-hou

-hou is a suffix (part added to the end of a word) found in many Channel Islands and Norman names. It is the Norman language version of the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small island, and often found anglicised elsewhere as "holm". It can still be found in modern Scandinavian languages, e.g. Stockholm.

This is a map of the Bailiwick of Guernsey

The Norman hommet/houmet also comes from this suffix.

In Parisian French, the equivalent is îlot, which is the same as the English "islet".

Bailiwick of Guernsey

• Off Guernsey
  • Lihou
  • Les Houmets including - Houmet Benest/Benet, Houmet Paradis & Houmet Hommetol (Omptolle).
• Off Alderney
  • Burhou
• Off Herm
  • Jethou
  • Le Plat Houmet
• Off Sark
  • Brecqhou

Bailiwick of Jersey

Aerial view of Les Écréhous

• Les Écréhous
• Le Plat Hommeit
• Le Hommet du Ouaisné
• Les Hommets
• La Rocco (from rocque-hou)
• Icho (from ic-hou)

Normandy

• Tatihou
• Quettehou
• Néhou
• Tribehou

References

• Lepelley, Rene (1999). Noms de lieux de Normandie et des iles anglo-normandes. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-2-86253-247-9.
• Jersiaise, Societe (1986). Jersey Place Names: A Corpus of Jersey Toponymy. ISBN 978-0-901897-17-6.