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Settlement Names

Kirkabister, Nesting - farm of the kirk Kirkabister, Nesting - farm of the kirkZoomNames including –bo, -bister, -sta, -ster, -garth, and -gord help locate early farms. Examples include Exnaboe (oxen farm), Fladdabister (flat farm), Girlsta (Gerhildr's farm), Houster (high farm), and Backagord (enclosure by the shore).

Toft/Taft names signify a house site, while tun names (Bigton, Shurton, Newton) refer to a group of farms enclosed by a hill dyke. The Old Norse kví (enclosure for cattle) gives names such as Da Hwais, Queyon and Ocraquoy.

Queyon and Da Hwaes, Otterswick, East Yell Queyon and Da Hwaes, Otterswick, East YellZoom

 

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