Where does “Cheshire” come from?
Cheshire derives from Old English Ceasterscīr, a compound of Old English ceaster from Latin castrum meaning "fortified camp," and Old English scīr meaning "shire" or "administrative division," both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots.
Ancestry of “Cheshire”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Ceasterscīr | — |
| 2 | Old English | sċīr | bright; shire; county |
| 3 | Old English | burna | stream |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | brunnō | well, spring |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | brunnô | source; wellspring; fountain; brook; stream;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₁wr̥ | well, spring, source |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |