Clack Mount
Early-attested site in the Parish of Lyneham
Historical Forms
- Clak' 1310 Ass
- Clacke 1342 GDR 1345,1349 Ass 1359 AddCh
- Clakke 1427 Pat 1535 VE
- Clack 1639 WIpm
Etymology
Clack Mount is Clak '1310Ass , Clacke 1342GDR , 1345, 1349Ass , 1359AddCh , Clakke 1427 Pat, 1535 VE, Clack 1639 WIpm.There is an earthwork here on a hill, the earthwork being of the castle-mound and bailey type. The name would seem to be identical with the Swedish klack , 'hill,' and other Scandinavian cognates discussed by Ekwall in NoB (viii, 89 ff.). It is difficult to believe that a Scandinavian loan-word could thus have come to be used in Wiltshire and we must probably look for some OE cognate. There is some evidence for an OE personal name Clacc (cf. PN Ess 334 s. n. Clacton) and it may be that side by side with this there was a common word clacc , its ultimate source. Cf. Clack Mead in Nettleton infra 467 and unidentified Clack Linch (1740Wilton ) in Ebbesbome Wake. Another example, just outside the county, is probably to be found in Clack Barn in Rockbourne (Ha), molendin. de Clak c. 1200 Beaulieu Cartulary , the home of Richard atte Clakke (1327SR ), terra voc le Clacke 1540MinAcct , on a well-marked hill.