Drigg
Major Settlement in the Parish of Drigg and Carleton
Historical Forms
- Dreg 1175–99 DuLa c.1180 StB 1363 Ipm
- Dreg in Coupland c.1290 StB
- Drege otherwise Dregge 1557 Netherhall
- Dregg(e) 1279 Ass 1514 BM
- le Dregg 1279 Ass
- Drigg 1572 FF
- Drigge al. Dregge 1579 ib
Etymology
In the first edition of DEPN, Ekwall suggested that this name represents an OScand *dregi , the dative case, with mutated vowel, of ON drag , 'portage.' The latter word may occur in dragg myre infra 393. In view of the situation of Drigg, it is not unreasonable to assume the existence of a portage between the sea and the river Irt at this point. In the Addenda to the second edition of DEPN, Ekwall quotes a Swedish place-name, Dräg, which apparently stands for a mutated nominative drægh , identical in meaning with drag , which would give a simple explanation of the Cumberland name. Derivation from ME dreg , 'filth,' though possible (cf. Adel (WRY) and Mixon (St)), is less likely, for at present no other example of this word has been found in place-names.