Gents Mag 1857 part 2 p.316
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introduction, lists | ||
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list, 3rd qtr 19th century | ||
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Gentleman's Magazine 1857 part 2 p.316
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placenames
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Placenames in the
North
THE NORTHMEN IN ENGLAND. MR. URBAN, - We are indebted to you for a recent notice of Ferguson's interesting work on the Northmen in Cumberland and Westmoreland. As, however, the author has attributed or suggested a Scandinavian origin to many words which were undoubtedly Celtic or Anglo-Saxon, I was induced to submit a list of them to a distinguished foreign philologist, Dr. Leo of Halle, and he has come to the rescue; remarking generally, that unless Mr. Ferguson could give the names in question as they were written in the tenth century, the whole of his theory must be considered as conjectural, so great were the changes in the subsequent centuries. A knowledge of the primitive elements and the primitive sense of the words can alone give us certain data. The changes in names of places from the time of granting our Anglo-Saxon charters to the compilation of the Domesday Book were very considerable. I only trouble you with the more important instances, wishing to avoid debateable ground; but we must not give Helvellyn to the Northmen, - and the Irish will not readily surrender O' Connell. I am, &c. THE TRANSLATOR OF DR. LEO'S LITTLE WORK ON ANGLO-SAXON NAMES OF PLACES.Dresden, July 3, 1857. The name Konall, p.4, is not Scandinavian, but Celtic. The Scandinavians, who for a long period had great possessions in Ireland, the Isle of Man, and other Celtic Regions, received a quantity of Celtic elements into their language, especially proper names, - as Fian, Hamlett, (probably a corruption of Amhlaidh,) Konall, and many others. Mention is frequently made in the Scandinavian chronicles of the northern warriors bringing home Irish wives. "I am of opinion," (says Dr. Leo,) "that the artificial politeness of the Scandinavian poetry originated in the intercourse between the Scandinavians and the Irish, for the points in which the Scandinavian poetry differs from the poetry of other Teutonic races (Anglo-Saxons, Old Saxons, and Germans,) are peculiarities of the Irish poetry; for example, the artificial mingling of assonances with alliterations." Porting, p.31, seems to be Celtic, for in general all words in the Teutonic language beginning with P may be presumed not to be true Germanis or Teutonic words, but introduced from a foreign langauge. Caermot and Moutay, p.33, seem to be also Celtic. Mota in Irish signifies "a mount," "a mile-hill," (which well describes the place in question). Cot, p.46, is Celtic, and from the Celtic received into all the Teutonic lan- |
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The 'recent notice of Ferguson's interesting work' has
not been found in the two previous month's issues of the
Magazine.
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