I looked up "maes" in the Index of Celtic and Other Elements in W.J.Watson's 'The History of the Celtic Place-names of Scotland' (by A.G.James and S.Taylor incorporating the work of A.Watson and the late E.J.Basden) and it said:
Maes (Br, Corn, W), mages- (eCelt), mes (Corn), meaz (Bret), mutated faes, Angl moss- field, plain
How is listed as meaning "low hill". So, from those definitions, Maes Howe would simply mean "Plain with a low hill" - which does describe the setting pretty well.
Mess is referenced to Mae, Mass has no entry and May is listed as an anglicized version of the Irish meidhe - meaning neck, stump or trunk.
 Reply | with quote | Posted by Lianachan
18th April 2005ce
09:26 |
Mess/Mass/Maes/May (wideford, Apr 16, 2005, 11:23)- Re: Mess/Mass/Maes/May (moss, Apr 16, 2005, 12:16)
- Re: Mess/Mass/Maes/May (follow that cow, Apr 16, 2005, 16:00)
- Re: Mess/Mass/Maes/May (follow that cow, Apr 16, 2005, 17:13)
- Re: Mess/Mass/Maes/May (Lianachan, Apr 18, 2005, 08:53)
- Re: Mess/Mass/Maes/May (Lianachan, Apr 18, 2005, 09:26)
- Re: Mess/Mass/Maes/May (follow that cow, Apr 18, 2005, 09:37)
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Mess/Mass/Maes/May (wideford)