Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Warthsala 1132–40 Fount 1150–3 YCh71

• Warthsalla c.1150 Vyner

• Warzhale 12,e.13,c.1216 Font 13,1220–46 RegAlbi,73d

• Warsala 1135–53 YCh64 1154–86 Font

• Warsall 1198 Fount

• Warteshale 1145 YCh79

• Wartsale c.1190 Fount

• Wardsala 1154–86 Fount

• Warchsala 1180–90 Fount

• Warthale 1220–56 RegAlbiii,10d

• Warshall 1407 Font 1535 VE 1553 FF

• Warsell 1482 RipAct 1615 FF

• Wassell 1573 PRRip

Etymology

The difficulty with this name is to decide whether the second el. is -hale or -sale . If the former it means 'watchman's nook of land' from OE  weard 'watchman, guard' and halh, which might refer to a small valley off Picking Gill. But Warsill Hall, which should be in the particular area to which the name applies is high on the end of a hill, and in view of the comparative infrequency of -hale spellings it is preferable to take Warsill as OE  weard -sæl 'watch-castle' from weard and OE  sæl 'a hall, a royal or noble's lodging, castle' (cognate with sele 1 ). Medial -d - has been assimilated to -t - before the following -s - or replaced by ON  -ð - (cf. the cognate ON  varði); the spelling with -z - is a common AN  representation of the sound -ts -, -ðs - (cf. EPN ii, 92 s.v. -s 2 ).