Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Tu(u)enc 1086 DB

• Tueng, Tweng(e) 12th Bridl 1170–85,1180–90 YCh 1069etpassimto1402 YI

• Twengge 1297 LS

• Thueng 1190–1210 LeonardR

• Thweng(e) 1246 Ass 1250 Ebor c.1269 RegAlb 1360 FF

• Thweng(e) super Waldam 1404 YI

• Twhynge 13th Healaugh

• Twyng(e), Twing(e) 1268 FF 1360 Ipm 1534 FF

• Twyng(e) upon the Walde 1582 FF

• Thwyng(e) 13th Healaugh 1352 Ipm 1516 FF

• Tweyng 1244 Ass

• Thweyng(e) 1540 MinAcct

• Thweyng(e) upon the Wold 1547 FF

• Thewyng 1448 Bridl 1481 Test

Etymology

Thwing is derived from OScand  þvengr or OE  þweng (þwænga , ðuuencgu , plur.), a Northumbrian i -mutated form of OE  þwang , þwong 'thong, strap,' which occurs in Upperthong and Netherthong (WRY), Thwnge 1274, Thoung 1275, 1307, Uuerthwong 1297, Overthwonges 1314 Wakefield Court Rolls, Tong 1252 Ch, etc.OE  þwang , þweng , OScand  þvengr are used of 'a narrow strip of hide or leather, a strap, cord, especially a shoe-lace,' but a topographical meaning is unknown outside place-names. The extension of the word to include something long and narrow like a strap is not a difficult assumption and we can point to a similar development in the case of strop (v. Reighton supra 107).Ritter (147) notes the German field-name Riemen 'a long narrow piece of a field' which is an extended use of German riemen 'strap, thong.' Upperthong and Netherthong are each on the end of long, narrow ridges, but there is no striking feature in the topography of Thwing to account for the name. It may therefore be simply 'strip of land,' and this is borne out by Scandinavian parallels. The element tving is found frequently in Danish place-names (DaSN(Sj) iii, 22, 121, etc.), and Dr Knudsen, who suggests that 'it must be a piece of land, rather restricted and perhaps fenced,' has noted it fifteen times as an uncompounded field-name and three times as a village-name in Denmark.