Buckinghamshire

English

Etymology

From Old English Buccingahāmsċīr (“district of Bucca's home”), from Buccingahām + sċīr, first element from Bucca (see bucca (“he-goat”)) + -inga + ham. By surface analysis, Buckingham +‎ -shire.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbʌk.ɪŋ.əm.ʃə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Proper noun

Buckinghamshire

1. An inland county of England bounded by Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Greater London, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
   • 2012 August 21, Alexandra Topping, “Paralympic flames light up countdown to biggest Games in history”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     The flames will then be joined together next week at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, the home of the Paralympics, and the united flame will make its final journey to London for the opening of the 14th Paralympic Games next Wednesday.

2. Buckinghamshire Council, a local government unitary authority which replaced the county council in 2020 in all of Buckinghamshire except Milton Keynes.

Alternative forms

• Bucks, Bucks., Bck. (abbreviation)

Further reading

• Mills, David (2011): A Dictionary of British Place-Names