LL-L: "Place names" LOWLANDS-L, 11.APR.2000 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 11.APR.2000 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =======================================================================

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Place names

Dear Lowlanders,

Is there really a place called "Borstal" in Kent, England?  I cannot find it
on my maps.  According to etymological sources, an institution in Borstal,
Kent, is the basis of the generally used British English word 'borstal', which
seems to be the British equivalent of American English 'juvenile hall' (or
'juvy hall'), i.e., a correctional institution for juvenile offenders or
problem children.  Or is "Borstal" the name of the institution?

As some of you may know, there are people who seek to link place names on the
British Isles with place names in Northern Germany, the assumption being that
Saxon and Anglish immigrants to the British Isles named a good number of their
settlements and other places after those they had left behind on the European
continent.  An example of this is an attempt to link England's Buxsted with
Northern Germany's Buxtehude, which I read about a while ago.

If "Borstal" is indeed a place name in England, I wonder if it can be linked
with "Borstel," a frequently occurring place name in Northern Germany, namely
in Lower Saxony, Sleswig-Holsteen/Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt, and
also Low Saxon "Lütt Borstel/Bossel" and "Groot Borstel/Bossel" -- German
"Klein-Borstel" and "Groß Bostel" in Hamborg/Hamburg).

Does anyone have any idea about the etymology of "Borstal" and/or "Bostel"?

Thanks.

Reinhard/Ron

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =======================================================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =======================================================================