Somerset Place Names |
West Coutry Brythonic was not only spoken in Devon, but also in adjoining counties,
so it should be possible to identify Celtic derived placenames in the counties
bordering Devon to the East. Somerset (certainly the western parts of Somerset) were once also part of the Celtic nation of Dumnonia, and is known in modern day Celtic as Gwlas an Haf. As described on the Devon placename page, the placename 'combe' or 'coombe' which is so common throughout Somerset, Devon and eastern Cornwall derives from the same Celtic root as the Welsh word 'cwm' or the Cornish 'cum'. However the Celtic association goes well beyond this one word. Here are a few Somerset placenames that demonstrate other Celtic origins. The following abbreviations have been used: (B) Brythonic and (D) Old Devonian. BREAN, from 'bre' (B) and '-an' (B), meaning 'small hill' ('-an' denotes the diminutive). BRENT KNOLL, from 'brinn' (B), meaning 'hill'. QUEEN CAMEL and WEST CAMEL, from 'cant' (B) and 'mel' (B), meaning 'district of the bare hill'. CHARD, from 'cerdin' (B), meaning 'rowans'. CHEDDON FITZPAINE and UPPER CHEDDON, from 'ced' (B) and 'din' (B), meaning 'wood of the hill fort'. There are a number of placenames incorporating 'crug' (B), meaning 'mound'. These are just a few. CHURCHILL, from 'crug' (B), meaning 'mound'. CREECHBARROW HILL (near Taunton), from 'crug' (B), meaning 'mound'. CREECH ST. MICHAEL, from 'crug' (B), meaning 'mound'. CREWKERNE, from 'crug' (B) and 'cern' (B), meaning 'mound side'. CRICKET MALHERBIE and CRICKET ST. THOMAS, from 'crug' (B), meaning 'mound'. DOULTING, from 'dolad' (B), meaning 'flood'. DUNBALL, from 'din' (B) and 'bal' (B), meaning 'hill fort peak'. DUNKERY BEACON, from 'din' (B) and 'kreik' (D), meaning 'hill fort of the crag' (although 'din an kref', meaning 'hill fort of the strong one' has also been suggested). EVERCREECH, from 'efor' (B) and 'crug' (B), meaning 'plant of the mound'. MENDIP HILLS, from 'mend' (D), meaning 'large hill'. MINEHEAD, from 'mend' (D), meaning 'large hill', or from 'min' (B), meaning 'edge'. NEMPNETT THRUBWELL, from 'nimed' (B), meaning 'sacred grove'. PEART (near Lullington), from 'pert' (B), meaning 'bush'. EAST PENNARD and WEST PENNARD, from 'penn' (B) and 'ard' (B), meaning 'end of the height'. PRIDDY, from 'prid' (B) and 'ti' (B), meaning 'earth house'. QUANTOCK HILLS, from 'cant' (B) and '-uc' (B), meaning 'rim' ('-uc' is a placename forming suffix). TARNOCK, from 'tarn' (B) and '-og' (B), meaning 'dryish' (referring to a dry place in the Axbridge marshes). WATCHET, from 'wo-' (B) and 'ced' (B), meaning 'under the wood'. WINCANTON, from 'winn' (B), meaning 'white'. As with the Devon placenames provided, the items above are only a sample, and we encourage you to learn more of the names in your own locality. return to homepage |