Etymograph

English

Ferryhill

Ferryhill comes from Anglian Old English fergen ‘wooded mountain’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pérwr̥.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pérwr̥‘rock, mountain’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pérwn̥-yo-mreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fergunją‘mountain’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fergunīreconstructed
  5. Anglian Old Englishmodernfergen‘wooded mountain’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Ferye on the Hill
  7. EnglishtodayFerryhill

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pérwr̥‘rock, mountain’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pérwn̥-yo-mreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fergunją‘mountain’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fergunīreconstructed
  5. Anglian Old Englishmodernfergen‘wooded mountain’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Ferye on the Hill
  7. EnglishtodayFerryhill

The story

Inherited from Middle English Ferye on the Hill, for earlier Ferie, Feregenne (perhaps to distinguish it from Ferrybridge), from Anglian Old English fergen (‘wooded mountain’), from Proto-West Germanic *fergunī, from Proto-Germanic *fergunją. For the phonological development, compare eerie and dialectal swally (‘to swallow’).

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *pérwr̥

Today it means

name A town and civil parish with a town council in County Durham, England (OS grid ref NZ2932).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pérwr̥ / Ferryhill

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