LL-L: "Place names" LOWLANDS-L, 31.JAN.2000 (04) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 31.JAN.2000 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Family Lindley [john at lindley-york.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Place names

I hope that someone may be able to offer enlightenment
on a matter of place names, specifically the suffix "-ton"
found in England and to a lesser extent in Scotland as
"-ton" or "-toun".   In the Domesday Book (1086) it occurs
usually as '-tun' and its original meaning appears to be linked
to Dutch 'tuin' and more distantly German 'Zaun'.

Historical geographers generally regard it as an indicator
suffix for areas of Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain,
originally signifying enclosure and later successively
'homestead', 'village' and 'town'.

What I find interesting is its apparent absence in mainland
Europe.  In the area where one would expect to find it (ie the
N. Netherlands and Northern Germany) the only parallel location
name appears to be Moortun in the Halbermond-Leezdorf locality
south east of Norden (Niedersachsen).  Apart from the rest of the
English speaking world to which it has ben exported, there exist
a few odd occurrences (assuming they have the same etymology):

a. Snaptun on the east coast of Jutland, Denmark.
b. A number of small settlements around Bergen in Norway
    (Haavardstun, ytre Midtun, Nesttun,O"vsttun, Midttun, Apeltun,
     Presttun and Litun)
c. The Pas-de-Calais departement in N.France (Connincthun,
    Offrethun, Landrethun-le-Nord, Frethun, Alincthun etc - it feels
    almost as though the Jutes and Anglo-Saxons gave the corner
    around Calais and Boulogne a 'dusting' as they headed for Kent).

I would be grateful if colleagues could (i) let me know of any other
occurrences in Niedersachsen/Schleswig-Holstein or neighbouring
areas and (ii) advise me of any work done on the French and Scandinavian
occurrences.

Regards

John Lindley
Wigginton
York (UK)

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