Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Slateborne 1086 DB

• Slaiteburn(a), Slayteburn(a) 1135–40,c.1160,c.1170 Pont 1229 Ebor 1251 Ch 1258 YI 1276 RH 1481 Cockers

• Slayteburn(a) in Boeland 12 Sawl7d

• Slaytebourn 13 ib

• Slaitburn(e), Slaytburn(e), Slaytborn 1285 KI 1328 Banco 1367 Kirkst 1531 Testiv

• Slaytborn in Bow(e)land 1392 Puds 1415 Pat

• Sleiteburn(a), Sleyteburn(a) 12 Pont 1428 FA

• Sleytebourne 1428 FA

• Sleteburn(a) 1124 Pont 1291 Tax

• Slatteburn 1155–8 YCh 1249 Ch

• Claxteburn 1316 Vill

• Sleittheburna c.1190 Pont

• Slaghteburne 1294 Ch

• Sclateburn 1303 KF 1355 ADiv 1538 Testvi

• Slateburn(e), Slateborne 1546 YChant 1594 Comm47 1638 BM

• Slaydeburn 1451 Pat

• Slaidburn(e), Slaydburn(e), Slaydborn 1500 Ipm 1538 Testvi 1594 FF

• Sladburne 1455 Pat 1500 Ipm 1603 PRGis

• Slaytbrok (14 Kirkst 352)

Etymology

Slaidburn was originally a stream-name and referred to the stream now called Croasdale Brook and in the fourteenth century Slaytbrok (14 Kirkst 352). The predominant medieval form of the first el. is Slaite -, Sleite - and this is best explained by an OE  slæget or sleget, which is the source of dial. slait 'a sheep pasture' and must also be the source of some YW p.ns. like In Sleets 122supra (which cannot on topographical grounds be derived from ON  slétta 'a level field'); the el. is fully discussed by Löfvenberg in Studier i mod. Språkvetens - kap xvii, 87–94. The spellings with Slate - are due to the ME  development of ai to ā (cf. Jordan § 132, Phonol. § 11) and confusion with ME s (c )late 'slate'. The later forms have Slade -, Slaid - with -t - assimilated to -d - by the following voiced -b -. 'Stream by the sheep-pasture', v. burna .