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

by Christina Blackie

O

OB, OBER (Ger.),
OVER (Dutch),

upper; e.g. Oberhofen (upper court); Oberlahnstein (the upper fortress on the R. Lahn); Oberndorf, Overbie, Overham, Overton, Overburg (upper town); Oberdrauburg (the upper town on the R. Drave); Overyssel (beyond the R. Yssel); Orton (upper town), in Westmoreland; St. Mary’s-Overy, Southwark (i.e. over the water from London).

OE—v. EA, p. 71.

ŒUIL (Fr.),

the eye—(in topography applied to the source of a stream or a fountain; e.g. Arcueil (the arched fountain or aqueduct); Berneuil (the source of the water, bior); Verneuil and Vernel (alder-tree fountain, Lat. vernus); Argenteuil (silver fountain); Bonneuil (good fountain); Nanteuil (the source of the stream); Auneuil (alder-tree fountain, Fr. aune); Auteuil (high fountain); Boisseuil (the woody fountain); Chantilly, anc. Cantilliacum (the head of the water-source).

OFER, or ORE (A.S.),
OVER (Dutch),
UFER (Ger.),
OIR (Gadhelic),
EYRE, or ORE (Scand.), a point,

a border, boundary, or shore—cognate with the Lat. ora and the Grk. horos; e.g. Oare and Ore (the shore), in Kent, Sussex, and Somerset; Windsor, i.e. Windle-sora (the winding shore, A.S. windle); Southover and Westover (the south and west shore); Ventnor (the shore of Gwent, the ancient name of the Isle of Wight); Pershore (the willow shore, pursh), or, according to Camden, corrupt. from Periscorum—in allusion to the abundance of pear-trees in its vicinity; Andover, anc. Andeafaran (the shore or ferry of the R. Anton); Ravensore (the point or promontory of Hrafen, a Scand. personal name); Hanover, anc. Hohenufer (high shore); Elsinore (the point near the town of Helsing), in Denmark; Argyle, Gael. Oirirgaedheal (the coast lands of the Gaels); Dover, in Kent, and Douvres, in Normandy, perhaps from ofer.

OICHE (obs. Gael.),

water; e.g. Oich River and Oichel (the Rivers Ock, Ocker, Ocke, Eck); Loch Oich, Duich (the black water).

ORE (Hindostanee),

a city; e.g. Ellore, Vellore, Nellore; Tanjore, anc. Tanja-nagaram (the city of refuge); Bednore (bamboo city); Mangalore (the city of Mangala-Devi).

ORMR (Scand.),

a serpent, also a personal name; e.g. Ormeshead, in Cumberland, named either from the serpent-like shape of the rock, or from the common Norse name Ormr; Ormathwaite, Ormsby, Ormiston, Ormskirk (the clearing, the dwelling, and the church of Ormr). The same prefix in French topography signifies the elm-tree, as in Les Ormes (the elms); Ormoy, Lat. Ulmetium (the elm-grove), synonymous with Olmedo and Olmeto, in Spain. The Orne or Olna (elm-tree river), in Normandy; Ulm or Ulma (the place of elm-trees), in Wurtemburg; Olmeta, in Corsica.

ORT (Ger.),
OORT (Dutch),
ORD (Scand.),

a point, a corner, and sometimes a place; e.g. Angerort (the corner of the R. Anger); Ruhrort (of the Rohr or Ruhr); Grünort (green point); Schönort (beautiful point); Akkerort (the corner of the field); Tiegenort (of the R. Tiege); Störort (of the R. Stör); the Ord or headland of Caithness.

OST, OEST (Ger.),
OOST (Dutch),
OSTER (Scand.),

the east; e.g. Ostend (at the east end or opening of the canal into the ocean); Osterburg, Osterfeld, Osterhofen (the east town, field, and court); Osterholtz (the east wood); Osterdalen (the east basin of the R. Duhl), in Sweden; Ostheim, Osthausen, Oesthammer (the eastern dwelling or village); Ostwald (east wood), in Alsace; Essex (the country of the East Saxons, in opposition to Wessex); Austerlitz (the east town of the R. Littawa); Alost (to the east), in Belgium.

OSTROW, or OZERO (Sclav.),

an island or lake; e.g. Ostrov, in Russia (on a river-island); Kolkoe-Ostrog (the island in the R. Kola); Ostrova (an island in the Danube); Bielo-Ozero (the white lake); Tschudskoe-Ozero (the lake of the Tschudes, a tribe); Ostrownoye (the new island). But Ostrow and Wustrow are sometimes Germanised forms of Wotschow, Sclav, (a marshy place), as in Wustrow, Ostropol, Ostrasatz, Ostrawiec (the place on the marshy ground).

OTERO (Span.),

a hill or rising ground; e.g. El-Otero (the rising ground); Otero-de-las-duenas (the hill of the old ladies); Otero-del-Rey (the king’s hill).

OW, ITZ,
OWIZ, OO,

Sclavonic affixes, used as patronymics, like the Ger. ingen; e.g. Nowakwitz (the possession of the descendants of Nouak); Jvanow, Janow, Janowitz (belonging to John and his descendants); Karlowitz (to Charles); Petrowitz (to Peter); Kazimiritz (to Casimir); Mitrowitz (to Demetrius); Stanislowow (to Stanislaus); Tomazow (to Thomas); Cracow or Kracow (the town of Duke Craus or Krak of Poland, by whom it was founded in 1700).