Township: Kilmoluaig

Map Reference: unknown exact location

Name Type:

Meaning: There are at least two possibilities for the specific:
• ON vatn ‘water or loch’: 'Vatn ... the genitive singular is, agreeably with the pronunciation, in old vellums invariably spelt vatz, vaz, or vazt ... The modern sound is vass ... In compounds ... vatns-ból 'a watering-place'' (CV, 681). See Vastray, (Sandnes 2010a, 254) and Wasbister, Wasday, Vassay, and Vassquoy on Rousay (Marwick 1995 (1947), 73-4). There is a Wasbist on Westray (Gammeltoft 2001, 160) and a Vatsie on Yell, Shetland (SP); Vassbygdi is quite a common name in Norway, and there is a Vassbotn in Saltdal (NG); Vatnsdalur, Vatnshóll, Vatnskot and Vatnshlíð are farm names in Iceland (SAM). The initial b- may have changed to v- through the process of back-formation (see section 17.4.2.2)
• The male ON personal name Bassi (genitive case Bassa) (Gammeltoft 2001, 301). Basseng occurs five times (NG), while Bassebu is recorded as a farm name in Norway (OR); Bassarnir is a settlement name in the Faroe Islands (KO); and Bassastaðir is a farm name in Iceland (SAM). Gammeltoft has found that personal names are rare specifics in bólstaðr names (Gammeltoft 2001, 55). The same may be true of names in ból
In view of the fact that this was a medieval farm, the generic is likely to be ON ból ‘farm’ (Gammeltoft 2001, 302). The substantial Loch Bhassabol would probably have been named by the Norse in ON vatn 'lake'.
Bassabol is likely to have been a secondary settlement from Biostadh. It is now part of Kilmoluag.

Other Forms: Bassapole, 1509 ER xiii, 216
Bassapoill, 1638 RMS ix, 828
L. Basbol, 1654 Blaeu (Pont)
Bassobull, 1662 ICA NE11, no. 15
Bassapole, 1716 MacLean-Bristol
Loch Vassapoll, 1768 Turnbull
Loch Bhasapoll, 1878 OS 6inch 1st edition


Related Places: See Loch Bhasapol, Kilmoluaig.

Information:
Presumed near Loch Bhassapol.

Local Form:

Languages : Norse

Informants: Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716

Informant 2: Tiree Rental 1747