lEESDALE PLACE-iSTAMES. 59 



Meldon— the middle hill. (W. J. Watson.) 



On our north-east coast the sandhills at the sea are commonly 

 called 'The Links/ and correspond to the dunes of the French 

 coasts. 



D0"WKE. 



*' Leathery blue clay from the side of a mineral vein." Bell. 

 That clay abounding at the place so named. A term perhaps of 

 the miners. 



" Suio-Goth. dopa, in aquis immergere." Ihre. 



Dan. dyhhe, to dive, damp ; Sw. dyha, to dive. 



A.-S. dufan, gedufan, to plunge in water, to duck, sink, dive, 

 and dyppan, to dip, immerge, baptize. 



Ger. duJihen, to duck ; Dut. duiken, ib. ; Flem, duiken, to dive, 

 duiker, a diver. All imply water, but not clay. 



JSTot in Celtic. 



A Scandinavian, Suio-Goth., high and low German, and modi- 

 fied Anglo-Saxon word, meaning wet, or a wet place. 



Halliwell has " dowke, to hang down, to fall, to rest, tidily 

 oT slovenly, as hair, &c. ; also douk, to stoop the head, to bow, 

 to dive or bathe, and to dip ; and douky and douk, damp, wet, 

 moist." 



Damp weather is said to be donky, in the West Eiding. 



^'- Douk, V. a. and n., to bow down, to dive or plunge under 

 water as a water fowl does, to bathe and wash in the water." 

 Atkinson's Clev. Dial. 



" To dook, to duck or immerse in water ; also to bow down the 

 head abruptly." Engl. Dial. Soc. E. Yorks. e.g. As in avoiding 

 a blow. 



" Douky, dampish, dank, spelt doukey." Ditto Midld. Station. 



To dowse has the same meaning. 



Example : — 



Dowke — name given to a place where there is clay and water. 



" In Upper Wharf edale, between Kilnsey and Hawkswick, is 

 a cave called DowEEE&oif^ow Cave, which had been in the occupa- 

 tion of Eomano -British people. The floor was covered with stiff 



