Egbert White wrote:
>
> On Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:17:14 +0000, Frederick Williams
> <frederick.williams2@tesco.net> wrote:
>
> >There are a number of places in the UK called 'Soho' (in
> >Carmarthenshire, London, Sandwell, Somerset at least). Where does this
> >name come from?
>
> I don't know about the UK 'Soho,' but I was surprised to learn not
> long ago that the New York City 'Soho' means 'south of Houston,' where
> 'Houston' is the name of a street (and pronounced 'HOW ston,' where
> 'how' rhymes with 'cow,' or so I'm told),
>
> >Recommendations for 'origins of place names' books will be welcome.
>
> Again of incidental interest, the subject of origins of place names
> may be more succinctly called toponymy.
>
> But now I've Googled and found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soho
> the following comment:
>
> | The area which is now Soho was grazing farmland until 1536, when it
> | was taken by Henry VIII as a royal park for the Palace of Whitehall.
Thank you. I was aware of that meaning of 'soho' but it did not occur
to me that it had any connection with the place names. Do I believe it
now I've read it? Um... :-)
> [2][3][4][5] The Duke of Monmouth used
> | half a century after the name was first used for this area of London.
>
> I see that British dictionaries still give that definition of 'soho.'
>
> For toponymy in general, you may find it interesting to look at
> http://knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Toponymy/ .
--
But you see, I can believe a thing without understanding it.
It's all a matter of training.
--Lord Peter Wimsey in Dorothy L Sayers' _Have His Carcase_
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