Geographical etymology: a dictionary of place-names giving their derivations

by Christina Blackie

L

LAAG, LAGE (Ger.),
LOOG (Dutch),

a site, a low-lying field; e.g. Brawenlage (brown field); Wittlage (white field or wood field); Blumlage (flowery field); Mühlenloog (the mill field or site); Dinkellage (wheat field). This word is also used as an adjective, signifying low; e.g. Loogkirk (low church); Loogheyde (low heath); Loogemeer (low lake); Laaland (low island).

LAC (Fr.),
LACHE (Ger.),
LAGO (It., Span., and Port.),
LAGUNA,

a lake, cognate with the Lat. lacus and the Cel. loch or lwch. These words in the various dialects originally signified a hollow, from the roots lag, lug, and Grk. lakos; e.g. Lachen, Lat. Adlacum (at the lake), a town on Lake Zurich; Interlachen (between the lakes), in Switzerland; Biberlachen (beaver lake); Lago Maggiore (the greater lake), with reference to Lake Lugano, which itself means simply the lake or hollow; Lago Nuovo (new lake), in Tyrol,—it was formed a few years ago by a landslip; Lagoa (on a lake or marsh), in Brazil; Lagow (on a lake), in Prussia; Lagos, in Portugal (on a large bay or lake); Laguna-de-Negrillos (the lake of the elms) and Laguna-Encinillos (of the evergreen oaks), in Spain; Laach, in the Rhine Provinces (situated on a lake), the crater of an extinct volcano; Anderlecht or Anderlac (at the lake or marsh), in Belgium; Chablais, Lat. Caput-lacensis (at the head of the lake, i.e. of Geneva); Missolonghi, i.e. Mezzo-laguno (in the midst of a marshy lagoon); Beverley, in Yorkshire, anc. Biberlac (the beaver lake or marsh); Lago-dos-Patos (the lake of geese), in Brazil; Niederhaslach and Oberhaslach (lower and upper lake), in Bas Rhin; Lake Champlain takes its name from a Norman adventurer, Governor-general of Canada, in the seventeenth century; Alagoas (abounding in lakes), a province in Brazil, with its capital of the same name; Filey, in Yorkshire, in Doomsday Fuielac (i.e. bird lake, fugæ).

LAD (Scand.),

a pile or heap; e.g. Ladhouse, Ladhill, Ladcragg, Ladrigg (the house, hill, crag, ridge of the mound or cairn), probably so named from a heap or cairn erected over the grave of some Norse leader.

LADE, or LODE (A.S.),

a way, passage, or canal; e.g. Ladbrook (the passage of the brook); Lechlade, in Gloucester (the passage of the R. Lech into the Thames); Evenlode (at brink of the passage or stream); Cricklade, anc. Crecca-gelade or Crecca-ford (the creek at the opening or entrance of the Churn and Key into the Thames).

LAEN (Teut.),
LEHEN,

land leased out, a fief; e.g. Kingsland or Kingslaen, in Middlesex, Hereford, and Orkney; Haylene (the enclosed fief), in Hereford; Lenham (the dwelling on the laen); Lenton, ditto.

LAESE (A.S.),

pasture, literally moist, wet land; e.g. Lewes, in Sussex; Lesowes, in Worcester (the wet pasture); Lewisham (the dwelling on the pasture), in Kent; Leswalt (wood pasture), in Dumfriesshire.

LAG, LUG (Gadhelic),
LÜCKE (Ger.),

a hollow, cognate with the Lat. lacus and the Grk. lakkos; e.g. Logie (the hollow), in Stirling; Logiealmond (the hollow of the R. Almond in Perth); Logie-Buchan, in Aberdeenshire; Logie-Coldstone, Gael. Lag-cul-duine (the hollow behind the fort), Aberdeen; Logie-Easter and Logie-Wester, in Cromarty; Logie Loch and Laggan Loch (the lake in the hollow); Logan (the little hollow); Logierait, Gael. Lag-an-rath (the hollow of the rath or castle, so called from the Earls of Atholl having formerly had their castle there in Perthshire); Mortlach, Co. Banff, probably meaning the great hollow. In Ireland: Legachory, Lagacurry, Legacurry (the hollow of the pit or caldron, coire); Lugduff (dark hollow); Lugnaquillia (the highest of the Wicklow mountains), is from the Irish Lug-na-gcoilleach (the hollow of the cocks, i.e. grouse); Lough Logan (the lake of the little hollow); Lagnieu, in France, anc. Lagniacum (the place in the hollow of the waters); Laconia and Lacedemonia (in the hollow), in Greece.

LANN (Gadhelic),
LLAN (Cym.-Cel.),
LAND (Teut.),

an enclosure, a church, a house; but Mr. Skene considers that the Cel. llan comes from the Lat. planum (a level place), just as the Gael. lan (full) comes from the Lat. plenus. This word is more common in Welsh names than in the topography of Ireland and Scotland, and in its signification of a church forms the groundwork of a vast number of Welsh names. In Ireland it means a house as well as a church, as in Landbrock (the badger’s house); Landmore (the great church), in Londonderry; Landahussy (O’Hussy’s church), in Tyrone; Lanaglug (the church of the bells). It is not so frequent in Scotland, but the modern name of Lamlash, in the Island of Arran, formerly Ard-na-Molas, the height of St. Molios, who lived in a cave there, seems to be the church or enclosure of this saint; Lambride, in Forfar, is Lannbride (St. Bridget’s church); Lumphanan is from Lann-Finan (St. Finan’s church). The derivation of Lanark, anc. Lanerk, is probably from the Welsh Llanerch (a distinct spot or fertile piece of ground). There are many examples of this root in Brittany; e.g. Lanleff (the enclosure on the R. Leff); Lanmeur (great church); Lannion (the little enclosure); Landerneau and Lannoy (the enclosure on the water); but in French topography the Teut. land generally signifies uncultivated ground; e.g. La Lande, Landes, Landelles, La Landelle, Les Landais, Landau, etc.—v. Cocheris’s Noms de Lieu. Launceston, in Cornwall, is probably corrupt. from Llan-Stephen. The greatest number of our examples must be taken from Wales. There are Lantony or Llan-Ddevinant (the church of St. David in the valley, nant, of the R. Hodeny); Llan-Dewi-Aberarth (St. David’s church at the mouth of the Arth); Lampeter (of St. Peter); Llan-Asaph (of St. Asaph); Llanbadern-fawr (the great church founded by Paternus), also Llan-Badarn-Odyn; Llandelo-vawr (of Feilo the Great); Llandewi-Brefi (St. David’s church). Brevi here means the bellowing, from the dismal moans of a sacred animal killed here; Llandovery, corrupt. from Llan-ym-dyffrwd (the church among the rivers, at the confluence of three streams); Llanudno (of St. Tudno); Llanelly (of St. Elian); Llanfair (of St. Mary); Llanover (the church of the Gover wells); Llanon (the church dedicated to Nonn, the mother of St. David); Llanfair-yn-nghornwy (on the horn or headland of the water). There are several of this name,—as Llan-fair-ar-y-bryn (St. Mary’s church on the hill); Llanfair-helygen (St. Mary’s church among willows); Llanfair-o’r-llwyn (on the lake); Llanfihangel (of the angel); Llanfihangel-genau’r-glyn (the church of the angels at the opening of the valley); Llanfihangel-y-creuddin, a church erected probably on the site of a bloody battle; Llanfihangel-lledrod (the church at the foot of a declivity); Llangadogvawr (of St. Cadoc the Great); Llangeler (of St. Celert); Llangollen (of St. Collen); Llanidloes (of St. Idloes); Llaniestyn (of St. Constantine); Llannethlin, anc. Mediolanum (the church among the pools or marshes); Llantrissant (of three saints); Llanddeusaint (of two saints); Llanberis (of St. Peres); Llandegla (of St. Theckla); Llanrhaiadr (the church of the cataract); Llanfaes (the church of the battle-field); Landaff, on the R. Taff; Llangoedmore (the church of the great wood); Llanaml-lech (the church on the stony ground, etc.); Llangwyllog (the gloomy church, perhaps in the shade of the Druidic grove); Llanfleiddian (dedicated to a bishop named Flaidd); Llanllawer (the church of the multitude, llawer, close to which was a sainted well famous for its medicinal properties, and which was resorted to by crowds of impotent folk); Llancilcen (the church in the nook, cil, at the top, cen, of a hill), a parish in Flint; Llan-mabon (of St. Mabon); Llan-Beblig, corrupt. from Bublicius, named for the son of Helen, a Welsh princess; Llan-sant-Fagan, named in honour of St. Faganus, a missionary from Rome. Llan is sometimes corrupted to long in Scotland, as in Longniddrie; Lagny, a town in France, anc. Laniacum (the church or enclosure on the stream). From the Teut. land, i.e. a country or district, some names may come in appropriately under this head—thus Scotland (the land of the Scots), from Ireland; Monkland, in Lanarkshire (belonging to the monks); Natland, in Norway (the land of horned cattle); Sutherland (the southern land, as compared with Caithness), both Sutherland and Caithness having formed part of the Orkney Jarldom; Cumberland (the land of the Cymbri), being part of the British kingdom of Cumbria; Holland (the marshy land, ollant); Gippsland, named in honour of Sir George Gipps, a governor of Port Philip; Friesland (the land of the Frisii); Beveland (of oxen or beeves); Baardland (of the Lombards); Westmoreland (the land of the Westmoringas or people of the Western moors); Gothland, in Sweden (the land of the Goths); Jutland (the land of the Getæ or Jutes, the Cimbric Chersonesus of the ancients).

LAR, LAAR, LEER (Old Ger.),
LAER (A.S.),
LATHAIR, or LAUER (Gadhelic),

a site, a bed; and in Germany, according to Buttmann, a field; in topography, synonymous with lage; e.g. Goslar (the site or field on the R. Gose), in Hanover; Somplar (marshy field); Wittlar (woody field); Dinklar (wheat field); Wetzlar, in Prussia, anc. Wittlara (woody field); Wassarlar (watery field); Noordlaren (the northern site); Lahr (the site), a town in Baden. In Ireland this word takes the forms of laragh and lara; e.g. Laraghleas (the site of the fort); Laraghshankill (of the old church). Lara, however, is sometimes a corrupt. of Leath-rath (half rath), as in Laragh, in West Meath; and laar and lare often mean middle, as in Rosslare (the middle peninsula); Ennislare (the middle island); Latheron, in Caithness, is the site of the seal.

LAUF, LAUFEND (Ger.),
LOOP (Dutch),

a current, a rapid, from laufen, Ger.; hlaupen, Scand.; hleapen, A.S. (to run, to leap); e.g. Laufen (the rapids), on the R. Salzach; Lauffenberg (the town near the rapids of the Rhine); Laufnitz (the leaping river); Lauffen (on the rapids of the R. Inn); Leixlip, in Ireland, Old Norse Lax-hlaup (salmon-leap), on a cataract of the R. Liffey; Beck-loop (brook cataract), in Holland; Loop-Head, Co. Clare, Irish Leim-Chon-Chuillerin (Cuchullin’s leap)—v. Joyce’s Names of Places.

LAW (A.S.), hleaw,
LOW,

a hill, cognate with the Irish lagh; e.g. Houndslow (the dog’s hill); Ludlow (the people’s hill, leod); Greenlaw, in Berwickshire (the green hill)—the modern town is situated on a plain, but old Greenlaw was on a hill; Winslow (the hill of victory), in Berks; Marlow (the chalk or marshy hill); Wardlaw (guard hill); Hadlow, anc. Haslow (hazel hill); Castlelaw, in the Lammermuir range, named from Roman camps on these hills; Sidlaw Hills (the south hills, in reference to their forming the southern boundary of Strathmore); Warmlow, Co. Worcester, anc. Waermundes-hleau (the hill of Waermund, a personal name); Fala, a parish in Mid Lothian, abbreviated from Fallaw (the speckled hill); Mintlaw, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from Moan-alt-law (the hill at the moss burn).

LAYA (Sansc.),

an abode; e.g. Naglaya (the abode of snakes); the Himalaya Mountains (the abode of snow); Hurrial, for Arayalaya (the abode of Hari or Vishnu).

LEAC (Gadhelic),
LLECH (Cym.-Cel.),

a flat stone—in topography, found in the forms of lick and leck, cognate with the Lat. lapis and Grk. lithos; e.g. Lackeen, Licken (the little stone); Slieve-league (the mountain of the flagstone); Lickmollasy (St. Molasse’s flagstone); Bel-leek, Irish Bel-leice (the ford of the flagstone), near Ballyshannon; Lackagh (full of flagstones); Lickfinn (white flagstone); Duleek, anc. Doimhliag (the stone house or church); Auchinleck (the field of the stone), in Ayrshire; Harlech, in Merioneth; Ar-llech (on the rock, the place being situated on a craggy eminence); Llananl-lech—v. LLAN; Llech-trufin, probably originally Llech-treffen (the rock of the look-out, or twrfine); Llanml-lech (the church among many stones); Tre-llech (stone dwelling); Llech-rhyd (the ford of the flat stone); Leck, Lech, Leckbeck (the stony rivers); Leckfield (the field on the R. Leck); Leckwith, in Wales, for Lechwedd (a slope).

LEAMHAN (Gadhelic),

the elm-tree; e.g. the Laune, a river at Killarney, and the Leven, in Scotland (the elm-tree stream); Lennox or Levenach (the district of the R. Leven), the ancient name of Dumbartonshire; Lislevane (the fort of the elm-tree), in Ireland. According to Mr. Skene, the Rivers Leven in Dumbartonshire and in Fife have given their names to Loch Lomond and Loch Leven, while in each county there is a corresponding mountain called Lomond.

LEARG (Gadhelic),

the slope of a hill; e.g. Largy, in Ireland; Lairg, a parish in Sutherlandshire; Largs, in Ayrshire, and Largo, in Fife, from this word; Largan (the little hill-slope); Largynagreana (the sunny hill-slope); Larganreagh (gray hill-slope), in Ireland.

LEBEN (Ger.),

a possession, an inheritance. Forsteman thinks this word is derived from the Old Ger. laiban (to leave or bequeath), cognate with the Grk. leipa, and not from leben (to live); e.g. Leibnitz, anc. Dud-leipen (the inheritance of Dudo); Ottersleben (of Otho); Ritzleben (of Richard); Germersleben (of Germer); Osharsleben (of Ausgar); Sandersleben (of Sander); Hadersleben (of Hada).

LEGIO (Lat.),

a Roman legion; e.g. Caerleon, on the Usk, anc. Isca-Legionis; Leicester, Legionis-castra (the camp of the legion); Leon, in Spain, anc. Legio, being the station of the seventh Roman legion; Lexdon, anc. Legionis-dunum (the fort of the legion); Megiddo, in Palestine, now Ledjun, anc. Castra-legionis (the camp of the legion).

LEHM (Ger.),
LAAM (A.S.),
LEEM (Dutch),

clay, mud; e.g. the Leam (the muddy river); Leamington (the town on the R. Leam); Lehmhurst (the clayey wood); Lambourn (muddy brook); Leemkothen (the mud huts).

LEITER (Gadhelic),

the slope of a hill; e.g. Ballater, in Aberdeenshire (the town on the sloping hill); Letterfearn (the alder-tree slope); Letterfourie (the grassy hillside, feurach); Findlater (the cold hill-slope, fionn), in Scotland. In Ireland: Letterkenny (the hill-slope of the O’Cannons); Letterkeen (beautiful hill-slope); Lettermullen (Meallan’s hill-slope); Letterbrick (the badger’s hill-slope); Letterlickey (the hill-slope of the flagstone); Letherhead, in Surrey (at the head of the slope, Welsh llethr), on the declivitous bank of the R. Mole; Machynlleth for Mach-yn-Llethr (the ridge on the slope), a town in Montgomery.

LEOD (A.S.), LEUTE (Ger.),

the people; e.g. Leutkirch (the people’s church); Liège, Ger. Lüttich, anc. Leodicus-vicus (the people’s town)—the hill on which the citadel stands was called Publes-mont (the people’s hill); Leeds, in Yorkshire, anc. Loidis (the people’s town, according to Bayley); Whittaker, however, makes it the town of Loidi, a personal name); but Leeds, in Kent, is said to have been named after Ledian, the Chancellor of Ethelred II.

LESSO, LESSE (Sclav.),

a wood or thicket; e.g. Lessau, Leske, Leskau, Lessen, Lissa (the woody place), towns in Prussia; Leschnitz, in Silesia, and Leizig, in Saxony, with the same meaning; Leschkirch (the church in the wood), in Transylvania; Liezegorike (woody hill).

LEUCUS (Grk.),

white, e.g. Leuctra, Leuctron, Leucadia, so named from the white rocks at its extremity; Leucasia (the white river); Leucate (the white promontory in Greece).

LEY, LEA (A.S.),
LEG,

a district—in English topography generally applied to an open field or meadow; e.g. Leigh (the meadow), in Lancashire; Berkeley, Thornley, Oakley, Auchley, Alderley, Brachley (the meadow of birch, thorn, oak, alder, ferns); Hasley (of hazels); Hagley (the enclosed meadow); Horsley (the meadow of Horsa, or of horses); Brockley (of the badger); Hindley (of the stag); Everley (of the wild boar, aper); Bradley (broad meadow); Stanley (stony meadow); Loxley (of Loki, a Scandinavian deity); Ashley (ash-tree meadow); but Ashley, S. Carolina, was named after Lord Ashley in the reign of Charles II.; Morley (moor-field); Bisley (bean-field); Cowley (cow’s field); Linley (flax-field); Monkley (the monk’s field); Audley, Co. Stafford (old field); but Audley, in Essex, took its name from a palace erected by Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor of England; Ofley (the field of King Offa); Tarporley, in Cheshire, corrupt. from Thorpeley (the farm-field or meadow); Chorley (the meadow of the R. Chor); Bosley (Bodolph’s field); West Leigh, North Leigh, Leighton, from the same root; Satterleigh (the field of Seator, an A.S. deity); Earnley, Sussex (eagle meadow); Ripley, in Yorkshire, from Hryp, a personal name; Bentley, bent, pasture (a coarse kind of grass); Tewesley and Tisley, from Tiw, a Saxon deity—as also Tewing, Tuoesmere, and Teowes (thorn); Henley (the old meadow or field), supposed to be the oldest town in Oxfordshire.

LIN (Esthonian),

a fort or town; e.g. Rialin, now Riga (the fortress of the Rugii), in Russia; Pernau, anc. Perna-lin (the lime-tree fort); Tepelin (hill town; tepe, Turc. hill).

LINDE (Ger.),
LIND, LYND (A.S. and Scand.),

the linden-tree; e.g. Lindhurst and Lyndhurst (the linden-tree wood); Lindheim, Lindorf, Limburg, in Germany (the town of linden-trees); as also Limburg, in Holland, formerly Lindenburg; Lindau (the linden-tree meadow); Lindesnaes (the promontory of linden-trees), in Norway; La Linde, Le Lindois (abounding in linden-trees); Limbœuf, Lindebœuf (linden-tree dwelling), in France.

LINNE (Gadhelic),
LLYNN (Cym.-Cel.),
HLYNNA (A.S.),

a pool, a lake, sometimes applied to a waterfall, not as associated with the cascade, but with the pool into which it is received, as in the Linn of Dee, in Aberdeenshire, and Corra-linn, on the Clyde. Dublin (the black pool) takes its name from that part of the R. Liffey on which it is built; and there are several other places in Ireland whose names have the same meaning, although variously spelt, as Devlin, in Mayo; Dowling and Doolin, in Kilkenny and Clare; Ballinadoolin (the town of the black pool), in Kildare. In several such cases the proper name was Ath-cliath (hurdle ford), literally Baile-atha-cliath (the town of the hurdle ford), the original name of Dublin. The ancient name of Lincoln, Lindum, is the hill fort on the pool; Linlithgow comes from the same root, and is probably the gray lake—how it came by the termination gow, gu, or cu, as it is variously spelt, cannot be determined; Linton, in Roxburghshire, is the town on the pool; Linton, in Peebles, on the R. Lyne—in Cambridge (on the brook, hlynna); Dupplin, on the R. Earn, in Perthshire (the black pool); Crailing, in Berwickshire, anc. Traverlin (the dwellings, treabhar, on the pool); Edarline (between the pools); Aber-glas-lyn (the estuary of the blue pool), in Wales; Lynn-Regis (the king’s pool), in Norfolk; Roslin (the projecting point on the pool), in Mid Lothian; Lynn-yr-Afrange (the beaver’s pool), in Wales; Mauchline, in Ayrshire (the pool in the plain, magh); Lincluden, in Kirkcudbright (the pool of the R. Cluden); Lindores, in Fife, probably not from this root, but a corrupt. of Lann-Tours, being the seat of the abbey of Tours, founded by David, Earl of Huntingdon. Lyme-Regis (the king’s pool), in Dorset; Lymington, anc. Linton (the town on the pool), in Hants; Llyn-hir (long pool); Llyn-y-cun (the dog’s pool), in Carnarvon; Llynn-y-Nadroedd (the adder’s pool); Llynn-ye-cae (the enclosed pool), all in Wales; Llyn-tegid (the fair or beautiful lake); Lly-gwyn, with the same meaning; Llyn-Teivy, of the R. Teivy, in Wales; Llyn-Safaddon, corrupt. from Llyn-saf-baddon (the standing pool or fixed bathing place)—v. BAD.

LIOS, or LIS (Gadhelic),
LES (Breton and Cornish),

an enclosure, a garden, or a fort. In Ireland it generally meant originally a place enclosed with a circular entrenchment, for the purpose of shelter and safety, and is often translated by the Lat. atrium (the entrance-room to a dwelling or temple). There are eleven places in Ireland called Lismore (the great enclosure); Lismore also in Argyleshire; Listowel (Tuathal’s fort); Liscarrol (Carrol’s fort); Liscahane (Cathan’s fort); Lissan, Lissane, Lessany (the little fort); Ballylesson (the town of the little fort); Lisclogher (stone fort); Lislevane (the fort of the elm); Lismullin (of the mill); Lisnadarragh (of the oaks); Lisnaskea, i.e. Lios-na-sceithe (of the bush); Lissard (high fort); Gortnalissa (the field of the fort); Lisbellaw, i.e. Lios-bel-atha (the fort at the ford mouth); Dunluce (strong fort); Thurles, Co. Tipperary, from Durlas (strong fort); Rathurles (the rath of the strong fort)—all in Ireland; Liskard or Liskeard (the enclosure on the height), in Cornwall and Cheshire; Lostwithel, in Cornwall, i.e. Les-vthiel (the lofty palace), one of the ancient seats of the Duke of Cornwall; Lesmahago, in Lanarkshire, Lat. Ecclesia-Machute (the enclosure or church of St. Machute); Lesneven, in Brittany, i.e. Les-an-Evan (the enclosure or palace of Evan, Count of Leon); Leslie, in Fife (the enclosure on the R. Leven); Lessudden or St. Boswell’s, in Roxburghshire, bears the first name from Aidan, the Bishop of Lindesfarne, who is said to have lived there; and its second name from Boisel, a disciple of St. Cuthbert. The Spanish llosa is akin to the Celtic lios, as in Lliosa-del-Obispo (the bishop’s enclosure).

LIPA (Sclav.),

the linden-tree; e.g. Leipzig, Lipten, Laubsdorf or Libanoise, Lauban or Luban, Luben, Laubst, Labolz, etc. (the places abounding in linden-trees); Lubeck and Lublin may come from the same root, or from a Sclavonic word signifying beloved.

LLWYD (Welsh),

gray-brown; e.g. Rhipyn Llwyd (the gray upland); Llwyd-goed (gray wood).

LOCH, LOUGH (Gadhelic),
LLWCH (Cym.-Cel.),

a lake; e.g. Loch Broom (the lake of showers, braon); Loch Carron (of the winding water); Loch Doine (deep loch); Loch Duich, in Ross-shire (the lake of St. Duthic, the same person from whom the town of Tain took its Gaelic name, Baile-Duich, St. Dulhaick’s town); Loch Fyne (the fair lake); Loch Lomond (the lake of the elm-tree river); Loch Nell (of the swan, eala); Loch Ness (of the waterfall, i.e. of Foyers)—v. EAS; Loch Long (ship lake, Scand. Skipafiord); Gareloch (short lake, gearr), in Ross-shire, and also a branch of the Firth of Clyde; Loch Etive (dreary loch, eitidh); Lochlubnaig (the lake of the little bend, lubnaig); Lochbuie and Lochbuy (the yellow loch); Lochmuic (of the wild boar); Lochgorm (blue loch); Lochlaggan (of the hollow); Loch Tay (of the R. Tay or Tamha, quiet river); Lochgelly (of the fair water); Loch Maree (the lake of St. Malrube); Lochard (high loch); Loch Awe and Loch Linnhe (here duplicate names, aw signifying water and linne a pool); Loch-na-keal (the loch of the cemetery, cill); Loch Earn (the west loch, i.e. west of Loch Tay); Lochgelly (white lake, gealich); Loch Katrine, probably the lake of the Caterans or freebooters; Benderloch, in Argyleshire, i.e. Bendaraloch (the hill between the lakes); Lochnagar, i.e. Lochan-na-gabhar (the little lake of the goats, at the base of the mountain to which it gives its name); Lochmaben, probably the loch of the bald headland, as in an old charter the castle at the head of the loch is called Lochmalban; Lochfad (long loch), in the Island of Bute, five miles long and scarce half a mile broad; Loch Achray, in Perthshire (the loch of the level plain, reidh); Leuchars, in Fife, formerly Lough-yards, the low grounds of the village used to lie under water for the greater part of the year. In Ireland there are Lough Derg (red lake), originally Loch Dergderc (the lake of the red eye, connected with a legend); Lough Conn (from a personal name Conn); Loch Rea (gray or smooth lake, reidh, smooth); as also Loch Ryan, in Kirkcudbright (of the smooth water, reidhan); Loch Foyle (the lake of Febhal, the son of Lodan); Loughan, Loughane (little lake); Lochanaskin (the little lake of the eels); Lough Corrib, corrupt. from Lough Orbsen (the lake of Orbsen or Mannanan, over whose grave it is said to have burst forth); Lough Erne, in Ireland, named from the Ernai, a tribe; Lough Finn, named after a lady called Finn, who was drowned in its waters; Lough, i.e. Loch-n’-Echach (the lake of Eochy, a Munster chief, who, with his family, was overwhelmed in the eruption which gave their origin to its waters); Loch Swilly, probably a Scand. name, meaning the lake of the surges or whirlpool, swelchie. The town of Carlow was originally Cetherloch (the quadruple lake, cether, four), from a tradition that formerly the R. Barrow formed four lakes at this spot.

LOCUS (Lat.),
LOCA (A.S.),
LOK, LLE (Cym.-Cel),
LIEU (Fr.),

a place; e.g. Netley, Lat. Laeto-loco (at the pleasant, cheerful place), so called from a monastery founded there by Mereward, King of Mercia, in 658; Madley (the good place); Matlock (the meat enclosure or storehouse); Leominster, Lat. Locus-fanum (temple place); Porlock or Portlock, in Somerset (the place of the port); Lok-Maria-Ker (the town of Maria Ker), in Brittany. In France: Richelieu (rich place); Chaalis, anc. Carolis-locus (the place of Charles the Good, Count of Flanders); Beaulieu (beautiful place); Loctudey, at Finisterre, corrupt. from Loc-Sancti-Tudené (the place of St. Tudy); Locdieu and Dilo, i.e. Dei-locus (God’s place); Lieusaint (holy place); Baslieu (low place).

LOH, LOO (Ger. and Dutch),
LOHE,

a meadow or thicket, and sometimes a marsh; e.g. Waterloo (watery meadow); Venloo (the marshy meadow), and perhaps Louvain may have the same meaning; Groenloo (green thicket); Hohenlohe (the high marshy meadow); Tongerloo (the marshy meadow of the Tungri); Schwarzenloh (the black thicket); Anderlues (on the marsh).

LOHN (Ger.),
LOON (Dutch),

a path; e.g. Iser-lohn (the path by the R. Iser); Forstlohn (the path in the wood); Neerloon and Oberloon (the lower and upper path); Loon-op-Zand (the path on the sand).

LUCUS (Lat.),
LLWYN (Welsh), a grove,

a sacred grove; e.g. Lugo, in Italy, anc. Lucus-Dianæ (the sacred grove of Diana); Lugo, in Spain, anc. Lucus-Augusti (the sacred grove of Augustus); Les luches, in France, near the remains of an ancient temple; Luc, anc. Lucus, in Dauphiny.

LUG, LUKA, or LUZ (Sclav.),
LEOIG (Gadhelic),
LAUK (Esthonian),

a marsh, cognate with the Lat. lutum; e.g. Lusatia or Lausatz (the marshy land); Lassahn, Ger. Laki-burgum (the town on the marsh); Lugos or Lugosch, Luko and Leignitz, with the same meaning, in Poland and Silesia; Podlachia (near the marshes), a district in Poland. The towns of Lyons, Laon, and Leyden were formerly named Lugdunum (the fortress in the marshy land); Paris was formerly Lutetia-Parisiorum (the marshy land of the Parisii). In France: Loches, formerly Luccæ and Lochiæ (the marshy land); and Loché, formerly Locheium (the marshy dwelling), in the department of Indre et Loire.

LUND (Scand.),

a sacred grove; e.g. Lund, towns in Sweden and in the Shetlands; Lundgarth (the enclosed grove), in Yorkshire; Lundsthing (the place of meeting at the grove), in Shetland; Charlottenlund, Christianslund, and Frederickslund (the grove of Charlotte, Christian, and Frederick), villages in Denmark; and perhaps the island Lundy, in the Bristol Channel.

LUST, LYST (Teut.),

pleasure—applied, in topography, to a palace or lordly mansion; e.g. Ludwigslust, Charlottenlust, Ravenlust (the palaces of Ludovick, of Charlotte, and of Hrafen); Lostwithel, in Cornwall (the manor of Withel), in the old Brit. language, Pen Uchel coet (the lofty hill in the wood, and the Uzella of Ptolemy); Lustleigh (the valley of pleasure), in Devon.

LUTTER, LAUTER (Teut.),

bright, clear; e.g. Lutri, on Lake Geneva; Luttar, in Brunswick (the bright place); Latterbach and Lauterburn (clear stream); Lauterburg, in Alsace, on the R. Lauter; Lutterworth (the bright farm); Lauterecken, in Bavaria, at the corner, eck, of the R. Lauter.

LUTZEL, LYTEL (Teut.),
LILLE (Scand.),

small; e.g. Lutgenrode (the little clearing); Luxemburg, corrupt. from Lutzelburg (small fortress), Latinised Lucis-Burgum (the city of light), and hence passing into Luxemburg; Lucelle or Lutzel, in Alsace; Lutzelsten (the small rock), in Alsace.