Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Blechesho(u) 1086 DB 13th ADii 1302 FA

• Blacheshou 1086 DB

• Blechisho 1195 P

• Blec(c)hesho Hyii ADC5124 1199,1206,1219 FF 1227 Ass 1242 Fees885 1247,1253 FF 13th ADii,vi 1302 FA

• Blettesho c.1230 WellsL 1280 Cl

• Blechenesho 1247 Ass

• Blethesho 1276 Ass 1303 KF

• Blekenesho 1276 Ass

• Blethenesho 1276 Ass 1360 Fine

• Bletnesho(o) 1276,1287 Ass 1290 Ipm 1316 FA 1330 Cl 1350,1352 Ipm 1355 BM 1360 Ipm 1390–2 CS 1483 IpmR c.1550 Linc

• Blettisho 1276 Ass

• Bletenysho 1276 Ass

• Bletesho 1287 Ass

• Bletthesho 13th ADvi

• Bletteneshoo 1368 Cl

• Bletsho 1376 Ch

• Bletneso 1509–10 LP

• Bletesoo 1526 LS

Etymology

This name was clearly Blæcceshoh (e ), 'the hoh of Blæcc ' in the first instance. This pers. name is the strong form corresponding to Blæcca . It does not occur independently, but is certainly related to the early medieval name Blac . It is also found sporadically in Bletchley (Bk) and is normal in medieval forms of Bletchingdon (O). The later development presents two difficulties, (i) the appearance of t , which has persisted, and (ii) the temporary development of forms with a medial n . In explanation of the former may be quoted Pitsea (Ess)DB Piceseia , Titsey (Sr)DB Ticesei , Whitsbury (W) 1157 Wicheberia , in all of which earlier c (pronounced as ch ) has become t before a following s (cf. Mawer in Modern Language Review , xiv. 342, and Zachrisson in Studier i Modern Språkvetenskap , viii. 126). In all these names the difficult and unfamiliar combination [tʃs] has given place to the simpler [ts]. For the intrusive n Mr Bruce Dickins suggests the existence of an alternative form Blæccan - hoh , with the weak form of the pers. name. Then by a natural confusion the s from the strong form of the pers. name was introduced into the one from the weak form, and we got the resulting Blechenesho (or Bletnesho when this is combined with the sound-change already noticed). The use of the weak form probably arose from the same cause as the development of the t , viz. the difficulty of the sound-combination involved in the use of the genitive of the strong form. The late appearance of forms in n seems to preclude what would otherwise be the simplest explanation of the name, namely that it represents an OE  Blæcneshoh , and contains a diminutive pers. name formed from Blæc by the addition of an n-suffix.