Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Kirk(e)slak, Kyrk(e)slak, -slac 1256 StBees 1279 Ass20d c.1280 Lowth(Ke12) 1332 SR 1350,1376 Ipm

• Kirslak 1461 Pat

• Gresslake 1517,1519 Kendii,232,234

• le Greslack 1544 ib

• Greslacke 1571 ib

• Greislacke 1576 ib

• Gyrslake 1542 Kendii,32 1543 FF

• Girslack(e) 1611,1640 Kendii,319,322 1636 FF

• Grasslick 1843 TA

Etymology

'Church hollow', v. kirkja , slakki . There is no church in the vicinity, so that kirk denotes either possession by the church or the remains of the ancient settlement site here which was popularly thought to be a church site; for this use of kirk cf. Ogden Kirk (YW iii, 115) and Kirk Stone (ii, 223infra ). After the reduction of Kirks - to Kirs -, the form was confused with later forms of gærs 'grass', which appears in e.ModE  p.ns. as Girs -, Gers -, Gras -, etc. (cf. Grassington YW vi, 97, vii, 83 §16, and Phonol. §10). The TA references fix the site of Grasslick at grid 89–581789.