Where does “Caunterbury” come from?
Caunterbury (Middle English) comes 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, from Proto-Germanic warjaną — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “Caunterbury”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Cantwarbyriġ | — |
| 2 | Old English | Cantwara byriġ | — |
| 3 | Old English | Cantwara burg | — |
| 4 | Old English | Cantware | Kent |
| 5 | Old English | -ware | suffix denoting inhabitants or residents of a... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *-wari | dweller, inhabitant, citizen |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | warjaz | defender; inhabitant; citizen |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |