Mepal
Major Settlement in the Parish of Mepal
Historical Forms
- Mepahala 12th LibEl
- Mepehale 1362 Pat 1379–87
- Mephal(e) 1199 FF 1428 FA
- Mephal(e) juxta Sutton 1321 ElyCh
- Mephall 1285 Ass 1579 Ely 1605 Imb
- Mepalle 1523 SR 1670 HardwickeA
- Mepalt 1706 StJ
- Mepale 1467 Wren 15th ElyM t.Hy8 Rental
- Mepole 1607 Kip
- Mep(p)le 1636 BedL 1675 Ogilby
- Meepole 1685 CAPriii
- Meypole, Maple 1695 SN
Etymology
This name must be compared with Meopham (KPN 71, 359, PN K 103–4), Meapaham 788 BCS 253. Skeat suggested that the first element of both was the genitive plural of a tribal name Mēapas , and the first form given above, unknown to Skeat, certainly supports this.Wallenberg (PN K loc. cit .), withdrawing his first suggestion that the first element was topographical, explains Mēapas as “the mopers, the sulkers, the grumblers,” from the root *maup -, cognate with English mope . Ekwall (Studies 24–5) prefers a personal name Mēapa from the same root. No certainty is possible.