Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “canterbury” come from?

canterbury (English) comes from Middle English Caunterbury, from Old English Cantwarbyriġ, from Old English Cantwara byriġ, from Old English Cantwara burg, from Old English Cantware, from Old English -ware, from Proto-West Germanic *-wari, from Proto-Germanic warjaz — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

canterbury (English): A rack for magazines or other papers, usually...

Definitions

  1. A rack for magazines or other papers, usually...

Ancestry of “canterbury”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishCaunterbury—
2Old EnglishCantwarbyriġ—
3Old EnglishCantwara byriġ—
4Old EnglishCantwara burg—
5Old EnglishCantwareKent
6Old English-waresuffix denoting inhabitants or residents of a...
7Proto-West Germanic*-wari—
8Proto-Germanicwarjazdefender; inhabitant; citizen
9Proto-Germanicwarjanąto ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
11Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →