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.

La Lee Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Winterborne Whitchurch

Historical Forms

  • la Le 1244 Ass 1553 PlR
  • La Lee 1280 Winch 1288 Ass 1321 Winch
  • La Leye 1291 Tax
  • La Lea 1310 Inqaqd 1311 Pat
  • Lee 1317 MiltC
  • Laley 1560 Hutch3
  • Law Lee 1664 HTax 1688 PlR
  • Lalee 1774 Hutch1

Etymology

La Lee Fm (ST 833011) [ləˈliː], la Le 1244Ass (p), 1553PlR , La Lee 1280Winch , 1288Ass , 1321Winch et passim , La Leye 1291 Tax, La Lea 1310 Inq aqd, 1311 Pat, Lee 1317MiltC , Laley 1560 Hutch3, Law Lee 1664 HTax, 1688PlR , Lalee 1774 Hutch1, 'the clearing in a wood' or, since the name is probably of post-Conquest origin, 'the meadow', v. la , lēah , cf. Lee Wood infra which lies adjacent to the farm. The survival of the Fr def.art. la as an independent word, and the absence of alternation with Engl  the , are noteworthy, and suggest strong Fr influence (the manor was held by Milton abbey).