56 DERBYSHIRE PLACE-NAMES. 



Mellor.— A.S. mylen, myln, miln — a mill, and A.S. ofer— a margin, brink, 



bank, shore ; — the mill bank. 

 Mercaston. — (D.D.B. Merchenestvne.) — The initial syllable is from the 



A.S. mere, mearc — a boundary mark, a limit, border, boundary. The 



medial syllable is from the A.S. aesc— an ash tree, or perhaps from A.S. 



ast — a kiln. The final syllable is A.S. tun — or town. The ash or kiln 



town by the boundary mark. 

 Mers. — The derivation is the same as the initial syllable in Measham, 



Marston, Morleston, Morley, and Morton, q.v. 

 Mickleover. — (D.D.B. Vfre.) — A.S. mycel, micel — great, many, much, and 



A.S. ofer — a margin, brink, bank, shore ; — the great bank. Mickleover 



— the "great bank," is in close proximity to, and is the correlative of, 



Littleover — the "little bank." — Cf. Littleover. 

 Middleton.— (D.D.B. Middeltvne.)— A.S. middel— middle, and AS. tun— 



a town ; — the middle town. 

 Middleton, Stoney or Stony.— (D.D.B. Middeltvne, Middletune,)— 



For Middleton, see above. The adjunct is from the A.S. stsen, stan — 



stone. The stony or paved middle town. 

 Middleton-by-Wirksworth.— (D.D.B. Middeltune.)— For Middleton, 



see above. For the adjunct, see Wirksworth, infra. 

 Middleton-by-Youlgreave.- (D.D.B. Middeltone.)— For Middleton, 



see above. For the adjunct, see Youlgreave, infra. 

 Milford,— (D.D.B. Muleford.)— The initial syllable is from the A.S. mul— 



a mule ; — the final syllable is A.S. ford — a ford ; the mule ford. 

 Milton. — (D.D.B. Middeltune.) — The etymology is the same as in Middle- 

 ton, q.V. 

 Morleston ("Wapentake.)— (D.D.B. Morelestan.) — The initial syllable 



is from A.S. mor — waste land, a moor, heath, also waste land on account 



of water ; hence a fen, bog, pool, pond. It is difficult, in consequence of 



the various mutations of this prefix, to determine its precise meaning. 



(A.S. mere — signifies a mere, lake, pool, and A. S. mersc— a marsh, fen, 



bog.) The final syllable may be from the A.S. tun — a town, or the A.S. 



stsen, stan — a stone ; — the town or the stone by the moor, bog, or pond. 



The adjunct is from the A.S. wsepen-getaec — a wapentake or hundred, a 



division of a county. — Bosworth states, — "so called, as some think, because 



the inhabitants within such divisions were taught the use of arms." 



(A.S. wsepen, wsepn — a weapon.) 

 Morley.-(D.D.B. Morleia, Morelei.)— A.S. mor — waste land, a moor, 



heath, and A.S. leg, leag, lea, leah, lag, lah— a meadow, field, land ;— the 



field of the moor. 

 Morton.— (D.D.B. Mortvne.)— A.S. mor — waste land, a moor, heath, and 



A.S. tun— a town ;— the town of the moor. 



