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.

Fingay Hill

Early-attested site in the Parish of Osmotherley

Historical Forms

  • Thynghou c.1250 Riev
  • Thyngowe 1508 Guis

Etymology

'Hill where the thing met' v. þing , haugr . Fingay Hill is a round-topped hill standing out prominently from the level land of the parish. As the name shows, it was formerly a district meeting-place, possibly of the Riding Court (cf. Landmoth 206supra and VCH Y ii. 134).

The change of th - to f - in this name is well evidenced as a dialectal change all over the country. It is found in initial Thing - in Fingest (PN Bk 176) and in Finedon (Nth), Tingdene 1086 DB, Thyngdon 1327 Banco. Cf. Throxenby 110supra .

Places in the same Parish