Yearsley
Major Settlement in the Parish of Coxwold
Historical Forms
- Eureslage 1086 DB
- Euereslei 1176 P
- Eueresley(a) 13 BylE 1303 Var
- Euersle, Euerslegh, Euersley 1204 ChR 1304 Var
- Yeveresleye 1304 Var
- Yeuersley, Yeuerslay, Yhevereslay 1327 Banco 1399,1406 YI
- Yearesley 1577 Saxton 1613 NR
Etymology
'Eofor's forest-clearing' v. leah . Forssner is uncertain whether Eofor - existed in OE as a name-theme (the only independent example of the name in OE is in Beowulf ), but Eofor seems to be a native theme in Eoforhuaet and Eofuruulf (LVD), Euerwacer (KCD 811), etc. (v. Müller, Namen des nordhumbrischen Liber Vitae , 80). As a patronymic it enters into Everingham (YER), Euringham 1086 DB. It is from OE eofor 'wild boar' (cf. Everley 115supra ). For the development of prosthetic y -, through stress-shifting in the OE diphthong, v. Anglia , xxxiv. 293 ff.