View source for Combe

{{short description|Type of valley used in place names}}
{{other uses}}{{wikt}}
[[File:Combe_dreveneuse.jpg | thumb | right | alt=An example photograph of a Combe in Switzerland.  | The "Combe de Dreveneuse" in Valais, Switzerland.]]
A '''combe''' ({{IPAc-en|k|uː|m}}; also spelled '''coombe''' or '''coomb''' and, in place names, '''comb''') can refer either to a steep, narrow [[valley]], or to a small valley or large hollow on the side of a hill;<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year= 2011 |title= Combe |encyclopedia= Merriam–Webster's Dictionary |publisher=Merriam–Webster |location= |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combe }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2010 |title=Coomb |encyclopedia= Webster's New World College Dictionary |publisher=Wiley Publishing, Inc |location=Cleveland, Ohio |url=http://www.yourdictionary.com/coomb }}</ref> in any case, it is often understood simply to mean a small valley through which a [[watercourse]] ''does not'' run.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year= 2009 |title= Combe |encyclopedia= Encarta World English Dictionary: North American Edition |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |location= |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=561502913 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2010 |title=Coomb |encyclopedia=Collins Pocket English Dictionary |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Ltd |url=http://www.collinslanguage.com/results.aspx?context=3&reversed=False&action=define&homonym=0&text=coomb |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018051032/http://collinslanguage.com/results.aspx?context=3&reversed=False&action=define&homonym=0&text=coomb |archivedate=2011-10-18 }}</ref>

The word "combe" derives from Old English ''cumb'' and is unrelated to the English word "[[comb]]".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year= |title =Comb |encyclopedia=Century Dictionary |publisher= |location= |url= }}</ref> From Middle English coumbe, cumbe, from Old English cumb, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kumbaz; compare Dutch kom ("bowl, basin"), German Kump ("vessel"). Related to Welsh cwm ("a hollow valley"), of identical meaning, through Proto-Indo-European *ḱumbʰ-.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gooden |first1=Phillip |title=The Story of English |date=2009 |publisher=Quercus |page=22 |isbn=9781847242723 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RqFvXH9yUz8C&dq=cwm&pg=PA42 |access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref> 

Today, the word is used mostly in reference to the combes of southern<ref>
{{cite encyclopedia
 |year= 2010 |title= Coombe
 |encyclopedia= Compact Oxford English Dictionary
 |publisher= Oxford University Press |location=
 |url= http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/combe?view=uk
 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140127235358/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/combe?view=uk
 |url-status= dead
 |archive-date= January 27, 2014
 | quote = A short valley or hollow on a hillside or coastline, especially in southern England.
}}
</ref>
and southwestern [[England]].

==Examples==
The following is a list places in the [[British Isles]] named for having combes:

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
*[[Addiscombe]], in south London
*[[Addiscombe (ward)|Addiscombe]], in the London Borough of Croydon
*Alcombe, in [[Minehead]], Somerset
*[[Allercombe]], Devon
*[[Ansty Coombe]], Wiltshire
*[[Appuldurcombe House|Appuldurcombe]], on the Isle of Wight
*[[Ashcombe]], Devon
*[[Ashcombe House, Somerset|Ashcombe]], Somerset
*[[Ashcombe House, Wiltshire|Ashcombe]], Wiltshire
*[[Awliscombe]], Devon
*[[Babbacombe]], Devon
*[[Balcombe, West Sussex|Balcombe]], West Sussex
*[[Barcombe]], East Sussex
*[[Barcombe Cross]], East Sussex
*[[Batcombe, Dorset|Batcombe]], Dorset, England (named for [[Batcombe Down]])
*[[Batcombe, Somerset|Batcombe]], Somerset
*[[Battlescombe]], Gloucestershire
*[[Batts Combe quarry|Batts Combe]], Somerset
*[[Beercrocombe]], Somerset
*[[Bencombe]], Gloucestershire
*[[Bettiscombe]], Dorset
*[[Bincombe]], Dorset
*[[Black Combe]], Cumbria
*[[Bocombe]], Devon
*[[Bodmiscombe]], Devon
*[[Boscombe]], Dorset
*[[Bowcombe]], Isle of Wight
*Bramblecombe, Dorset
*[[Branscombe]], Devon
*[[Brenscombe Heath]], Dorset
*[[Thrupp and Brimscombe|Brimscombe]], Gloucestershire
*[[Brockley Combe]], North Somerset
*[[Burcombe]], Wiltshire
*[[Burcombe Down]], Wiltshire
*[[Burlescombe]], Devon
*[[Burrington Combe]], North Somerset
*[[Butcombe]], Somerset
*[[Castle Combe]], Wiltshire
*[[Chacombe]], Northamptonshire
*[[Chaffcombe]], Somerset
*[[Chalcombe Priory|Chalcombe]], Northamptonshire
*[[Challacombe]], Somerset
*[[Chambercombe]], Devon
*[[Charlcombe]], Somerset
*[[Chilcombe Camera|Chilcombe]], Dorset
*[[Combe, Berkshire|Combe]], Berkshire
*[[Combe, Buckfastleigh, Devon|Combe]], Devon
*[[Combe, Yealmpton, Devon|Combe]], Devon
*[[Combe, Herefordshire|Combe]], Herefordshire
*[[Combe, Oxfordshire|Combe]], Oxfordshire
*[[Combe Almer]], Dorset
*[[Combe Bottom]], Surrey
*[[Combe Common]], Surrey
*Combe Door Top, [[Glaramara]], Cumbria
*[[Combe Down]], Somerset
*[[Combe Fishacre]], Devon
*[[Combe Florey]], Somerset
*Combe Gill, [[Glaramara]], Cumbria
*[[Combe Haven]], East Sussex
*[[Combe Hay]], Somerset
*Combe Head, [[Glaramara]], Cumbria
*[[Combe Martin]], North Devon
*[[Combe Moor]], Herefordshire
*[[Combe Pafford]], Devon
*[[Combe Raleigh]], Devon
*[[Combe St Nicholas]], Somerset
*[[Combe Sydenham]], Somerset
*[[Combebow]], Devon
*[[Combeinteignhead]], Devon
*[[Combpyne]], Devon
*[[Combwich]], Somerset
*[[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]], Berkshire
*[[Compton, Plymouth|Compton]], Devon
*[[Compton and Shawford|Compton]], Hampshire
*[[Compton, Isle of Wight|Compton]], Isle of Wight
*[[Compton, Guildford|Compton]], Surrey
*[[Compton, Waverley|Compton]], Surrey
*[[Compton, Wolverhampton|Compton]], West Midlands
*[[Compton, West Sussex|Compton]], West Sussex
*[[Compton Abbas]], Dorset
*[[Compton Abdale]], Gloucestershire
*[[Compton Bassett]], Wiltshire
*[[Compton Beauchamp]], Oxfordshire
*[[Compton Bishop]], Somerset
*[[Compton Dando]]
*[[Compton Dundon]]
*[[Compton Greenfield]]
*[[Compton Martin]]
*[[Compton Pauncefoot]]
*[[Compton Valence]]
*[[Coombe Bissett]]
*[[Coombe Dingle, Bristol]]
*[[Coombe Fields]]
*[[Coombe Hill (disambiguation)|Coombe Hill]]
*Coombe Hill, a flank of [[Haddington Hill]]
*[[Coombe Hill, Buckinghamshire]]
*[[Coombe Hill, East Sussex]]
*[[Coombe Hill (Cotswolds)]], Gloucestershire
*[[Coombe Hill, Tewkesbury]], Gloucestershire
*[[Coombe Keynes]]
*[[Coombe, Buckinghamshire]]
*[[Coombe, Bude]]
*[[Coombe, Camborne]]
*[[Coombe, Cornwall (disambiguation)|Coombe, Cornwall]]
*[[Coombe, Croydon]]
*[[Coombe, Devon (disambiguation)|Coombe, Devon]]
*[[Coombe, Gloucestershire]]
*[[Coombe, Hampshire]]
*[[Coombe, Kent]]
*[[Coombe, Kingston upon Thames]]
*[[Coombe, Liskeard]]
*[[Coombe, London (disambiguation)|Coombe, London]]
*[[Coombe, Redruth]]
*[[Coombe, Sidmouth, Devon]]
*[[Coombe, Somerset (disambiguation)|Coombe, Somerset]]
*[[Coombe, St Austell]]
*[[Coombe, Taunton, Somerset]]
*[[Coombe, Teignmouth, Devon]]
*[[Coombe, Tiverton, Devon]]
*[[Coombe, Truro]]
*[[Coombe, Wiltshire (disambiguation)|Coombe, Wiltshire]]
*[[Coombes]]
*[[Corscombe]]
*[[Croscombe]]
*[[Crowcombe]]
*[[Cutcombe]]
*Danescombe, Cornwall
*Doccombe, Devon
*[[Drascombe]]
*[[Drizzlecombe]]
*[[Eastcombe, Gloucestershire]]
*[[Eastcombe, Mendip, Somerset]]
*[[Eastcombe, Taunton Deane, Somerset]]
*[[Ellacombe (disambiguation)|Ellacombe]]
*[[Ellacombe, Devon]]
*[[Englishcombe]]
*[[Faccombe]]
*[[Farncombe]]
*[[Flexcombe]]
*[[Fordcombe]]
*[[Gatcombe]]
*[[Gatcombe Park]]
*[[Goblin Combe]]
*[[Halecombe]]
*[[Harptree Combe]]
*[[Hascombe]]
*[[Hascombe Hill]]
*[[Hawkcombe Woods]]
*[[Hestercombe House]]
*[[High Wycombe]]
* Higher Melcombe
*[[Holcombe Rogus]]
*[[Holcombe, Devon (disambiguation)|Holcombe, Devon]]
*[[Holcombe, East Devon]]
*[[Holcombe, Greater Manchester]]
*[[Holcombe, Somerset]]
*[[Holcombe, Teignbridge]]
*[[Hollycombe]]
*[[Huntercombe (disambiguation)|Huntercombe]]
*[[Huntercombe, Slough]]
*[[Ilfracombe]]
*[[Letcombe]]
*[[Luccombe, Isle of Wight]]
*[[Luccombe, Somerset]]
*[[Luscombe Castle]]
*Maidencombe, Devon
*[[Maplescombe]]
*[[Melcombe Regis]]
*[[Milcombe]]
*[[Milton Combe]]
*[[Monkton Combe]]
*[[Motcombe]]
*[[Moulsecoomb]]
*[[Nether Compton]]
*[[Nettlecombe (disambiguation)|Nettlecombe]]
*[[Nettlecombe Court]]
*[[Nettlecombe, Isle of Wight]]
*[[Nettlecombe, Somerset]]
*[[Occombe Valley Woods]]
*[[Odcombe]]
*[[Oddicombe Beach]]
*[[Orcombe Point]]
*[[Overcombe]]
*[[Over Compton]]
*[[Parracombe]]
*[[Pencombe]]
*[[Peppercombe Castle]]
*[[Picklecombe Fort]]
*[[Pincombe Down]]
*[[Pitcombe]]
*[[Pitcombe Down]]
*[[Postcombe]]
*[[Prescombe Down]]
*[[Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood]]
*[[Pyecombe]]
*[[Ranscombe Farm, Medway]]
*[[Riddlecombe]]
*[[River Swincombe]]
*[[Ruscombe]]
*[[Saddlescombe]]
*[[Salcombe]]
*[[Salcombe Castle]]
*[[Salcombe Regis]]
*[[Seacombe]]
*[[Sedlescombe]]
*[[Shalcombe]]
*[[Sheepscombe]]
*[[Shoscombe]]
*Slewton Combe
*[[Smallcombe]]
*[[Snorscombe]]
*[[Stinchcombe]]
*[[Swanscombe]]
*[[Swyncombe]]
*[[Telscombe]]
*[[Templecombe]]
*[[The Coombe, Dublin]]
*[[The Coombes, Hinton Parva]]
*[[Thorncombe]]
*[[Timberscombe]]
*[[Cerne, Totcombe and Modbury (hundred)|Totcombe]], Dorset
*[[Uggescombe (hundred)]]
*[[Ulcombe]]
*[[Upton Coombe]]
*Warcombe Farm
*[[Welcombe]]
*[[West Wycombe]]
*[[Westcombe, Somerton, Somerset|Westcombe]]
*[[Westcombe Park]]
*[[West Compton (disambiguation)|West Compton]]
*Whitcombe, Dorset
*[[Widcombe, Bath]]
*[[Widecombe-in-the-Moor|Widdecombe]]
*[[Widecombe-in-the-Moor]]
*[[Winchcombe]]
*[[Winscombe]]
*[[Witcombe]]
*[[Withycombe]]
*[[Wiveliscombe]]
*[[Woolacombe]]
*[[Wycombe (disambiguation)|Wycombe]]
*[[Yarcombe]]
*[[Yarnscombe]]
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Valleys]]
[[Category:Slope landforms]]