Notwithstanding it’s shamefulness, why does the name “Piltdown” seemingly lack an etymology?

L

Levia Van Kales

Clone of banned member
English - Britain
Rather oddly having an hard time digging up an etymology for “Piltdown”. The word is from the:
The Piltdown Man paleoanthropological bone swindle in the 1800s…
Piltdown Man - Wikipedia
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The aforeshown wiki leaf Piltdown Man lacks an etymology for “Piltdown”. Samewise the wiki leaf anent the small thorpe called “Piltdown”.
Hap an markworthy quote from the Piltdown wiki…
The discovery was announced at a Geological Society meeting and was given the Latin name Eoanthropus dawsoni ("Dawson's dawn-man").
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Somewhat markworthy that Charles Dawson his fellow ‘evolution psyop bigman’ Charles Darwin retired to an “Luxted in Downe” whereat the elderly father sadly lost his baby son. Down Syndrome is said to be named after a British doctor called John Langdon Down.
Could the etymologies behind/linking the wordbits down/don/dawn/daw/Darwin/Downs have something to do with the word itself ”Piltdown”?

Googling pilt, Google books has an 1897 writeup with something about O.N. tuskbones, pilt, piltock and boys…The Dialect and Place Names of Shetland
The common Shetland name for the second stage of the saithe ( from its second year till it is full - grown ) is piltock , which is probably the same word as O.N. pilt- r or piltung - r , a boy .
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    • Not a few places in England (and elsewhere) have unknown, dubious or disputed etymologies.

    The "down" part presumably refers to a hill. "Down" in that sense comes from Old English "dun". The adverb derives from OE "dune" meaning "from the hill". I do not think there is any connection with any of the other words you mention. "Dawn" has a connection with "day". "Don" is a contraction of "do on". "Dune" as in "sand dune" is though a cognate.
     
    Hulalessar said:
    Not a few places in England (and elsewhere) have unknown, dubious or disputed etymologies.

    The "down" part presumably refers to a hill. "Down" in that sense comes from Old English "dun". The adverb derives from OE "dune" meaning "from the hill". I do not think there is any connection with any of the other words you mention. "Dawn" has a connection with "day". "Don" is a contraction of "do on". "Dune" as in "sand dune" is though a cognate.
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    pilt?
     
    Levia Van Kales said:
    Rather weirdy how the etymology of “Piltdown” is so lacking and befogged, no?
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    Not really. Some names are opaque because one or more elements cannot be connected to any word in a language now or formerly spoken in the area. "Pilt" may be a "corruption" of a word which would otherwise be recognised. It is often the case that place names get shortened by people is the area. Brighton, for example, is recorded in the Domesday Book as Bristelmestune.
     
    I don’t see what’s odd about it- it would actually be more unusual if it had an undisputed etymology. A very large number of place names have obscure or contested etymology, and of those which are “known”, many are suppositions. It’s hardly surprising when you consider that the first records of place names were often made in records such as the Domesday book, compiled by people who were not local and were almost certainly unaware of the etymology.
     
    Hulalessar said:
    That is the obscure part! It could refer to someone's name.
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    My copy of ‘Sussex Place Names’ by Judith Glover says that the Pilt element comes from an individual called Pīleca. The place is mentioned as ‘Pylkedowne’ in the 15th century, before becoming Pyltedown by the 16th century.

    She confirms what’s already been said about the ‘down’ element coming from Old English ‘dun’.
     
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