Following up a query about the meaning of "vallet", I find that OED Online
gives the meaning "a small valley", with a quote from a Worcs. document of
1647 starting "In the myddest of thys vallet on a littell hyll..."
But, searching on A2A (a wonderful resource!), I found references to deeds
of tEliz 1 and 1619 in Herefordshire which gave a woodland context for the
term.
And then checking DEPN, I found *fellet, *faellet (Merc) ... 'a clump of
felled trees...a forest clearing', cf. Gl. dial. fellet
'a portion of wood felled annually'.
There are egs in PNGl. from mid 17th cent., with modern spelling Vallet(s).
This must explain the OED ref. above as well? To save for VEPN F or V?
Jennifer
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Jennifer Scherr
Assistant Director, Public Services
University of Bristol Information Services
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