Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cernel 987 KCD656(S1217,Finberg613) 13 SherC(S1422) 1012 12

• Abbatia de Cernel, Terra Sancti Petri de Cernel 1086 DB 12 SD 1154–89 Ch 1330 FF 1204–5 Pap 1300

• Ecclesia Sancti Petri Cerneliens' ten' Cerneli 1086 DB

• Cernelium 1086 Exon

• Cernel' e12 Cerne 14 Weld2 1255 Pat 1260 RH 1275 Cerne 1311 14

• Ceirnel 1129 CartAnt

• Cirnel 1190 Ch 1332

• carta abbatis et monachorum de Cernolio 1207 CartAnt

• ecclesia de Cernolio 1288 Ass

• Abbatem de Cernelio 1249 Cerne 14 Cl 1312 Pat 1324 Glast 1338–40 Pat 1360

• conuentus Cernelien' 1249 Cerne 14

• ecclesia de Cernol' 1288 Ass

• Abbate de Cernellis 14 LodersC

• Cerenel' 1308 Ipm

• de Infirmaria Cernelii 1311 Cerne 14

• Cernell 1312 Pat

• Cern' e12 Cerne 14 CartAnt 1175 Cl 1231,1234 1273 et freq

• Cerne 1175 CartAnt 1194 P 1196 ChancR 1198,1199 P 1201 1203,1204 P 1204–5 FF 1208–1214 P 1212 Fees 1217 Pat 1219 Pap 1220 Pat 1227 FF 1230 P 1232 Pat JasI TRMB

• Cern 1204–5 FF 1231 Pat 1291 Tax

• Cerna 1241 FF

• Ceern' 14 Winch 16

• Cernes 1221 Cur 1288 Ass

• Moneke(s)cerne, Monecherne (sic) 1280 Ass

• Cern(e) Abbatis 1288 Ass 1291 Tax 1332 SR 1428 FA

• Cerne Abbotes c.1600 Rent

• Cerne Monachorum 1309 Drew 1318 Pat

• Broad Cerne 1669 Batten

• Cerne-Abbas 1774 Hutch1

• Sernes 1265 Misc

• Serne 1316,1338,1360 Cl c.1370 Hutch3 1379 Pat 1396 IpmR 1397 Cl

• Serne Abbas 1447 Pat 1461 Cl 1492 Pat 1504 Ipm

• Seerne 1439 Cl

• Serone 1539 AOMB

• Cerene 1296 Pat

• Ceren, alias Cernele 1535–43 Leland

• Grene (sic) 1346 FA

• Caern' 1354 AddCh

• Carne 1468 Pat

• Cearne 1648 Hutch3

Etymology

One of the four Do pars. named from R. Cerne, v. RNs.infra , cf. Nether Cerne par. infra , Up Cerne par. 3 321–2, and Charminster par. 1 338–9, cf. medietatem decimarum …de Cernel item de alio Cernel et de tercio Cernel 1100–22 (1270) Ch. The r.n. is Celtic and identical in origin with R. Char, from PrWelsh  *carn 'cairn, heap of stones', so that the meaning was probably 'the rocky or stony stream'. The pronunciation with [s] instead of the expected [tʃ] (assuming *carn > OE  *cearn > *cēarn) in this name and the r.n. has been explained as due to AN influence (Zachrisson ANInfl 18, 30, IPN 101–2), but note that [tʃ] occurs in Charminster (as well as in Char and Charmouth).

The alternative early form in -el probably contains the PrWelsh adjectival suffix *-iol (Corn *-(y)el), cf. Padel CoPNE 1138–9, Coates & Breeze CVEP 352. It will be noted that the two earliest Cernel spellings occur in later (ME) copies. The late-Latinized forms Cerneli (um ) and (adjectival) Cerneliensis are found as early as 1086 DB and Exon alongside Cernel .

The affixes Moneke (s )- ('of the monks', v. munuc ), ~ Abbatis ('of the abbot', gen.sg. abbatis of Lat  abbas 'an abbot'), ~ Abbottes , and ~ Monachorum ('of the monks', gen.pl. of Lat  monachus 'a monk') all refer to the former Abbey here, which also possessed the manor in early times, v. CerneAbbey infra . The isolated affix Broad ~, like the others, distinguishes this par. from Nether and Up Cerne.

The name was subject to popular etymology at an early date. For a full and interesting account of what is referred to as 'the absurd etymology of the monks', v. Hutch3 418: according to William of Malmesbury and other early chroniclers, St Augustine is reputed to have given the place 'the name of Cernel , compounded of a Hebrew word Hel or El, God, and the Latin Cerno, I see. The conversion of the people followed; and when water was wanting to baptize them, a spring broke out at his command'. Hence the name of St Austin's Well infra .