ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2067 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2067 ************************************ From: "Brian M. Scott" 20 May 2000 Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You said that you were branch herald for a group that would like a name along the lines of . You noted that since wasn't borrowed from the French until the 14th century, it was a fairly unlikely English place-name element, but you suggested that an Old English word for the animal might have been used instead. You implied that the group was primarily interested in the meaning of the place-name, not its language or exact form. Although the earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary for the word is from the middle of the 14th century, the word actually entered English somewhat earlier: as it appears as a nickname as early as 1221. [1, 2] Nevertheless, it does not appear in the most comprehensive dictionary of English place-name elements, and we have found no other evidence that it was used in period English place-naming. [3] Two other words for 'squirrel' are found, however: Old English and the related Old Norse . [4] The first is found in the name of Aconbury in Herefordshire, which appears in 13th century records as 1213, 1218, 1244, and 1241. [5] The second appears in the names of two places in Lancashire (Ickenthwaite, Icornhurst) and two more in Yorkshire West Riding (Ickornshaw, Ickering Gill). [4] We were able to find period spellings for the Yorkshire place-names: was recorded as in 1279, and is in record as 1329 and . [6, 7] This last name is especially interesting, since its second element, , is an Old Norse word meaning 'ravine, deep narrow valley with a stream'. [8] The attested place-name might be translated 'squirrel ravine' and therefore comes very close to having the desired meaning. Both of the attested spellings, and , would be excellent historical re-creation; the pronunciation was probably something like \EE-korn-GIL\, with a 'hard' \G\ as in . Old English and and Old Norse all mean 'a hole, a hollow' and were all used in English place-names. Their usual topographical sense is 'a hollow, a valley, a depression', as in modern , recorded as in 1212 and 1216. [9, 10] Thus, is probably a reasonable 13th century form of an Old English place-name meaning 'squirrel hollow'; it would have been pronounced roughly \AH-korn-@-HOH-l@\, where \@\ stands for the schwa vowel spelled in and . Similarly, a synonymous Old Norse place-name might have become in the 13th century, pronounced roughly \EE-korn-HOH-l@\. It is not clear, however, exactly how plausible the place-names and really are. The element does occur in combination with animal names, but these are generally the names of animals with dens or burrows (e.g., badgers, foxes, and wolves), and in these compounds generally means 'a hole, a burrow'. [9] Since squirrels don't fit this pattern, it may be that the combination would have been avoided, some other word for 'valley' being used instead of . Thus, we can give and only a lukewarm recommendation. The usual Old English term for 'a valley' was ; it is found in numerous place-names, often modified with the name of an animal that frequented the valley. [11] For instance, Croydon (Cambridgeshire), recorded as in the late 12th century, was 'crow valley', and Shipden (Norfolk), recorded as in Domesday Book and as in 1252, was 'sheep valley'. [12] and are very likely 13th century forms of an Old English place-name meaning 'squirrel valley'; by the later Middle Ages they might have been pronounced \AH-korn-den\. In the Danelaw the usual word is Old Norse 'a valley, a dale'; not only was this used in original Scandinavian formations, it also frequently replaced Old English in existing place-names. [13] An Anglo-Scandinavian or , pronounced \EE-korn-@-dahl\ or \EE-korn-DAHL\, is also very plausible. To sum up, and , being attested, would be outstanding choices meaning 'squirrel ravine'. , , , and are plausible medieval English place-names whose original meaning is 'squirrel valley'. Any of these would be an excellent choice. and , meaning 'squirrel hollow' or 'squirrel hole', might be possible medieval forms, but since they require somewhat atypical use of , we cannot recommend them very strongly. Maridonna Benvenuti, Arval Benicoeur, and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn also contributed to this letter. We hope that it has been useful; if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to write again, even if we're on our summer break. For the Academy, Talan Gwynek 20 May 2000 ===== References and Notes: [1] The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973); s.v. . [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995); s.n. . [3] Smith, A.H. English Place-Name Elements, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1956). [4] Ibid. s.nn. , . Note that despite appearances, is not related to the modern English word . [5] Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, 4th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989); s.n. . [6] Ibid. s.n. . [7] Reaney & Wilson, op. cit., s.n. . Note that the place is lost and no longer exists. [8] Smith, op. cit., s.v. . [9] Ibid., s.v. . [10] Ekwall, op. cit., s.n. . [11] Smith, op. cit., s.v. . [12] Ekwall, op. cit., s.nn. , . [13] Smith, op. cit., s.vv. , .