Andy,
The Survey of English PNs records the pronunciations "fawmer" and "fahmer"
(in IPA characters). Everyone calls it "falmer" now.
I think it's pretty clearly "the fallow [colour-term, dark-tinted yellow,
as in fallow deer] pond". It's not obvious today as the pond has been
heavily managed, but the village is on an isolated patch of sandstone.
Richard
--On 14 March 2005 17:14 +0000 British Marine Life Study Society
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> fæl mere = Falmer (Sussex)
>
> What is the meaning of the first component of the name?
>
> What is the historic pronunciation and modern pronunciation of the name
> please?
>
> Falemere 1086
> Fawmer 1607
>
> Cheers
>
> Andy Horton
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Richard Coates
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