Esk
/ɛsk/noun
A name used for several rivers in Britain and Australia, especially the River Esk in northern England and Scotland.
Did you know?Esk derives from Brittonic *iska, “water,” a Celtic root also preserved in names such as Usk and Exe and in Gaelic uisge, “water,” used in whisky’s original phrase uisge beatha, “water of life.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*iskā
“Water”
Roman Britain
Brittonic
*iska
“Water; a river or stream”
Roman Britain
Latin
Isca
“A river name adopted into Latin records”
Early Medieval Period
Old Welsh/Brittonic
Uisc or Usk
“Water or a river name”
Middle English
English
Esk
“A river name inherited from Celtic-speaking Britain”
Modern English
English
Esk
“A proper name for several rivers, especially in Scotland and northern England”