May Williamson: The Non-Celtic Place-Names of the Scottish Border ...

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Law (Watson, Jed, 46). There are also over 120 names in -law, Law, for which no spellings
have been obtained. In these English first elements of a simple type predominate. Adjectives
and names of animals or birds are most common, eg Black Law, Bleak Law, Scaw’d Law,
Wedder Law, Todlaw, Laverock Law. Topographical features and words denoting vegetation
are also found.
/130/ XXIX OE dūn,
“hill”. This ending is preserved as -don in a few modern forms, but in most cases it has been
confused with -ton or -den. Some of the names in this class are very early, and many are very
difficult to solve.
ROXBURGHSHIRE
BROWNDEAN LAWS (Jed): (86, 6B):
Brondoune, 1451 RMS; Broun-, 1492-3 ib; Broune-, 1515, ib. “Brown hill”. Laws is a
tautological addition.
CUNZIERTON FARM (Oxn): (81, 7 J):
Cuniardon, 1468 HMC (Home); Cunyourtoune-rige, 1471 RMS. OFr. conniniere, “rabbitwarren”,
gives parallel forms, cunyngar, cunninger, and conigar, cunnigar, in MSc (DOST,
s.v.). Here we have the type which omits the -n- preceding -g-. This form may come direct
from French, rather than through ME conynher.
EILDON (Mel): (80, 14 D):
A e Ldona, 1119-24 (c 1320) Kelso; Eldune, 1143 LSMM; 1166-70 BM; -doun, c 1153 (16 th )
Dryb; -dunum (acc) 12 th SD; -dun, c 1208 BM; Eladune, c 1150 C de M. The first part of the
name may be Celtic. Eldon, Du, is Elledun, 1104-8; Eldona, 1335; from OE Ella, personal
name, (PN NbDu, 73), but there is no trace of double -ll- in the above spellings.
/131/
FAIRNINGTON HOUSE (Rxb): (81, 4 F):
Faringdun, 1165-1214 LSMM; Farning-, 1214-49 (c 1280) ib; Franing- (P), 1296 CDS
(Seal); Farningdon (P), 1296 Inst Pub; Farnyng-, 1354 Kelso; 1380 CDS; Ferrningtoun, 1511
RMS. The first element is probably OE færniġ, “ferny”, and the first spelling must contain a
minim mistake, -ing for -nig. The later spellings suggest an -ing formation based on OE færn,
as OE færningdūn, “hill by the ferny place”: cf on Fearninga broce, Fearningamere, innan
Fearninga lege (Karlström, 38), in which examples of forms in -ing or -inga have been
constructed on the base fearn. Several other names in this district, however, have “ferny” as
first element: Ferney Hill, Ferniehirst, Fairnieside, and a “lost” name Pharniparkis, 1555, S.
Trin. Edin. close to Fairnington, which makes it probable that Fairnington belongs to the same
type. Færn- is a Northumbrian form of OE fearn, without breaking of æ before -rn.
GRADEN, OLD GRADEN (Lin):
Graydoune (P), 1347 CDS. “Badger hill”: OE *grġdūn (cf Studies 2 , 80).
GRINDING BURN (Mto):
Grindoun b, Blaeu. /132/ OE grēne dūn burna, “green hill burn”. The Grinding Burn comes
down from the Eildon Hills which are notably green.