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.

Prewley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sourton

Historical Forms

  • Prinelegh (sic) 1380 Pat
  • Prynelegh (sic) 1439 IpmR
  • Preuelegh 1481 Ct

Etymology

Professor Ekwall suggests that the first element here may be the plant-name privet . The history of that word is obscure, but there is some evidence for earlier forms pryvet , prevet , which would explain the forms of the Devon name.v. NEDs. v. privet and leah .