How Place-names Began

by C.M. Matthews, Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

(From the pre-title page of the book)

Most of our place-names are very old, some of them dating back before Christ. They come from different origins - Old English, Norman, Latin, Norse - but every name once had a meaning. For example, in southern England, Chiswick meant a cheese or dairy farm, Keswick meant the same thing in the north; Bristol was the meeting place at the bridge, while the Mersey was the frontier river. Tracing the origins of our place-names helps us to recreate the past, providing a fascinating glimpse into the lives of men and women who lived hundreds of years ago. Most of the names covered here are of British origin, but the book does not confine itself to Great Britain; it also includes Canada, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa - and even the moon!

Mrs. Matthews was born in New Zealand, but now she lives in a Dorset village. She has written a number of books for both adults and children, including another Beaver paperback, How Surnames Began.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

173 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem, ostensibly aimed at children this book gives a fascinating and informative view of how place names in Britain came about. The main part deals with names, many of which date back to the ancient Brits and possibly even before them. They were all influenced by the landscape and then gradually had bits added on as the places became settlements and grew ever larger. Each wave of invaders added their bit and often we ended up with names meaning high high hill or dark black pond etc. There is a slightly less interesting part on the naming of places by colonialists. Having just attended a short course on Anglo Saxon/Old English language I found this little book with its interpretations of the names and the history most enjoyable.