Halifax

English

Etymology

From Old English halh-ġefeaxe (literally “grassy corner”), compounded from halh +‎ ġefeaxe. Folk etymology suggests Old English hāliġfeax (literally “holy hair”), as compounded from hāliġ +‎ feax, from a local legend that the town is said to have received the name from the fact that the hair of a murdered virgin was hung up on a tree in the neighborhood, which became a resort of pilgrims. Compare also Fairfax.

The capital city of Nova Scotia is named after statesman George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (1716–1771).

The civil parish is also named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax. Coined by British-Dutch surveyor Samuel Holland.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhæl.ɪˌfæks/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Hal‧i‧fax
• Rhymes: -ælɪfæks

Proper noun

Halifax

1. An industrial town in West Yorkshire, England, 20km south-west of Leeds.
2. A civil parish of Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. [From 1765]
3. The capital city of Nova Scotia, Canada. [From 1749]
4. A regional municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada.
5. A small town, the county seat of Halifax County, North Carolina, United States.
6. A town, the county seat of Halifax County, Virginia, United States.
7. An earldom in the Peerage of Great Britain.

Derived terms

• go to Halifax
• Halifax County

Related terms

• Haligonian

Translations

city in West Yorkshire, England

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 哈利法克斯 (zh) (Hālìfǎkésī)

• German: Halifax (de)
• Greek: Χάλιφαξ n (Chálifax)
• Hindi: हैलिफ़ैक्स m (hailifaiks)
• Japanese: ハリファックス (Harifakkusu)
• Latin: Halifacium m
• Marathi: हॅलिफॅक्स n (hĕliphĕksa)
• Russian: Га́лифакс (ru) m (Gálifaks), Галифа́кс (ru) m (Galifáks)
• Spanish: Halifax (es) m
• Ukrainian: Галіфа́кс m (Halifáks)

city in Nova Scotia, Canada

• Bulgarian: Ха́лифакс m (Hálifaks)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 哈利法克斯 (zh) (Hālìfǎkésī)

• Esperanto: Halifakso
• French: Halifax (fr) m
• German: Halifax (de)
• Greek: Χάλιφαξ n (Chálifax)
• Hindi: हैलिफ़ैक्स m (hailifaiks)
• Japanese: ハリファックス (Harifakkusu)
• Korean: 핼리팩스 (Haellipaekseu)
• Latin: Halifaxia f
• Marathi: हॅलिफॅक्स n (hĕliphĕksa)
• Russian: Га́лифакс (ru) m (Gálifaks), Галифа́кс (ru) m (Galifáks)
• Spanish: Halifax (es) m
• Ukrainian: Галіфа́кс m (Halifáks)

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxalifaɡs/ [ˈxa.li.faɣ̞s]
• Rhymes: -alifaɡs

Proper noun

Halifax m

1. Halifax (a city in England)
2. Halifax (a city in Canada)