Arngrove (Fm)
Early-attested site in the Parish of Boarstall
Historical Forms
- Armegrove 1348,1355 Cl
- Arrengrove 1766 J
Etymology
The evidence is too slender and late to admit of any certainty of interpretation. No OE pers. names in Earm - are known, though there is a rare OHG name Armo (v. Förstemann PN 146). More probably we ought to take Arme - as from an earlier Erme -, with the common development of er to ar . This would bring the first element into comparison with that in Armley (Y), DBErmelai , and Armston (Nth), DBMermeston , Nth Surv. Armeston , FA Ermeston . These all point to the existence of an OE pers. name Eorma used as a short form for the names in Eormen -. Such a pet-form is found in OHG in Ermo and the patronymic Erming (Förstemann ib. 470–1). The modern form may have been influenced by that of Arncot (O), little more than two miles away. Professor Ekwall suggests however that the true OE form may be earna-graf , 'eagles' grove,' and that the change from n to m in the ME forms is due to distant assimilation of n to f .