or the particular function performed by the people in that area. Toponymic processes There are identifiable processes which occur over time to place names, and which alter the place names in such a way that their original meanings are lost. These apply to both the names of settlements and natural features, although more so to the former. The processes by which place names change include abbreviation, conflation, convergence, development in the parent language (but stasis in the place name) and replacement of the parent language. The latter in particular can result in dramatic shifts in place names, since the original meaning (and often sounds) are not conveyed in the new language, the place name thus shifts to a form appropriate for the new language. Abbreviation tends to break down a name into a more easily pronounced form, e.g.Cantwaraburh to Canterbury; Dornwaracaster to Dorchester. Conflation is where two similar elements of place names become confused, for instance the Old English roots den (hill) and don (valley) are conflated in place names e.g. Willesden ('stream hill'), Croydon ('crocus valley'). Convergence occurs when place names drift towards other familiar phonemes in place names; e.g. in Abingdon (Aebbeduna, 'Aebbe's hill'), the middle sound has converged to the familiar 'ing' found in many place names (usually meaning 'people of'). Evolution of the parent language may not change a place name by itself; indeed names may show more inertia to change than languages themselves. However, evolution of the parent language permits other processes to occur. For instance, if a name no longer means anything in the modified language, it may drift towards a new form; e.g. Maethelac ('Moot-oak') to Matlock. Or, as the parent language changes, attributes which already form part of a name may be appended to the name. For instance Portsea Island ('Port-island island'); once the meaning of Portsea became obscure, it became necessary to add island. Replacement of the parent language is one of the most dramatic processes of change. If, for whatever reason, a new language becomes spoken in the area, a place name may lose all meaning. At its most severe, the name may be completely replaced. However, often the name may be recycled and altered in some way. Typically, this will be in one of the above ways; as the meaning of place-name is forgotten, it becomes changed to a name suitable for the new language. For instance Brittonic Eborakon