Caunterbury

Middle English

Alternative forms

• Canterbiri, Canterburi, Canterbury, Caunterbery, Caunterbiri, Caunterbiry, Caunterburi, Cawnterbery, Kaunterburi

Etymology

From Old English Cantwarbyriġ, late form of Cantwara byriġ, dative and genitive of Cantwara burg.

The pronunciation with /au̯/ could just be analogy with variation between /au̯/ and /a/ in other words, but the influence of the lost /w/ in Old English Cantwara byriġ is also possible. Such a development is also seen in aunswere, variant of answere (“answer”); this is not a mere backspelling, as orthoepists commonly give pronunciations of answer with reflexes of /au̯/ in the Early Modern English period.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯ntərburiː/, /ˈkantərburiː/

Proper noun

Caunterbury

1. Canterbury (a cathedral city in modern Kent, England)
   • late 14th c. Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales. General Prologue: 15-16.

     And specially from every shires ende
     Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,

     And specially from every shire's end
     Of England they to Canterbury went,

Descendants

• English: Canterbury
• → Old French: Canterbiri, Cantorebiri
  • French: Cantorbéry