The Penguin Dictionary Of British Place Names

From Abbas Combe to Zennor, this dictionary gives the meaning and origin of place names in the British Isles, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day.

A comprehensive A-Z guide to the meaning and history of 6000 place name from England, Scotland and Wales. Unlocking the meaning of a place namecan provide fasinating insights into the history and development of a community. A place name can tell us when a town was founded, who founded it what the surrounding countryside was like and even which animals lived there. This dictionary provides the key. Covering names of countries, regions, cities, towns, suburbs, villages and rivers. In each case it explains precisely the place names means, what language it is derived from (for example, Anglo-Saxon, Celtic) and when it was first recorded and provides a host of background details. The dictionary also explains the meaning and significance of comman elements in place names (for example, ham) and includes a number of maps.

This is the most authoritative and up-to-date dictionary of English place-names available in paperback. From Abbas Combe to Zennor, it gives the meaning and origin of over 12,000 place-names, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day. This second edition adds 300 new entries, expands existing ones, and holds a glossary and extensive bibliography.

An enlightening journey into the languages, meanings, and history behind the names on England’s map. The origins of the names of many English towns, hamlets, and villages date as far back as Saxon times, when kings like Alfred the Great established fortified borough towns to defend against the Danes. A number of settlements were established and named by French Normans following the Conquest. Many are even older and are derived from Roman place names. Some hark back to the Vikings who invaded and established settlements in the eighth and ninth centuries. Most began as simple descriptions of the location; some identified its founder, marked territorial limits, or gave tribal people a sense of their place in the grand scheme of things. Whatever their derivation, place names are inextricably bound up in history—and these are the stories behind them.

This dictionary presents a collection of not only the standard or "official" pronunciations but also of local, dialectal and archaic forms of over 12,000 different English counties, towns, villages and farms, as well as natural features such as rivers and mountains and even street - names of some major cities such as London, Leeds and Bristol.

The Oxford Names Companion provides all the information that you will need about place and personal names existing within the British Isles. Divided into three sections on Surnames, First Names, and British Place-Names, they showcase the knowledge and detailed information from leading experts in the names field: A Dictionary of Surnames explains the origin and meaning of nearly 70,000 surnames. It covers all the common surnames, and many other rare ones, in the English-speaking worldthat are of European derivation. Also giving information about the history and distribution of names where possible and having sourced advice from specialist consultants for particular areas, such as Jewish names and Celtic languages, this reference work is a systematic comparative survey of names that no other work can offer. A Dictionary of First Names is a comprehensive study of first names providing a collection of linguistic, historical, and associated information about some 7,000 names used within the British Isles. Names form part of an individual's cultural identity and say much about our or our family's origins, and this dictionary reflects the long history of cultural diversity within Britain. A Dictionary of British Place-Names contains place-names of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to form an impressive collection of around 15,000 British place-names, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day. The names are cited in their original spelling andlanguage, such as Celtic, Old English, Old Scandinavian, and the overall effect of this reference work is that it shows that place-names have an incredible capacity for survival.