Portslade
Major Settlement in the Parish of Portslade
Historical Forms
- Porteslage, Porteslamhe 1086 DB
- Portes Ladda 1080–1108 France
- Porteslad(e) 1179 AC 1428 FA
- Portesslad' 1274–9,1329 Ipm
- Portysslade 1486 Ipm
- Porcelaid' 1202 Seld3
- Portislade 1260 Ch
- Porslade 1674 MarL
- Porstlade 1685 MarL
Etymology
The second element of this name is probably slæd, 'shallow valley,' used also in dialect of 'low marshy ground.' The first is a pers. name Port which, quite apart from the reference to a person of that name in the ASC s. a. 501, may safely be inferred from Portington (ERY), DBPortinton , Portisham (Do), DBPortesham , Porsham (D), 1244 Ass Portesham , Portworthy (D), 1322 Ass Porteworthy (p), Portontown (D), 13th Deed Portingatone , and an unidentified portanmære in Wo (BCS 1241), in none of which cases can there be any question of OE port , 'town' or 'harbour.' A diminutive Port (e )la is possibly found in Portlemouth (D), Portlemue in 1268–77 (Exon), Portelemuwe in 1319 (Ipm).