Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dondritona 1086 DB

• Dunterdune 1242 Fees786

• Duntertone 1242 Fees756 1244 Ass 1265 Misc 1284 FA

• Donterton 1291 Tax

• Duntretone 1301 Ass

• Dountretone 1319 Ass 1394 Exon

• Dunderton, Dunderdon 1434 Exon

• Tredyn 1304 Ass

• Trethyn 1314, 1321 Ass

Etymology

The OE  tun has here been added to an earlier Celtic name as in Breazle supra 174. The first syllable is the OBrit *duno - (W , Co  din ), 'fort, castle.' This is masculine, so in the consequent absence of lenition the second element must be a word beginning with t . Possibly this is Co  trev (W  tref ), 'homestead, village,' the final consonant being lost early, as in Cornish names generally.Duntref would be an ancient compound with the defining element first, corresponding to the late Cornish place-name Treen, Tredyn 1304Ass , Trethyn 1314, 1321Ass , with the elements in the reverse order. The din is the ancient castle here, which was probably once an important stronghold guarding the passage of the Tamar. OBrit duno -, should give Welsh and Cornish din , but the u forms seem to be preserved in some place-names, e.g. Dunchideock infra 495, Dunmeer and Dunveth (Co).