Clovelly
Major Settlement in the Parish of Clovelly
Historical Forms
- Cloveleia 1086 DB(Exon)
- Clovelie
- Clovely 1242 Fees780 1275 RH 1281,1299 Ass 1361 Ipm
- Cloveli 1276 Ipm 1285 FA 1314 Exon
- Cloveley(e) 1281 Ass 1298 FF
- Colf Ely 1290 Ch
- Clofely 1296 Ipm 13th Deed
- Clofeli 1306 Ass
- Cloyfely 1371 Inqaqd
- Clouvely 1361 Ipm
- Clavellegh 1535 VE
- Clavelle 1577 Saxton
Etymology
This is a very difficult name. The persistent early spellings in -li , -ly , show that the second element can hardly be OE leah (cf. the spellings of Kelly infra 184), even if we assume that the present accentuation on the second syllable is not old. If the name is English it might be explained as a compound of OE cloh , 'ravine,' and the word discussed under Velly (infra 76) about four miles distant. If pre-English, the first element may, as suggested in IPN 28, be a British word corresponding to Welsh clawdd , 'ditch, pit, etc.,' the second element being either the Old British pers. name Beli found in Trevilley (Co), or, less likely, the Cornish melyn , 'mill,' which would leave the loss of the final n unexplained. In each case the first element would refer to the deep hollow or ravine in which the village of Clovelly lies. For the change of dd (= th ) to f Professor Max Förster would compare Cardiff (Wales), olim Caerdydd .