22 TEESDALE PLACE-NAMES. 



Examples : — 



High Broats and Low Broats. — On the sides of Eoman Road, 

 east of and near to Bowes. • 



"Spacious pastures or lands." Bell. Broad lands. 



Beocks. 



As it is doubtful whether the origin of this word is to he 

 attributed to the badger, or the brook, or to anything broken, 

 the derivation in each case is here given. 



1 . Badger. — Icel. hroTckr, Dan. hrok^ Sw. grcifswin, Ger. dachs, 

 Dut. and Fl. das, Fr. blaireau, A.-S. hroc, "Wei. iroch, Gael, broc, 

 Ir. broc, brec, and brochd, badger, and broc, adj., ffrei/, hence " as 

 grey as a badger," and brocach, speckled in the face; Manx, 

 hrec, Bret, brock, Lat. taxus, melts, It. tasso, Sp. tejon. Port. 

 texuffo. 



Brock, a badger. — Skinner suggests from brecan, to break, 

 because this animal breaks and bruises with most severe biting, 

 whence we say, " to bite like a badger." 



It is certain, however, that it is an old Celtic word adopted 

 by the A.-S., and, as Skeat tells us, from Gael, and Ir. breac, 

 speckled (and broc, as above, grey). 



Skeat says, " It is most probable that, as Mr. Wedgewood 

 suggests, the animal was named from his white streaked face ; 

 just as a trout is in Gaelic called breac, i.e., spotted, and a 

 mackerel is in Cornish called britMU, i.e., variegated. (It is 

 also remarkable that the word broh, for badger, exists in 

 Danish, and closely resembles Dan. broget, variegated.) Cf. Gael. 

 brocach, speckled in the face, greyish as a badger ; brucach, 

 spotted, freckled, speckled, particularly in the face. C. hence 

 brochis is from Gael, and Irish breac, speckled, also to speckle ; 

 "Welsh brech^ brindled, freckled. Bret. bri%, spotted, marked ; 

 hrizen, a freckle." 



2. Brook. — From A.-S. brdc, broca, brooc, a brook, spring, 

 rivulet. 



" Dr. T. Hickes (in Skinner) derives the A.-S. brdca from the 

 verb breacan, frangere, to break ; because the bubbling water 



