Oxford
/ˈɒksfərd/
noun
Origin
Old English
oxna ford — ford of the oxen
Overview
Meaning Now
- A city in Oxfordshire, England, home to the University of Oxford.
- A style of low-cut shoe laced over the instep.
Literal older meaning
ford for oxen
Language path
Old English → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
Oxnaforda
Earliest period
10th century
Journey
The city of Oxford originated as a Saxon settlement strategically placed at a point where the River Thames was shallow enough to be crossed by livestock, specifically oxen.
Evolution
- Old English
Oxnaforda
“ford of the oxen”
- Middle English
Oxenford
“ford of the oxen”
Transition from genitive plural to simple noun-noun compound
- Modern English
Oxford
“Oxford”
Connections
Word parts
oxen
root
plural of ox
ford
root
shallow place in a river
Related across languages
Old High German
Ochsenfurt
ford of the oxen
Explore next
Related to Oxford
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.