Re: Ireleigh / Ireley
in reply to a message by LadyBug
it seems clear this is a place name (Ireley in Gloucestershire) so the first element being Ire (Ireland) is doubtful, however the options here are difficult yr "horn", yr "bow" (with normal change of OE front rounded /y/ to unrounded /i/) or some other element obscured by spelling change or loss of consonants, which is also common. unfortunately in this case we only have a relatively modern form, not an older version which might provide more clarity. (There is a person's name Ira/Irra/Iro but that is no more clear, it's possible this is a hypocoristic form of an element meaning iron)
This message was edited 9/6/2021, 10:59 AM