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

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Hardley, 1288 Rot Scac. There is an area of “rough pasture” marked here in the OS Map, so
that “hard” must refer to the poor /73/ quality of the soil. Lee may mean simply “grassland”.
HORSLEYHILL (Mto): (80, 13 J)
Horsleye (P), 1251 (c 1320) Kelso; Horsliehill, 1564 RPC. OE hors lēah, “horse pasture”.
HUNDALEE (Jed): (81, 4 J):
Hundole(e), 1491-2 RMS; 1524-5 ALC; Hundelie, 1598 CBP; Hundallie, 1598 ib. OE
Hunda-lēah, “clearing of the dogs”, probably deer-hounds. Cf Houndalee, Nb.
KEDSLIE (Mel): (80, 14 B):
Caddysleya, 1150-2 (16 th ) Dryb; Cadesley, 1208 LSMM; Caideslie, 1568 HMC (Home);
Keiddsly, Blaeu. An OE personal name *Cædd, a strong form of (WS) Ceadda, might be the
first element. *Ċæd is also possible: cf Cædbæd and Cædmon (Onom, 124). The initial back
consonant in the modern form suggests, however, Celtic origin, perhaps from a personal
name.
LINTALEE (Jed): (81, 4 J):
Lyntoun-le, c 1375 (1487) Brus, MS C; Lyntaile, c 1375 (1489) ib, MS E; Lintole(y), 1457
HMC (Rxb); 1553 RMS; Lyntellie, 1590 RPC; Lyntaly, Blaeu. If the first spelling is
trustworthy, this represents /74/ OE hlynn-tūn-lēah, “the clearing at *Linton”, which is “the
village by the waterfall or torrent”.
MENSLAWS (Bdr): (81, 2 H):
Mensles, 1516 HMC (Rxb); 1541 RSS; Menslawis, 1573-4 RMS; Menssles, Blaeu. The
terminal may be OE lēas, the plural of lēah, with OE gemnnes, “common land”, as the first
element.
MUSELEE (Rbt): (85, 9 B):
Meussly, Blaeu. Perhaps OE mōs-lēah, containing mōs, “sustenance”, in the sense of
“fodder”: cf Fodderlee (supra). OE mōs > MSc muis. The local pronunciation is [møzli;]
which suggests original ō.
NOTTYLEES (Spr): (81, 8 C):
Knotty Lees, 1604 Johnson’s Survey in NCH iii. Knotty may here by used in a dialect sense of
“hillocky”. But knot, in Upper Liddesdale is the fruit of the cloudberry (Watson, s.v.), and
that may be the meaning here.
ROUGHLEE (Sdn): (86, 4 B):
Rowchleis, 1571 RPC; Roughley, 1590 CBP. MSc rouZh ley, “rough pasture”.
SNABERLEE RIG (Cst): (85, 13 H):
Snebirly, Blaeu.
/75/ Perhaps an ON personal name Snaebjrn (Feilitzen, 368), is the first element.
STOUSLIE (Hwk): (80, 12 J):
Stowislie, 1551 HMC (Home). This may be ME stowes lēZ “Church’s pasture”, but the
evidence is insufficient.
WHITELEE (St B): (81, 1 E):