Muncaster
Major Settlement in the Parish of Muncaster
Historical Forms
- Mulcastre t.Hy1 Furness 1412 LP 1509
- Mulcastel 1292 Ass
- Mulkaster 1363 Ipm
- Molecastre 1185–1201 DuLa
- Molecastr' c.1200 LaCh
- Molecastre 1265 Cl 1278 Ass
- Mulecastr' 1210 Cur 1252 Cl 1279 Ass 1301 Ch
- Mulecastre 1246 LaAss
- Mullecaster 1278 Ass
- Mulncastre 1278 Ass
- Melecastre 1279 Ass
- Mulcastr' et non Moncastel, Monescastre, Monecastr' 1292 Ass
- Mulcastre vel Moncastre 1389 IpmR
- Munkaster 1397 DuLa
- Moncastre 1436 Fine
- Moncastre al. Mouncastere al. Mouncastell 1505 Pat
- Montcastre 1508 ib
- Monkcaster 1525 CWxiv
- Momaster 1576 S
- Monkastle 1675 Sandford
Etymology
The second element in this name is OAnglian cæster. As in Palmcaster supra 330, the first element seems to be a personal name.Formally, it may be OE Mūla , recorded in Mulantun (Moulton, Nf).But OE personal names are very rare in the place-names of this county, and it is much more probable that the first element of Muncaster is the ON by-name Múli , recorded in the north from the 10th century. The suggestion in DEPN that the first element may be the ON múli , 'crag,' is made unlikely by the absence of any trace of this word in the numerous hill-names of Cumberland. The change from Mul - to Mun - is probably due to the common French interchange of l-r to n-r , or to change of l-l to n-l , arising in forms in which OFr -castel has replaced the earlier -caster . A change of this kind would be natural in the name of an important feudal site. The forms Monescastre and Monecastr ' from the 13th century show that the change was not due to the influence of the word 'monk.'