Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Scrauing(h)e 1086 DB

• Scrauin 1167 P

• Screuin, Screvin, Screvyn 1173–85 YCh513 13 YDix c.1219 Fees c.1295 Ext 1301 YI 1545 FF

• Screven c.1230 Vyner

• Skreuyne 1301 YDix

• Screving(e) 1208,1584 FF

• Scryvinge 1567 Visit

• Skriven(e), Scriven(e), Scryven(e) 1301 YI 1442 BM 1467 Pat 1481 Fabr 1645 PRFrn

• Screwyn 1372 MinAcct

• Scryueyn 1379 PT

• Scryevyn 1498 MinAcct

Etymology

Both Moorman and Ekwall regard Scriven as an -ing derivative of OE  scæf 'hole, pit', and though there are some five spellings with -ing (h ) the great body of material makes it certain that here as in Birkin iv, 16supra these are merely analogical substitutions from genuine -ing names; early spellings with -in and -en are abnormal for the latter. We must start therefore with an OE  *screfen, which is probably a secondary noun-formation in -en1 of OE  scræf 'pit'. Such formations are not uncommon (cf. EPN i, 151). OE  screfen would denote something like 'the hollow place, place with pits'; there are old quarries and gravel pits on the north side of the village and on Coney Garth (infra ). OE  screfen would be the normal i -mutated form of WGerm  *skrafinnju (Bülbring § 168). On the later development to Scriven cf. Phonol. § 17.