Buttercombe
Early-attested site in the Parish of West Down
Historical Forms
- Botercumbe 1286 Ass
- Botercombe 1345 Ass
Etymology
Compounds in Butter - are common in the county, v. 659infra .Elsewhere we have Butterdon (Co), id.1302Ass , Buttermere (PN W 45), Butterworth (PN La 55), Butterwick (Herts), Boturwyk , Boterwik c. 1430 AnnMon, Butterhill (O), Buterhil 1320 Ch, Boterferlang , Boterknolle 13th (Canonsleigh ) and buterw (y )elle KCD 813 (Ess). In Butterwick and Butterworth the name may refer simply to a farm which provided good butter, cf. Chiswick (Mx) from ciese. Its exact sense in other names is less certain. In some cases, e.g. when compounded with bearu , dun , cumb , leah , mor , it may refer to land which provided good pasturage. In Butterford infra 150 the meaning is less obvious.Perhaps here and in buterwyelle and in Buttermere the word may have had some reference to the appearance or colour of the water.