-stow
Old English
Alternative forms
- -stōƿ — wynn spelling
Etymology
From stōw (“place”), from Proto-Germanic *stōwō (“place”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂w- (“to set, place”), from *steh₂- (“to stand”). Akin to Old Norse -stó (“place of”), Old Frisian stō (“place”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌾𐌰𐌽 (stōjan, “to judge, place”). Confer the similar usage in forming toponyms in the cognate Indo-Iranian suffix -stan. See also stow.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-stōw
- suffix found in many placenames denoting "place" or "place of"
- place, area; provenance of, office of, jurisdiction of
- folcstōw ― a place in the country
- friþstōw ― a place of peace, sanctuary, refuge, asylum
- fulwihtstōw ― a baptistry, place where one is baptized
- moldstōw ― a site; sepulcre
- mōtstōw ― a forum
- nēahstōw ― neighborhood; vicinity
- mynsterstōw ― town, township