Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Mortelake 1201 FF

Etymology

Mortlock's Fm is Mortelake 1201 FF. This name is clearly identical with Mortlake (PN Sr 26) with which Mortelake has been wrongly identified. The significance of the first element in the name is obscure. In PN D (52, s. n. Morthoe) the Mort - names are discussed, and it is clear that for some of these places any association with a stream is impossible. On the other hand it is difficult to believe that it is only a coincidence that such a rare element as this word mort (e ) and the not very common lake should thus twice be found compounded together, cf. also Murtwell (PN D 301). The EDD does record a word mort used apparently alike in Cumberland and in Sussex of a young salmon.In Cumberland it may be of Scandinavian origin, cf. Norw murt , 'small fish,' but if the Sussex usage is a genuine native one it would seem that a cognate mort must have existed in Old English itself, denoting some small fish. Such a sense would go well with lake , i.e. 'small stream.' If that is the right interpretation, the explanation of Mortlock's given in PN D 53 and of Mortlake given there and in PN Sr 26 must be withdrawn.