Where does “Derbyshire” come from?
Derbyshire derives from English Derby, a place name of uncertain ultimate origin whose etymology remains undetermined.
Derbyshire (English): bounded by South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire
Definitions
- bounded by South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire
Ancestry of “Derbyshire”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Derbyschire | — |
| 2 | Old English | Deorbyscir | Derbyshire |
| 3 | Old English | Dēorbȳ | Derby |
| 4 | Old Norse | Djúra-bý | — |
| 5 | Old Norse | dýr | animal |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | *ᛞᛖᚢᛉᚨ | animal |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | deuzą | animal, beast |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewsóm | living thing |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéws | breath |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwes- | to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature |