MAGH (Gadhelic),
MACH (Cym.-Cel.), a ridge,
a field or plain, corrupt. into Maw or Moy, Latinised magus; e.g. Magh-breagh (the beautiful plain), in Ireland, extending from the R. Liffey to the borders of Co. Louth; Moy and May (the plain), both in Ireland and in Scotland; Moidart (the high plain), in Inverness-shire; Mayo (the plain of yew-trees); Moynalty, Irish Magh-nealta (the plain of the flocks); Macosquin, in Londonderry, corrupt. from Magh-Cosgrain (the field of Cosgrain); Mallow, in Cork, Magh-Ealla (the plain of the R. Allo or Ealla, now the Blackwater); Moville and Movilla (the plain of the old tree, bile); Moycoba, for Magh-Coba (the plain of Coba); Machaire, a derivative from Magh, is found under the forms of Maghera and Maghery, thus—Magheracloone (the plain of the meadow); Magheraculmony (the plain at the back of the shrubbery); Maynooth (the plain of Nuadhat); Moira, corrupt. from Magh-rath (the plain of the forts), Co. Down; Moyarta (the plain of the grave, ferta). In Scotland we find Rothiemay, in Banff, corrupt. from Rath-na-magh (the castle of the plain); Monievaird, i.e. Magh-na-bhaird (the plain of the bards), in Perthshire; Machynlleth (the ridge on the slope), a town in Montgomeryshire, Wales. In its Latinised form this word is found in Marcomagus, now Margagen (the plain of the Marcomanni); Juliomagus and Cæsaromagus (of Julius and Cæsar); Noviomagus (the new plain); and again the same word became magen or megen among the Teutonic races, thus Noviomagus became Nimeguen; Nozon was anc. Noviomagus or Noviodunum; Riom, in France, anc. Ricomagus (rich plain); Maing or Meung, on the Loire, formerly Magus; Argenton, Argentomagus (silver field); Rouen, anc. Rothomagus (the fort on the plain). The ancient name of Worms was Bartomagus, which Buttman says means high field; its present name was corrupted from Vormatia; Mouzon, in France, was Mosomagus (the plain of the R. Meuse).
MAHA (Sansc.),
great; e.g. Mahabalipoor (the city of the great god Bali); Mahanuddy (the great river); Mahadea Mountains (the mountains of the great goddess); Maha-vila-ganga (the great sandy river); Mantote, in Ceylon, corrupt. from Maha-Totta (the great ferry).
MAHAL, MAL, or MOLD (Teut.),
the place of meeting; e.g. Mahlburg or Mailburg, in Lower Austria (the town of the place of meeting); Detmold, anc. Theotmalli (the people’s meeting-place); Wittmold (the meeting-place in the wood); Moldfelde (in the field); Malton (the town of the meeting), in Yorkshire; Maulden (the valley of the meeting), in Bedfordshire; Kirch-ditmold (the church at the meeting-place).
MALY, or MALKI (Sclav.),
little; e.g. Malinek, Malinkowo, Malenz, Malchow, Malkow, Malkowitz (little town); Maliverck (the little height).
MAN, or MAEN (Cym.-Cel.),
a place or district; Maenol or Mainor, Welsh (a possession), akin to the Lat. mansio and the Fr. maison. From this word maybe derived Maine, a province of France; Mans and Mantes, although more directly they may probably come from the Cenomanni, a people who formerly inhabited that district in France; Mantua, in Italy, and La Mancha, in Spain, may be placed under this head; also Manchester, anc. Mancunium, and Mancester, anc. Manduessedum; Menteith, in Perthshire, the district of the R. Teith. In the Welsh language the letter m is changed into f and pronounced v, and fan abridged to fa, thus—Brawdfa (the place of judgment); Eisteddfa (the sitting place); Gorphwzsfa (resting place); Morfa (the shore or sea place); Manaera (the place of slaughter), probably the site of a battle; Manclochog (the ringing-stone).[4]