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Manchester's Ancient Name

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2011

Andrew Breeze
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Extract

Mamucium, the Roman name of Manchester, is often explained as ‘place on the breast-shaped hill’ from the hypothetical British mamma ’breast; breast-shaped hill’. But the name of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, suggests this is baseless. A likelier etymology is ‘place on the river called Mamma, “mother”’, apparently the old name of the River Medlock, perhaps revered as a Celtic goddess.

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Type
Shorter Contributions
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 84 , September 2004, pp. 353 - 357
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2004

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