Where does “Monmouthshire” come from?
Monmouthshire derives from English Monmouth, combining English mouth with Welsh Mynwy, ultimately from Old English mūþ, Proto-Germanic skīriz, and Proto-Indo-European roots (s)ker- and men-.
Monmouthshire (English): bordered by to the east by Gloucestershire, to the northeast by Herefordshire, to the north by Brecknockshire, to the west by Glamorganshire and to the south by the Bristol Channel. It was part of England until renamed Gwent and taken into Wales in 1974
Definitions
- bordered by to the east by Gloucestershire, to the northeast by Herefordshire, to the north by Brecknockshire, to the west by Glamorganshire and to the south by the Bristol Channel. It was part of England until renamed Gwent and taken into Wales in 1974
Ancestry of “Monmouthshire”, step by step
Monmouthshire traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shire | Physical area administered by a sheriff; Former... |
| 2 | Middle English | schire | Alternative form of shire; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | sċīr | bright; shire; county |
| 4 | Old English | burna | stream |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | brunnō | well, spring |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | brunnô | source; wellspring; fountain; brook; stream;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₁wr̥ | well, spring, source |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |
via English Monmouth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Monmouth | OS grid ref SO5012 |
| 2 | English | mouth | The opening of a creature through which food is... |
| 3 | Middle English | mouþ | Alternative form of mouth |
| 4 | Old English | mūþ | mouth, opening, door, gate |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *munþ | mouth |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | munþaz | mouth |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |