Where does “Charlestown” come from?
Charlestown (English) comes from English town, from Middle English toun, from Middle English ende, from Old English ende, from Proto-Germanic andi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- — on, onto.
Ancestry of “Charlestown”, step by step
Charlestown traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English town
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | town | A settlement; an area with residential districts,... |
| 2 | Middle English | toun | town |
| 3 | Middle English | ende | The end or finishing of a thing; the terminal... |
| 4 | Old English | ende | end, limit, border, corner |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English Charles
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Charles | OS grid ref SS6832 |
| 2 | French | Charles | Charles |
| 3 | Old French | Charles | — |
| 4 | Latin | Carolus | Charles |
| 5 | Middle High German | Karl | — |
| 6 | Old High German | karl | man |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |