Durham

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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From Old English Dunholm, meaning "hill islet". In order to get from Dunholm to Durham, two major processes had to take place. Firstly, the n at the coda of the first syllable, dun, underwent dissimilation. Specifically, by influence of the m in the coda of the following syllable (holm), said n denasalised and lenited to the oral r, thus dur. Secondly, after a weakening of the vowel quality in the more weakly-stressed syllable holm, this ending was misanalysed as the similar-sounding toponymic suffix, -ham, meaning home or farm. Doublet of Duresm and Dunelm.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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Durham

  1. County Durham (a county in the Northeast of England)
  2. A city in and the county town of County Durham, England.
  3. Durham County Council, a local government unitary authority which replaced the county council in 2009 in all of County Durham except Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.
  4. An English habitational surname from Old English from the city in England.
  5. An outback town in Queensland, Australia.
  6. A locale in Canada.
    1. A community of New Brunswick; named for Lord Durham, Governor General of Canada.
    2. A community of West Grey, Grey County, Ontario.
    3. The Regional Municipality of Durham, a regional municipality east of Toronto, Ontario.
  7. A locale in the United States.
    1. A township and unincorporated community in Washington County, Arkansas.
    2. A census-designated place in Butte County, California; named for California politician W. W. Durham.
    3. A town and census-designated place therein, in Middlesex County, Connecticut; named for the city in England.
    4. An unincorporated community in Walker County, Georgia; named for Durham Coal and Coke Company.
    5. A township in Hancock County, Illinois.
    6. An unincorporated community in Gibson County, Indiana.
    7. A minor city in Marion County, Kansas; named for the breed of cattle.
    8. A town in Androscoggin County, Maine; named for County Durham, England.
    9. An unincorporated community in Lewis County, Missouri; named for a railroad employee.
    10. A town and census-designated place therein, in Strafford County, New Hampshire.
    11. A town in Greene County, New York; named for the town in Connecticut.
    12. A city, the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina; named for landowner Bartlett S. Durham.
    13. A township in Durham County, North Carolina, most of which is in the city.
    14. An unincorporated community in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma; named for postmaster Doris Durham Morris.
    15. A city in Washington County, Oregon; named for pioneer and Oregon Territory legislator Alberto Alonzo Durham.
    16. A township and unincorporated community therein, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Derived terms

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Noun

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Durham (plural Durhams)

  1. One of a breed of short-horned cattle, originating in the county of Durham, England, and noted for their beef-producing quality.

References

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