Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Halmerigg 1214–22 Whitby

• Scalmeryg 1305–22 ib

• Shalme rigge 1355–72 ib

Etymology

Ekwall (IPN 92) makes the interesting suggestion that this name exhibits a development in sound of the Scand dialect in England; he suggests that the first element is ON  Hjalm - and that Sh - was substituted for this. Though this form would explain the later development to Shalme -, the earliest form could hardly arise from it. It is more probably OE  healm 'straw, stubble'; the form Halme - is from the regular unfractured Anglian form halm ; the Shalme - form must have arisen from confusion with ON  hjalmr , 'helmet,' suggested by Professor Ekwall. On the change of Healm or hjalm to Shalme - v. Shipton 16supra and Addenda xlv.