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.

Lympstone

Major Settlement in the Parish of Lympstone

Historical Forms

  • Leuestona 1086 DB
  • Leueston 1249 Ass 1285 FA
  • Lemineston 1219 Ass
  • Lymeneston 1254 Ass 1336 Cl
  • Limeneston(e) 1291 Tax 1336 Ipm 1377 SR
  • Limenyston(e) 1308,1347 Exon
  • Limenisston(e) 1388 Seld32
  • Leveneston 1238 Ass 1242 Fees764 1321 Ipm 1369 FF 1386 Ass 1397 Pat
  • Wodebury juxta Leveneston 1322 Ass
  • Levenyston(e) 1308–14 Exon 1356 Ass
  • Lewenestune 1268 Ipm
  • Luveneston(e) 1275 RH 1301 Misc 1308–14 Exon 1316 FA 1328 Exon 1334 SR
  • Limestone 1434 Exon
  • Leningston now called Limpston c.1630 Pole
  • Lympstone al. Lymson 1726 Recov

Etymology

This is a difficult name. Ekwall (RN 245), with fewer forms, suggested that it contained a British place-name parallel to the Gaulish Lemonum , but it is difficult to see how, if we start from a first element in Lem -, we can get all the later forms with Leu -, Lev -, Luv - side by side with Lem -, Lim -. If we start with an OE  Lēofwinestun , all the early forms except the second series given above can readily be explained. With regard to that series it may well be that OE  Lēofwinestun developed with nasal assimilation forms Lem (e )neston , Lim (e )neston (cf. the history of OE efn and hræfn becoming emn and hremn ). See also Limscott supra 134.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site