Lymage (Fm)
Early-attested site in the Parish of Great Staughton
Historical Forms
- Limminges, Lymmynges 1209 For 1237 Cl
- Lymmynge, Limmynge 1241 FF 1279 RH 1302 Ch
- Limmig' 1242 P
- Limming' 1255 For
- Liminges 1286 For
- Lemynge 1350 Ipm 1354 Orig
- Lymenge 1354 Orig 1358 Fine 1389 IpmR
- Lymyng 1375 Cl
- Lymmyng al. Lymmage 1544 FF
Etymology
This name is dealt with by Ekwall in his PN in -ing , and he definitely disassociates it from Lyminge (K), earlier Limingae , Liminiaeae (BCS 97, 160). He is of course right so far as the suffix is concerned. In one case we have Limm + inge (s ) and in the other Limin + ge . The first element in the latter name he takes to be the well-established river-name Limen found also in Leam (Wa) and Lemon (D). The first element of the former he takes to be a river-name hlymme , 'torrent,' connected with OE hlymman , 'to roar.' Such a name does not seem very appropriate for a Huntingdonshire stream and it may be that after all the two names are identical. If the earlier and fuller form of the Hunts name was Liminingas this would readily become Limminges by assimilation. Such an assimilation of mn to m (m ) is common as in stemn becoming stem and emn becoming em , remn or ramn becoming rem or ram in the history of OE stefn , efn and hræfn . No certainty is possible, but it is clear that Lymage must take its name from the small stream on which it stands, whether its name was Hlymme or Limen , and that the suffix is -ingas denoting the dwellers on that stream. For the development of the -age , cf. Pillinge supra 87.