Wednesday, 26th March
Unflattering Cornish Place Names
It would be interesting to know who were the feudal landowners of these places. Presumably they did not themselves give such unflattering names to their farms. One can imagine the disgruntled farmers or their neighbours who had to deal with the less than ideal conditions.
Dung heap farm Trebilcock [Trebilcok 1380]
Dung farm Tregeagle [Tregagel 1241]
Muddy Lithiack [ Leydek 1394] OC
Gnat infested marsh Halabezack [Halwebesek 1338]
Ant infested Mornick [Morinicke 1601]
Wasp infested farm Tregiffian (St Buryan) [Tregguhion 1331]
Mouse infested farm Trelagossick [Trelogosek 1284]
Beetle infested farm Trewhella [Trewhyla 1357]
These are the words they contribute to our current vocabulary:
cagal (m) dung, filth
cawgh (m) dung, shit
gohy wasps > singular gohien (f)
hal (f) wet, boggy moor
leyj (m) river mud, slime
leyjek muddy
logos mice > singular logosen/logojen (f)
mòryon ants > mòryonen (f)
pil (m) pile, heap
tre (f) farm (expanded to farmstead, home, village, town)
whibes gnats, mosquitos > singular whibesen (f)
whibesek gnat infested, gnat infested area
whil (m) large beetle > pl. whiles
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