Weedon
Major Settlement in the Parish of Weedon
Historical Forms
- Weodune 1066 KCD824 12th
- Wedone 1220 Fees313 1262 Ass 1295 Ipm 1302 FA 1318 ADii 1328 Pat
- Weduna 1231 Bract 13th ADiv
- Wedon by Aylesbury 1328 Misc
- Weodone 1346 FA 1376 New
- Wedon-in-the-Vale 1363 AD iii, Cl
Etymology
This hill name is also found in Weedon (Nth), Weodun in BCS 792, 812. There is in OE a word wīg , wēoh meaning 'idol,' probably also 'temple,' found also in the compound wēofod , 'altar.' The root-idea in the word is 'sacred,' 'holy,' as in Goth. weihs , and Professor Ekwall suggests that these Weedons are hills with some ancient heathen religious associations. Cf. also Cusanweoh (BCS 72) and Willey (Sr), Weoleage (BCS 627).The corresponding ON vé , 'temple,' is fairly common in p.n. both simple and compound. The OS wīh is found in a few p.n. (v. Förstemann ON s.n.).