Leeds
Major Settlement in the Parish of Leeds
Historical Forms
- in regione (quae uocatur) Loidis c.730 Bedeii,14,iii,24
- in þæm londe þe Loidis hatte c.890 OEBede
- Loidis 12 HH
- Loidam 11 LifeofStCadroe(Skene)
- Leodes c.800 HB
- Ledes 1086 DB c.1090 Dugdiv 1403 YDiii 12 YChvi,viii 1109–40 Bodl4 1133–43 Pat Steph Kirkst 1464 YCh c.1154 HCY 1166–77 YCh 1177 P 1180–91 Kirkst 1190,1194 Abbr 13 FF 1205 Pat 1226 1232
- Ledes iuxta Kirkestall 1280 Ass3
- Ledes by Rothewell 1470 Pat
- Leddis 1090–1100,1100–8 YChvi
- Leddes 1109–14,1121–38,a.1129 Hy1 BM 1517 WillY 1528 TestLds
- Ledis, Ledys c.1175–85 YCh 1205 Kirkst 1312 Calv 1316 Vill 1548 PRRth
- Ledez 1441 DiocV
- Liedes 1181–9 BM 1191 P
- Leades 1597 SR
- Leedes 1240–50 Bodl18 1500 TestLds 1570 WillY 1597 SessnR
- Leeds 1518 Testv 1545 YDviii 1578 WillY 1641 Rates
- Leides, Leydes 1541,1549 TestLds 1546 FF 1554 MinAcct
Etymology
Leeds is clearly a pre-English name and various proposals have been made for its origin. Förster (ES lvi, 220 ff) has shown that Loidis represents the intermediate stage in the OE i -mutation of ō , and the later forms Ledes , Liedes (with AN -ie -representing a close -ē -) are normal developments of this. In tracing the name back, we can be certain that the PrOE form at the time of adoption was *lōdis - and this precludes Sir Ifor Williams's derivation from Welsh lloedd 'dirty' (Canu Aneirin , Cardiff 1938, 311), v. esp. Jackson 327–8; and it does not favour Förster's derivation from a Brit *lotissa , related to OIr loth 'bog, swamp', Lat lutum 'dirt, mire'. In fact, as K. Jackson points out in Antiquity xx, 209–10, the lotissa which Förster postulates from the Gaulish Lotusa should be lutissa , for Lotusa is a Vulgar Latin spelling of Lutōsa , the R. Loze; lutissa would have produced early OE Luidis , later Lydes . But whilst Ekwall's suggestion of a British root from IE *plōd - (cognate with ModE flood ) is possible phonologically, evidence for its use in the Celtic languages is wanting. On the other hand, Jackson's own suggestion (l.c.) is that Loidis , from PrOE *lōdis , goes back to Brit *Lāt -, Lādensēs (late Brit *Lōd -, *Lōdēses ); this was probably a folk-name, later a district-name, in -ensēs rather than a river-name in -issa , though the presumed base lāt - was used as a river-name meaning something like 'the boiling one' or 'the violent one' and survives in Welsh llawd , Ir láth 'heat (in animals)', possibly also 'ardour, passion'; *lāt - must have been a former name of the R. Aire.According to this theory Leeds originally meant 'folk dwelling on a river called Lāt -' and then 'the district occupied by this folk'; the district extended to Ledsham and Ledston (49, 50supra ); cf. also Elmet 1supra and Introd.
Places in the same Parish
Early-attested site
- Burmantofts
- Buslingthorpe
- Carlton Hill
- Coneyshaws
- Gallow Hill
- Ibsey Pits
- Knowsthorpe
- Mainridding
- Northall
- The Park
- Sheepscar
- Stender
- Timble or Temple Beck & Temple Bridge
- The Town, Townend
- Woodhouse
- Allerton Gledhow (obsolete)
- Coldcotes
- Gipton
- Gledhow
- Chapeltown
- Moor Allerton
- Bentley
- Leeds Wray
- Meanwood
- Bar Grange
- Burley
- Kepstorn
- Kirkstall
- Lindley
- Mickley
- Moor Grange
- New Grange
- Weetwood
Other OS name
- Applegarth(lost)
- The Bank
- Black Bank Fm
- Clay Pit
- Cross Green
- Delph Lane
- Hall Ing
- Hillhouse Bank(lost)
- The Holmes
- Long Causeway Lane
- Mill Green
- Monk Pits
- New Chapel
- Nippet Lane
- Sheepscar Beck
- Snake Lane
- Lower Tenters & Upper Tenters
- Westfield
- White Cross
- White Ho
- Woodhouse Carr
- Woodhouse Fields(lost)
- Woodhouse Moor
- Woodhouse Ridge
- Wreghorn Stile(lost)
- Bell Lane
- Bracken Hills Wood
- Broom Hill
- Gipton Beck & Gipton Wood
- Harehills
- Highfield
- Lorry Bank
- Miles Hill
- Newton Hall
- Oakley Ho
- Scholebrook
- Scott Hall
- Scott Wood Lane
- Spring Hill
- Tiplin Hall
- Wood Lane
- Alder Hill
- Allerton Grange
- Bracken Hill
- Broom Hill
- Camp Town
- Carr Manor
- Clough Ho
- Cow Pasture Fm
- Donisthorpe Ho
- East Moor Wood
- Halfpenny Lost
- The Hall
- Hawkhills
- Highfield
- Hill Top
- Kent Ho
- Leafield
- Lidgett Lane
- Lingfield Bank
- Moorfield Ho
- Park Hill
- Pepper Hall
- Quarries
- Rose Garth
- Sandhill Lane
- Scotland Wood
- Scott Hall
- Stain Beck
- Stonegate Fm
- Street Lane
- Tan House Well
- Tongue Lane
- Tunnel How Hill
- Westfield
- West Garth
- Whin Brook
- Abbey Ho
- Bardon Hill
- Batcliffe Wood
- Becketts Park
- Brookfield Ho
- Broomfields
- Burley Hill
- Burley Lane
- Butcher Hill
- Chapel Lane
- Church Wood
- Cowgill Wood
- Crooked Acres
- Fillingfir Thicks
- Fox Hill
- The Goit
- Hawksworth Wood
- Headingley Moor
- Hell Hole (Gill)
- Hollin Ho
- Iveson Ho
- Kirkstall Abbey
- Kirkstall Bridge
- Kirkstall Forge
- Lawns Hall, Lawnswood
- Monk Bridge Rd
- Moor Ho
- Morris Lane
- North Hill
- Old Oak Fm
- Oxley Hall
- Park Side Fm
- Rising Well
- Shaw Lane
- Shire Oak Rd
- South Field
- Spen Fm & Spen Lane
- Weetwood Hall
- Weetwood Lane
- White Hall
- Whitehouse Fm
- Woodmills(lost)
- Oatlands