View Full Version : Meaning of "ster"
Can you enlighten me as to what "ster" in Caithness place names means,and is it from Norse?
It is Norse yes, and I think (not 100%) that it means Farm or Farmstead.
Back in the time when the Vikings were active the climate was much warmer in Caithess than it is today so alot of Norse settled here and in other places to farm.
No too sure about that. Scrabster means have in the rocks as far as I am aware so maybe it means haven.:roll:
northener
04-Jul-09, 16:27
No too sure about that. Scrabster means have in the rocks as far as I am aware so maybe it means haven.:roll:
It means 'Steading of the sea mews' IIRC...so it would be correct.
Ster = Steading
Yeah that's it
I think it simply means Homestead
Ster means settlement. From Manchester to Campster either inland or sea shore. This rurally can be interpreted as Steading if the area does not develope above several habitats, usually of the same family.
Angel...
northener
07-Jul-09, 13:34
Ster means settlement. From Manchester to Campster either inland or sea shore. This rurally can be interpreted as Steading if the area does not develope above several habitats, usually of the same family.
Angel...
The English 'ster' is actually 'chester' or 'cester' - derived from Latin/Roman for forts or town.
Maybe the Norse version came down from this too? Personally I believe it is just coincidence in the spelling.
It's similar to the difference between 'Wick' in Scotland/East Coast and 'Wick' in Southern/West England.
'Wick' (Norse) = Bay.
'Wick' (Saxon) = Village/settlement.
As an aside, the name of York was changed from the Saxon Eorforwic (meaning wild boar settlement) to the Norse Jorvik (meaning wild boar creek) by the invading Vikings. So both examples of the word 'Wick' were used in the name of one town whilst meaning two totally different things.....:confused
Fascinating subject.
ster means 'farm of' or 'holdings of'
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