More Bits of Late Cornish 21 (place names 6)

Place Names 6

The number of places in Cornwall that have “Castle” in their name gives the impression of a heavily fortified county, although maybe it was “Every man’s home is his castle!” Add to that various forts and hill forts (some names incorporate both castle and fort). At the other end of the scale are place names beginning with the prefix bos or bo (older bod or bad) which simply means “home or dwelling of” (though not all names starting with Bo include this prefix).

Carvossa (Carwosa 1480)	(poss.) fort of blood-letting
Berry Down (Berydon 1516)	fort hill
Dennis Hill (Dynas 1356)	fort
Dennis Head (Dinas 1610)	fort
Pendeen Watch	fort headland
Pendennis Point	fort headland
Pordenack Point (Poynt Pendenack 1580)	fortified headland
Castle an Dinas nr. St Columb Major (Dynas 1345)	fort
Castle an Dinas nr. Ludgvan (Castel Andinas 1584)	the hill-fort castle
Castle Dor	earth castle
Castle Goff	smith’s castle
Castle Gotha	castle of geese
Castle Killibury (Killiburgh 1215)	grove castle
Tintagel[1] Castle (Durocornovio c.700)	fortress of the Cornish
Boscastle (Castelboterel 1334)	castle of the Boterel family
Bodinnick nr .Fowey (Bosdynek 1396)	fortified dwelling
Bodmin (Botmenei C9, Bosvena C18)	monks’ home, churchland dwelling
Bodulgate (Bodulgoyd[2] 1286)	high wood dwelling
Borah (Boswragh 1302)	hag’s dwelling
Borthog (Bosworthogo 1330)	dwelling at a cave
Boscarne	dwelling by a tor
Bodwen nr. Lanlivery (Boswyn 1296)	fair dwelling
Bosence nr. St Hilary (Bos wyns 1330)	windy dwelling
Boscawen	elder-tree dwelling

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[1]  Tin derives from Din

[2]  from Old Cornish cuit wood with hard ending