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.

Look Fm, Looke Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Puncknowle

Historical Forms

  • at Lonk 958 AbbotsC 1639
  • Luca 1199 CartAnt 1234 HarlCh 13 Ch 1234 1279 1279 ib
  • Luk' 1212 Fees 1269 Ilch 1275 AD 1291 Tax
  • Luk(e) 1327 SR 1350 Ilch
  • Louke 1336 Ch 1350 Ilch 1499 et freq
  • Lowke 1535 VE 1545 Hutch3
  • Looke 1647 SC 1683 Ilch
  • Higher Looke & Lower Looke 1774 Hutch3 1795 Boswell
  • Higher and Lower Look Farms 1787 DCMDeed
  • Hr Luke & Lr Luke 1811 OS
  • Look Fm 1845 TAMap

Etymology

Look Fm (1903 6″), Looke Fm (1″) (SY 548888), at Lonk (sic for Louk ) 958 (1639) AbbotsC, Luca 1199 CartAnt, 1234 (13) HarlCh , 1234 (1279) Ch, 1279 ib, Luk '1212 Fees, 1269Ilch , 1275AD (p), 1291 Tax, Luk (e )1327 SR (p), 1350Ilch , Louke 1336 Ch, 1350Ilch et freq to 1499ib , Lowke 1535 VE, 1545 Hutch3, Looke 1647 SC, 1683Ilch , Higher Looke & Lower Looke 1774 Hutch3, 1795 Boswell, Higher and Lower Look Farms 1787DCMDeed , Hr Luke & Lr Luke 1811 OS, Look Fm 1845TAMap .For this difficult name Tengstrand MN 102 suggests an OE  *lūce, “identical with certain words for 'shutter, hatch, trap-door' in cognate languages, such as MDu, MLG luke , Du luik , Norw luka ” and, like OE  loc (a ), possibly indicating a kind of enclosure. The same word may occur in Lukely Brook Wt 102 where the meaning may be 'barrier in a stream to form a pool, a mill-dam' (v. further MillsWt 69). Look Fm lies on a small tributary of R. Bride where it is crossed by a road from Litton Ch. (ford marked 6″). There is no record of a mill here but the reference may be to a pool or fishing enclosure formed in the stream.