Carmalt (NY007284) and Caermote (NY202413)

Carmalt (NY007284)  and Caermote (NY202413)  - PNCu p455 Nooke, Carmalt al. Nooke 1725. Kirmalt oth. Nook 1749.   The source of this is apparently a map in Hutchinson, though I can't read it on the pdf I have (Hutchinson, 1794). It appears to be an alternative name for the Nook Street area of Workington. The name looks to contain caer. The street leads up to Workington Hall which was built in 1199 which is very late to imagine Cumbric was still productive in this area. At the same time it does not appear to be an Antiquarian coining - for example it is not spelled caer. I do not know of any earlier fortified site nearby. 

Sir Ifor Williams had suggested caer + mollt  "fort of the wether" but I think caer + mallt makes sense here too. In both cases the -l- has been vocalised as normal after a back vowel in this dialect (cf ball → ba' , wall → wa' ). Alan James agrees with Ifor Williams (James, 2016)

The Welsh mall (variant mallt) means "rotten, corrupt, mouldy, putrified" and Melville Richards gives several Welsh names apparently containing this element such as Cae Mallt in Flintshire, Glamorgan and Denbishire. Coetgae Mallt in Monmouthshire, Llwyn Mallt near Tongwynlais, Malltraeth in Anglesey "unwholsome strand" (Owen & Morgan, 2007) and very interestingly Castell Mallt at Painscastle in Radnorshire. I can't find it on the modern maps but it may be the Welsh name for the ruined Motte & Bailey there.  So Castell Mallt would be "rotten, putrid castle." 

The -t grows in Welsh words sometimes after the ll /ɬ/, e.g. dallt  from deall  "understand". So the form in mallt, I think, is another piece of evidence that the /ɬ/ existed in Cumbric too - though it doesn't in Cornish or Breton.

PNCu  linked Carmalt at Workington with  Caermote NY202413 near Bothel Carmalt 1777, Caer Mot 1784, Curmault 1742.  This is the site of a Roman fort on the fellside, which would be in ruins by the time Cumbric died out. 

Because caer is feminine (in Welsh at least) it should be lenited (mutated), but the lenition is not shown similarly to Carmarthen for Caerfyrddin.

I think Caer Fallt was a Cumbric name for a "rotten"  fort -  this is an extension of the Welsh meaning of mall but I think one that makes sense - a rotten, fallen-down.. 

There is a personal name Carmalt, which from the Latter Day Saints index was a Cumberland name with individuals from Penrith, Allonby, Bromfield and Greystoke recorded in the 17th Century.