Durham

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A city located in North East England known for its historic university and beautiful cathedral
2. A historic county in England that incorporates the city of the same name, known for its coal mining and distinctive heritage
3. A university town famous for its sweeping landscapes, medieval architecture, and significant academic institutions

Etymology: The most surprising thing about Durham is that its name has nothing to do with "ham" meaning home or farm, even though that is how it now sounds. The original form was Old English "Dūnholm", combining "dun" (hill) with Old Norse "holm" (islet or island), describing a rocky hill nearly surrounded by a loop of the River Wear. Over the centuries the ending "holm" was misheard as the familiar place-name suffix "-ham", and the "n" in "dun" weakened to an "r" under the influence of the "m" that followed, producing "Durham". The city's older Latin-style names survive as doublets: "Duresm" and "Dunelm" are the same place name in different forms. "Dunelm" in particular survives in Latin formal usage, and the university's college and institutional traditions still draw on these older forms.

Synonyms: Durham (city), Durham (county)