Re: Meaning of greenhalgh
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In reply to:
Re: Meaning of greenhalgh
Daniel Jorge Greenhalgh 6/25/02
I continue to believe that the big tome of the Oxford Dictionary remains correct in stating that "HALGH" means "HALLOW = SACRED = HOLLY", of germanic/viking origin.Therefore, "greenhalgh" simply means "GREEN CEMETERY", i.e. sacred green place where common people were buried, a cemetery where the ground is simply covered by green grass, as opposed to the cemeteries covered by grass enclosed by interspaced large stones forming an oval, where high level Vikings were buried in Sweden. Further back in time was built with the same concept "STONEHENGE".When I hear that place name, it sounds almost like "STONEHALGH".Maybe "greenhalgh" could also have been written "GREENHENGE" way back when people did not know how to read nor write.I looked at maps and satellite views for "Greenhalgh" places in Lancashire and "Greenhaugh" in Nothumberland, as well as "Greenhalgh-in-Thystle" near Hull in Yorshire, and I did not notice any islands nor valleys surrounded by water or between two rivers.All the "Greenhalgh" locations found seem to be good places for cemeteries.It seems plausible that the early Greenhalghs lived near cemeteries, some poor, others aristocrats... Let us give credit to the Oxford Dictionary.