Etymograph

English

Newton

Newton comes from Old English nēowa ‘new town’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150nēowa‘new town’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Neweton
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2020Newton

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150nēowa‘new town’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Neweton
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2020Newton

Earliest quotation: 2020, Genesia Ting, How Newton Nguyen is inspiring a young generation of home ch: “Newton Nguyen is a breakout Internet star whose content…”

The story

The unexpected Early Modern pronunciation with /ɛʊ̯/ instead of /ɪʊ̯/, as securely attested in Richard Hodges' 1644 English Primrose and confirmed by obsolete Welsh Newtwnn, is due to trisyllabic shortening in Old English nēowa tūn or Middle English Neweton.

Every English word from Old English nēowa

Today it means

name The name of many English-speaking places, including: A small village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire district, Cambridgeshire (OS grid ref TL4349).

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

Etymograph / Old English nēowa / Newton

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