonging to the abbey of Lindores); Abingdon, in Berks (abbot’s hill), Abington (with the same meaning), the name of two parishes in Cambridge and a village in Lanarkshire, and of two parishes in Ireland; Abbotsford (the ford of the Tweed in the abbey lands of Melrose); Abbotsrule (the abbey on the R. Rule in Roxburghshire); Abbeyfeale (on the R. Feale); Abbeyleix (the abbey of Lewy), an Irish chief Abbeygormacan (Irish mainister); Ua-g Cormacain (the abbey of the O’Cormacans); Abbeylara, i.e. Irish abbey, leath-rath (the abbey of the half-rath); Abbeyshrule, anc. Sruthair (the stream), named for a monastery founded by one of the O’Farells; Abbeystrowry (with the same meaning), in Ireland; Abbensee (the lake of the abbey), in Upper Austria; Newabbey, a Par in Kirkcudbright (named from an abbey founded in 1275 by Devorgilla, the mother of John Baliol); Badia-San-Salvatore (the abbey of the Holy Saviour); Badia-Torrita (the abbey with the little tower), in Italy; Appin, in Argyleshire, anc. Abbphon (abbot’s land), and Appin, in Dull, indicating probably the territory of a Celtic monastery.
ACH, or ICH,
a form of the Teut. aha (water), p. 1, as in Salzach (salt stream), but it is also a common affix to words in the Teut. and Cel. languages, by which a noun is formed into an adjective, signifying full of, or abounding in, equivalent to the Lat. terminations etum and iacum. Thus, in German topography, we find Lindach, Aichach, Aschach, Buchach, Tannich, Fichtig, i.e. abounding in lime, oak, ash, beech, fir, and pine wood; Affaltrach (in apple-trees); Erlicht (in alders); Heselicht (in hazels); Laubach (in leaves). In Ireland: Darach, Farnach (abounding in oaks and alders); Ounagh, in Sligo, and Onagh, in Wicklow (watery place), from the adjective Abhnach (abounding in streams). In the Sclav. languages, again, the affix zig has the same meaning, as in Leipzig (abounding in lime-trees).
ACHADH (Gadhelic),
AUCH, AUGH,
AUCHEN,
a field, plain, or meadow; e.g. Aghinver (the field of the confluence); Aghindarragh (of the oak wood); Achonry, anc. Achadh-Chonaire (Conary’s field); Ardagh (high field); Aghabeg (little field); Aghaboy (yellow field); Aghamore (great field); Aghaboe (the cow’s field); Aghadown (of the fort); Aghadoe, i.e. Achadh-da-eo (of the two yew-trees). In Scotland: Auchclach, Auchinleck, Auchnacloich (the stony field); Achray (smooth field); Auchinleith (the physician’s field); Auchindoire (the field of the oak grove); Auchinfad (of the peats); Auchinrath (of the fort); Auchincruive (of the tree, craoibhe); Auchline (of the pool); Auchnacraig (of the rock); Auchindinny and Auchteany (the field of the fire)—teine, i.e. probably places where the Beltane fires were kindled.
AESC (A.S.),
ASK (Scand.),
ESCHE (Ger.),
the ash-tree; e.g. Ashton, Ashby, Askham (ash-tree dwelling); Ashrigg (the ash-tree ridge), in England. In Germany: Eschdorf, Eschweil, Eschweiller (ash-tree dwelling); Eschenbach (ash-tree brook); Eschwege (ash-tree road).
AESP (A.S.),
ASP (Scand.),
the aspen or poplar; e.g. Aspley, Aspden (poplar field or valley).
AIN (Semitic),
AAYN,
a fountain; e.g. Aenon (the fountains); Enshemish (the fountain of the sun); Engedi (of the goat); Enrogel (of the fuller’s field); Dothan (the two fountains); Aayn-el-kebira (the great fountain); Ain-halu (the sweet fountain); Aayn-taiba (the good fountain); Engannim (the fountain of the gardens); Enrimmon (of the pomegranates).
AITE, or AIT (Gadhelic),
AEHT, or EIGEN (Teut.),
a place, a possession; e.g. Daviot, anc. Damh-aite (the place of the ox), in Aberdeenshire, and also in Inverness; Tynet, i.e. ait-an-taimhu (the place of the river), in Banffshire. In Ireland the word is used in combination with tigh (a house); e.g. Atty (the dwelling-place); Atty-Dermot (the dwelling of Dermot); Atti-duff (the dark dwelling); Oedt (the possession), a town in Prussia, on the Niers; Iberstolfs-eigen (the possession of Iberstolf); Iberstolfs-eigen, Smurses-eigen (i.e. the possession of Iberstolf and Smurse); Souder-eygen (south possession).
AITH, or AED, or EID (Scand.),
a headland; e.g. Aithsvoe (the bay of the headland); Aithsthing (the place of meeting on the headland); Eidfoss (the waterfall on the headland).
AK, or AEK (A.S.),
EK, or EG (Scand.),
EYKE (Dutch),
EICHE (Ger.),
an oak; e.g. Acton, Acworth (oak town and manor); Oakley (oak meadow); Oakham (oak dwelling); Auckland (oakland); Acrise (oak ascent); Wokingham or Oakingham (the dwelling among oaks); Sevenoaks, anc. Seovanacca, named from some oak-trees which once occupied the eminence on which it stands, but Okehampton, in Devon, is on the R. Oke. In Germany and in Holland are Eichstadt, Eichdorf, Eikheim (oak dwelling); Ekholta (oak wood); Eichhalden (oak height); Eichstegen (oak path); Echehout, in Hainault (oak wood); Eykebusch (oak thicket).
AK (Turc.),
white; e.g. Ak-tag, Ak-dagh (the white mountains); Ak-su (white river); Ak-hissar (white castle); Ak-serai (white palace); Ak-shehr (white dwelling); Ak-meschid (white mosque); Ak-kalat (white fortress).
AL (the Arabic definite article);
e.g. Alkalat (the fortress); Almaden (the mine); Alcantara (the bridge); Alkasar (the palace); Almeida (the table); Almeria (the conspicuous); Almazen (the storehouse); Alcarria (the farm); Alcana (the exchange); Algezira (the island), anc. Mesopotamia (i.e. between the rivers); Algeciras (the islands), in Spain; Algarve (the west); Almansa (the plain); Almazara (the mill); Alhambra (the red); Alhucen (the beautiful); Alpuxarras (the grassy mountains).
ALD, EALD (A.S.),
ALT (Ger.),
OUDE, OLDEN (Dutch),
old; e.g. Alton, Oldham, Althorpe, Alcaster, Aldwark (old dwelling, farm, camp, fortress); Audlem (old lyme or border); Audley (old field), in England. In Germany: Altenburg, Altendorf, Oldenburg (old dwelling); Altenmarkt (old market); Altmark (old boundary); Altstadt (old place); Altsattel (old seat); Altofen (old oven), so called from its warm baths; Oudenarde (old earth or land); Oudenbosch (old thicket); Oude-capel (old chapel).
ALDEA (Span. and Port., from the Arabic),
a village; e.g. Aldea-del-Cano (the dog’s village); Aldea-vieya (old village); Aldea-el-Muro (the walled village); Aldea-del-Rio (of the river); Aldea Galliga (of the Gauls).
ALIT (Cym.-Cel.),
ALT (Irish),
a height or cliff; e.g. Alltmaur (the great height); Builth, in Wales, i.e. Bu-allt (the steep place of the wild oxen). The Alts (heights or glen-sides), Monaghan; Altachullion (the cliff of the holly); Altavilla, i.e. Alt-a-bhile (the glen-side of the old tree); Altinure (the cliff of the yew-tree); Altanagh (abounding in cliffs); Altan (the little cliff).
ALP, AILPE (Celtic),
AIL,
a rock or cliff; e.g. the Alps; Albainn (the hilly or high land), the anc. name of Scotland; Albania, with the same meaning; Alpenach (the mountain stream), at the foot of Mount Pilate; Alva and Alvah (the rocky), parishes in Scotland; Cantal (the head of the rock), in France. In Ireland the word ail takes the form of oil, aspirated foyle or faill; e.g. Foilycleara (O’Clery’s cliff); Foilnaman (the cliff of the women): but while the aspirated form of ail is confined to the south, aill is found all over Ireland; Ayleacotty, i.e. Aill-a-choite (the cliff of the little boat); Ailla-gower (the goat’s cliff); Alleen (the diminutive) is found in Alleen-Hogan and Alleen-Ryan (Hogan’s and Ryan’s little cliff). When, however, foyle comes in as a termination, it is commonly derived from poll (a hole), as in Ballyfoyle and Ballyfoile (the town of the hole). The anc. name of Britain, Albion, has sometimes been traced to this root, but more generally to the white cliffs (Lat. albus) on the coast of Kent, as seen first by the Romans.
ALR (A.S.),
ALNUS (Lat.),
AUNE (Fr.),
the alder-tree; e.g. Alr-holt, Aldershot (alder-tree wood); Alresford (Alderford); Alrewas (alder-tree pasture); Alderley (alder-tree meadow), in England; Aulney, Aulnoy, Aulnois, Aunay, Auneau (alder grove), in France.
ALT (Gadhelic),
a stream; e.g. the Alt, Aldan, Alta (river names); Alt-dowran (otter stream); Aultsigh (gliding stream); Alt-na-guish (the stream of the fir-trees); Aldivalloch, i.e. Allt-a-bhealaich (the stream of the pass); Alness, i.e. Allt-an-casa (of the cascade); Alltmore (great stream); Auldearn, i.e. Allt-fearn (alder-tree stream); Cumbernauld, corrupt. from Cumar-nan-alta (the confluence of the streams); Garavault in Aberdeenshire, Garvault in East Lothian, and Garvald in Dumfriesshire (rough stream); Altderg (red stream).
ALTUN, or ALTAN (Tartar),
golden; e.g. the Altai, or golden mountains; Altanor (golden lake); Altan-su (golden river); Alta-Yeen (the golden mountains); Altun-tash (golden rock); Altun-kupri (golden bridge).
AM, or AN,
contrac. from Ger. an den (on the, or at the); e.g. Amberg (at the hill); Amdorf or Ambach, Amsteg, Amwalde (at the village, brook, path, wood).
AMAR (Old Ger.),
a kind of grain; e.g. Amarbach, Amarthal, Amarwang, Amarveld (the brook, valley, strip of land, field where this grain grew).
AMBACHT, or AMT (Ger.),
a district under the government of an Amtman or bailiff; e.g. Amt-sluis (the sluice of the Ambacht); Amthof (the court of the Amtman); Graven-Ambacht (the duke’s district); Ambachtsbrug (the bridge of the Ambacht).
AMBR,
an Indo-Germanic word, signifying a river, allied to the Sansc. ambu (water). According to Forsteman (v. Deutsche Ortsnamen) the suffix r was added by most European nations before their separation from the Asiatic tribes, as appears in the Greek ombros and the Lat. imber (a shower). The word appears in the names of tribes and persons, as well as of places, on the European continent; e.g. the Ambrones (or dwellers by the water), and perhaps in Umbria; Amberloo and Amersfoort (the meadow and ford by the water), in Holland; and in such river names as the Ammer, Emmer, Emmerich, Ambra, etc.
ANGER (Ger.),
a meadow or field; e.g. Rabenanger (the raven’s field); Kreutzanger (the field of the cross); Moosanger (mossy field); Wolfsanger (the wolf’s field, or of Wolf, a man’s name); Vogelsanger (the birds’ field); Angerhusen (the field houses); Angerbach (the field brook); Anger (the field), a town in Austria; Angerburg (the fortress in the field).
ANGRA (Port.),
a creek or bay; e.g. Angra (a sea-port in the Azores); Angra-de-los-reyes (the king’s bay).
AQUA (Lat.),
AGUA (Span. and Port.), ACQUA (It.),
EAU (Fr.; Old Fr. AX),
water; e.g. Aix, anc. Aquæ-Sextiæ (the warm springs, said to have been discovered and named by Sextus Calvenus, B.C. 123), in Provence; Aix, in Dauphiny, anc. Aquæ-Vocontiorum (the waters of the Vocontii); Aix-les-bains (the bath waters), in Savoy; Aachen or Aix-la-Chapelle, celebrated for its mineral springs, and for the chapel erected over the tomb of Charlemagne; Plombières, anc. Aquæ-plombariæ (waters impregnated with lead); Veraqua, in New Granada, corrupt. from Verdes-aguas (green waters); Aigue-perse (the bubbling water), in Auvergne; Aigue-vive (the spring of living water); Aigue-belle (beautiful water); Aigue-noire (black water, etc.), in France; Dax, celebrated for its saline springs, corrupt. from Civitas aquensis (the city of waters); Aigues-mortes (stagnant waters); Aguas-bellas (beautiful waters), Portugal; Aguas-calientes (warm waters), Mexico; Evaux, Evreux (on the waters), France; Evian, anc. Aquarum (the waters), Savoy; Entreves and Entraigues (between the waters), anc. Interaquæ; Yvoire, anc. Aquaria (the watery district), on Lake Geneva; Aas or Les Eaux (the waters), Basses Pyrénées; Nerac, anc. Aquæ Neriedum (the waters of the Nerii); Amboise and Amboyna (surrounded by waters); Bordeaux (the dwelling on the water), borda, Low Lat. (a dwelling); Vichy, anc. Aquæ calidæ (warm waters), on the Allier; Bex (upon the two waters), at the juncture of the Rhone and Avençon; Outre L’Eau (beyond the water); Acapulca, in Mexico, corrupt. from Portus aquæ pulchræ (the port of beautiful waters); Agoa-fria (cold water), Brazil; Aqui, in North Italy, celebrated for its baths; Acireale, anc. aguas calientes (the warm waters); Agoa-quente (hot spring), Brazil.
ARA,
a frequent element in river names, with various and even opposite meanings. Some of the river names may have come from the Sansc. ara (swift, or the flowing), and in Tamil aar means simply a river. There is another Sanscrit word arb (to ravage or destroy), with which the Gadhelic words garw, garbh (rough) may be connected; and, on the other hand, there is the Welsh araf (gentle). According to the locality and the characteristics of the stream, one must judge to which of these roots its name may belong. There are, in England, the Aire, Arre, Arro, Arrow; in France, the Arve, Erve, Arveiron, etc.; in Switzerland and Germany, the Aar, Are; in Spain and Italy, the Arva, Arno; and in Scotland, the Ayr, Aray, Irvine, etc. Many of these names may signify simply flowing water (the river), while others beginning with the syllable ar may be referred to the adjectival forms, araf, arb, ara, or garbh, followed by another root-word for water, as in Arrow (the swift stream); Yarrow (the rough stream); ow (water); Arveiron (the furious stream); avon (water); Arar (the gentle stream), now the Saone.
ARD, AIRD (Gadhelic),
a height, or, as an adjective, high; e.g. the Aird (the height) on the south coast of the island of Lewis, also in Inverness-shire; Aird Point in the island of Skye; Aird-dhu (the black height), a hill in Inverness-shire; the Airds (high lands in Argyleshire); Airdrie, Gael. Aird-righ (the king’s height), or, perhaps, Aird-reidh (the smooth height); Aird’s Moss (a muirland tract in Ayrshire); Ardbane (white height); Ardoch (high field); Ardclach (high stony ground); Ardach and Ardaghy (high field); Ardmore (great height); Ardeen and Arden (the little height); Ardglass (green height); Ardfert (the height of the grave or ditch, Irish fert); Ardrishaig (the height full of briers, driseach); Ardnamurchan (the height of the great headland, ceann, or of the great ocean, cuan); Ardgower (goat’s height); Ardtornish (the height of the cascade, cas and torr); Ardross (high point); Ardrossan (little high point); Ardchattan (St. Cathan’s height); Ardersier, Gael. Ard-ros-siar (the high western height); Ardlui (the height of the fawn, laoidh); Ardentinny (of the fire, teine); Ardboe (of the cow); Ardbraccan (of St. Brachan); Ardfinan (St. Finan’s height); Armagh, in Ireland, anc. Ardmacha (the height of Macha, the wife of one of the early Irish colonists); Arroquhar, in Dumbarton, i.e. Ardthir (the high land); Ardmeanach (the mossy height or the black isle); Ardgask (the hero’s height, Gael. gaisgeach, a hero); Ardnacrushy (of the cross); Ardtrea (St. Trea’s height); Ardnarea, i.e. Ard-na-riaghadh (the height of the executions, with reference to a dark tale of treachery and murder); Ardgay (windy height); Ardblair (high field); Ardwick (high town, a suburb of Manchester). The Lat. root arduus (high) is found in Ardea, in Italy; the Ardes (or heights), in Auvergne; Auvergne itself has been traced to Ar-fearann (high lands), but Cocheris, Au Noms de Lieu, gives its ancient name as Alverniacus (i.e. the domain of the Auvergni). Ardennes, Forest of (high-wooded valleys); Ardwick-le-street (the high town on the great Roman road), stratum. Ard, art, and artha are also Persian prefixes attached to the names of places and persons; e.g. Ardboodha (the high place of Buddha); Aravalli (the hill of strength); and such personal names as Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Artamenes. In some cases it may refer to the agricultural habits of the Indo-Germanic races (Lat. aro, Grk. αροω, Goth. arjan, Old High Ger. aran, Cel. ar (to plough), hence the Aryan tribes are those belonging to the dominant race—the aristocracy of landowners, as distinguished from the subject races—v. Taylor’s Names of Places.
ARN, ERN (Teut.),
ARNE,
ARA (Lat.), a home,
AREA, bas (Lat.), AIRE (Fr.),
AROS (Cel.),
a place, farm, dwelling; e.g. Heddern (hiding-place); Beddern (sleeping-place); Suthern (south place); Arne, a town in Yorkshire; Chiltern (chalk place); Whithorn, in Wigton, A.S. Whitern, Lat. Candida-casa (white house); Asperne (the place of poplar-trees); Femern (of cattle); Domern (of judgment); Thalern (valley dwelling); Mauthern (toll place); Bevern and Bevergern (the dwelling on the R. Bever); Aire, Lat. Area-Atrebatum (the dwelling of the Atrebates), on the Adour, in France; also Aire, on the Lys; Les Aires (the farms); Airon, etc., in France, Bavaria, Ger. Baiern (the dwelling of the Boii); Aros, Gael. (the dwelling), in Mull; Arosaig (corner dwelling), Argyle.
ARN (Old Ger.),
ARI (Norse),
ERYR (Welsh),
an eagle. This word is used in topography either with reference to the bird itself, or to a personal name derived from it; e.g. Arnfels (eagle’s rock); Arnberg, Arnstein, Arlberg (eagle mountain or rock); Arisdale (eagle valley, or the valley of a person called Arix); Arnau (eagle meadow); Arnecke (eagle corner); Arendal (eagle valley); Arenoe (eagle island); Eryri (the eagle mountain), the Welsh name for Snowdon.
ARX (Lat.),
a fortress; e.g. Arcé, anc. Arx, a town in Italy with a hill fortress called Rocca d’Arcé (the rock of the fortress); Arcis sur Aube (the fortress on the R. Aube), in France; Arcole and Arcola, in Lombardy and Sardinia; Saar-Louis, anc. Arx-Ludovici-Sarum (the fortress of Louis on the Saar), founded by Louis XIV., 1680; Arx-fontana or Fuentes (the fortress of the fountain), in Spain; Monaco, anc. Arx-Monæci (the fortress of the Monæci), on the Gulf of Genoa; Thours, anc. Tuedæ-Arx (the fortress on the R. Thouet), in France.
AS, or AAS (Scand.),
a hill ridge; e.g. Astadr (ridge dwelling); As and Aas, the names of several towns in Sweden and Norway; Aswick, Aastrap, Aasthorp (the village or farm on the ridge) in Shetland.
ASTA (Basque),
a rock; e.g. Astorga, in Spain, Lat. Asturica-Augusta (the great city on the rocky water, ura); Astiapa and Estepa (the dwelling at the foot of the rock), in Spain; Astulez and Astobeza, also in Spain; Asti, a district in Sardinia which was peopled by Iberians or Basques; Astura (the rocky river); Asturias (the country of the dwellers by that river); Ecija, in Spain, anc. Astigi (on the rock); Estepa and Estepona (rocky ground).
ATH, AGH (Gadhelic),
AUGH,
a ford. This root-word is more common in Ireland than in Scotland, and is cognate with the Lat. vadum, and the A.S. wath or wade; e.g. Athy, i.e. Ath-Ae (the ford of Ae, a Munster chief who was slain at the spot); Athmore (great ford); Athdare (the ford of oaks); Athenry (the king’s ford); Athlone, i.e. Ath Luaen (the ford of St. Luan); Athleague (stony ford); Athane (little ford); Aghanloo (Lewy’s little ford); the town of Trim is in Irish Athtruim (the ford of the elder trees); Agolagh, i.e. Athgoblach (the forked ford); Aboyne (the ford of the river), on the Dee in Aberdeenshire; Athgoe, i.e. Ath-goibhne (the ford of the smiths), in Dublin.
ATHEL (A.S.),
ADEL (Ger.),
ADELIG (Gothic),
noble, or the nobles; e.g. Adelsdorf, Adelsheim, Adelshofen, Attelbury (the nobles’ dwelling); Athelney (the island of the nobles), in Somersetshire, formerly insulated by the rivers Tone and Parret; Addelsfors (the nobles’ waterfall); Adelsberg (the nobles’ hill); Adelsclag (the nobles’ wood-clearing); Adelsoe (the nobles’ island); Adelmanns-felden (the nobleman’s field).
AU, AUE (Ger.),
AUGIA (Lat.),
a meadow, formed from aha (water), and frequently annexed to the name of a river; e.g. Aarau, Ilmenau, Rheinau, Wetterau, Oppenau, Muhrau (the meadow of the Aar, Ilmen, Rhine, Wetter, Oppa, Muhr); Frankenau (the Franks’ meadow); Lichtenau (the meadow of light); Reichenau (rich meadow); Schoenau (beautiful meadow); Greenau (green); Langenau (long); Weidenau (pasture-meadow); Rosenau (the meadow of roses); Lindau (of lime-trees); Herisau, Lat. Augia-dominus (the Lord’s meadow); Eu, anc. Augia (the meadow), in Normandy; Hanau (the enclosed meadow); Nassau (the moist meadow); Iglau (the meadow of the R. Igla, in Moravia); Troppau, in Silesia (the meadow of the R. Oppa).
AUCHTER or OCHTER (Gadhelic),
UCHDER (Welsh),
the summit, or, as an adjective, upper; e.g. Auchtertyre, anc. Auchterardower (the summit on the water); Auchterarder (the upper high land); Auchterblair (upper field); Auchtercairn (upper rock); Auchtermuchty (the upper dwelling, tigh, of the wild boar, muc); Auchterau (the upper water); Auchtertool (the upper land on the R. Tiel), in Fife; Auchterless (the upper side, slios). In Ireland this word takes the form of Oughter; e.g. Oughterard (upper height); Oughter-lough (upper lake, in reference to Loch Erne); Balloughter (upper town); Lissoughter (upper fort); Killoughter (upper church). The Irish adjective uachdar is not unfrequently Anglicised water, as in Clowater in Carlow, i.e. Cloch-uachdar (upper stone or castle); Watree, in Kilkenny, i.e. Uachdaraighe (upper lands)—v. Joyce’s Irish Names of Places.
AVON, AFON (Cym.-Cel.),
ABHAIN, ABHUINNE (Gael.),
AMNIS (Lat. Sansc. ap.),
water, a river; e.g. the Avon, Aven, Aune, Auney, Inney, Ewenny, Aney, Eveny, river names in England, Wales, and Ireland; Avengorm (red river); Aven-banna (white river); Avenbui (yellow river); Avonmore (great river), in Ireland; the Seine, anc. Seimh-au (smooth river); the Mayenne or Meduana (probably the middle river, from Cel. meadhou). In France there are from this root—the Ain, Avenne, Vilaine, Vienne; the Abona, in Spain. In Scotland: the Almond or Awmon; Devon (deep river); Doon (dark river); Kelvin (woody river); Annan (quiet river); the Leith, Leithen, Lethen (the broad or the gray river); the Don, in Scotland and England (dark or brown river); Irvine and Earn (the west-flowing river); Anwoth, in Kirkcudbright, i.e. Avonwath (the course of the river); the Spey, speach-abhain (swift river); the Allan (beauteous river, aluinn); the Boyne, anc. Bouoninda (perhaps yellow river, buidhe). Many towns derive their names from their rivers, or from their vicinity to water: thus, Avignon and Verona (on the water); Amiens, the cap. of the Ambiani (dwellers on the water, i.e. of the Samara or Somme). Teramo, anc. Interamnia (between the rivers), and Terni, with the same meaning; Avenay, anc. Avenacum (on the river); Avesnes, celebrated for its mineral springs. But such names as Avenay, Avennes, etc., may have been derived in many cases from Lat. avena, Fr. avoine (oats)—v. Cocheris’s Noms de Lieu.