Etymology

Middlesbrough

M3I1D2D2L1E1S1B3R1O1U1G2H4

Today it means: A town, unitary authority, and borough in North Yorkshire, England, situated on the River Tees. Full definition →

Old English middel
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The story

  1. Old English · derived fromburh“fortified place”
  2. Old English · derived frommiddel“middle”
  3. English todayMiddlesbrough

From Old English middel (“middle”) + Old English burh (“fortified place”), equivalent to middle + -s- + -b(o)rough. Doublet of Middleburg and Middlebury. Cf. also Middelburg.

Words from the same roots

Old Englishmiddel all →

middlemelton

Old Englishburh all →

boroughburleyburrowburghbroughDewsburybirkAldeburghCanonburyAldboroughBerry Pomeroy-boro-borough-burghburhBurphamBurrough on the HillHemingbroughOnibury

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.