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.

Gara Bridge

Early-attested site in the Parish of Diptford

Historical Forms

  • Garebridge c.1550 Leland
  • Gare 1333 SR

Etymology

Both alike must be connected with Dionis' de Gare (1333SR ), v. gara . This may have referred to the angle of land in the Avon valley here. The phonology is difficult. One would have expected ME  gore in 1333 in Devon.The a in the compounds Gara Bridge and Land might be due to early shortening of the vowel before it developed to o .