Etymology

Cherbourg

C3H4E1R1B3O1U1R1G2

Today it means: A coastal town in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin commune, Manche department, Normandy, France. Full definition →

French Cherbourg ← Old French Chieresburg ← Old Norse kjarr
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The story

  1. Old Norse · derived fromkjarr“thicket”
  2. Old French · derived fromChieresburg
  3. French · borrowed fromCherbourg
  4. English todayCherbourg

Borrowed from French Cherbourg, from Old French Chieresburg, probably from Old Norse kjarr (“thicket”) + borg (“fort”). Compare Old English Kiǣresburh.

Words from the same roots

Old Norsekjarr all →

carrKerrGreat Altcar

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.