English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Middle Tongue

Early-attested site in the Parish of Threlkeld

Historical Forms

  • Scortemiddeltunge c.1260 Fountains

Etymology

So called from its shape. The final element is OE  tunge , 'tongue,' in the sense of a tongue-shaped hill or piece of land. Cf. Bleng Tongue in Gosforth infra 395. The other elements are 'short' and 'middle.'