Rotherfield
Major Settlement in the Parish of Rotherfield
Historical Forms
- Ridrefelda 788 BCS252 12th BCS259 790 12th
- æt Hryðeranfelda c.880 BCS553 c.1000
- Hryðerafeld c.1030 Thorpe
- Reredfelle 1086 DB
- Retheresfeld 1089 BM
- Rederesfeld, Retherfeld c.1105 RegRoff
Etymology
Further forms are without interest except to note that forms with genitival -es appear sporadically down to 1327. For the first syllable we have frequent and persistent e down till the middle of the 17th cent., o and u are fairly common in the 13th and 14th cents., and u is last found in 1673 MarL.
OE hrȳðera -feld , 'open land of the cattle.' The form in Alfred's will would seem to be a bad one, with a superfluous n .