Leicestershire
English
Etymology
From Old English Lægrecastrescir. The middle and last element are ceaster (“town, city”) and scir (“district”), common in placenames. The first element is probably from the former name of the river Soar, *Ligora, *Ligera, of Celtic/Brythonic origin, from Proto-Celtic *legyā (“sediment”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”), similar to the French river Loire.[1]
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈlɛs.tə(ɹ).ʃə(ɹ)/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Proper noun
Leicestershire
- An inland county of England bordered by Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Derbyshire.
Derived terms
- Leicestershire cheese
- North West Leicestershire
References
- Gelling et al. (eds.), The names of towns and cities in Britain, B. T. Batsford, 1970, p. 122.
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