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

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ROXBURGHSHIRE
ACREKNOWE (Cav): (85, 12 B):
Akarknowe 1547-8 CSP; Akerknow, Blaeu. Perhaps OE æcer, “cultivated land”, is the first
element, as “hill with a cultivated patch”. Rxb dialect aiker, “sharp, keen, pointed”, applied to
the face (Watson, s.v.), is possible, since the hill above Acreknowe is sharply pointed to the
North. Fr aigre must be the source of this word.
HUMMELKNOWES (Cav): (85, 12 B):
Homble Knowes, 1547-8 CSP; Humilknowis, 1574 RPC. ModSc hommyll, humble, “hornless,
dodded”, is used of a round hill: cf Humbledon Hill, Du, and Humbleton Hill, Nb (PN NbDu,
120). For Humbleton, YER, OE *humol, “something rounded”, related to OE hamel,
“maimed”, is suggested (PN YER, 54).
/241/
MIDDLESKNOWES (Oxn): is so spelt in 1590, CBP. The first element may be an OE
personal name *Midele: cf Middlesborough and Middlesmoor, YWR (PN YNR, 160).
BERWICKSHIRE
COWDENKNOWES (Earl): (81, 2 C):
Coldaneknollis, 1535 RSS; Coldounknowis, 1541 ALC; Coldinknollis, 1559 LSMM;
Coldenknovis, 1581 Dryb. This may be a hybrid, Gael colltuinn, “hazel”, and MSc knowe, as
Professor Watson argues (CPNS, 139), but it may also be an English formation: OE col-denu,
“charcoal valley”, with cnolles. Compare Great Cowden: Coledun, 1086; Coldun 12 th , from
OE col-dun (PN YER, 62). Cowdenknowes is in an area previously well wooded, so that
charcoal may well have been produced there.
DUMFRIESSHIRE
CROWDIEKNOWE HILL (Mid):
Crowdi(e)know, 1648, 1655, Reg Sas Dmf. MSc crowdie is a kind of cheese, but this is
unlikely to be the first element of a hill-name. An OE personal name Crūda, as in
Crowdycote, Db, is possible (DEPN, 127).
MOSSKNOW (KF):
Mouseknow, Blaeu. Blaeu’s spelling is perhaps incorrect. OE mos, MSc moss, “bog, moss”,
may be the first element.
A “lost” name is Brunecnolh, 1165-75 LSMM, in Hownam, which is “brown hillock”.
/243/ There are 154 other names in -knowe. Very few are farm-names: practically all denote
hills. They are to be found in more or less equal proportions in the four counties.
/244/ LXVI MSc rigg,
“long narrow hill, ridge”, is a dialect form, either directly borrowed from ON hryggr, or
representing OE hryċġwith consonants influenced by the Scandinavian word. Endings in
-ridge are modern substitutions.