22:
741:: "Elevated and easily defensible spots were chosen , earthworks thrown up, always in a circular form, and palisades placed upon these. Such a fortification was called a dun, and London and the names of many other places still preserve that termination in varying forms."
401:, 'fierce') would have a short vowel. Coates notes that this theory was repeated by linguists up to the 1960s, and more recently still in less specialist works. It was revived in 2013 by Peter Schrijver, who suggested that the sense of the proto-Indo-European root *
148:
Coates (1998) asserts that "It is quite clear that these vowel letters in the earliest forms , both <o> and <u>, represent phonemically long vowel sounds". He observes that the ending in Latin sources before 600 is always
325:
underwent phonological changes in a local dialect (either
British Celtic or British Latin) and that the recorded medieval forms in Welsh and Anglo-Saxon would have been derived from that dialectal pronunciation.
417:'place that floods (periodically, tidally)'. This, in Schrijver's reading, would more readily explain all the Latin, Welsh, and English forms. Similar approaches to Schrijver's have been taken by
509:"to flow", found in various river names around Europe. Coates does admit that compound names are comparatively rare for rivers in the Indo-European area, but they are not entirely unknown.
483:, which would have been applied to the Thames where it becomes too wide to ford, in the vicinity of London. The settlement on its banks would then be named from the hydronym with the suffix
911:
56:
who once controlled the city. However, in recent times a series of alternative theories have also been proposed. As of 2017, the trend in scholarly publications supports derivation from a
888:
842:
1252:
933:
776:
121:
with various terminations. He observes that the modern spelling with <o> derives from a medieval writing habit of avoiding <u> between letters composed of
730:
75:, in the 1998 article where he published his own theory of the etymology, lists all the known occurrences of the name up to around the year 900, in
908:
1099:
529:
meaning 'mud' or 'marsh'. Coates' major criticisms are that this does not have the required long vowel (an alternative form
Alessio proposes,
590:. However, Geoffrey's work contains many fanciful suppositions about place-name derivation and the suggestion has no basis in linguistics.
885:
865:
839:
339:
Coates says (p. 211) that "The earliest non-mythic speculation ... centred on the possibility of deriving London from Welsh
390:
1248:
552:, and argues that the British toponym may also be from that source. But a Germanic etymology is rejected by most specialists.
1177:
397:. But Coates argues that there is no such personal name recorded, and that D'Arbois' suggested etymology for it (from Celtic
46:
The etymology of the name is uncertain. There is a long history of mythicising etymologies, such as the twelfth-century
309:, from which the Welsh and English forms were then borrowed. This hypothesis requires that the Latin form have a short
1382:
1351:
1026:
262:. The Welsh and English forms were then borrowed from this. This hypothesis requires that the Latin form have a long
1016:
421:, who in 2016 supported a similar Celtic etymology, while demonstrating that the place-name was borrowed into the
128:
The earliest written mention of London occurs in a letter discovered in London in 2016. Dated AD 65–80, it reads
1387:
1114:
533:, has the long vowel, but lacks the required consonant), and that there is no evidence of Ligurian in Britain.
721:
An 1887 Handbook for
Travellers asserts that "The etymology of London is the same as that of Lincoln" (Latin
290:
286:
522:
301:
in pre-Old French. Thus, he concludes, the remaining Romans of
Britain would have pronounced the name as
1372:
1195:
Gold, David L (1979). "English words of supposed Hebrew origin in George Crabb's "English
Synonymes"".
541:
1377:
566:
84:
48:
1281:
1162:
461:
357:
209:
1302:
622:
537:
1326:
1141:
692:
476:
1341:
982:
1268:
1230:
1149:
752:
561:
521:
Among the first scientific explanations was one by
Giovanni Alessio in 1951. He proposed a
196:
Coates (1998) tentatively accepts the argument by
Jackson (1938) that the British form was
122:
88:
355:, which is incompatible with all the early attestations. Another suggestion, published in
8:
738:
369:. Some of these Belgic toponyms have been attributed to the namesake of London including
57:
1296:
1137:
862:
413:- (used to form singular nouns from collective ones), this could explain a Celtic form *
178:. Following regular sound changes in the two languages, the Welsh name would have been *
1320:
1212:
1074:
964:
499:
703:("temple of Diana"). Another correspondent dismissed these, and reiterated the common
1347:
1078:
1022:
968:
688:
679:
640:
498:. According to this approach, the name of the river itself would be derived from the
1044:
Actes et Mémoires du troisième congrès international de toponymie et d'anthroponymie
1204:
1066:
956:
822:
630:
theory (see below) on geographical grounds, and suggests instead a derivation from
601:
429:
161:
915:
892:
869:
846:
656:
571:
223:
53:
1091:
597:
492:
418:
366:
80:
76:
72:
960:
383:
25:
A tablet from c. 65 AD, reading "Londinio
Mogontio"- "In London, to Mogontius"
1366:
510:
422:
277:
dialect probably developed similarly as the dialect of Gaul (the ancestor of
274:
40:
826:
238:
In the local dialect of
Lowland British Celtic, which later became extinct,
648:
644:
1070:
780:, Routledge Studies in Linguistics, 13 (New York: Routledge, 2014), p. 57.
1057:
Gigot, Jean-Gabriel (1974). "Notes sur le toponyme "Londres" (HĂ©rault)".
751:, although refutes it saying that the origin of the name was most likely
575:
473:
278:
187:
1216:
560:
The earliest account of the toponym's derivation can be attributed to
409:('a subduing'), survived in Celtic. Combined with the Celtic suffix *-
909:"Oldest reference to Roman London found in new tube station entrance"
101:
35:
947:
Jackson, Kenneth H. (1938). "Nennius and the 28 cities of
Britain".
21:
1208:
813:
Coates, Richard (1998). "A new explanation of the name of London".
670:('moon fortress'), and also mentions in passing the possibility of
377:
1046:(in French). Louvain: Instituut voor naamkunde. pp. 223–224.
1110:
371:
425:
ancestor-language of Old English, not into Old English itself.
362:
217:
30:
714:(1855), Alexander Jones says that the Welsh name derives from
536:
Jean-Gabriel Gigot in a 1974 article discusses the toponym of
361:
in 1899, is that the area of London was previously settled by
687:(supposedly "city of the moon", a reference to the temple of
405:('sink, cause to sink'), which gave rise to the Celtic noun *
137:
33:
is derived from a word first attested, in Latinised form, as
886:"Oldest handwritten documents in UK unearthed in London dig"
770:
768:
999:
613:), meaning "grove", and "town". Thus, giving the origin as
52:
asserting that the city's name is derived from the name of
39:. By the first century CE, this was a commercial centre in
934:
Language Contact and the Origins of the Germanic Languages
777:
Language Contact and the Origins of the Germanic Languages
1042:
Alessio, Giovanni (1951). "L'origine du nom de Londres".
1002:
La Civilisation des Celtes et celle de l'épopée homérique
863:"UK's oldest hand-written document 'at Roman London dig'"
765:
747:(1918) mentions a variant on Geoffrey's suggestion being
1021:. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 8.
204:
unexplained. Coates speculates further that the first
796:, 114:3 (2016), 281–97, doi: 10.1111/1467-968X.12064.
788:
786:
555:
160:
However, it has long been observed that the proposed
1138:"The history and antiquities of Highgate, Middlesex"
737:(p. 18), attributes the origin of the name to
600:reportedly suggested that the name might come from
783:
593:Other fanciful theories over the years have been:
1364:
1322:London and Its Environs: Handbook for Travellers
677:Several theories were discussed in the pages of
513:describes the derivation as "somewhat tenuous".
226:(2013) by way of explaining the medieval forms
321:Schrijver therefore concludes that the name of
153:, which points to a British double termination
132:which translates to "In London, to Mogontius".
578:and ordered it to be renamed in his honour as
168:cannot give either the known Anglo-Saxon form
899:, 1 June 2016. Retrieved on 26 January 2018.
876:, 1 June 2016. Retrieved on 26 January 2018.
853:, 1 June 2016. Retrieved on 26 January 2018.
840:"Earliest written reference to London found"
570:, the name is described as originating from
365:who named their outposts after townships in
722:
631:
608:
346:
340:
173:
136:is also the Celtic name of the German city
216:in the last syllable of his own suggested
525:rather than a Celtic origin, with a root
1318:
1184:. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown.
1135:
925:
815:Transactions of the Philological Society
808:
806:
804:
802:
794:Transactions of the Philological Society
117:, and all the Anglo-Saxon examples have
20:
1339:
1178:"Conjecture on the Etymology of London"
1175:
1041:
1014:
946:
922:, 1 June 2016. Retrieved on 2022-11-27.
636:– presumably intended as 'valley city'.
329:
281:). In particular, Latin stressed short
91:. Most of the older sources begin with
1365:
1301:. New York: Sheldon, Lamport. p.
1103:
1004:(in French). Paris: Albert Fontemoing.
940:
812:
691:supposed to have stood on the site of
393:suggested in 1899 that the name meant
182:or similar, and Old English would be *
1343:A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare
1294:
1056:
799:
745:A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare
617:, translating to "city in the grove".
1340:Furness, Horace Howard, ed. (1918).
1194:
666:for 1821 supports the suggestion of
1203:(1). Duke University Press: 61–64.
1000:D'Arbois de Jubainville, H (1899).
647:, assumed to be descendants of the
456:is that it could account for Latin
16:Derivation of the place-name London
13:
1098:, Librairie Droz, Genève, p. 1494
556:Historical and popular suggestions
14:
1399:
1255:from the original on 23 June 2022
1059:Revue international d'onomastique
792:Theodora Bynon, 'London's Name',
582:. This eventually developed into
67:
1117:from the original on 9 July 2011
105:etc.), though there are some in
1333:
1312:
1288:
1241:
1223:
1188:
1169:
1129:
1096:Toponymie générale de la France
1085:
1050:
1035:
1008:
993:
975:
718:, meaning 'pool of the Thames'.
683:on 27 December 1851, including
285:developed first into close-mid
902:
879:
856:
833:
345:, supposedly 'lake fort'. But
297:also developed regularly into
1:
1111:"Legends of London's Origins"
759:
620:John Jackson, writing in the
516:
234:considers two possibilities:
1136:Prickett, Frederick (1842).
655:, meaning "abode of Dan" in
143:
109:. Later examples are mostly
7:
1346:. J B Lippincott & co.
505:"to flow, swim; boat" and
452:. An advantage of the form
10:
1404:
1018:The Origin of Roman London
983:"The Geographical Journal"
735:A Short History of England
540:, a commune in the French
440:, which would have become
391:H. D'Arbois de Jubainville
1295:Jones, Alexander (1855).
961:10.1017/S0003598X00013405
651:, named their settlement
567:Historia Regum Britanniae
428:Coates (1998) proposes a
334:
49:Historia Regum Britanniae
1383:Social history of London
1182:The Gentleman's Magazine
987:The Geographical Journal
914:27 November 2022 at the
626:in 1792, challenges the
468:. The etymology of this
358:The Geographical Journal
289:, then diphthongised to
1325:. K. Baedeker. p.
1319:Baedeker, Karl (1887).
1231:"Etymology of 'London'"
1015:Wallace, Lacey (2015).
827:10.1111/1467-968X.00027
662:An unsigned article in
538:Saint-Martin-de-Londres
1276:Cite journal requires
1176:Jackson, John (1792).
1157:Cite journal requires
868:13 August 2018 at the
845:10 August 2017 at the
723:
632:
609:
574:, who seized the city
548:from a Germanic root
477:Old European hydronymy
347:
341:
174:
26:
1388:City name etymologies
1071:10.3406/rio.1974.2193
891:31 March 2018 at the
544:. Gigot derives this
472:would however lie in
351:derives from British
208:could have arisen by
200:, with the change to
134:Mogontio, Mogontiacum
24:
1307:etymology of london.
623:Gentleman's Magazine
562:Geoffrey of Monmouth
330:Proposed etymologies
172:, or the Welsh form
1249:"Notes and Queries"
851:Current Archaeology
733:, in his 1904 book
693:St Paul's Cathedral
542:Hérault département
500:Indo-European roots
674:('ship fortress').
641:British Israelites
479:, from a hydronym
395:Londino's fortress
293:. The combination
27:
1373:Culture in London
1235:The Cambro Briton
931:Peter Schrijver,
774:Peter Schrijver,
680:Notes and Queries
664:The Cambro Briton
643:claimed that the
130:Londinio Mogontio
1395:
1378:English toponymy
1358:
1357:
1337:
1331:
1330:
1316:
1310:
1309:
1298:The Cymry of '76
1292:
1286:
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830:
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797:
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781:
772:
731:Edward P. Cheney
726:
712:The Cymry of '76
635:
612:
430:Common Brittonic
350:
344:
292:
288:
177:
162:Common Brittonic
1403:
1402:
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1224:
1197:American Speech
1193:
1189:
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1120:
1118:
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926:
916:Wayback Machine
907:
903:
893:Wayback Machine
884:
880:
870:Wayback Machine
861:
857:
847:Wayback Machine
838:
834:
811:
800:
791:
784:
773:
766:
762:
558:
519:
432:form of either
337:
332:
246:regularly, and
224:Peter Schrijver
146:
70:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1401:
1391:
1390:
1385:
1380:
1375:
1360:
1359:
1352:
1332:
1311:
1287:
1278:|journal=
1240:
1237:: 42–43. 1821.
1222:
1209:10.2307/454531
1187:
1168:
1159:|journal=
1128:
1102:
1084:
1049:
1034:
1027:
1007:
992:
974:
939:
937:(2013), p. 57.
924:
901:
878:
855:
832:
821:(2): 203–229.
798:
782:
763:
761:
758:
757:
756:
742:
728:
719:
708:
675:
660:
637:
618:
607:(modern Welsh
598:William Camden
557:
554:
518:
515:
493:Insular Celtic
489:*Plowonidonjon
419:Theodora Bynon
367:Gallia Belgica
336:
333:
331:
328:
319:
318:
271:
145:
142:
73:Richard Coates
69:
68:Attested forms
66:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1400:
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1353:0-486-21187-8
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1028:9781107047570
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543:
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534:
532:
528:
524:
514:
512:
511:Lacey Wallace
508:
504:
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497:
496:*Lowonidonjon
494:
490:
486:
482:
478:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
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423:West Germanic
420:
416:
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408:
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308:
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284:
280:
276:
275:British Latin
272:
269:
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261:
257:
254:, leading to
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
236:
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233:
229:
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221:
220:(see below).
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63:
59:
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51:
50:
44:
42:
41:Roman Britain
38:
37:
32:
23:
19:
1342:
1335:
1321:
1314:
1306:
1297:
1290:
1269:cite journal
1257:. Retrieved
1243:
1234:
1225:
1200:
1196:
1190:
1181:
1171:
1150:cite journal
1131:
1119:. Retrieved
1105:
1095:
1092:Ernest Nègre
1087:
1062:
1058:
1052:
1043:
1037:
1017:
1010:
1001:
995:
986:
977:
952:
948:
942:
932:
927:
919:
904:
897:The Guardian
896:
881:
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858:
850:
835:
818:
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793:
775:
748:
744:
734:
715:
711:
704:
700:
696:
684:
678:
671:
667:
663:
652:
649:Tribe of Dan
645:Anglo-Saxons
627:
621:
614:
604:
592:
587:
583:
579:
565:
559:
549:
545:
535:
530:
527:*lond-/lont-
526:
520:
506:
502:
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488:
484:
480:
469:
465:
457:
453:
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100:
96:
95:(Λονδίνιον,
92:
71:
61:
47:
45:
34:
29:The name of
28:
18:
1259:26 November
1065:: 284–292.
584:Karelundein
576:Trinovantum
470:*LĹŤondonjon
466:*LĹŤnodinjon
454:*LĹŤnidonjon
438:*LĹŤnidonjon
434:*LĹŤondonjon
384:Londinières
89:Anglo-Saxon
1367:Categories
1121:4 February
760:References
749:Lud's town
517:Non-Celtic
481:*Plowonida
474:pre-Celtic
462:metathesis
444:and hence
442:*LĹ«ndonjon
279:Old French
273:The early
256:Lundeinjon
210:metathesis
166:*Londinjon
62:*Londonjon
1079:249329873
969:163506021
955:: 44–55.
949:Antiquity
920:IanVisits
716:Llyn Dain
701:Llan Dian
672:Llong din
633:Glynn din
615:Lhwn Town
602:Brythonic
586:and then
487:, giving
458:Londinium
415:londinjon
323:Londinium
315:Londinium
303:Lundeiniu
268:Londīnium
191:-mutation
144:Phonology
102:Londinium
58:Brittonic
36:Londinium
1253:Archived
1251:. 1852.
1115:Archived
912:Archived
889:Archived
874:BBC News
866:Archived
843:Archived
705:Llyn din
697:Lan Dian
668:Luna din
628:Llyn din
572:King Lud
523:Ligurian
378:Douvrend
342:Llyn din
305:, later
258:, later
232:Llundein
198:-on-jo-n
175:Llundein
155:-in-jo-n
54:King Lud
989:. 1899.
707:theory.
695:), and
685:Luandun
653:lan-dan
580:Kaerlud
546:Londres
485:-on-jon
446:LĹ«ndein
399:*londo-
307:Lundein
260:Lundein
250:became
242:became
212:of the
119:Lunden-
115:London-
111:Lundon-
107:Lundin-
97:Londino
93:Londin-
85:British
1350:
1217:454531
1215:
1077:
1025:
967:
724:Lindum
657:Hebrew
588:London
550:*lohna
507:*nejd-
503:*plew-
450:LĹ«ndyn
407:londos
381:, and
363:Belgae
353:*lind-
335:Celtic
228:Lunden
218:etymon
202:-inium
184:Lynden
180:Lunnen
170:Lunden
151:-inium
123:minims
31:London
1213:JSTOR
1075:S2CID
965:S2CID
918:, on
895:, in
872:, on
849:, on
753:Saxon
689:Diana
639:Some
610:Llwyn
564:. In
531:*lĹŤna
403:lend-
299:-und-
295:-ond-
244:-und-
240:-ond-
164:name
138:Mainz
81:Latin
77:Greek
60:form
1348:ISBN
1282:help
1261:2020
1163:help
1123:2008
1023:ISBN
605:lhwn
491:and
411:injo
372:Limé
348:llyn
291:/ei/
252:-ei-
230:and
186:via
87:and
1303:132
1205:doi
1067:doi
957:doi
823:doi
739:dun
710:In
699:or
464:to
460:by
448:or
436:or
287:/e/
248:-Ä«-
214:-i-
206:-i-
113:or
1369::
1327:60
1305:.
1273::
1271:}}
1267:{{
1233:.
1211:.
1201:51
1199:.
1180:.
1154::
1152:}}
1148:{{
1140::
1113:.
1094:,
1073:.
1063:26
1061:.
985:.
963:.
953:12
951:.
819:96
817:.
801:^
785:^
767:^
727:).
387:.
375:,
313::
266::
193:.
157:.
140:.
125:.
99:,
83:,
79:,
64:.
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1356:.
1329:.
1284:)
1280:(
1263:.
1219:.
1207::
1165:)
1161:(
1144:.
1142:4
1125:.
1081:.
1069::
1031:.
971:.
959::
829:.
825::
755:.
659:.
317:.
311:i
283:i
270:.
264:Ä«
189:i
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