Cheapside is a common English street name, meaning "market-place", from Old English ceapan, 'to buy' (German kaufen, Dutch kopen). There is originally no connection to the modern meaning of cheap ('low price', a shortening of good ceap, 'good buy'), though by the 18th century this association may have begun to be inferred.
Cheapside is a common English street name, meaning "market-place", from Old English ceapan, 'to buy' (German kaufen, Dutch kopen). There is originally no connection to the modern meaning of cheap ('low price', a shortening of good ceap, 'good buy'), though by the 18th century this association may have begun to be inferred.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've seen about 4 Cheapsides in various towns, so I figured it meant something else.
ReplyDeleteI just find the current definition amusing under the circumstances. :)