Place-Name Glossary
This is a glossary of Scots words which are used in place-names. Each entry gives the meaning of the word, alongside linguistic notes (discussed below) and modern and historical examples of the word in actual place-names in Scotland.
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| Modern Form | Older Scots Form | Etymology | PoS | Definition | Modern Examples | Historical Evidence | SND Link  | DOST Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wast, west | west, wast | OE west | a | situated in, or belonging to, the west; westerly | West Craigs (West Lothian); West Barns (East Lothian); West Inch (Aberdeenshire); Westraw (South Lanarkshire); West Grange (Stirling); West Haven (Aberdeenshire); Westhill (Inverness) | Westfulhope 1165-1214; Westlillisclive 1214-49; Westfeld 1294; Wasthall 1544 | wast adj; S2 wast adj | west, wast adj | See also DOST west side n and DOST west end n |
| waster, wester | wester | OE westerra | a | western, lying to the west; the more westerly of two places (in contrast with easter) | Wester Hailes (Edinburgh); Westerton (Angus, Glasgow); Wester Ross (Ross and Cromarty); Westerwood (Dunbartonshire); Wester Inshes (Inverness); Wester Pitlour (Fife); Wester Causewayend (Midlothian) | Westercaledoure 1170-72; Westircarne 13thC; Wastirker 1309; Vaster Leochel 1524-25 | waster a | wester a; ouster a | |
| water | wattir, watter | OE wæter | n | a large stream (between a burn and a river in size), a tributary of a river; a river valley; a lake, a sheet of water | Howe Water (Aberdeenshire); Water of Luce (Wigtownshire); Whiteadder Water (Berwickshire); Water of Leith (Edinburgh); Markie Water (Aberdeenshire); Waterside (Dumfriesshire, Wigtownshire); Eye Water (Berwickshire); Water of Tarf (Angus) | Blacwater 13thC; Watirtoun 1342; watir of Dee 15thC; Wattirheid 1649 | water n; S1 water n; S2 water n | wa(t)tir n | |
| watery | wattiry | OE wæterig | a | full of water, well watered, watery | Easter Watery Knowe (Angus); Wester Watery Knowe (Angus); Wateryslack (Aberdeenshire); Waterybutts (Perthshire) | Wattridike c1230; Watryraw 1405; Wetterybuttis 1567; Watrielawes 1664 | water n; S1 water n; S2 water n | wattiry, wat(t)(e)ry adj | |
| wedder | wedder | OE weðer | n | a (castrated) male sheep | Wedderlie (Berwickshire); Weddersbie (Fife); Wether Law (Berwickshire); Wedder Hill (Ayrshire); Wedderlairs (Berwickshire); Wedderburn (Berwickshire) | Wedyrburne 1198-1214; Wederleye c1250; Wedderlee 1494; Weddergang 1609 (1610); Wetherlairis 1628 | wedder n | weddir, woddir, wadder, wether n2 | |
| weel | weil | OE wǣl | n | a deep pool in a river or a narrow part of an estuary or the sea; a whirlpool | Bloody Wiel (Wigtownshire); Maxwellheugh (Roxburghshire); Reidweil (Kirkcudbrightshire); Cairdie Wiel (Wigtownshire); Scar Weil (Kirkcudbrightshire); Old Weal (Roxburghshire); Cantin Wiel (Wigtownshire) | Macch'swel 1159; Sant Katrynis weill 1553; the guidwyffis weill 1586; Craigweill 1593 | weel n1 | weil(l, weel(l n | |
| weet, wat | weit | OE wǣt, ON vátr | a | wet, boggy, waterlogged | Weetfoot Bog (Berwickshire); Weetfit (Fife); Wetlands (Aberdeenshire); Wetshaw (Kincardineshire); Witholm (Midlothian) | Weteflatwel 1300-31; Weitschaw 1540; Weitlandis 1552-3; Vitfute 1567; Weetlands 1687 | weet adj; S2 weet adj; wat adj | weit adj | |
| wham | quhawme | ON hvammr | n | a dale or valley, a broad hollow among hills (with a stream), a little glen; a hollow piece of ground (in a field), a depression | The Whaum (St Andrews); Wham Park (Stirlingshire); Whoam Park (West Lothian); Whoam Quarry (West Lothian) | Quhawmes 1594; wester quhawme 1635; Whalmfoot 1635-6; Sandy Wham 1773 | wham n1 | quhawme n | |
| whinnie | whinnie | ME whinny | a | covered with whins | Whinnieliggate (Kirkcudbrightshire); Whinnyfold (Aberdeenshire); Whinny Hill (Edinburgh); Whinnie Knowes (Wigtownshire); Whinnyhall (Fife); Whinnydrums (Angus); Whinny Brae (Midlothian); Whinnyrig (Dumfriesshire) | Whinnie-Know 1652; Whinnie Grain 1700; the whinnie park 1715; Whinny Hill 1896 | whin n2 | whinnie adj | |
| whin, fun | quhin | ON *hvin, ME whin | n | the common gorse or furze | Whins of Milton (Stirlingshire); Whin Park (Inverness, Stirlingshire); Whinhill Park (Edinburgh); Whinrig Hill (Berwickshire); Whinrigg (North Lanarkshire); Whins (Fife); Whinbush (Aberdeenshire) | Quhins 1629; Whin 1755; Whins 1773; Figgate Whins 1893 | whin n2; fun n1 | quhin, quhine, whin n1 | |
| white, fite | quhite | OE hwīt | a | white; (of arable land) fallow, unploughed; (of hill land) covered with bent grass rather than bracken or heather | Whitelinks (Aberdeenshire); Whiteinch (Glasgow); Whitebaulks (West Lothian); Whitehill (Glasgow, Wigtownshire); Whitekirk (East Lothian); Whitehill (Argyllshire); Whitefaulds (Ayrshire); White Craig (Stirlingshire) | Wythelawe1147-52; Vithemer c1150; Witehou c1165; Whiteslade 1165-85; Whiteshopes c1200 | white adj; S1 white adj; S2 white adj; fite adj; S1 fite adj | whit(e, whyt adj; quhite adj; fyte a | |
| windy | wyndy | OE windig | a | exposed to the wind, frequently windy | Windyhill (Dunbartonshire); Windyrise (Ayrshire); Windie Edge (North Lanarkshire); Windyshields (South Lanarkshire); Windy Yett (Stirlingshire); Windywa's (West Lothian); Windy Mill (Angus); Windydoors (Midlothian) | Windeshoure 1165-1214; windilawes 1260-8; Windiduris 13thC; Wynderigz 1327-28; Wyndiduris 1456; Wyndeedge 1561 | windy adj | wyndy, -ie adj | |
| orchard, wortchat | orchat | OE ortgeard | n | an enclosure for the cultivation of fruit-trees | Orchardton (Kirkcudbrightshire); Orchardfield (Fife); Orchardhead (Stirlingshire); Lugton Orchard (Midlothian); Orchard (Roxburghshire, Dumfriesshire); Orchard Rig (Peeblesshire) | Orchidiardstrother c1320; Orchardcroft 1451; Orchardfelde 1470; the orchet of Carslo 1498-99; Orchartfeild 1522; Boyellis hortchet 1571; Oarchyeardtoune 1694 | wortchat n | orchard n; orchat n | |
| wricht | wricht | OE wyrhta | n | a wright, a wood-worker or carpenter | Wrightshouses (Midlothian); Wright's Knowe (Kirkcudbrightshire); Wrighthill (Ayrshire); Wrights Croft (Aberdeenshire); Wrightfield (Ross and Cromarty) | Wrychtyshousis 1382; Wrichtishouse(s) 1458; Wrychtland 1531-32; Wreuchtsland 1630 | wricht n | wricht, wrycht, wrech(t n | |
| wuid | wode | OE wudu | n | an area of trees (smaller than a forest), a stretch or piece of woodland; (of a place) wooded, consisting of trees | Woodlands (Glasgow); Legerwood (Berwickshire); Holywood (Dumfriesshire); Woodend (Aberdeen); Williamwood (Glasgow); Woodneuk (Renfrewshire); Harwood (Roxburghshire); Woodinch (Perthshire); Woodmill (Fife) | Swinewde 1097-1107; Wudehorn 1152; Ringwude 1153-65; Ledgerdwode 1165-73; Wudeschirche c1180 | wuid n: S1 wuid n; S2 wuid n | wod(e n | |
| yett | ʒet | OE geat | n | a gate, a gateway or entrance to a town or building; a natural pass or defile between hills | Kirk Yetholm (Roxburghshire); Brae of Yetts (Dunbartonshire); Broadyetts (West Lothian); Rashlieyett (Ayrshire); Moatyett (South Lanarkshire); Wateryett (Ayrshire) | le Barres ʒeth 1487; Sanct Leonards yettis 1553-54; Rodin Yett 1568; Mekill Yet 1590; Yetts of Keppel 1828; Yetts of Muckart 1845 | yett n1; S2 yett n1 | ʒet(t, yet(t n |
Glossary compiled by Dr Alison Grant of Scottish Language Dictionaries and the Scottish Place-Name Society.
Linguistic Notes
The glossary provides the Modern Scots form of each place-name element, and then traces the word back through the Older Scots form to its etymological root. Illustration of the development of each element is found in the historical forms, and modern usage is illustrated by the current place-name examples provided. The glossary also provides references to the two major Scots dictionaries, the Scottish National Dictionary (SND) and the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (DOST) together with any relevant supplementary material (the first SND supplement is marked S1, and the second S2, and the additions to DOST are marked ADDS). These dictionaries can be accessed online at www.dsl.ac.uk. Further supplementary material has been added from two 1940s Ph. D. theses, The Non-Celtic Place-Names of the Scottish Border Counties by May Williamson and The Place Name of Midlothian by Norman Dixon, both of which are available for consultation in the ‘resources’ section of the Scottish Place-Name Society website. The glossary contains Scots words derived from Old English, Old Norse, Middle Dutch, Anglo-Norman French and Latin, together with more recent loan-words from Gaelic and Insular Norn. For example, the whilst ‘glen’ is primarily a Gaelic place-name element, occurring in names such as Glen Affric and Glenmore, the word was also borrowed into Scots, where it was used to form names such as Glenhead and Glens of Foudland. Similarly, although names in ‘geo’ are often from Old Norse gjá, including Ramnageo and Papilgeo, the word was also borrowed into Scots from Norn, and used to coin names such as Millburn Geo and Geo of Dykesend.Counties (where given) are pre-1975 local government reorganisation.
PoS = Part of Speech (noun, adjective, etc.)
