Where does “Canterbury” come from?
Canterbury derives from Middle English Caunterbury, from Old English Cantwara byriġ meaning "fortified town of the Kentish people," combining Old English Cant- from Latin Cantium with burg from Proto-Indo-European bʰergʰ- meaning "fortification."
Canterbury (English): OS grid ref TR1457
Definitions
- OS grid ref TR1457
Ancestry of “Canterbury”, step by step
Canterbury traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English Caunterbury
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Caunterbury | — |
| 2 | Old English | Cantwarbyriġ | — |
| 3 | Old English | Cantwara byriġ | — |
| 4 | Old English | Cantwara burg | — |
| 5 | Old English | Cantware | Kent |
| 6 | Old English | -ware | suffix denoting inhabitants or residents of a... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | *-wari | dweller, inhabitant, citizen |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | warjaz | defender; inhabitant; citizen |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via English Canterburi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Canterburi | — |