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ArishMell · 70-79, M
"Arish Mell" (two words) is the name of a small, rather remote beach on coast of SW England - my profile photo is one I found on line of it.
I do not know the etymology - the name is likely to be hundreds of years old.
By sheer co-incidence it's only about three miles East of the Durdle Door rock-arch RickieChiki uses as her photo.
I do not know the etymology - the name is likely to be hundreds of years old.
By sheer co-incidence it's only about three miles East of the Durdle Door rock-arch RickieChiki uses as her photo.
4meAndyou · F
@ArishMell "Arish" is "archaic Irish", or "primitive Irish", in the gaelic language. "Mell", in gaelic, refers to either an ancient version of heaven, OR to a Lord or Prince, OR to the presence of a Mill.
"Arish Mell", COULD be the term "Irish Lord", if that same beach in Dorset was once owned by an Irish Lord...OR it could mean, "Irish heaven", OR it could mean "Irish Mill". There WAS once a mill quite near that beach.
"Arish Mell", COULD be the term "Irish Lord", if that same beach in Dorset was once owned by an Irish Lord...OR it could mean, "Irish heaven", OR it could mean "Irish Mill". There WAS once a mill quite near that beach.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@4meAndyou Thankyou for those suggestions!
The personal name or title probably is so, although the "arish" here might be a corruption of another word.
I think the Mell more likely meant "mill", here. It's a remote spot I have not explored but I believe the valley leading to the beach is dry. The Ordnance Survey map shows no streams anywhere near it. So it is hard to see where a viable mill would have been located. Perhaps a windmill on the hill above, rather than a water-mill. The word "Mel" does occur elsewhere in Dorset and Somerset, likely a few other counties, to mean "mill".
(E.g. Melcombe Regis, Melcombe Bingham - "melcombe" simply being "mill valley", or a "valley of mills". The former's Regis followed King George III visiting the estuarine town to go sea-bathing as prescribed by his doctors. Bingham was perhaps a land-owning family's name.)
The personal name or title probably is so, although the "arish" here might be a corruption of another word.
I think the Mell more likely meant "mill", here. It's a remote spot I have not explored but I believe the valley leading to the beach is dry. The Ordnance Survey map shows no streams anywhere near it. So it is hard to see where a viable mill would have been located. Perhaps a windmill on the hill above, rather than a water-mill. The word "Mel" does occur elsewhere in Dorset and Somerset, likely a few other counties, to mean "mill".
(E.g. Melcombe Regis, Melcombe Bingham - "melcombe" simply being "mill valley", or a "valley of mills". The former's Regis followed King George III visiting the estuarine town to go sea-bathing as prescribed by his doctors. Bingham was perhaps a land-owning family's name.)
