Where does “Yorkshire” come from?
Yorkshire derives from Middle English Yorkshire, which comes from Middle English York, from Old English sċīr meaning "shire" or "administrative division," from Proto-Germanic skīrijaną, ultimately tracing to Latin Eboracum and Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-.
Yorkshire (English): A Yorkshire pudding
Definitions
- A Yorkshire pudding
Ancestry of “Yorkshire”, step by step
Yorkshire 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 |