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Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

3 5.1
A county north of London in southern England
  • proper noun
  • /ˈhɑːrtfədʃɪr/
translation icon : Hertfordshire
  • Yes, ma'am, I had the pleasure of meeting your nephew in Hertfordshire.
  • Hertfordshire County Council
  • University of Hertfordshire

Albans, do you think Hertfordshire, you think posh area?

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Examples

Synonyms

Hert
vsHertfordshire
  • UK
9.2

A short form for Hertfordshire used in addresses

is the full official name written without abbreviation

Surface Forms

Morphology

Hertfordshire = Hertford (transparent) = Hertford + shire

Formed by the town name 'Hertford' plus the productive place-name suffix '-shire' meaning 'county', so the county meaning is directly derived from the base.

Etymology

The word Hertfordshire comes from the town name Hertford plus the county ending -shire. Hertford came from old words for 'deer' and ford, meaning 'river crossing', so the town was a place where deer crossed the river and the county is named after that town.