Broughton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A town or village in England, notably one of several settlements bearing this name in the Midlands and North
2. Any of various communities and districts in England historically or currently known by this designation
3. A location in England traditionally identified by this name, often appearing as a hamlet or parish in regional geography

Etymology: Broughton is a place name rather than a common word, and it is one of the many English towns and villages named for their setting. Its two possible roots are Old English "beorg", meaning hill or mountain, and "brōc", meaning brook, stream or torrent. Either way, the first element describes the landscape, while the second, "tūn", meant an enclosure and later a settlement or town. The ambiguity matters. Because "beorg" and "brōc" could sound alike as they shifted over the centuries, the name could describe a settlement on a hill or one beside a stream, and many places called Broughton exist across England. The name therefore records a simple act of naming: someone looked at the land and named the farmstead or village after the feature nearest to it.