Cheapside
/ˈtʃiːp.saɪd/noun
A street in the City of London, historically a major market area.
Did you know?Cheapside comes from Old English *ceap* meaning “barter, trade, purchase,” the same root behind *cheap*—so the name originally pointed to commerce, not low quality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kaupą
“barter, purchase, trade”
Old English
OE
ċēap
“barter, trade, business, market”
Old English
OE
ċēap sīde
“the market side or market street”
Middle English
ME
Chepe-side
“the market street in London”
Modern English
English
Cheapside
“a street in the City of London”