ey – island, area of raised ground in wet country
This is one of the most common reliably wet Anglo-Saxon place-name elements, with examples including Bermondsey, Chertsey, Hackney and Witney.
slaep – slippery place
Perhaps understandably, few of these places have achieved greatness, although a sprinkling of Slaptons, Islip near Oxford and possibly Ruislip in Greater London indicate places where you should watch your step.
hamm – land surrounded by water or marsh
Frustratingly close to a simple “ham”, meaning a homestead or settlement, this element has long been misidentified, leading one eminent toponymist to describe it as a “long-suffering” place-name element. Reasonably certain instances include Chippenham, Evesham, Fulham, Twickenham and Southampton.
holmr – inland promontory, raised ground in marsh
Confusingly, over the years often also corrupted to “ham”, this is actually an Old Norse element similar in meaning to “ey”. Prominent examples are Durham and Oldham.
sloh – muddy place, mire
As in Slough.
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