English
Falkirk
Falkirk comes from Middle English Faukirke.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Faukirke
- EnglishtodayFalkirk
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Faukirke
- EnglishtodayFalkirk
A compound of fāg ‘multicoloured’ + ċiriċe ‘church’
Ancient Greek κυριακόν ‘the Lord's (house)’
Proto-West Germanic *kirikā ‘church’
Old English ċiriċe ‘church’
first attested The l is first attested in the 15th century, likely a hypercorrection by analogy with terms such as wall (Scots wa) (as stated in the etymology)
The story
Inherited from Middle English Faukirke, from Old English fāg (‘multicoloured’) + ċiriċe (‘church’), a calque of Middle Irish Eiglesbrec (literally “speckled church”), probably ultimately from Cumbric *eglēs (‘church’) + Cumbric *vreith (‘speckled’). The l is first attested in the 15th century, likely a hypercorrection by analogy with terms such as wall (Scots wa).
Every English word from Middle English Faukirke
Today it means
name A town in Falkirk council area, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, originally in Stirlingshire.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English Faukirke / Falkirk