English
La Habra
La Habra comes from Spanish abra ‘glade, inlet’, from French havre ‘harbour / harbor (US)’, and ultimately from Old Dutch *havana.
- Old Dutchc. 500–1150*havanareconstructed
- Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500havene
- Frenchc. 1600–presenthavre‘harbour / harbor (US)’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentabra‘glade, inlet’
- EnglishtodayLa Habra
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Dutchc. 500–1150*havanareconstructed
- Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500havene
- Frenchc. 1600–presenthavre‘harbour / harbor (US)’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentabra‘glade, inlet’
- EnglishtodayLa Habra
The story
The initial "silent" h- is unetymological, likely interpreted from other Spanish words and toponyms common to the American Southwest (e.g., hasta, hombre, etc.).
Linked words
through Proto-West Germanic *habanu ‘harbour, haven’
Today it means
name A city in Orange County, California, United States.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Dutch *havana / La Habra