Holdfast Hall
Major Settlement in the Parish of Holdfast
Historical Forms
- Holanfæstene (dat.), Holenfesten (dat.) 967 BCS1205 11th
- Holefæst 11th Heming
- (H)olefest 1086 DB 1221 Ass
- Holeuestre c.1086 EveA 1190
- Oleuest c.1086 EveB 1190
- Holevast 1182 RBB 18th
- Holefast 1299 RBB 18th
- Holfast 1315 FF 1328 Ch 1537 BM
- Holvestre 1471 IpmR
Etymology
'(At the) hollow stronghold' (v. holh , fæsten ), though the appropriateness of the description is not now apparent. The forms with r are interesting. It is clear that there was in OE a word fæstern , 'strong house' (v. ærn ) which gave rise to Vasterne (W) and which has influenced, if it does not itself actually form the first element in, such forms as fæstergeat , festergeweorc found side by side with the usual forms in fæsten . So common was the confusion that, quite illogically, we find fæstern actually used for the word fæsten , 'fasting,' both by itself in the derivative fæsternlic (BT s. n. n .) and in Scots Fastern 's E 'en for Shrove Tuesday. It may be that we have such confusion here. Buckfast (D) is Bucfæsten in KCD 1334, DBBucfestre , with later persistent r . This may be in part an AN spelling, but it is probably also due to a confusion similar to that just noted.