Linnusenimede Agelinde ja Kedipiv päritolust
On the etymology of the stronghold names Agelinde and Kedipiv

Summary/Abstract: The hill fort Agelinde in the southern part of Viru county was first mentioned in 1226, later in the form of Hagelite (in 1227 and 1233) and Agnileti (in 1236). The stronghold name variants derive in all probability from the common name *akja : aγja-n ‘margin, border’ and *litna ‘stronghold; hill fort’. It has meant a stronghold at the border of two ancient counties. The stronghold name Kedipiv found in Russian chronicles (1057) is connected with the words *käsi : *käδen ‘hand’ and *päivä ‘sun’ (not *pää ‘head; end’). It can originate either in the anthroponym *Käδen-päivä or *Kätevä-päivä. Thus, the refuge or stronghold name could be *Kätevän päivän (litna) ‘(stronghold) of Päivä with skilful hands’ (cf. also 1410 Kedempe, 1732 Kädenpä) after a person who got his name due to his skilful hands. Nowadays this stronghold name is known as the name of the borough Keava in the southern part of Harju county. The latter toponym can be derived directly from *kätevä.

• Details
• Contents