The origin of every English city's name

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Publicado 2024-07-27
Join me for an etymological tour of England. And go to ground.news/robwords to stay fully informed and see through the headlines. Save 40% on unlimited access to the Ground News Vantage Plan for one month only.

In this video, I delve into the origins of the names of every city in England: from the mysterious story of London to the terrific tale of York.
❓What's so new about Newcastle?
❓What was Nottingham's disgusting former name?
❓Which is the only city named after a woman?
Join me as we travel through time to answer these questions and more.

CITY TIME CODES BELOW 👇

==RESOURCES==
📚 Caroline Taggart's book is a tremendous read: www.amazon.com/Book-English-Place-Names-Villages/d…
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Info from English Heritage: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/origi…
🌐 Superb work by m@ at The Londonist: londonist.com/london/outside-london/englishcitynam…

⭐️PATREON COMMUNITY: patreon.com/robwords
📝FREE NEWSLETTER: www.robwords.com/newsletter

Check me out on the web, on Twitter & TikTok:
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tiktok.com/@robwords

==CHAPTERS==
0:00 Introduction
1:01 London
1:53 Lincoln
2:24 Colchester
3:23 Chichester
3:28 Winchester
3:36 Manchester
3:50 Chester
4:07 Lancaster
4:17 Doncaster
4:29 Exeter
4:51 Leicester
5:25 Worcester
5:29 Gloucester
5:44 Norwich
6:16 Southampton
6:46 Wakefield
7:05 Stoke-on-Trent
7:20 Ground News
8:58 Cambridge
9:32 Oxford
9:50 Hereford
9:57 Chelmsford
10:14 Bradford
10:18 Salford
10:35 Coventry
10:50 Lichfield
11:04 Sheffield
11:21 Leeds
11:44 Kingtson-upon-Hull
12:22 Ripon
12:45 Ely
12:58 Portsmouth
13:14 Plymouth
13:26 Bath
13:48 Wells
13:58 Bristol
14:47 Liverpool
15:12 Canterbury
16:05 Salisbury
16:29 Peterborough
16:49 St Albans
17:22 Westminster
17:34 Preston
17:53 Birmingham
18:25 Wolverhampton
19:00 Brighton & Hove
19:34 Nottingham
20:14 Derby
21:10 York
21:57 Durham
22:27 Sunderland
22:57 Newcastle
23:34 Milton Keynes
24:28 Southend-on-Sea
24:45 Carlisle
25:09

Todos los comentarios (21)
  • Find your city using the timecodes in the description. And go to ground.news/robwords to stay fully informed and see through the headlines. Save 40% on unlimited access to the Ground News Vantage Plan for one month only.
  • @gilesfarmer5953
    Regarding the Normans not being able to pronounce Snottingham, so, Nottingham. Luckily for the people of Scunthorpe, they managed to resist the change.
  • @lottifuehrscheim
    As a Northern Dutchman interested in the Mediaeval past, I like these old English names, as they are often such close sisters of our Old-Dutch, Old-Frisian and Old-Saxon developments.
  • @vangogh330
    As someone from New England, this explained the meaning of some many local cities and towns. Thanks!
  • @LiNoeliam93
    I do believe I've become addicted to your videos. They are very interesting, informative and highly enjoyable - and you Sir, are very engaging. Bloody good show my friend! Keep 'em coming! ❤
  • @EmrahUncu
    I liked how Rob used different fonts for different nations who ruled Britain. I especially liked Times New Roman being used for Romans.
  • @neiloflongbeck5705
    The peopleof Scunthorpe had more luck in getting the Normans to pronounce their town's name properly.
  • @nez27
    Idk how this ended up on my feed but good thing it did. Very British humour, love it
  • Your videos have become so professional. Congratulations! I can't even imagine how much work you have researching all this and then making the videos. They should be shown on TV. Thank you!
  • @TimurDavletshin
    4:20 - there are a lot of rivers in Eastern Europe with "Don" in their names. It is said that they come from Iranian "don"... which is just "river" too. Quite funny that distantly related Celts and Iranians had the same word for it.
  • @ianbennett5245
    The Wetherspoons pub chain obviously think that Truro derives from "three rivers" as their Truro establishment is called "Try Dowr" - "Three Rivers" in Cornish.
  • @b4ttlemast0r
    9:52 we actually also have a town named "Herford" in Germany, coming from Low German elements of the same meaning. If coined from standard German elements, it would be "Heerfurt" (compare Frankfurt).
  • @neiloflongbeck5705
    Peterborough is the new name for the city. It was original called Medeshamstede, this then became Burgh in the late 10th Century. By the 12th century, it had become Glidenburgh.
  • @topherthe11th23
    5:55 - Speaking of Norridge (which is spelled "Norwich"), I once knew a man named Mr. Harridge who spelled it "Harwich". Only in the country that thinks that "Chumly" is spelled "Cholmondeley".
  • I grew up close to the Danish equivalent of Derby. In Danish, it is 'Dyrby'. Sunderland is easy for me to translate: It would be called 'Sønderland', and it means the same thing as you proposed. 'Dyr' in Danish just means animal today (if it's a noun).
  • @entropie138
    You’ve explained quite a few cities here in the States too. Thanks!
  • @monicacall7532
    You’re my favorite “word nerd” and you provide me with hours of intellectual fun. Thanks!😊
  • @jacobparry177
    Here's a list of the cities mentioned in the vid that have Welsh (and Cornish) names. Some of the names are evolutions of Celtic to Brittonic to Welsh, others are Medieval in origin, and some are incredibly modern: London - Llundain Colchester- Caercolyn Chichester- Caerfuddai Winchester- Caerwynt Manchester- Manceinion Chester- Caer or Caerlleon Lancaster- Caerhirfryn Doncaster- Dinas y Garrai Exeter- Caerwysg Leicester- Caerlŷr Worcester- Caerwrangon Gloucester- Caerlöyw The Trent in Stoke-On-Trent - Trennydd Cambridge- Caergrawnt (preserves the Granta via Grawnt) Oxford- Rhydychen Hereford- Henffordd Salford- Rhydhelyg Lichfield- Caerlwytgoed Portsmouth- Llongborth (Cornish, Aberporth) Plymouth- Welsh and Cornish: Aberplym Bath- Caerfaddon Bristol- Bryste Liverpool- Lerpwl (Lerpwll, Llynlleifiad) Canterbury- Caergaint Salisbury- Caersallog Peterburough- Trebedr Westminster- San Steffan Preston- Trefoffeiriaid Nottingham- Tŷ'r Ogofau York- Efrog or Caerefrog (1 F = V in Welsh) Durham- Caerweir Newcastle-upon-Tyne- Castellnewydd-ar-Tein Carlisle- Caerliwelydd Truro- In Welsh: Truru, in Cornish: Truru or Treverow. Quick summary of Welsh spelling A, E, I, O, U, W and Y are Vowels. A as in Cat, father. E as in End or the a in Care. I as in the Ee in sweet, fleet, also as in the Y in Yellow, Yes. O as in Gone, For. U as in the I in Kit, hit. W as in the Oo in food, cool, or as in the W in Water, Would. Y as in the U in Run, fun, and as in Hymn, Physics. Consonants: B C Ch D Dd F Ff G Ng Ngh H J L Ll M Mh N Nh P Ph R Rh S T Th There are no silent consonants in Welsh. B, D, H, J, L, M, N, P, PH, T and Th (Th as in thin, thought, not this, though) are pronounced exactly as in English. C is always as in Could, Can, Consider, never City, Cite or Circle. Ch as in Scottish Loch or Scouse Chichen. Dd as in the Th in This, though. F as in Of (v) Ff as in Off (f) G as in Gone, good. Never Ginger, gel. Ng as in sing, thing (not thing-g) Ngh as in the above, but followed by a H. H as in house, horror. Never hour, or the American pronounciation of Herb. Ll place tongue in position to say an L sound, but hiss air out. (Can't get the hang of it? Just use a normal L, not Kl or Fl) Mh is just an M followed by a H, Same for Nh, just an N followed by a h. If anyone wanted me to explain the Welsh names let me know. But I'm sure anyone who's read this will be able to guess that Caer means the same as Caster, cester, chester.
  • @gingersperg
    I was literally watching one of your videos 10 mins ago to blow my colleagues mind about hyper specific German words, and then this pops up. Love it 😅
  • @benjaminm.9700
    I absolutely love your videos, Mr. Words. You come across as a highly practiced public speaker more than a YouTuber. Your geographical videos are my favorites. This one in particular is a banger, feeling more like a college or university lecture than internet content. Perhaps it's the qualities of your overall subject matter, but you and YouTubers such as yourself have that timelessness about you. Brava & cheers!