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Glite Dictionary
Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire

1 4.8
A county in central England with farms, villages, and old towns
  • proper noun
  • /nɔːrˈθæmptənʃɪr/
: Northamptonshire
  • I spent my childhood in Northamptonshire, exploring its historic towns and pleasant landscapes.

I won't go in Northamptonshire, I won't do that.

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Examples

  • The Conservative leader of Northamptonshire said, and I quote, they couldn't cope with the levels of cuts.

  • But I was born in Northamptonshire, little village there.

    Terry Stone Connection

  • Told the police that her mum is coming up from Northamptonshire to see us.

    Liam Tuffs

  • He is the books editor of the New York Observer and lives in Northamptonshire, England.

    Academic text (1997)

  • I was born and bred then Corby, Northamptonshire, went to school there all my life.

    Liam Tuffs

  • Police in Northamptonshire have been contacted by two alleged victims, while it emerged this week that Surrey, Sussex, and Jersey Police have also received complaints.

    Blog text (28)

  • Questionnaires were given to 198 members of the public, many of whom came from local villages in Northamptonshire.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Bailey is a freelance writer and blogger, blog designer, host of the weekly Bailey's Writing Tips audio podcast, and leads two in-person writing groups based in Northamptonshire, England.

    Blog text (12)

  • They visited the beautiful countryside of Northamptonshire during their summer holiday.

  • The local festival in Northamptonshire attracts many visitors each year with its traditional events.

Surface Forms

Northamptonshire main

Morphology

Northamptonshire = Northampton (semi-transparent) = Northampton + shire

The county name is transparently formed from the town 'Northampton' plus the county-forming suffix '-shire', but the suffix '-shire' (meaning 'county') may be unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

The word Northamptonshire comes from the town Northampton plus shire, where north means 'north' and hampton means 'home' or 'town', and shire means 'county'. So, Northamptonshire is the 'county around the north town', which helps explain why the county is named after the town of Northampton.