Chesterford
/ˈtʃɛstərfɔːrd/noun
A place-name in Essex, England, referring chiefly to Great Chesterford and Little Chesterford.
Did you know?The element Chester comes from Latin castrum, the word for a military camp or fort, preserved in many British place-names marking Roman occupation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“To cross or pass through; the ancient root behind the ford element.”
Classical Latin
Latin
castrum
“A fortified military camp or settlement.”
Roman Britain
Latin
castra
“A military station or fortified Roman settlement.”
Old English
Old English
ceaster
“A Roman fort, town, or walled settlement, borrowed from Latin castra.”
Old English
Old English
ford
“A shallow place where people or animals could cross a river.”
Medieval English
English
Chesterford
“A ford associated with a Roman settlement or fort; the name later applied to the Essex villages.”