30 XEESDALE PLACE-NAMES. 



buer, which is said to mean oxen or kine, as well as what relates ' 

 to cattle. Span, boy era, an ox-stall is cognate." 



Biggen, a building, or that which is bigged, biggit, or built. 

 " Beeld or shelter," Eay. A place built for shelter. 



Home Tooke says, " The English to build comes from A.-S. 

 byldan, to confirm, establish, make sure and fast, consolidate, 

 strengthen." 



Examples : — 



Earby — perhaps from Ear or Ir, Scandinavian God of War, or 

 from some personal name. — The house of Ir or Ear. 



Eppleby — A.-S. epl, eppl, an apple. Appleby in Westmorland 

 =Appleton. 



Gilmonby — formerly Gilmanby, abode of Gilman. ?Man of 

 the gill or glen. 



Naby — ? Icel. nd, nigh, near ; na-bud, dwelling near ; nd-bui, 

 neighbour, "l^aby, the estate by the water." Bell. 



Raby — ? Ravensby, abode of the raven ; or Icel. and A.-S. 

 Ed-bg, abode of the roe ; or Icel. Hd, Sw. 'Rm, landmark, corner, 

 nook. " Raby, the estate by the stream." Bell. 



Rokeby— formerly Eochebi, the dwelling on the rock. Whit- 

 aker. Commonly pronounced Rookby, as if the abode of rooks. 



Selaby — perhaps from A.-S. sel, sele, s., a seat or dwelling, 

 mansion, place, hall, or {sele, happiness, prosperity. Jamieson's 

 Diet.) sel, adj., good, excellent, perhaps from the nature of the 

 site, and bg, dwelling. See Selset. 



Barney Byre — Barney's or Barnard's byre or cowhouse. Bar- 

 nard Castle is often familiarly called " Barney." 



Cow-byre — cowhouse, common in the north. 



Newbiggen — the new building. There are several Newbig- 

 gens in Durham and Northumberland. 



The sufSx hg is well known to be very common in Lincolnshire, 

 Yorkshire, and other parts of Danish England. 



As a current example of the use of bg=ztowa., we have by- 

 laws, laws affecting a township. " Usually," says Skeat, 

 " ridiculously explained as being derived from the preposition 

 bg, as if the law were a 'subordinate law,' a definition which 

 is actually given in Webster, and probably expresses a common 



