Wontley Fm
Early-attested site in the Parish of Southam & Brockhampton
Historical Forms
- to Antan hlawe 769–85 BCS246 11th
- to Honta hlaw 11 Heming
- Huntelawe, Untelowe 1299 RBB
- Huntelow 1327 SR
- Wonntelows 1565 Dep
- Wontlowe wood 1598 Comm
- Wontley als. Wentlowe 1627 Inq
- Woontley 1756 GR478
- Wentlowe woode 1584 Comm
- Huntly Farm 1830 M
Etymology
The OE spellings do not accord exactly with the identification of Wontley with Antan hlawe (infra ), though the sites seem to coincide.The most reliable form is Antan hlawe , which probably means 'Anta's mound' from an OE pers.n. Anta , Onta , a hypocoristic form of the rare OE Ontwini , v. hlāw . Some later spellings in Hunte - have been influenced by the common el. hunta 'hunter'; this would clearly be possible with the OE form Onta , which could become ME Unte - by a well-evidenced WMidl change of OE -an -, -on - to -un - in these phonetic conditions (cf. Phonol. § 6). The development of the Wont - form is dialectal (cf. Phonol. § 42a ) and Went - spelling is probably due to the palæographic confusion of e and o .