Oxenford

Middle English

Alternative forms

• Oxeford, Oxenfoord, Oxenforde, Oxenforthe, Oxforde, Oxineford, Oxinford, Oxneford, Oxynford
• Ocsenford, Oxeneford, Oxenevord, Oxnefort (Early Middle English)

Etymology

From Old English Oxnaford, Oxenaford; equivalent to oxen (“oxen”) +‎ ford (“ford”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔksə(n)fɔrd/, /ˈɔksə(n)ˌfoːrd/

Proper noun

Oxenford

1. Oxford (a city in Oxfordshire, England)
   • p. 1154, “AD 1137”, in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS. Laud Misc. 636, continuation), Peterborough, folio 89, recto; republished at Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 2018 February 8:

     Þa þe kıng S[tephne] to engla[land] co[m] þa macod he hıſ gaderıng æt Oxenefoꝛd. ⁊ þar he na[m] þe b[ıſcop] Roger of Sereb[er]ı ⁊ Alex[ander] b[ıſcop] of lıncol ⁊ te canceler Rog[er] hıſe neueſ. ⁊ dıde ælle ın p[ꝛı]ſun. tıl hı ıafen up here caſtleſ.

     When King Stephen came to England, he held his assembly at Oxford; there he arrested Roger, the Bishop of Salisbury, and Alexander, the Bishop of Lincoln and Roger the Chancellor, his nephews, and put them all in prison until they gave up their castles.

   • 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The Ꝑhemie of the Clerkys Tale of Oxenford”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 173, verso:

     Sıre clerk of Oxenfoꝛd our hooſt saẏde / ẏe rıde as coy and ſtille as dooth a maẏde / Were newe spouſed sittẏng at the boꝛd / This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word […]

     "Sir Clerk of Oxford", our host said, / "You ride as demure and quiet as a maid does / when just married, sitting at the table; / today I haven't heard a word from your tongue […] "

Related terms

• Oxenfordschire

Descendants

• English: Oxford (obsolete Oxeford)
• Middle Scots: Oxinfurd, Oxinfurde, Oxinfuird
  • Scots: Oxford
• → Old French: Ocsenefort, Oxeford, Oxeneforde, Oxenefort