Chipperfield
Early-attested site in the Parish of Kings Langley
Historical Forms
- Chepervillewode 1315 Pat
- Chiperfeld 1375 1413 Ct
- Chyperfeld 1382 ib
- Chipervillewode 1393 1394 Pat
- Chipperfeld 1556 AOMB
Etymology
Chipperfield is Chepervillewode 1315 Pat, Chiperfeld 1375 ib., 1413Ct , Chyperfeld 1382 ib., Chipervillewode 1393 ib., 1394 Pat, Chyperfelwode 1413, Cheperfeld 1437, Chepervilerowe 1437Ct , Chipperfeld 1556AOMB . There is a lost Cheppervyle street , Cheperfeld lane in Elstree (infra 74). These are difficult names because of the very early interchange between ville and feld .Examples of such an interchange have been noted under Turville and Spinfield (PN Bk 196, 189), but there ville replaces feld in the 19th century and feld replaces ville at a similarly late date.In the present case we must assume that the pronunciation of feld as veld led to early confusion with the common French suffix ville . A good parallel is Bamville infra 56 with velde in 1385 and vyle in 1487. Such confusion is made more likely by the fact that King's Langley is an ancient royal manor. With regard to the first element, Professor Bruce Dickins and Dr Ritter agree with us that it is probably the OE cēapere meaning a trader, and the whole name is to be interpreted as 'traders' open land,' i.e. where they met, v. feld . One might believe that the corruption was the other way round, but no trace can be found of any French place called Cheperville or Chiperville .