Chitterne, Chitterne All Saints and Chitterne St Mary
Major Settlement in the Parish of Chitterne
Historical Forms
- Chetre, Cheltre (sic) 1086 DB
- Cettra 1166 P 13th BM 1232 Ch
- Cettre 13th BM 1227,1249 FF 1242 Fees 1248 Ch 1268 Ass
- Cetra 1206 ChR
- Cetre 1279 Ass
- Chittra 1232 Lacock
- Chittern 1381 ib
- Chyttern Mary, Chittern Allalwes 1542,1556 PCC
- tithyng of bothe Chittornes 1571 SR
- Chitterne Mary 1646 Sess
- Chetteren 1289 Ass
- Chetaron 1533–8 ECPvi
- Chuterne 1289 Ass 1316 FA
- Chuttre 1305 Ass
Etymology
This is a very difficult name. Ekwall (DEPN s. n .) takes it to be a compound of British *cēto -, 'wood' (v. Chute supra 12), and OE ærn, 'house.' A hybrid compound with ærn , however, seems unlikely, and if the first element is British, the second element may be the well-known Celtic suffix -erno found in Savernake supra 15. Cf. also Iweme (RN 220). There is now no large wood here though the area immediately around the village is well wooded, but there may once have been more woodland, since, though the soil is now shallow, the slope of the valley would result in a rapid erosion of surface soil after felling of the forest by the early settlers (E.J.S.).
Another possibility (suggested by Mr G. M. Young) is to take the first element to be the word cȳte , cīete discussed under Preshute infra 307 and to interpret the name as a compound of cyte and ærn , hence 'cottage house(s).' This is perhaps the more likely solution. For such a compound cf. Hulcott (PN Bk 151–2), 'hovel-cottages.'