A city name, most notably referring to Somerville, Massachusetts, near Boston.
From Norman French, meaning 'summer settlement' or 'summer village' (sumer + ville). Many places named Somerville were originally seasonal settlements or places associated with summer activities. The Massachusetts city was named after Captain Richard Somers, a naval officer, showing how place names can shift from descriptive to commemorative.
Somerville, Massachusetts, has the interesting distinction of being one of the most densely populated cities in New England, yet it was originally farmland that provided summer retreats for Boston residents. The city has transformed from a literal 'summer ville' to a year-round urban hub, making its name both historically accurate and ironically outdated.
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