Gallows Knowe
hill or mountain · Dumfries and Galloway
Old EnglishSurmised
Probable2 sources · name elements
This name refers to a hill or mound where executions by hanging took place. 'Gallows' comes from Old English 'galga' (structure for hanging criminals), and 'knowe' is a dialectal term for a small hill or mound.
Word origins
- Gallows
- Old EnglishAttestedA structure for hanging criminals(from galga "gallows")
- Knowe
- Old EnglishAttestedA small hill or mound(from cnoll "knoll")