CLERE (Anglo-Norman),
a royal or episcopal residence, sometimes a manor; e.g. King’s-clere, Co. Hants, so called because the Saxon kings had a palace there; Burg-clere (where the bishops of Winchester resided), High-clere.
CLUAN, CLOON (Gadhelic),
a fertile piece of land, surrounded by a bog on one side and water on the other, hence a meadow; e.g. Clunie, Cluny, Clunes, Clones (the meadow pastures). These fertile pastures, as well as small islands, were the favourite spots chosen by the monks in Ireland and Scotland as places of retirement, and became eventually the sites of monasteries and abbeys, although at first the names of these meadows, in many instances, had no connection with a religious institution—thus Clones, Co. Monaghan, was Cluain-Eois (the meadow of Eos, probably a Pagan chief), before it became a Christian settlement; Clonard, in Meath, where the celebrated St. Finian had his school, in the sixth century, was Cluain-Eraird (Erard’s meadow). In some instances Clonard may mean the high meadow; Clonmel (the meadow of honey); Clonfert (of the grave); Clontarf and Clontarbh (the bull’s pasture); Clonbeg and Cloneen (little meadow); Clonkeen (beautiful meadow); Cluainte and Cloonty (the meadows); Cloonta-killen (the meadows of the wood)—v. Joyce’s Irish Names of Places.
CNOC (Gadhelic),
KNWC (Cym.-Cel.),
a knoll, hill, or mound; e.g. Knock, a hill in Banff; Knockbrack (the spotted knoll); Knockbane, Knockdoo, Knockglass (the white, black, and gray hill); Carnock (cairn hill); Knockea, Irish Cnoc-Aedha (Hugh’s hill); Knocklayd, Co. Antrim, i.e. Cnoc-leithid (broad hill); Knockan, Knockeen (little hill); Knockmoyle (bald hill); Knocknagaul (the hill of the strangers); Knockrath (of the fort); Knockshanbally (of the old town); Knocktaggart (of the priest); Knockatober (of the well); Knockalough (of the lake); Knockanure (of the yew); Knockaderry (of the oak-wood); Knockane (little hill), Co. Kerry; Knockandow (little black hill), Elgin; Knockreagh, Knockroe, Knockgorm (the gray, red, blue hill); Knockacullion (the hill of the holly); Knockranny (ferny hill); Knockagh (the hilly place); Knockfirinne (the hill of truth), a noted fairy hill, Co. Limerick, which serves as a weather-glass to the people of the neighbouring plains; Ballynock (the town of the hill); Baldernock (the dwelling at the Druid’s hill), Co. Stirling; Knwc-y Dinas (the hill of the fortress), in Cardigan.
COCH (Cym.-Cel.),
red
COED (Cym.-Cel.),
COID, this word was variously written Coit, Coat, or Cuitgoed. In Cornwall it is found in Penquite (the head of the wood); Pencoed, with the same meaning, in Wales; Argoed (upon the wood), in Wales; Goedmore (great wood), in Wales; Coed-llai (short wood); Glascoed (green wood), in Wales; Caldecot, corrupt. from Cil-y-coed (the woody retreat), in Wales; Coedglasen, corrupt. from Coed-gleision (green trees).]
a wood; e.g. Coed-Arthur (Arthur’s wood); Coedcymmer (the wood of the confluence); Catmoss and Chatmoss (the wood moss); Coitmore (great wood); Selwood, anc. Coitmaur (great wood); Catlow (wood hill); Cotswold (wood hill), the Saxon wold having been added to the Cel. coed. The forms of this word in Brittany are Koat or Koad—hence Coetbo, Coetmen, Coetmieux, etc.; Llwyd-goed (gray wood), in Wales.