Cumbrian toponymy refers to the study of place names in
Cumbria, a county in
North West England, and as a result of the spread of the ancient
Cumbric language, further parts of
northern England and the
Southern Uplands of Scotland.
The
history of Cumbria is marked by a long and complex history of human settlement. Geographically, Cumbria is situated near the centrepoint of the
British Isles. The contrasting landscapes between the mountains and the fertile coastal areas and the rich variety of mineral resources available in the county have made it a desirable area for habitation since the
Upper Paleolithic, and various ethnic groups have been drawn to the area, leaving their linguistic mark since the
Iron Age.
Linguistic influences
Brythonic
Since at least the Iron Age, the inhabitants of Cumbria would have spoken
Brythonic Celtic, which is related to modern
Welsh,
Cornish and
Breton. Evidence of this language is mostly visible in topographical features such as rivers (
Kent, Eden, Ehen, Levens) and mountains (
Blencathra, Helvellyn, Coniston Old Man).
In the first millennium AD the Brythonic spoken in north west England and southern
Scotland developed into a separate strain called
Cumbric, which included some influences from
Latin picked up during the
Roman occupation of Britain. It is likely that most place names with Brythonic influences have survived from this time (
Carlisle, Penrith, Penruddock)
British influenced place names exist throughout the whole county, but...
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