Marlcliff Hill
Early-attested site in the Parish of Cleeve Prior
Historical Forms
- Marnan Clive, Mearnan clyfe c.872 BCS537 11th
- Marle Clyve 1280 For
- Marclive 1340 FF 1772 T
- Marke Cleeve 1649 Surv
Etymology
Duignan (PN Wo 109), on the strength of Nash's statement that 'here are quarries of very good stone…some of it bears a very fine polish, like Derbyshire marble' (i. 236), thinks that the first element must be the gen. sg. marman of OE marma , 'marble.' This is much open to question on more than one ground. First, it involves believing that the form found in the charter is already corrupt; second, it is difficult to believe that the term marble could ever have been applied to the hard bands in the lias of Cleeve Prior, for that is what the stone here is; and thirdly, it involves an awkward compound, 'cliff of marble,' rather than 'marble-cliff' which would be the normal type.
The parallel of Marnham (Nt), DBMarneham , makes it almost certain however that we have to do with a pers. name.For the possibility of such a pers. name we may note the place- name Marningum recorded by Förstemann (ON ii. 214), which seems to be an ing -derivative of a similar Germanic pers. name.
An OE pers. name Mearna , Marna could be associated with the marn - grade of the verb murnan , 'mourn.'