S
SA (Sclav.),
ZA,
behind; e.g. Sabor (behind the wood); Zadrin (behind the R. Drin); Zamosc (behind the moss); Zabrod (behind the ford); Zablat (behind the marsh).
SABHALL (Gadhelic),
a barn; e.g. Saul, Co. Down, anc. Sabhall-Patrick (Patrick’s barn), being the first place of worship used by St. Patrick in Ireland; Saval (the barn used as a church), near Newry; Drumsaul (the barn or church on the ridge); Sawel, a mountain in Ireland, probably from the same root; Cairntoul, a hill in Aberdeenshire, originally Carn-t-Sabhall (the cairn of the barn).
SABLE (Fr.),
sand; e.g. Sable, Sablé, Sablat, Sablon, Sablières, La Sablonière, in France.
SALH, SAEL (A.S.),
SALIX (Lat.),
the willow; e.g. Salehurst (willow copse); Salford (willow ford); Saul, in Gloucestershire (the place of willows). In France many places take their name from Saule, Fr. (the willow); e.g. Sailly, from Salicetum (a place planted with willows), as also Saux, Saules, Saulzais, etc.
SALL (Teut.),
ZAAL,
a stone dwelling; sel, a cottage, cognate with the Span. and Port. sala; e.g. Hohensale (high dwelling); Nordsehl (north dwelling); Oldenzeel (old dwelling); Eversal (the dwelling of the wild boar); Brunsele (the dwelling at the well); Holzselen (at the wood); Laufenselden (the dwelling near the waterfall); Marsal (on the marsh), in France. In Spain: Salas (the halls); Salas-de-la-ribera (the dwellings on the river-bank); Salas-de-los-Infantes (the dwellings of the infantry); Upsal, Scand. Upsalr (the high halls), in Sweden.
SALZ (Ger.),
SALANN (Gadhelic),
SOL (Sclav.),
HALEN (Cym.-Cel.),
salt, cognate with the Lat. sal and the Grk. hals; e.g. the Rivers Saale, Salzach, Salzbach, Sal, Salat (salt stream); Salies, Salins, Salinas, Salines, Salenillas, Salskaia, place-names in France, South America, and Russia (in the neighbourhood of salt mines or springs); Saalfeld, on the R. Saal, in Saxony; also Saalfelden, in Austria (the salt field); Salamanca, in Spain, anc. Salmantica (the place in the neighbourhood of salt springs); Salzburg, on the R. Salzach; Salzbrunn (the salt well); Salzkammergut (the public treasury of the salt-works); Soultz or Soultzbad (the saline bath); Soultzbach (the salt brook); Soultz-sous-forets (the salt springs under the woods); Soultzmatt (the meadow of the salt springs); Selters, anc. Saltrissa, in Nassau, near the Selzar or mineral springs; Saltzkotten (the huts of the salt miners), in Westphalia; Solikamsk (the town of the salt-works on the R. Kama), in Russia; salt and saltz, as affixes, are also applied to dwellings on the sea-coast, thus—Westersalt, Ostersalt, Neusaltz (the west, east, and new watering-place by the sea); but Salton, a parish in East Lothian, does not come from this word. It is said to have derived its name from Nicolas de Soules, who possessed that part of the country in the thirteenth century. Hal, the Celtic word for salt, still exists in the names of places where there are or were salt-works; e.g. Haling, in Hants; Halton, in Cheshire; Halsal and Hallaton, in Lancashire; Halle, in Prussian Saxony, stands on the R. Saala; Reichenhall, on the Saale; Hallein, on the Salza, near the salt mines in Tyrol.
SANG (Ger.),
a place cleared of wood by burning, from sengen, to burn; e.g. Feuersang (the fire clearing); Altensang (the old clearing); but Vogelgesang means the place of singing-birds.
SARN (Welsh),
a road. The word sarn refers to the old Roman road which the Emperor Maximus called in honour of his wife Helen, a Welsh princess whom he had married; e.g. Sarn-Helen (Helen’s road); Pen-Sarn (the head or end of the road); Tal-Sarn (the face of the road).
SAX, SAHS (Teut.),
a stone, cognate with the Lat. saxum; e.g. Sachsa (the stony water in the neighbourhood of quarries); Sasso, in Italy (the stone or tomb); Sassoferrato (the fortified rock); Sassuolo (the little rock or stone), in Italy; but these words, either as prefixes or affixes, in topography generally indicate places belonging to the Saxons, who were so called from the seax, a kind of sword which they used in warfare; thus Sachsenberg, Sachsenburg, Sachsenheim, Sachsendorf, Sassetot, denote the dwellings of the Saxons; Saxony, in Germany (peopled by Saxons); Sussex, Essex, and Wessex (the south, east, and west districts of the Saxons), in England; Saxby (the Saxons’ town), in Lincoln; Saxlingham (the home of the descendants of the Saxons), in Norfolk; Sassenberg (the Saxons’ hill), in Westphalia.
SCALE, SKALI (Scand.),
SHEAL, SHEALING (Scotch),
a hut or shed; e.g. Scalby and Scaleby (hut town); Scalloway (the huts on the bay, vig), in Shetland; Galashiels (the huts on the R. Gala); Biggarshiels (the huts near the town of Biggar); Larbert, Co. Stirling, formerly Lairbert-scheills (the huts of a man named Lairbert); North and South Shields, originally a collection of fishermen’s huts; but as scald, in the Scandinavian language, means a bard—that word is likely to have formed an element in place-names. Scaldwell is probably the bard’s well; Skalholt, in Iceland, may be the bard’s hill.
SCAM (Old Ger.),
little; e.g. Schambach, Schamach (the little stream).
SCHANZE (Ger.),
a bulwark; e.g. Rheinschanze (the bulwark of the Rhine); Hochschanze (high bulwark).
SCHEIDE (Ger.),
a watershed, from scheiden, to divide; e.g. Lennscheide, Remschede, Nettenscheide (the watershed of the Rivers Lenn, Rems, and Nette); but this word sometimes means a place separated by an enclosure from the surrounding land, as in Scheidhof (the separated or enclosed court); Scheidlehen (the separated fief).
SCHENKE (Ger.),
a public-house; e.g. Schenholtz (the wood near the public-house); Shenklein (the little public-house); Shenkendorf (the inn village).
SCHEUNE (Ger.),
a shed or barn; e.g. Ziegelscheune (the brick barn); Kalkscheune (lime-shed); Scheunenstelle (the place of sheds).
SCHLAG (Ger.),
a wood clearing or field; e.g. Leopoldschlag (the field of Leopold); Grafenschlag (of the count); Pfaffenschlag (of the priest); Kirchsclag (of the church); Schlagenwald (the cleared wood); Schlagberg and Schlaghöck (the cleared hill and corner); Murzuschlag (the clearing on the R. Murz), in Styria.
SCHLANGE (Ger.),
a snake; e.g. Slagenhorst (snake thicket); Schlangenbad (snake bath).
SCHLEUSE (Ger.),
SLUYS (Dutch),
ECLUSE (Fr.),
a sluice; e.g. Rhinschleuse (the sluice of the Rhine); Sluys, in Holland; and Slooten, also a town in Holland, on a lake of the same name (from sloot, a ditch); Sluispolder (the reclaimed land at the sluice); Schlusseburg, in Russia (the fortress at the sluice), built on an island at the spot where the R. Neva issues from Lake Ladoga; Helvoetsluis (the sluice on the Haring-vliet, an arm of the R. Maas); Fort de l’Ecluse (the fortress of the sluice), in France.
SCHLOSS (Ger.),
a castle; e.g. Marienschloss (the castle of the Virgin Mary); Heidenschloss (the castle on the heath); Schlossmühle (castle mill); Schlosshof (the castle court).
SCHMAL (Ger.),
SMAA (Scand.),
little; e.g. Schmalkalden, anc. Schmalenaha (the town on the small stream); Smalley, with the same meaning; Smaalehlen (the small fief), in Norway; Smallburgh (little town); Schmallenberg (little hill); Smailholm (little hill), a parish in Roxburghshire.
SCHMEIDE (Ger.),
a smithy; e.g. Nagelschmeide (the nail smithy); Schmeidefeld and Schmeidsiedel (the field and site of the smithy); Schmeideberg (the hill of the smithy).
SCHWAIG (Old Ger.),
SCHWEIG,
a cattle-shed; e.g. Herrnschweige (the count’s cattle-shed); Brunswick, anc. Braunsweig (Bruno’s shed, or the town of Bruno).
SCHWAND (Ger.),
a wood clearing; e.g. Schwand or Schwandt, in Bavaria; Schwanden, in Switzerland; Schwandorf (the village at the wood clearing).
SCHWARZ (Ger.),
black; e.g. Schwarza, Schwarzach, Schwarzbach, Schwarzwasser (black stream); Schwarzburg (black fortress); Schwarzberg (black mountain); Schwarzwald (black wood); Schwarzkreutz (the black cross).
SCHWERE (Sclav.),
a wild beast; e.g. Schwerin and Schwerinlake, in Mecklenburg; and Schwersentz, in Posen (places infested by wild beasts).
SCIR (A.S.),
SCER,
clear, bright; e.g. Sherbourne (the clear stream); but this word is sometimes used instead of scyre, a division or shire, as in Sherwood (the wood where the shire meetings were held); Sherston (shire boundary stone); Shardlow and Shardhill (the boundary hill); Sharnford (the boundary ford); Sharrington (the town of the children of the shire or division).
SEANN (Gadhelic),
old; e.g. Shanmullagh (the old summit); Shandrum (the old ridge); Shangarry (the old garden); Shanbally and Shanvally (the old dwelling); Shanbo, Shanboe, and Shanbogh (the old hut), in Ireland; also Shankill (old church), and Shandon, Irish Seandun (old fort). There are several places in Ireland called Shannon from this word, but it is uncertain what is the origin of the R. Shannon, whose ancient name was Senos; Sanquhar, Gael. Seann-Cathair (the old fortress), in Dumfriesshire, named from an old castle near the town.
SEE (Ger.),
ZEE (Dutch),
a lake or sea; e.g. Ostsee and Oostzee (east lake); Zuyderzee (the Southern Sea); Zealand and Zeeland (land surrounded by the sea); Gransee (boundary or corner lake); Bodensee or Lake Constance, named from Bodami-Castrum, the castle of the legate of the Carlovingian kings on its shore, and latterly from a fortress erected by Constantine the Great; Dolgensee, Sclav. (the long lake); the Plattensee (the lake on the marsh, blatto); Unterseen (below the lakes); the Red Sea, the translation of the sea of Edom (the red).
SEIFEN (Ger.),
a place where metals are washed; e.g. Seifen and Seifendorf (towns where metals were washed); Seifengold (where gold is washed); Seifenzinn (where tin is washed); Seifenwerk (the hill of the metal washing).
SEILLE,
an affix in French and Belgian topography, signifying a wood or forest, derived from the Lat. saltus and sylva; e.g. Baseille (low wood); Haseille (high wood); Forseille (out of the wood); Senlis, Lat. Civitas Sylvanectensium (the town of the Sylvanectes, i.e. dwellers in the woods); Savigny and Souvigny, Lat. Sylvaniacum (in the woods); Selvigny, Souvigné, with the same meaning; La-silve-bénite (the blessed wood); Silve-réal (royal wood), etc., in France; Transylvania (the district beyond the woods)—its Hungarian name, Erdely-Orsag, means the woody country; Selwood, anc. Brit. Coit-mawr, Lat. Sylva-magna (the great wood), perhaps Selby, in Yorkshire.
SELENY, or ZIELENY (Sclav.),
green; e.g. Selinga (the green river); Zelendorf (green village); Zielonagora (green mountain); Zieleng-brod (green ford); Zielenzig and Szelenek (green place).
SELIG (Teut.),
holy; e.g. Seligenstadt, Seligenfeld, Seligenthal (the holy place, field, valley); Sellyoak (holy oak), perhaps Selby, in Yorkshire, if it is not from sylva, wood.
SET, SEATA (A.S.),
ZETEL (Dutch),
SITZ (Ger.),
SSEDLIO (Sclav.),
SUIDHE (Gadhelic),
a seat, settlement, or possession, cognate with the Lat. sedes; e.g. Dorset (the settlement of the Durotriges, i.e. dwellers by the water); Wiltshire, anc. Wilsaetan (the settlement on the R. Willy); Shropshire, anc. Scrobsaetan (the settlement among shrubs); Somerset, named from Somerton (the summer seat of the West Anglo-Saxon kings); Settle, in Yorkshire (the settlement); Sittingbourne, in Kent (the settlement on the brook). In the Lake District, colonised by Norsemen, this word often takes the form of side; e.g. Ormside, Ambleside, Kettleside, Silverside (the settlement of Ormr, Hamel, Ketyl, Soelvar), etc.; Pecsaeten (the settlement at the peak), in Derbyshire; Alsace, anc. Alsatia, i.e. the other settlement, with reference to the German settlements on the west bank of the Rhine, as distinguished from the Franks or Ripuari, on the east; Holstein, anc. Holtsatia (the settlement in the woods); Waldsassen (wood settlement); Winkelsass and Endzettel (the corner settlement); Neusass, Neusiedel, and Neusohl (the new settlement); Einsiedeln (the settlement of Eina), in Switzerland; Wolfsedal (of Wolfa); Soest or Söst, in Prussia, for Suth-satium (the southern seat). In Sclavonian names we have Sedlitz (the possession); Stary-Sedlo (the old possession); Sedlitz-gross (the great settlement); Sursee, in Switzerland (the seat or dwelling, Old Fr. Zi), on the R. Sur; Sion or Sitten, in Switzerland, Cel. Suidh-dunum (the seat on the hill-fort). In Ireland: Seagoe, Irish Suidhe-Gobha (St. Gobha’s seat); Seeoran (Oran’s seat); Seaghanbane (the white seat); Seaghandoo (the black seat); Shinrone, anc. Suidhe-an-roin (literally the seat of the seal, but figuratively of a certain hairy man); Hermosillo, in Mexico, Span. (beautiful seat).
SHAN (Chinese),
a mountain; e.g. Shan-tung (east of the mountain); Shan-se (west of the mountain); Thian-Shan (the celestial mountain).
SHAMAR (Pers.),
a river; e.g. Samer, Samara, Sambre, river names. The Samur, which flows into the Sea of Asoph.
SHAW (A.S.), sceaga,
SKEG (Scand.),
a wood or grove; e.g. the Shaws, in Cumberland and Lanarkshire; Birchenshaw (the birch grove); Pollokshaws (the woods near the village of Pollok); Bradshaw (broad wood); Shaugh-Prior (the prior’s wood); Shawbury (the town in the wood); Evershaw (the wood of the wild boar, eofer); Skegness (the headland of the wood).
SHEHR (Pers.),
CHERI (Tamil),
a dwelling; e.g. Begshehr (the dwelling of the beg or bey); Abou-shehr (the dwelling of Abou); Allah-shehr (God’s house); Eskshehr (old dwelling); Yenishehr (new dwelling); Anoopshehr (incomparable dwelling); Pondicherry, originally Pudicheri (new dwelling or town); Paraicherie (the village of Pariahs)—probably Shiraz and Shirvan belong to this root.
SIDH, SITH (Gadhelic),
a fairy or a fairy hill. The belief in these supernatural beings is still general among the Celtic races. It was believed that they resided in the interior of pleasant hills called sidhe or siodha. The word frequently takes the form of shee, as in the Shee Hills, in Co. Meath; Glenshee, in Perthshire; Mullaghshee (the fairy hillock); Sheetrim, i.e. Sidh-dhruim (the fairy ridge), the old name of the rock of Cashel; Killashee (the church near the fairy hill); Rashee (the fort of the fairies); also Shean, Sheann, Sheane, Shane, in Ireland.
SIERRA (Span.),
CERRO (Port.),
a mountain chain, having a serrated appearance, from the Lat. serra, a saw; or perhaps from the Ar. sehrah, an uncultivated tract of land, being the root of the desert of Sahara, in Africa; e.g. Sierra-de-fuentes (the mountain chain of the fountains); Sierra-de-los-vertientes (of the cascades); Sierra Leone (of the lion); Sierra-Calderona (the mountain chain with the cauldrons or craters); Sierra-de-las-Monas (of the apes); Sierra Morena (the dark mountain range); Sierra Nevada (the snowy); Sierra Estrella (the starry mountain range); Sierra-de-Culebra (of the snake); Sierra-de-gata (of agates); Esmeraldas-Serradas (the emerald mountains), in Brazil; Cerro-da-vigia (the mountain of observation); Cerro-de-la-Giganta (of the giantess); Cerro-largo (broad mountain); Cerro-gordo (fruitful mountain); Cerro-del-cobre (of the snake); but serra, in Italian, means a narrow place—as in Serra-capriola (the narrow place of the goats); and Serra-Monascesca (of the monks).
SKAER (Scand.),
SGOR and SGEIR (Gadhelic),
a sharp rock-allied to the Welsh skerid, cleft asunder, ysgariad; e.g. Skerid-fawn and Skerid-fach (the great and little skerid or division). Esgair is another word from the same root, applied to a long ridge; e.g. Esgair-hir (the long ridge); Esgair-graig (the rock ridge)—e.g. Scarcliff (the cliff of the sharp rock); Nashscaur (the promontory of the steep rock); Scarborough (the town on the rock or cliff); Scorton, with the same meaning, in Yorkshire; Scarnose and Scarness (the sharp cape); Skerryford, Skeerpoint, on the coast of Wales; Sheerness (the sharp headland), on the Thames; Scaranos, with the same meaning, on the coast of Sicily; Scarabines (the sharp points), in Caithness; Scuir (a sharp rock), on the island of Egg; Scordale, in Westmoreland, and Scordal, in Iceland (the valley of the steep rock); Scarsach (abounding in steep rocks), in Perth; Scarba (the island of the sharp rock), and Scarp, in the Hebrides; the Skerry and the Skerries, in the Shetlands, and on the coast of Ireland and Wales; Skerry-vore (the great rock), in the Hebrides.
SKAW, SKAGI (Scand.),
an isthmus or promontory; e.g. the Skaw or Skagen Cape, on the coast of Denmark; Skagerack or Skagen-rack (the strait near the promontory).
SKI, SK, SKIA,
an affix in Sclav. topography, signifying a town, often annexed to the name of the river near the town, or to the name of its founder; e.g. Tobolsk, Tomsk, Pinsk, Vitepsk, Volsk, Omsk, on the Rivers Tobol, Tom, Pina, Viteba, Volga, Om; Irkutsk, Berdiansk, Bielorietzk, Bobroninsk, Illginsk, Miask, Olekminsk, Okhotsk, Olensk, on the Rivers Irkut, Berda, Biela, Bobronia, Ilga, Miass, Olekma, Okhota, and Olenek; Bielozersk (the town on the white island); Jarensk (the town on the Jarenga or strong river); Kesilskaia (on the red river); Krasno-Ufimsk (the beautiful town of the R. Ufa); Petsk (silk town), in Turkey, where the mulberry-tree is extensively cultivated; Yakutsk (the town of the Yakuts, a Tartar tribe); Salskaia, on the R. Sal; Sviajsk (the town on the Sviga, holy river); Sviatskaia (the town of Sviatovid, a Sclav. deity); Dmitrovisk (the town of Demetrius, a Russian saint); Kupiansk and Kupiszki (the town on the promontory, kupa).
SKIP (Scand.),
SCHAEF (A.S.),
a sheep; e.g. Skipton, Skipwich, Schaefheim (sheep town); Shapfells (sheep hills); Sheppey (sheep island); Skipsia (sheep’s stream); Schaefmatt (sheep meadow); Shefford (sheep’s ford); Scaefstadt (sheep town).
SLIABH, SLIEVE, or SLIEU (Gadhelic),
a mountain or heath, akin to the Ger. sliet, a declivity; e.g. Slieve-Anieran (the iron mountain), so called from its mines; Slievesnaght (snowy mountains); Slieve-Bernagh (gapped mountain); Bricklive (speckled mountain); Beglieve (small mountain). In all these places in Ireland the original names have been corrupted: Sleaty (the mountains); Sleeven (the little hill); Slievenamon, i.e. Sliabh-na-mban-fion (the mountain of the fair women or fairies); Slievebloom (Bladh’s mountain); Slieve-beagh (birch-tree hill); Slieve-corragh (rugged hill); Slieveroe (the red hill); Sliabh-cuailgne, now the Cooley Mountains, in Ireland; Sleibhe-Cuillinn (the Coolin or Cuchullin Hills), in Skye; Slamannan (the sliabh or moor of the district formerly called Manan, parts of Stirling and Clackmannanshire).
SLOG (A.S.),
a slough or marshy place; e.g. Slough, Co. Bucks; Sloby, Slawston, Slaugham (the dwelling on the marshy ground).
SLUAGH (Gadhelic),
a multitude, a host; e.g. Ballinasloe (the ford-mouth of the hosts), in Co. Galway; Srahatloe, i.e. Srath-a’-tsluagh (the river holm of the hosts); Knockatloe and Tullintloy (the hill of the hosts), in Ireland.
SNAID, SNOED (Teut.),
a separated piece of land, from the Old Ger. sniden and Modern Ger. schneiden (to cut); e.g. Eckschnaid (the oak snaid); Hinterschnaid (behind the snaid); Snaith, in Yorkshire; Snead, Montgomery; Sneyd, Co. Stafford; Sneaton (the town on the snaid); Snodland and Snodlands (the separated lands); Snodhill (the hill on the snaid).
SOC (A.S.),
SOKE (Scand.),
a place privileged to hold local courts; e.g. Thorpe-le-Soke and Kirby-le-Soken (the village and church-town where the courts were wont to be held); Walsoken and Walton-le-Soken (the place near the wall, or perhaps the well, where the court was held); Sockbridge and Sockburn (the bridge and stream near the court station).
SOTO (Span.),
a grove; e.g. Soto, the name of several places in Spain; Sotilla (the little grove); Sotilla-de-las-Palomas (the little grove of the doves); Sotilla-de-la-ribera (the little grove of the river-bank).
SPINA (Lat.),
EPINE (Fr.),
a thorn; e.g. Epinac, Epinal, Epinay, in France; Espinosa, in Spain (the thorny place); Epinville (the thorny villa); Epineuil (the thorny fountain, œuil); Epinoy, Epineuse, etc., in France; Speen, in Co. Berks, anc. Spinæ (the thorny place).
SPITAL (Nor.-Fr.),
YSPYTTY (Cym.-Cel.),
SPIDEAL (Gadhelic),
an hospital or place of entertainment for strangers or invalids, from the Lat. hospitium; e.g. Spittal, in Caithness and Co. Pembroke; Spittle, in Cheshire and in Berwickshire; the Spital of Glenshee, in Perthshire; Dalna-Spidal (the field of the hospital); Spittalfields, in Middlesex; Yspytty-Rhew-Ystwith, on the R. Ystwith; Yspytty-Evan (Evan’s hospital), in Wales; Llanspithid, in Brecknock, which derived its name from an ancient Ysbytty hospitium that existed here, supported by the priory of Malvern. These names and many others in England and Scotland derived their names from hospitals attached to religious houses in the Middle Ages.
SPRING (Teut.),
SPRONG (Scand.),
a water-source; e.g. Springthorpe (the farm at the fountain); Adlerspring (the eagle’s fountain); Lippspring (at the source of the R. Lippe); Springe (at the source of the R. Haller); Magdespring (the maiden’s fountain).
SRATH (Gadhelic),
YSTRAD (Cym.-Cel.),
an extensive valley, Anglicised strath; e.g. Strathmore and Strathbeg (the great and little valleys); Strathavon, Strathblan, Strathbogie, Strathconan, Strathearn (the valleys of the Rivers Avon, Blane, Bogie, Conan, and Earn); Strathyre, corrupt. from Srathiar (the western valley, with reference to Strathearn, the eastern), in Perthshire; Strathclyde, Strathnaver, Strathspey, Strathallan, Strathpeffer, Strathbran, Strathgriffe (the valleys of the Rivers Clyde, Naver, Spey, Allan, Peffer, Bran, and Griffe); Strath Tary, in Sutherlandshire (the bull’s strath, tairebb); Strichen, in Aberdeenshire, corrupt. from Srath-Ugie (the valley of the R. Ugie); Strathdon, corrupt. from Srath-domhain (the valley of the deep river); Ystrad-Tywy (the valley of the R. Tywy), in Wales; Ystrad-yw (yew-tree valley or the valley of the brook Ywen); Yester, a parish in East Lothian, from Ystrad; Ystrad-fflur (the flowery valley), called by the Romans Strata-Florida; Ystrad-gwnlais (the valley of the trench, clais, through which a stream flows); Straiton, in Ayrshire (the town on the Strath); Traquhair (sheep valley).
SRON (Gadhelic),
TRWYN (Cym.-Cel.),
a nose, hence a promontory; e.g. Stronaba (the cow’s promontory); Stronaclacher (the stony promontory); Stronechrigen (the rocky point); Stronfearn (the point of the alders); Strondeas (the southern point); Strontian (the little promontory); Sorn, in Ayrshire, named from an ancient castle situated on a rocky headland; Troon (the promontory), on the Ayrshire coast; Sroan-keeragh (the sheep’s promontory); Shrone-beha (birch-tree promontory), in Ireland; Duntroon Castle (the fortress on the promontory), in Argyleshire; Turnberry Head, in Ayrshire, from trwyn; also Trwyn Point, in Ayrshire; Au-tron (on the point), in Cornwall; Trwyn-y-Badan (the promontory of the boats), in Wales.
SRUTH, SRUTHAIR (Gadhelic),
SROTA (Sansc.),
a river or flowing water; sru, Sansc., to flow—cognate with stroum, Teut., struja, Sclav.; e.g. Srue, Sruh, Shrough, Sroughan (the stream), in Ireland; also Abbeyshrule (the abbey on the stream); Bealnashrura (the ford-mouth of the stream); Sroolane, Srooleen, Sruffan, and Sruffaun (little stream); Killeenatruan, anc. Cillin-a-tsruthain (the little church of the stream); Anstruther in Fife, and Westruther in Berwickshire, probably from the same root; but Strowan, in Perthshire, is named for St. Rowan; Ardstraw, in Tyrone, is a corrupt. of Ard-sratha (the height near the bank of the stream).
STACKR (Scand.),
STUAIC (Gadhelic),
a projecting rock or point; e.g. the Stack Rocks and South Stack, on the coast of Wales; the Stags, on the Irish coast; Stack Island, Wales; and St. Bude’s Stack. In Ireland this word is generally Anglicised into stook; thus—the Stookans (the little rock pinnacles), near the entrance of the Giant’s Causeway; Stookan and Stookeen (the little rock).
STADT and STATT (Ger.),
STEDE, or STEAD (A.S.),
a place or town; gestade, a station for ships; stadel, a small town; staeth, a bank or shore; e.g. Carlstadt, TheresienStadt, Christianstadt (towns named after one of the German emperors, Charles, after the Empress Theresa, and after Christian IV. of Sweden); Darmstadt, Illstadt, Stadt-Steinach, Lippstadt (towns on the Rivers Darm, Ill, Steinach, and Lippe); Bleistadt (lead town), near lead mines; Brahestadt, in Russia (founded by Count Brahe); Elizabethstadt, Hung. Ebes-falva, named after the Empress Elizabeth; Frederickstadt (Frederick’s town), in Denmark and in Norway; Gerbstadt, in Saxony (the town of Gerbert); Glückstadt, Lat. Fanum-fortunæ (the fortunate town or the temple of fortune); Halbertstadt (the town of Albert); Heiligenstadt (holy town); Hermanstadt (the town of Herman, one of the Germans who colonised certain German cities in Transylvania in the twelfth century); Ingoldstadt, in Bavaria (the town of Ingold)—the name of this town was mistranslated by Latin and Greek authors into Auripolis and Chrysopolis (the golden city); Rudolstadt (the town of Rudolph); Grimstadt, in Norway, and Grimstead, in Co. Wilts (the town of Grim, a common Scandinavian name); Stade (the station), in Hanover; Scoppenstadt, in Brunswick, anc. Scipingestete (the ship station); Stadt-am-hop (the town at the court), in Bavaria; Tennstadt, anc. Dannenstedi (the station of the Danes), in Saxony; Kroppenstadt, the Germanised form of the Sclav. Grobenstadt (the count’s town); Reichstadt (rich town); Altstadt (old town); Elstead, in Sussex and in Surrey (the place of Ella, the Saxon); Stadhampton (the town at the home place), in Oxford; Thaxsted (the thatched place), in Essex; Boxstead (the place of beech-trees, or of the Bokings, a patronymic); Hampstead (the home place); Wanstead (Woden’s place); Armenianstadt, in Transylvania, colonised by Armenians in 1726; Staithes (the banks), in Cumberland; Stathern (the dwelling on the bank), Leicester; Halstead, A.S. Haelsted (a healthy place).
STAEF, STAUF (Teut.),
STAV (Scand.),
a stake or pole, also, in Germany, applied to a perpendicular rock; e.g. Stauffenberg (the mountain with pillar-like rocks), in Lower Hesse; Donaustauff (the steep rock on the Danube); Hohenstauffen (the high rocks), in Wurtemberg; Regenstauf (the rock on the R. Regen); Staufen (a fort situated on a rock), in Baden; Staffa (the island with the pillar-like rocks), off the coast of Argyleshire; Staffenloch (the lake of the pillars), in the Island of Skye.
STAL, STUHL (Teut.),
STELLE,
a stall, place, or seat; e.g. Hohenstellen (the high place); Herstal (the place of the army); Tunstall (the place on the hill, dun), in Co. Stafford.
STAN (A.S.),
STEIN (Ger.),
STEEN (Dutch),
a stone or rock, and in topography sometimes applied to a rock-fortress; e.g. Staunton, Steynton (the town on the stony ground); Stanton, in Gloucestershire, named from a remarkable stone in the neighbourhood); Fewstone (fire stone), in Yorkshire, said to have been named from a fire-circle near the place; Staines (the stones), in Middlesex, marking the jurisdiction of the mayor of London; Stantz (the stony place), in Switzerland; Steenbeke, Steenbegue, Steinbach (the stony brook); Stanley (stony field), in Yorkshire; Steenbirge, Steenbrugge, Steenhout, Steenkirche (the stony hill, bridge, wood, church), in Belgium; Steenvorde (stony ford); Stein-am-anger (the rock on the field); Steinitz (the German rendering of Sczenz, dog town), in Moravia; Offenstein (the fortress of Offa); Lahnstein (the fortress on the R. Lahn); Lauenstein (the lion’s fortress, with reference to some person who bore that sobriquet); Ehrenbreitstein (the broad stone of honour); Stennis (the headland of the stones), in Orkney; Hauenstein, in Baden (the hewn rock), so called because the precipices of the Jura in that locality resemble masonry; Ysselstein (the rock on the R. Yssel); Bleistein (lead rock), near lead mines, in Bavaria; Dachstein, in Alsace, anc. Dagoberti Saxum (the rock of Dagobert); Frankenstein (the rock of the Franks); Falkenstein (of the falcon or of the personal name Falk); Greiffenstein (of the vulture); Schaunstein (the beautiful rock or fortress); Neckar-Steinach (the stony place on the Neckar); Iselstein, on the Isel; Wetterstein, on the Wetter; Buxton, in Derbyshire, was named from the piles of stones called buck-stones, found in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire moors; Standish, in Gloucestershire, corrupt. from Stonehouse. In some cases the affix stone is used instead of town or ton, as in Maidstone, A.S. Medwegston, Cel. Caer-Medwig (the town on the R. Medway); Goodmanstone (the priest’s town), Dorsetshire; and in Cumberland and Westmoreland, where the Norsemen had settlements, this word often marks the site of the grave of one of their heroes, as in Haroldstone, Hubberstone, Thurston, Gamfrestone, Silverstone, Stanton, Drew (the Druid’s stone), in Somersetshire, near an ancient stone-circle; Kingston, in Surrey, where in the centre of the town is still shown the stone on which the A.S. kings were crowned.
STAN (Pers.),
STHANA (Sansc.),
a district or region; e.g. Hindostan (the district watered by the R. Indus, Pers. hindu—water); Affghanistan (the district of the Affghans, who are said to have taken their designation from a certain chief called Malik Afghāna); Rajpootana (the district of the Rajpoots or king’s sons); Kurdistan (of the Kurds); Beloochistan (of the Beluchis); Gurgistan or Georgia (the district watered by the R. Kur or Kyros); Kaffaristan or Kaffraria (of the unbelievers); Arabistan (of the Arabs); Bootan (the district of the Highlanders); Dushistan (the south region), also called Gurmsir (warm country); Gulistan (the district of roses); Baghistan (of gardens); Khorasan (the country of the sun); Zangistan or Zanguebar, Pers. and Ar. (the country or coast-lands of the Zangis)—v. BAHR.
STAPLE (Teut.),
literally a prop, support, or heap; but in the commerce of the Middle Ages it was applied, in the first place, to the buildings or towns in which the chief products of a district were treasured up or sold; and, in the second place, to the commodities themselves; e.g. Stapleton (the town of the market); Staplehurst and Stapleford (the wood and ford near the market-place); Dunstable (the market-place on the hill), formerly Dunstaple; Whitstable (white market-place); Barnstaple, anc. Berstable (the market-place for the produce of the district—beor, what it bears). In France: Etaples, L’étape, Staple, etc.
STARY (Sclav.),
old; e.g. Stargard, Starogard (the old fortress); Stary-sedlo, Storosele, Starosol (the old settlement); Starodub (the old oak-tree); Starwitz, Staria, Starinka, Stariza (old place); Starobielsk (the old town on the R. Biela); Staro-Constantinov (the old town of Constantine). In places where the population is chiefly German this word takes the form of stark, as in Starkenburg, Starkenhorst; Istarda or Starova (old town), in Turkey; Staroi-Oskol (the old town on the R. Oskol, in opposition to Novoi-Oskol, the new town on that river).
STEIG, STIG, STY (Teut. and Scand.),
a steep path; e.g. Stickney (the island or watery meadow by the steep path); Kirchsteg (the steep path to the church); Durnsteeg (thorny path); Stiegmühle (the mill on the steep path); Amsteg (at the steep path).
STEORT (A.S.),
STERZ (Old Ger.),
the tail—in topography a point; e.g. Startpoint, in Devonshire; Starston (the town on the point); Sterzhausen, Sterzmühle, Staartpolder—v. HAUS, MÜHLE, POLDER; Staartven (the marsh on the point).
STEPPES (Sclav.),
an uncultivated waste—a word applied to the extensive desert plains in Russia.
STER, or ESTER,
in Brittany, a stream; e.g. Ster-boueux (the muddy stream); Stercaer (the stream at the fort); Sterpoulder (of the black pool), etc. According to Forsteman, there is a Teutonic river-root, str, which he finds in the names of 100 German streams; e.g. Elster, Alster, Wilster, Gelster, Laster, and Ister—an ancient name of the Danube—Stour, Stura, etc.
STER (Scand.),
Old Norse setr (a station or place), contracted from stadr (a place); bu-stadr (a dwelling-place), contracted to bister or buster; e.g. Grunaster (green place); Keldabister (the place at the well or fountain); Kirkbuster (the dwelling at the church); Hesting-ster (the settlement of Hesting). The same word appears in the names given by the Danes to three of the provinces of Ireland—Ulster, for the Irish Uladh, i.e. Ulla-ster; Leinster, Irish Laighen or Layn; Munster, Irish Mumha (named after a king).
STOC, STOW (Teut.),
literally a stake or the trunk of a tree, applied at first to a place protected by a stockade, or surrounded by stocks or piles; and in German topography sometimes applied to hills, as in Hochstock (high hill); Stockheim (the home on the hill); sometimes to places built upon stakes, as in Stockholm. In Great Britain, standing alone, it means simply the place, as Stock, in Essex; Stow, a parish in Mid Lothian; Stoke-upon-Trent; Stow-in-the-Wold or waste land; Stoke-Bardolph, Stoke-Fleming, Stoke-Gabriel, Stoke-Poges, Stoke-Edith (named from the proprietors); Stow-market (the market-place); Stow-Upland (the place in the high lands); Kewstoke (at the quay); Elstow, in Wilts (old place); Elstow, in Bedford (St. Helen’s place), the site of a nunnery dedicated to that saint; Basingstoke (the place belonging to the Basings, a patronymic); Bridstow (St. Bridget’s place); Bristol, anc. Briegstow (the place at the breach or chasm, brice, through which the R. Avon passes)—its Celtic name was Nant-Avon (on the valley of the Avon); Padstow, in Cornwall, anc. Petrocstowe, Welsh Llan-petroc (the place or church of St. Petroc); Tavistock and Tawstock (places on the Rivers Tavy and Taw). As a prefix, stock often denotes the chief place in a district, as in Stockton (the chief town on the Tees), and in Stockport (the chief port on the Mersey).
STOLL (Ger.),
a mine-shaft; e.g. Stollenberg (the hill of the mine-shaft); Stollenschmeide (the smithy at the mine-shaft); but Stollenkirchen, i.e. Stallinchirchun, is from Stalla (a person’s name).
STOLPE (Sclav.),
a rising ground in a marshy place; e.g. Stolpe, the name of a circle and of several towns in Hungary and Pomerania; Stolpen, in Saxony.
STÖR (Scand.),
great; e.g. Störfiord (the great bay); Störhammer (great hill); Störoe (great island); Störaa (great river); Störsjon and Störsoen (great lake); Störa-kopparberg (the great copper mountain), in Sweden and Norway.
STRAD (A.S.),
STRASSE (Ger.),
STRŒDE (Scand.),
SRAID (Gadhelic),
YSTRAD (Cym.-Cel.),
a row, a street, a road, borrowed from the Lat. strata; e.g. Stratford (the ford near one of the great Roman roads, called streets); Stratford-le-Bow (the ford with the bow or bridge near the Roman road); Stratsett (the road station); Streatham and Stretton (the town on the road); Stratton, in Cornwall, and Stradbally, in Ireland (the village of one street); Straid, Strade (the street); Stradeen (little street), in Ireland; Strond, on the R. Strond; Strasbourg, in West Prussia (the town on the highway); but Strasbourg, in Alsace, anc. Stratiburg, is the German translation of its Latin name Argentoriatum (the town of silver—strati, Teut., silver); Stony Stratford (the stony ford on the great Roman road, called Erming Street); Watling Street is said to have been named from waedla (the mendicant or pilgrim); Icknield Street from the Iceni; Erming Street from earm (a pauper).
STRAZNA (Sclav.),
a watch-tower, akin to the A.S. streone; e.g. Straznitz, in Moravia (the town with the watch-tower).
STRELITZ (Sclav.),
a huntsman; e.g. Strelitz-klein and Strelitz-gross (the great and little town of the huntsman, or of the Strelitzi, the name given to the lifeguards), in Russia; Strelitzkaia and Strielinskaia, with the same meaning.
STROM, STROOM (Teut.),
a stream or current; e.g. the Maelstrom (mill stream, so called from its rushing sound); Rheinstrom (the Rhine current); Stroomsloot (the sluice of the current); Stroma, Stromoe, Stromsoe, Stromay (the island of the current); Stromen and Stromstadt (the place near the current); Stromen-Fiorden (the bay of the current); Stromberg (the town or hill on the stream); Stromness (the headland of the current).
SU (Turc.),
water; e.g. Ak-su (the white stream); Kara-su (the black stream); Adji-su (bitter water).
SUD, SUTH,
SODER, SOUDEN,
the south; Buttman traces this word to the sun, the oldest form of the word being sundar; e.g. Sonnenburg, Sonderhausen, Sundheim, Soudham, Southofen (the south dwelling or enclosure); Southdean (south hollow); Southwark, Dan. Sydvirche (the south fortress); Southover (south shore); Suffolk (the district of the south people, as distinguished from Norfolk); Sutton and Sodbury (south town); Sudborne (south stream); Suderoe (south island); Sudetic Mountains (the southern mountain chain); Sudereys (the southern islands), a name applied by the Norsemen to all the British islands under their rule south of the Orkneys and north of the Island of Man—hence the bishoprick of Sodor and Man; Sutherland (the land to the south of Caithness); Soderköping (the south market-town), in Sweden; Soest, in Prussia (on the Sosterbach); Sidlaw Hills (the south hills, in reference to their forming the south boundary of Strathmore).
SUMAR, SOMAR (Teut.),
summer; e.g. Somercotes, Somersall, Somerton (summer dwellings); Somerghem in Belgium, and Sommerberg in Bohemia, with the same meaning; but Somarsheim, in Hungary, is the German corrupt. of Szomorfalva (the village of sorrow); Szmarja or Szent-marfa (St. Mary’s town), Germanised into Sommarein.
SUND (Scand.),
a strait; e.g. the Sound, between Sweden and Zealand; Christiansund, at the mouth of a narrow inlet, founded by Christian IV.; Frederichsund, on a narrow inlet in Zealand; Ostersund (the eastern strait), in Sweden; Stralsund (the arrow-like strait—straele, an arrow).
SUNTARA (Teut.),
privileged land; e.g. Frankensundern (the privileged place of the Franks); Beversundern (the privileged place on the R. Bever); Sontra, in Hesse-Homburg (the privileged place); Sunderland (the privileged land), in Durham.
SZASZ (Hung.),
Saxon; e.g. Szasvaros, Ger. Sachsenstadt (the town or fortress of the Saxons), in Transylvania; Szasz-Sebes (the Saxon-Sebes or swift stream).
SZENT (Hung.),
SANT (Welsh),
a saint; e.g. Szenta, Szentes (the saints’ town or holy town); e.g. Szendro (St. Andrew’s town); Mindszent (the town of All Saints); Szent-kercsyt (the town of the holy cross); Santarem, in Portugal, from St. Irene, Santiago (for St. James); St. Denis, named after St. Dionysius, where the remains of this saint were interred; St. Heliers, in Jersey (for St. Hilarius); Szent-György (St. George’s town); St. Ives, in Cornwall, named after an Irish saint called Jia, who came to that spot; St. Ives, in Huntingdon, named after Ivon, a bishop.