Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Osemire, Osemyre 1278 Lowth 1279 Lanc

• Ewes mire als. Ults mire 1650 ParlSurv

• Eusemere 1802 DW

• Ouzemire, Ousemire 1787 ClarkeM

• -hill 1859 OS

Etymology

The earliest Ose - spellings and the later Ewes - show that the first el. is ME  ōs (e )- (cf. Phonol. §15), but its origin is uncertain; it could be OE  ōsle 'blackbird' with loss of -le - which sometimes occurs in p.ns. from OE  hæsel 'hazel', etc. (cf. YW vii, 94 § 55). But it could, on topographical grounds, be better derived from ON  óss or ósi 'river-mouth, outlet of a lake', which occurs in Scand p.ns. like Dan  Aarhus , Swed Vesterås , or Norw  Oseland (NG x, 215), Ose (ib xi, 476), etc. (cf. NGIndl 69). Dr Hovda notes an exact parallel in Norw  Osmyr in Rogaland. 'Marsh at the outlet of a lake' (here Ullswater), v. mýrr .