Hertfordshire

/ˈhɑːrtfərdʃər/ noun

Definition

a county in south-central England, near London, known as part of the Home Counties.

Etymology

From Old English Heort-ford-scir: Heort is a deer, ford is a river crossing, and scir means shire or county—literally 'the shire of the deer ford.'

Kelly Says

Many English counties are named exactly like that: [animal or person]+[geography]+[shire]—it's like early English settlers were naming places with the most practical description possible, like saying 'the place with the deer crossing near the river where people live.'

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