Wass
Early-attested site in the Parish of Kilburn
Historical Forms
- Wasse 1541 Dugdv.355
Etymology
Zachrisson (Eng PN etc. 41 ff.) has suggested that this is OE wāse , 'mud,' but no such dialectal form of 'ooze' is on record. Wass lies where three streams meet, and has two fords, one to the north and the other to the west of the village, so the name is probably ME wathes , 'fords.' Cf. vað . For such a sound-development cf. Newlass 73supra and Smallways 292infra . For such a name cf. Ford (Sx) which in earlier days was always used in the plural.