[ee-lee for 1, 2; ee-lahy for 3] 
| 1. | Isle of, a former administrative county in E England: now part of Cambridgeshire. |
| 2. | a town on this island: medieval cathedral. 9969. |
| 3. | a male given name. |
| E·ly (ē'lē) A region of east-central England with extensive drained fens. The name Isle comes from the high ground amid the fens; Ely probably refers to the eels formerly found in the fens. The city of Ely (population, 10,268) is noted for its cathedral, dating from the 11th century and one of the largest in England. |
Isle of Ely
historic region of England, part of the administrative and historic county of Cambridgeshire. The Isle of Ely consists of a hill about 7 miles (11 km) long and 4 miles (6 km) wide that rises above the surrounding fens (low-lying lands that were partly covered by water). The Isle of Ely is the highest point in these fenlands and was formerly an island surrounded by marshes and swamps; it could be reached only by boat or causeway. This inaccessible location became the scene of Hereward the Wake's resistance to William I the Conqueror about 1070. In the 17th century the surrounding fens were drained, and the Isle of Ely is now simply a hill in the midst of a low, flat plain whose rich soils provide highly productive farmlands.
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