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.

Brignall

Major Settlement in the Parish of Brignall

Historical Forms

  • Bringenhale, Bringhale 1086 DB
  • Brigenhal(e) 12 Leon17d 1184 RichReg 1241 Cl 1264–5 Ch 1283 Rich 1289 Ebor 1292 Ch
  • Bryggenhal(e), Briggenhal(e) 1227 FF 1301 LS 1335
  • Bringenhale 1280 Ipm
  • Brigenale 1281 Ebor 1285 KI
  • Briginhale 1300 Ebor
  • Brygnell 1544 RichWills

Etymology

The forms of the first element of this name are difficult. The DB and Ipm forms may indicate a ground-form Bring-hale which underwent an unparalleled metathesis to Briggen-hale . Stiltons 73supra , similarly, underwent an otherwise unknown metathesis.

If this is the case we may have here an OE  Bryninga - (cf. Burniston 107supra ) reduced to Bringe - (cf. Finghall 247supra ); hence 'nook of land belonging to the Brynings' v. h(e)alh. Or we may have, as Professor Ekwall suggests, a Scand name composed of the elements ON  bringa 'breast' used topographically with the sense 'slope' (as in the cognate OSwed  bringher , Icel  bringr 'a small hill') as in such Norw  names as Bringa , Bringedal (NG xi. 38), and ON  hali 'a tail' (cf. NG Indledning s.v.). In either case the first element underwent the curious metathesis, which may to a certain extent have been due to analogical transformation with Northern Engl , brigg 'bridge.'

Places in the same Parish

None