Denel End
Early-attested site in the Parish of Flitwick
Historical Forms
- Dunhull(e) 13th Dunst 1276 Ass 1321 Ch 1331 QW
- Denhull 13th Dunst
Etymology
This would seem to be a compound of dun and hyll . At first sight the compound seems redundant, but there is a good deal to be said for interpreting dun as open country, down -land at times, rather than as hill, and if so the compound describes open hill-country. One might suggest the adj. dunn as the first element, but there is no evidence for the topographical use of that term. In the one charter in which we have dunnen cumb , dunnen dic it is certain that it is a pers. name for these are in Dunnestreatun (BCS 229), which survives as Donnington.
The phonology is not easy. There is good precedent for Dun - becoming Din - in p.n. (cf. PN NbDu 258 and Dinton (Bk), possibly also Dinton (W)), but less evidence for that Din - becoming Den -. There are, however, two examples in Buckinghamshire, Denham in Quainton and the 16th cent. forms Denton , Dennington for Dinton (PN Bk 93, 159), and one in Northants, Denshanger, 1227 Ass Duneshangre . It is difficult to say how far this change represents a definite phonological development or may, alternatively, be due to a tendency to replace an unfamiliar initial Din - by the more common Den -.