Glossary of Irish Archaeological terms.

Lios. The words lios [lis] and rath were applied to the circular mound or entrenchment, generally of earth, thrown up both as a fortification and a shelter round the level space on which the houses were erected; and accordingly they are often translated atrium by Latin writers. But though this is the usual application of these terms,both and especially rath were,and are,not unfrequently applied to the great high entrenched mounds which are commonly designated by the word dun. These forts are still very numerous through the country, and they are called lisses and raths to the present day. Their great numbers, and the very general application of the terms may be judged of from the fact that there are about 1,400 townlands and villages dispersed through all parts of Ireland, whose names begin with the word Lis alone; and of course this is only a very small fraction of all the lisses in Ireland. The name of Lismore in Waterford affords a good illustration of the application of this word; and its history shows that the early saints sometimes surrounded their habitations with circular lisses, after the fashion of their pagan ancestors. Many local names are formed by the union of the term lios with a personal name; the individual commemorated being either the builder of the lis or one of its subsequent possessors.

The old form of this word is les, genitive lis; but in the modern language a corrupt genitive leasa [lassa] is often found. All these are preserved in modern names; and the word is not much subject to change in the process of anglicisation. Different forms of the genitive are seen in the following: Drumlish, the ridge of the fort, the name of a village in Longford, and of some townlands in the northern counties; Moyliss, Moylish,and Moylisha (Moy, a plain); Gortalassa, the field of the lis; Knockalassa (hill); Ballinlass, Ballinliss,
Ballinlassa, and Ballinlassy, the town of the fort; all widely-spread townland names. The two diminutives liosán and lisín [lissaun, lisheen], little fort, are very common. The latter is usually made Lisheen, which is the name of twenty townlands, and helps to form many others.