Tanshall
Tanshall KGL S NO253004 1 125m
Townshall 1828 SGF
Tanshall 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn.
? Sc tan + Sc hall
The first element may be the rare Sc word tan, defined by DSL (SND) as ‘a temporary tent, hut or cabin, such as is set up by tinkers or gipsies’ (but recorded only in south-west Scotland). The hall ‘high-status dwelling, hall’ would therefore be used ironically, as is frequently the case with this word in Sc place-names (see for example Muttonhall # KDT, Myrie Hall SLN). If this analysis is correct, then the 1828 form would be an example of a re-interpretation or assimilation of an unfamiliar element to a more familiar one.
Tanshall is now the name of a part of Glenrothes New Town. OS Name Book (92, 53) gives no variant forms, and describes it simply as ‘a small farm house and a few cottages, the property of Mr Balfour, Balbirnie House’.
/tanz hɔl/, locally /tanz hɔ:/
This place-name appeared in printed volume 1