E
EA (A.S.), EY, AY,
EGE or EG
OE, O, or A (Scand.),
OOG (Dutch),
an island; from ea, a, aa, running water; ea or ey enter into the composition of many A.S. names of places which are now joined to the mainland or to rich pastures by the river-side, as in Eton, Eaton, Eyam, Eyworth, Eywick (dwellings by the water); Eyemouth, Moulsy, on the R. Mole; Bermondsey, now included in the Metropolis; Eamont, anc. Eamot (the meeting of waters); Fladda and Fladday (flat island); Winchelsea (either the corner, A.S. wincel, of the water, or the island of Wincheling, son of the Saxon king Cissa, who founded it); Swansea (Sweyn’s town, on the water), at the mouth of the Tawey; Anglesea (the island of the Angles or English), so named by the Danes—its Welsh name was Ynys-Fonn or Mona; Portsea (the island of the haven); Battersea (St. Peter’s isle), because belonging to St. Peter’s Abbey, Westminster; Chelsea (ship island, or the island of the sandbank)—v. p. 46, CEOL, CEOSEL; Ely (eel island); Jersey (Cæsar’s isle); Olney (holly meadow); Odensee (Woden’s island or town on the water); Whalsey (whale island, hval); Rona (St. Ronan’s isle); Mageroe (scraggy island); Nordereys and Sudereys—from this word Sudereys, the Bishop of Sodor and Man takes his title—(the north and south isles), names given by the Norsemen to the Hebrides and the Orkneys under their rule; Oesel (seal island); Oransay (the island of St. Oran); Pabba and Papa (priest’s isle). The Papae or Christian anchorites came from Ireland and the west of Scotland to Orkney and Shetland, and traces of them were found in Iceland on its discovery by the Norsemen, hence probably such names as Pappa and Crimea (the island of the Cymri or Cimmerians); Morea (the mulberry-shaped island); Shapinsay (the isle of Hjalpand, a Norse Viking); Faröe (the sheep islands—faar, Scand.); Faroe, also in Sweden; but Farr, a parish in the north of Scotland, is from faire, Gael. a watch or sentinel, from a chain of watch-towers which existed there in former times; Staffa (the island of the staves or columns, Scand. stav); Athelney (the island of the nobles); Bressay, Norse Bardie’s ay (giant’s island); Bardsey (the bard’s island), the last retreat of the Welsh bards; Femoe (cattle island); Fetlar, anc. Fedor’s-oe (Theodore’s island); Romney (marsh island), Gael. Rumach; Sheppey, A.S. Sceapige (sheep island); Langeoog (long island); Oeland (water land); Torsay (the island with conical hills, torr); Chertsey, A.S. Ceortes-ige (Ceorot’s island); Lingley (heathery island), ling, Norse (heather); Muchelney (large island); Putney, A.S. Puttanige (Putta’s isle); Thorney (thorny island), but its more ancient name was Ankerige, from an anchorite who dwelt in a cell in the island.
EADAR, EDAR (Cel.), between,
ENTRE (Fr., Span., and Port.),
INTER (Lat.),
e.g. Eddertoun, Co. Ross (between hills)—v. DUNE; Eddra-chillis, i.e. Eadar da Chaolas (between two firths), Co. Sutherland; Killederdaowen, in Galway, i.e. Coill-eder-da-abhainn (the wood between two rivers); and Killadrown, King’s County, with the same meaning; Cloonederowen, Galway (the meadow between two rivers); Ballydarown (the townland between two rivers). In France: Entre-deux-mers (between two seas); Entrevaux (between valleys); Entre-rios (between streams), in Spain; Entre-Douro-e-Minho (between these rivers), in Portugal; Interlacken (between lakes), in Switzerland.
EAGLAIS (Gadhelic),
EGLWYS (Cym.-Cel.),
ILIZ (Armoric),
EGYHAZ (Hung.),
a church. These and synonymous words in the Romance languages are derived from Lat. ecclesia, and that from the Grk. ὲκκλησια (an assembly); e.g. Eccles, a parish and suburb of Manchester, also the name of two parishes in Berwickshire; Eccleshall, in Staffordshire, so called because the bishops of Lichfield formerly had a palace there; Eccleshill (church hill), in Yorkshire; Eccleston (church town), in Lancashire; Ecclesmachan (the church of St. Machan), in Linlithgow; Eaglesham (the hamlet at the church), Co. Renfrew; Ecclescraig or Ecclesgrieg (the church of St. Gregory or Grig), in Kincardine; Eglishcormick (St. Cormac’s church), Dumfries; Ecclescyrus (of St. Cyrus), in Fife; Lesmahago, Co. Lanark, corrupt. from Ecclesia-Machuti (the church of St. Machute, who is said to have settled there in the sixth century); Carluke, in Lanarkshire, corrupt. from Eccles-maol-Luke (the church of the servant of St. Luke); Terregles, anc. Traver-eglys (church lands), Gael. treabhair (houses), in Kirkcudbright. In Wales: Eglwys Fair (St. Mary’s church); Hen-eglwys (old church); Aglish and Eglish (the church), the names of parishes in Ireland; Aglishcloghone (the church of the stepping-stones); Iglesuela (little church), in Spain; Fèhér eghaz (white church), in Hungary. In France: Eglise-aux-bois (the church in the woods); Eglise neuve (new church); Eglisolles, Eliçaberry, and Eliçaberria (the church in the plain). Such names as Aylesford, Aylsworth, Aylesby, etc., may be derived from eglwys or ecclesia, corrupted.
EAS, ESS, ESSIE (Gadhelic),
a waterfall; e.g. the R. Ness and Loch Ness (i.e. the river and lake of the Fall of Foyers); Essnambroc (the waterfall of the badger); Essmore (the great waterfall); Doonass (i.e. Irish Dun easa (the fort of the cataract), on the Shannon; Caherass, in Limerick, with the same meaning; Pollanass (the pool of the waterfall); Fetteresso, in Kincardine (the uncultivated land, fiadhair, near the waterfall); Edessa, in Turkey, seems to derive its name from the same root, as its Sclavonic name is Vodena, with the same meaning; Edessa, in Mesopotamia, is on the R. Daisan; Portessie (the port of the waterfall), Banff.
EBEN (Ger.),
a plain; e.g. Ebenried and Ebenrinth (the cleared plain); Ebnit (on the plain); Breite-Ebnit (broad plain); Holzeben (woody plain).
ECKE, or EGG (Teut. and Scand.),
VIG (Gadhelic),
a nook or corner; e.g. Schönegg (beautiful nook); Eckdorf (corner village); Eggberg (corner hill); Reinecke (the Rhine corner); Randecke (the corner of the point, rand); Vilseek (at the corner of the R. Vils); Wendecken (the corner of the Wends or Sclaves); Edgcott (the corner hut); Wantage, Co. Berks (Wanta’s corner), on the edge of a stream; Stevenage, Co. Herts (Stephen’s corner); Gourock (the goal’s corner); Landeck, in the Tyrol (at the meeting or corner of three roads); Nigg, Gael. N-uig (at the corner), a parish in Co. Kincardine, and also in Ross and Cromarty; Haideck (heath corner), in Bavaria.
EGER (Hung.),
the alder-tree; e.g. the R. Eger with the town of the same name.
EILEAN (Gadhelic),
EALAND (A.S.),
EYLANDT (Dutch),
INSEL (Ger.),
an island, cognate with the Lat. insula. The Gaelic word is generally applied to smaller islands than innis; e.g. Eilean-sgiathach or Skye (the winged island); Eilean-dunan (the isle of the small fort); Eilean-na-goibhre (of the goats); Eilean-na-monach (of the monks); Eilean-na-Clearach (of the clergy); Eilean-na-naoimbh (of the saints), often applied to Ireland; Eilean-nam-Muchad or Muck (the island of pigs), in the Hebrides; Flannan, in the Hebrides, i.e. Eilean-an-Flannan (of St. Flannan); Groote Eylandt (great island), off the coast of Australia; Rhode Island, in the United States, Dutch (red island), or, according to another interpretation, so named from its fancied resemblance in form to the island of Rhodes.
EISEN (Ger.),
iron; e.g. Eisenstadt (iron town); Eisenach, in Germany (on a river impregnated with iron); Eisenberg (iron hill fort), in Germany; Eisenburg (iron town), Hung. Vasvar, in Hungary; Eisenirz (iron ore), on the Erzberg Mountains; Eisenschmidt (iron forge), in Prussia.
ELF (Goth.),
ELV,
a river; e.g. Alf, Alb, Elbe, Elben, river names; Laagenelv (the river in the hollow); Dol-elf (valley river); Elbing, a town on a river of the same name.
ENAGH, or ÆNAGH (Irish),
an assembly of people, such as were held in old times by the Irish at the burial mounds, and in modern times applied to a cattle fair; e.g. Nenagh, in Tipperary, anc. ’n-Ænach-Urmhumhan (the assembly meeting-place of Ormund), the definite article n having been added to the name—this place is still celebrated for its great fairs; Ballinenagh, Ballineanig, Ballynenagh (the town of the fair); Ardanlanig (the height of the fair); Monaster-an-enagh (the monastery at the place of meeting). But this word is not to be confounded with eanach (a watery place or marsh), found under such forms as enagh and annagh, especially in Ulster. Thus Annabella, near Mallow, is in Irish Eanachbile (the marsh of the old tree); Annaghaskin (the marsh of the eels).
ENDE (Teut.),
the end or corner; Ostend, in Belgium (at the west end of the canal opening into the ocean); Ostend, in Essex (at the east end of the land); Oberende (upper end); Süderende (the south corner); Endfelden (the corner of the field), probably Enfield, near London. Purmerend (at the end of the Purmer), a lake in Holland, now drained.
ENGE (Teut.),
narrow; e.g. Engberg (narrow hill); Engbrück (narrow bridge); Engkuizen (the narrow houses).
ERBE (Ger.),
an inheritance or property; e.g. Erbstellen (the place of the inheritance, or the inherited property); Erbhof (the inherited mansion-house); Sechserben (the property or inheritance of the Saxons).
ERDE (Teut.),
cultivated land; e.g. Rotherde (red land); Schwarzenerde (black land).
ERLE (Ger.),
the alder-tree; e.g. Erla and Erlabeka (alder-tree stream); Erlangen (the dwelling near alder-trees); Erlau, a town in Hungary, on the Erlau (alder-tree river).
ERMAK (Turc.),
a river; e.g. Kizel-Ermack (red river); Jekil-Ermak (green river).
ESCHE (Old Ger.),
a common or sowed field; e.g. Summeresche, Winteresche (the field sown in summer and winter); Brachesche (the field broken up for tillage); Kaiseresche (the emperor’s common). For this word as an affix, v. p. 5; as a prefix it signifies the ash-tree, as in the Aschaff or ash-tree river; Aschaffenberg (the fortress on the Aschaff); Eschach (ash-tree stream); Escheweiller (ash-tree town); Eschau (ash-tree meadow).
ESGAIR (Welsh),
a long ridge; e.g. Esgair-hir (the long ridge); Esgair-yn-eira (the snow ridge).
ESKI (Turc.),
old; e.g. Eski-djuma (old ditch).
ESPE, or ASPE (Ger.),
the poplar-tree; e.g. Aspach (a place abounding in poplars, or the poplar-tree stream); Espenfield (the field of poplars); Aspenstadt (the station of poplars)—v. AESP, p. 5.
ESTERO (Span.),
a marsh or salt creek; e.g. Estero-Santiago (St. James’s marsh); Los-Esteros (the salt creeks), in South America.
ETAN, TANA (Basque),
a district, with the same meaning as the Cel. tan, Latinised tania; e.g. Aquitania (the district of the waters); Mauritania (of the Moors); Lusitania (the ancient name of Portugal). This root-word enters into the name of Britain, according to Taylor—v. Words and Places.
EUDAN, or AODANN (Gadhelic),
the forehead—in topography, the front or brow of a hill; e.g. Edenderry (the hill-brow of the oak-wood); Edenkelly (the front of the wood); Ednashanlaght (the hill-brow of the old sepulchre); Edenmore (the great hill-brow); Edina (one of the ancient names of Edinburgh).
EVES (A.S.),
a margin; e.g. Evedon (on the brink of the hill); Evesbatch (the brink of the brook); Evesham (the dwelling on the bank of the River Avon, in Worcester, or the dwelling of Eoves, a shepherd, afterwards made Bishop of Worcester).