Dan Dare-Place Names Society Entries

For your interest here are some entries from the "Place Name Society, Somerset Branch, extra-ordinary supplement for Raudicket Hundred and Trimborough, by Prof.Ashdene and Col.D.Dare" that I mention in Dan Dare in Somerset:-


Abbreviations:-

A.S. = Anglo-Saxon, O.N. = Old Norse, Tr. = Treen; DB = Domesday Book

RM = Raudicket Manuscripts: RML1 & RML2 = Hidage Lists 1 & 2, RMM = Map, RMPA = Aelfmasel poem, RMJ = St.John's Gospel etc. in Treen language and writing system, RMC = catechism and other Church matter in Treen language in A.S. alphabet. '~' = long vowel; 'þ' is the 'thorn' letter = 'th'.

Allert: 1323 Alerte, RM Alorta, aet Alortan: '-ta' must be Tr. "place of" as usual, but Col.Dare says there is no Tr. word 'alor' that makes sense here, and thinks that it is A.S. 'alor' = "alder tree" used by a Treen. A. is in a wet area by the R.Sloy, a suitable habitat for alders.

Askettlesby: DB Asketelsbi, RMM Xindauargin: A. O.N. 'A~sketilsby~r' "A~sketill's dwelling-place", probably a Viking settler rename for X. "stores", 'vargin' "2" (listing-ordinal).

Barlompston: DB Bernlawmeston, RMM Hablagkapudta þe is Beornlagamestun: A.S. "Beornlagam's enclosure". Not "Bartholomew's enclosure" as was sometimes supposed locally. H. is Tr. "fuel reprocessing place": 'hablag' "fuel", 'kapud-' "recover useful elements or materials from". B. is likely a native slang name or a post-occupation rename. 'Beorn' is A.S., 'lagam' is Tr.

Boarlet (farm S of Lont): 1423 Borlette, 1138 Borlatte, RMM BorlaÞta: Tr. 'Borlathta' "place of (a) nuclear reactor(s)", < 'borlath' "nuclear reactor". Not A.S 'Ba~r-gelae~t' "boar - artificial water channel" as was supposed before.

Callot (farm N of Raudicket): 1253 Callawte, RMM Calagta: Tr. 'Kalagta' "base-commander's office", < Tr. 'Kalag' "base or area commander". RML1 (written after the end of the Treen occupation of the area) says that the local people used the word 'calag' for their 'hundredgere~fa' "man in charge of a hundred".

Cubzet (farm near Barlompston): 1323 Cubsette, RMM Cubsaþta: Tr. 'Kubzathta' "place of Kubzath". Kubzath is an old Treen secret project mentioned in old records found near Mekonta on Venus: Col.Dare does not intend to describe its nature further here.

Deerham: DB Derham, RM Deorham: A.S. 'De~orha~m' "homestead where (wild) animals abounded".

Emmiston (farm on Sanget Hill): RMM Eadmistagestun: A.S. "E~admistag's enclosure". 'E~ad' is A.S. "fortunate", 'Mistag' is a Tr. proper name. This and other mixed-language personal names point to a likelihood of local Men using Treen-type names during and after the occupation.

Emsley (farm near Skalton): 1323 Ememeslegh, RMM Eadmaselesleah: A.S. "E~admasel's meadow". 'E~ad' is A.S., 'masel' is Tr.

Gerdight (a cloister in Sanget Abbey): usual pre-Reformation Church Latin Gerdicta, Gerdahicta. This could not be from A.S. or Latin. Col.Dare suggested Tr. *'gerdak khig-ta' "new hay place", "new stackyard", and said that the 'khig' (or similar) component could not sensibly be of Tr. origin but was likely taken on Earth from A.S. 'hi~eg' "hay" by a Treen-speaker, either Man or Treen. G. has a reinforced concrete base and, being part of a spaceship landing pad, could not easily have been used as a haystack yard during the occupation. This, and other evidence such as RMC and RMJ, points to persistence of the Treen language in common use among the people of the Sanget area well after the Treens had departed. G. was presumably part of a farmyard for a while until built over by the Abbey.

Langton: DB Langton, RM Langtun: A.S. "long enclosure".

Lont: 1347 ad Lawmettum, DB Lawmete, RM Lagamita: Tr. 'Lagamita' "place where blowtorches are used", < 'lagam' "oxy-gas blowtorch". Not < A.S. 'lagu-geme~te' "water-meeting" as was supposed previously.

Maslet: DB Maselete, RM Maselita: Tr. "place of using ray-guns", < 'masel' "raygun". A marginal note in RML1 reports an incident when Treens shot a troop of 34 thieves there.

Meckingborough (farm W of Lont): 1302 Mekingebalgh (writing bad, reading doubtful), RMM Mekonbalag: Tr. "area of land where ceremonies honouring the Mekon were held", < Tr. 'balag' "area of land set aside for a particular purpose". See Menksley.

Menksley (farm W of Raudicket): 1432 Meknesleg, RMM Meconesleah: A.S. "Mecon's meadow". Mecon could not be A.S. A meaning "meadowland held directly from the Mekon" (by analogy with such A.S. names as the common Cyningestu~n >; Kingston) is impossible given the nature of Treen local government; use of Mecon as a Man's nickname (or as a Treen word for e.g. A.S. 'cyning' "king") would be too risky to be likely until the occupation ended. Col.Dare pointed out that if the Mekon or any of his high staff were here they would use a building, not an open field, and that the meaning was likeliest "area of open land where ceremonies honouring the Mekon were held", like with Meckingborough; such ceremonies were routine among Treens whether the Mekon was present or not, and they would certainly make their native workers take part in them also. Compare also native A.S. heathen-religious placenames such as Thundersley in Essex < 'T~unresle~ah' "Thor's meadow" and Wednesbury west of Birmingham < 'Wo~dnesbeorg' "Woden's (Odin's) hill".

Mistfallow (farm on W slope of Sanget): 1302 Mistaupalghen (writing bad, reading doubtful), RMM Mistagpalgin: Tr. "Mistag's guardhouse". The -f- is from folk-etymology. This was probably the entry checkpoint to the Sangita zone; RMPA "the way to Sangita was free without guards and needs for permissions" may refer to Aelfmasel finding M. abandoned post-occupation.

Raudicket: 1254 Raldekette, DB Raldekete, RM incl. RMPA Raldicita, Raldikita: Tr. 'Raldikita' "repair shop", < 'raldik-' "repair".

Sandringham: 1323 Sondringeham, RM Sondaringaham: A.S. "the home of the people of Sondar". 'Sondar' is a Tr. personal name and cannot be A.S. (Not the same origin as Sandringham in Norfolk.)

Sanget: DB Sangete, RM incl. RMPA, and also later usual Church Latin, Sangita: Tr. 'Sangita' "landing place for spaceships". The reinforced concrete bases of the landing pads and work and storage buildings are still there, partly under the later Abbey ruins.

Skalton: DB Skalteton, RM Xaltetun: "Xalto's enclosure". 'tu~n' is A.S. 'Xalto' is Tr. "Rising Sun", probably a proper name. Not < O.N. 'skáli' "shed" as was supposed before.

Skelby: DB Skelebi, RMM Xelbin: Tr. 'xelbin' "inspection point", altered later by Viking settlers to an O.N. '-by~r' "- dwelling" form.

Skimming: 1323 & DB Skindeming, RM Xindamanga: Tr. "Stores #3", < 'xinda' "stores", 'manga' "3 (listing-ordinal)".

Sloy (river): 1323 ad flu. Slaweam, RMM Slawea: A.S. 'sla~w e~a' "slow river".

Trimborough (in Watchet hundred but included here as relevant): 1266 Trineburugh, RM aet Trinaburge, aet Cedricesporte þe nu is Triinaburh: A.S. 'Tri~na burh' "fort of the Treens". This is the only occurrence of the word "Treen" in local placenames. This meaning is supported by RML1 mentioning 'þara elmanna burh' "the aliens' fort" there. The remains of the fort (built of local stone) still exist. T. is a small fishing port and was so when RML1 was written; the base's Treens likely used it when they needed sea access; RML1 says that one Aeþelmae~r of Langtu~n had worked for the Treens as a diver, reaching the sea via T..

Vaudot (farm NE of Lont): 1432 Valdaute, RMM Ualdagta: Tr. 'Valdagta' "impulse-engine place", "place where impulse engines for spaceships were stored and/or serviced". Not from French as the modern farm restaurant name Les Vaux d'Hôte tries to imply.


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