Keith Briggs wrote:
> Could Newbourn(e) (Suffolk) be an ON name níu brunnar 'nine springs',
Richard Coates wrote:
> Looks an interesting suggestion well worth pursuing.
I pursued it yesterday by visiting Newbourne Springs Nature Reserve. The detailed map there shows a row of precisely nine springs in a neat line on the eastern side of the stream. On the other side is a more irregular group of seven.
This is rather curious, considering the frequency of "seven springs" names (Sewell, etc). Could the Danes be trying to go two better than the Angles?
(Smith's Elements has a Newell in the index, but not in the text. It seems that, in traditional fashion, he confused an Ewell with a Newell. Since we've already excluded Newburn-on-Tyne, this means we have no names definitely meaning "new stream".)
Keith
|