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ArchivesYork: Clarification
Hi. I am currently writing a Research Essay that is looking at the etymology of the name New York. I am having some difficulty with a couple of things.
1. I am having much difficulty understanding what the last line of Behindthename.com's definition of York? My Dad said that the yew in that line could mean some rference to pigs I think he says but there are yew trees. Which is being referred to there?
2. Behindthename.com's definition of York says that Eburacon is the old name of York, England where as Encarta Encyclopedia says Eboracum is the old name (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761573811, see first line)
3. To add further confusion, at vitalog.net (enter the name York, I can't directly link) they say that York is an old name meaning "place of Yew Trees"
Can anybody give me any assistance, because I am somewhat confused at the moment. Thanks!
1. I am having much difficulty understanding what the last line of Behindthename.com's definition of York? My Dad said that the yew in that line could mean some rference to pigs I think he says but there are yew trees. Which is being referred to there?
2. Behindthename.com's definition of York says that Eburacon is the old name of York, England where as Encarta Encyclopedia says Eboracum is the old name (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761573811, see first line)
3. To add further confusion, at vitalog.net (enter the name York, I can't directly link) they say that York is an old name meaning "place of Yew Trees"
Can anybody give me any assistance, because I am somewhat confused at the moment. Thanks!
1
Replies
The little I know...
Eburacon is the old Celtic name for York. Eboracum is the Latinised form. The name almost certainly refers to yew trees.
England (and therefore York) was inhabited first by the Celts, who named York Eburacon, for the yew tree(s) there (probably a sacred grove of some sort). The Romans came, and spelt the name in Latin as Eboracum. After the Romans left, the Angles, Saxons and Danes (Germanic tribes) came. Not speaking much Latin, they reinterpreted the name Eboracum as Eoforwic - boar farm.
Does that help?
Eburacon is the old Celtic name for York. Eboracum is the Latinised form. The name almost certainly refers to yew trees.
England (and therefore York) was inhabited first by the Celts, who named York Eburacon, for the yew tree(s) there (probably a sacred grove of some sort). The Romans came, and spelt the name in Latin as Eboracum. After the Romans left, the Angles, Saxons and Danes (Germanic tribes) came. Not speaking much Latin, they reinterpreted the name Eboracum as Eoforwic - boar farm.
Does that help?
1