Lackenby
Early-attested site in the Parish of Ormesby
Historical Forms
- Lachenebi, Lachebi 1086 DB
- Lacnebi, Lacneby 12 Dodsxcv.36 1308 NRS
- Lagenebi 1181 P
- Lackenbi, Lackenby 12 Guis 1202 FF
- Lackeneby, Lackebi 1208 FF
- Lacceneby 1218–33 BM
- Lachaneby 1231 Ass
- Lakenebi 1297 YI
- Lakkingby 1285 KI
- Lakenby, Lacenby 1310 Ch 1367 FF 1406 YI 1463 YD
Etymology
v. by . The first element is probably a pers. name; there was an ON by-name Læknir (LindBN) which may have had a weak form Lækni , but from the persistence of -ene and -ane endings in the first element this etymology is extremely doubtful and a more likely derivation is the OIr pers. name Lochan (cf. Revue Celtique , xliv. 49). This pers. name is a diminutive in -an (gen. -ain ) of OIr loch 'black' (cf. Welsh lluig 'livid').The appearance of the OIr vowel o as a in the place-name is not unparalleled and is probably due to the influence of Scandinavians who introduced the name: the OIr pers. name Colmán , for example, appears as ON Kalman , Combán as Kamban ; the place-name Stainpapan (YWR) appears to be derived from a diminutive pers. name *Popan from OIr popa 'teacher' (loc. cit. 50, and Ekwall, Scands. and Celts , 47). There is, therefore, sufficient evidence to account for the OIr Lochan appearing as Lachan in Scandinavian Yorkshire. Normally in Ir pers. names introduced by the Norwegians into Yorkshire place-names no trace of the OIr gen. -ain is preserved, but Ekwall (op. cit. 54, note) cites one or two examples which might well be from this form. The early forms of Lackenby with -ene should probably, therefore, be regarded as survivals of the OIr gen. ending -ain .