English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Aiskew

Major Settlement in the Parish of Bedale

Historical Forms

  • Echescol 1086 DB
  • Aikescogh, Aykescogh 12 RichReg 1318 ib
  • Aykescouk 1279–81 QW
  • Aykescoch' 1283 Rich
  • Aykeschogh 1352 FF
  • Ayscough, Aiscogh 1285 KI 1400 YI
  • Askew(e) 1516 FF 1665 Visit
  • Ascugh 1576 FF

Etymology

'Oak wood' v. eiki , skogr ; cf. Aiskew 294infra . The DB form -col is due to confusion of -og - and -ol - by French scribes at the time when OFr  -l - was vocalised (and still written -l -) and ON  -g - was vocalised in ME after back vowels, producing a diphthong similar to the OFr diphthong. Cf. Swinesale 110supra .