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.

Slingsby

Major Settlement in the Parish of Slingsby

Historical Forms

  • Selungesbi, Eslingesbi 1086 DB
  • Slengesbi, Slengesby 1161–84 Whitby 1164–72 YCh 1403 YI
  • Eslenggesbi 13 Malton
  • Slengeby 1203 Whitby 1226 FF 1251 Ass 1282 YI
  • Lengesbi, Lengesby e.13 Malton
  • Lengeby 1224–30 Fees 1251 Ass 1280 Ebor
  • Slingebi 1155—65 Whitby 1167 P
  • Slingesby, Slyngesby 1202 FF 1578 FF
  • Selingesby 1347 Pap
  • Slingysby 1402 Whitby

Etymology

The persistence of Slenges - forms (approximately in the proportion of 2 : 1 to the Slinges - forms) shows that we have to deal with an original Sleng . Zachrisson (Some English Place - Name Etymologies , 142) suggests OWScand  Slyngr (LindBN) rather than the hypothetical ON  Sløngr or Slengr (ZEN), suggested as the first element of Slingley (PN NbDu s.n.). ON  Slyngr will not, however, explain the Slenges - forms of the place-name, whereas if the first element be taken as Sleng we can explain the Slinges - forms as due to the ME  sound-change of eng to ing (cf. Ingleby 167infra ) which took place in the 13th cent., if not earlier. Further, it will be seen that whilst no Slenges - forms are found after the 13th cent. the majority of Slinges - forms are of the 13th and following cents. The DB form Eslinges - cannot be taken seriously as in that source there is frequent interchange of e and i . Slingsby, therefore, means 'Sleng's farm.' v. by . The name Sleng appears in the surname of Robert Slenge (1298 WCR).

For loss of s - and spellings with Esl -, Sel -v. IPN 103.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site