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.

East Portlemouth

Major Settlement in the Parish of East Portlemouth

Historical Forms

  • Porlamuta 1086 DB
  • Porlamue 1219 FF
  • Porlemue 1242 Fees777,786 1268–77 Exon
  • Portlemue 1268–77 Exon
  • Portlemwe 1291 Tax
  • Porlesmuth 1270 Ass
  • Portlesmuthe 1317 Exon
  • Portilmuth 1302 Cl
  • Porthelemuthe 1308 Exon
  • Portelemuwe 1319 Ipm
  • Portelemouth 1346 FA
  • Portelamouthe 1372 Exon
  • Portesmo(u)th(e) 1347 Cl 1368 IpmR
  • Porthlemouthe 1390 Exon
  • Portlemouth al. Pottlemouth 1708 Recov

Etymology

The second element is muþa. The first part of the name is difficult, but it may contain the Old British name of the Kingsbridge estuary, perhaps a compound of porth , 'harbour,' and the word found in Hayle, Helford (Co), which Ekwall (RN 192) shows to be a derivative with i -mutation of hal , 'salt.' The absence of spellings with a diphthong ai or ei might be due to the fact that the element occurs in an unstressed syllable. East and West Portlemouth (v. supra 308) are situated on either side of the narrow entrance to the wide Kingsbridge estuary, a large expanse consisting of numerous tidal creeks fed by small streams from the hills above.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name