Appendix Ii.

NORSE WORDS IN ORKNEY PLACE-NAMES.

The following is a list of the Norse words most commonly found in place-names in Orkney, with their meaning. The forms in which they now appear, as names or parts of names, are given in italic, except where the old form is preserved with little change.

1. LAND FEATURES.

=Ass=, ridge; -house. =Bjarg=, rocky hill; -berry, -ber. =Bratt=, steep; brett-. =Brekka=, slope; -breck. =Dal=, valley; -dale, -dall. =Fjall=, hill; -fell, -fea, -fiold. =Gil=, narrow glen; -gill. =Grjot=, gravel; grut-. =Hals=, neck, col; hass. =Hammar=, crag. =Haug=, mound; howe, hox-. =Hlith=, slope; -lee. =Hvāll=, =hōll=, hill; hol-, hool-. =Hvamm=, small valley, grassy slope; quholm. =Kamb=, ridge or crest; kame. =Knapp=, hilltop, knob. Kuml, burial mound; cumla-. =Leir=, clay; ler-. =Mel=, sandbank, sandy downs. =Mor=, pl. mos, moor; mous-, -mo. =Myri=, wet meadow; -mire. =Skal=, soft rock, shale; skel-. =Thufa=, mound; -too. =Varthi=, watch-tower; ward, wart. =Voll=, valley; vel-, -wall.

2. FRESH WATER.

=A=, =o=, =or=, burn. =Brun=, well; -burn. =Fors=, waterfall; furs-. =Kelda=, spring. =Oss=, burn-mouth; oyce. =Tjörn=, small lake; -shun. =Vatn=, water; watten.

3. SHORE FEATURES.

=Bakki=, banks; -back. =Barth=, projecting headland (edge of a hill, beak of a ship, etc.). =Berg=, mass of rock; -ber, -berry. =Bringa=, breast; bring. =Eith=, isthmus; aith, -ay, -a. =Ey=, island; -ey, -ay, -a. =Eyrr=, gravel beach; ayre. =Fles=, flat skerry; flashes. =Gnüp=, peak; noup. =Hella=, flat rock; -hellya. =Hellir=, cave; -hellya. =Hōlm=, small island. =Klett=, low rock; -clett. =Muli=, muzzle, lip; mout. =Nef=, növ, nose; nevi. =Nes=, nose; -ness. =Oddi=, sharp point; od. =Sker=, skerry. =Stakk=, pillar rock; stack. =Tangl=, tongue; -taing.

4. SEA FEATURES.

=Brim=, surf. =Efja=, backwater, eddy; evie. =Fjörth=, firth; firth, -ford. =Gja=, chasm, creek; geo. =Glup=, throat; gloup. =Hafn=, harbour; ham, hamn-. =Hōp=, shallow bay. =Straum=, tide-stream; strom-. =Vag=, narrow bay; voe, -wall. =Vath=, wading-place, ford; waith. =Vik=, bay; -wick.

5. FARMS AND HOUSES.

=Bolstadr=, dwelling; -buster, -bister, -bist. =Brū=, bridge; bro-. =Bu=, =bær=, farm; bu, -by. =Bygging=, building, from byggja, to settle, to build; -biggin. =Garth=, enclosure, dyke; -garth, -ger. =Grind=, gate. =Hagi=, enclosed pasture; hack-. =Hus=, house. =Krō=, sheepfold; -croo. =Kvī=, cattle pen; -quoy. =Rett=, sheepfold; -ret. =Sel=, “saeter” hut; selli-. =Setr=, =saetr=, out-pasture; seatter, -setter, -ster. =Skali=, hall, house; -skaill. =Skipti=, dividing, boundary; skippi-. =Stadr=, homestead; -ster, -sta. =Stofa=, room, house; stove. =Thopt=, plot, site of a house; -toft, -taft. =Tūn=, enclosure, hedge; -ton, -town.

6. MISCELLANEOUS.

=Djup=, deep; deep-, jub-. =Faer=, sheep; far-. =Flat=, flat; flot-. =Gra=, gray. =Graenn=, green. =Ha=, high; ho-. =Helgr=, holy; hellya. =Hest=, horse. =Hrafn=, raven; ram-, ramn-. =Hross=, horse; russ-. =Hund=, dog. =Hvit=, white; wheetha-. =Ling=, heather. =Mykill=, great; muckle. =Raud=, red; ro-. =Skalp=, ship; scap-. =Skip=, ship. =Svart=, black; swart-.