KESSEL, KEZIL (Ger.),
KYTEL (A.S.),
literally a kettle, but in topography applied to a bowl-shaped valley surrounded by hills; e.g. Ketel, in Holstein; Kessel, in Belgium; Kessel-loo (the low-lying grove or swamp), in Belgium; Kesselt (the low-lying wood, holt), in Belgium; Kettle or King’s-kettle (the hollow), in the valley of the R. Eden, in Fife, formerly belonging to the crown; but such names as Kesselstadt, Kesselsham, Kettlesthorpe, and Kettleshulme are probably connected with the personal name Chetil or Kettle, being common names among the Teutons and Scandinavians.
KIR (Heb.),
KIRJATH,
a wall or stronghold, a city or town; e.g. Kir-Moab (the stronghold of Moab); Kiriathaim (the two cities); Kirjath-Arba (the city of Arba), now Hebron; Kirjath-Baal (of Baal); Kirjath-Huzoth (the city of villas); Kirjath-jearim (of forests); Kirjath-sannah (of palms), also called Kirjath-sepher (the city of the book). The Breton Ker (a dwelling) seems akin to this word, as in Kergneû (the house at the nut-trees), in Brittany.
KIRCHE (Ger. and Scand.),
CYRIC (A.S.),
KERK (Dutch),
a church. The usual derivation of this word is from kuriake, Grk. oikos-kuriou (the Lord’s house); e.g. Kirkham, Kerkom, Kirchdorf (church town); Kirchhof (church court); Kirchwerder (church island), on an island in the R. Elbe; Kirchditmold (the church at the people’s place of meeting)—v. DIOT. Fünfkirchen (the five churches), in Hungary; Kirchberg (church hill), in Saxony. Many parishes in Scotland have this affix to their names, as in Kirkbean (the church of St Bean); Kirkcaldy (the church of the Culdees, who formerly had a cell there); Kirkcolm (of St. Columba); Kirkconnel (of St. Connal); Kirkcowan, anc. Kirkuen (of St. Keuin); Kirkcudbright (of St. Cuthbert); Kirkden (the church in the hollow); Kirkhill (on the hill); Kirkhope (in the valley); Kirkinner (the church of St. Kinneir). In England: Kirkby-Lonsdale (the church town), in the valley of the Lune; Kirkby-Stephen (of St. Stephen, to whom the church was dedicated); Kirkdale, in Lancashire; Kirkham, also in Lancashire; Kirkliston (the church of the strong fort, founded by the Knights Templars), in Linlithgow; Kirkoswald, named after Oswald, King of Northumberland; Kirkurd, in Peeblesshire, Lat. Ecclesia de Orde (the church of Orde or Horda, a personal name); Kirkwall, Norse Kirk-ju-vagr (the church on the bay); Hobkirk (the church in the hope or valley); Ladykirk, in Berwickshire, dedicated to the Virgin Mary by James IV. on his army crossing the Tweed near the place; Falkirk, supposed to be the church on the Vallum or wall of Agricola, but more likely to be the A.S. rendering of its Gaelic name Eglais-bhrac (the spotted church), fah in A.S. being of divers colours; Stonykirk, in Wigtonshire, corrupt. from Steenie-kirk (St. Stephen’s church); Kirkmaden (of St. Medan); Carmichael for Kirk-Michael (of St. Michael); Bridekirk (of St. Bridget); Carluke for Kirkluke (of St. Luke); Selkirk, anc. Sella-chyrche-Regis (the seat of the king’s church, originally attached to a royal hunting-seat); Laurencekirk (the church of St. Laurence, Archbishop of Canterbury, called the Apostle of the Picts); Kirby-Kendal (the church in the valley of the Ken or Kent); Channelkirk, in Berwickshire, anc. Childer-kirk (the children’s church, having been dedicated to the Innocents).
KIS (Hung.),
little; e.g. Kis-sceg (little corner), in Transylvania; Kishissar (little fort).
KLAUSE, KLOSTER,
a place shut in, from the Lat. claudo, also a cloister; e.g. Klausen (the enclosed place), in Tyrol; Klausenburg (the enclosed fortress); Klausenthal (the enclosed valley); Kloster-Neuburg (the new town of the cloister); Chiusa, in Tuscany, anc. Clusium, and Clusa, in Saxony (the enclosed place), also La Chiusa, in Piedmont; but claus, as a prefix, may be Klaus, the German for Nicholas, and is sometimes attached to the names of churches dedicated to that saint.