Caunterbury

• Canterbiri, Canterburi, Canterbury, Canturbery, Caunterbery, Caunterbiri, Caunturbyry, Caunterbiry, Caunterburi, Cawnterbery, Kanterburi, Kaunterburi, Kaunturbury
• Cauntelbury, Cauntilburye (with dissimilation of /r/ to /l/)

From Old English Cantwarbyriġ, late form of Cantwara byriġ, dative and genitive of Cantwara burg.

The pronunciation with /au̯/ could just be analogy with variation between /au̯/ and /a/ in other words, but the influence of the lost /w/ in Old English Cantwara byriġ is also possible. Such a development is also seen in aunswere, variant of answere (“answer”); this is not a mere backspelling, as orthoepists commonly give pronunciations of answer with reflexes of /au̯/ in the Early Modern English period.^[1][2]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯ntərˌburiː/, /ˈkantərˌburiː/, /-ˌbɛriː/, /-ˌbiriː/
• IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯ntəl-/, /ˈkantəl-/ (with dissimilation of /r/ to /l/)

Caunterbury

1. Canterbury (a cathedral city in modern Kent, England)
   • c. 1390, [William Langland], “Paſſus .vıȷ᷒. de dowel ⁊ explıƈ”, in Peres plouhman (X, C-text), southwest Worcestershire, published c. 1395, folio 78, recto; republished as MS. HM 143, San Marino, CA: Huntingdon Digital Library, p. 2011:

     In sauacıoun of mannes soule seynte Thomas of Cant͛bury / Amonges vkynde crıſtene ın holy churche was slawe […]

     While saving people's souls Saint Thomas of Canterbury / was killed amongst impious Christians in a holy church […]

   • 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 2, recto:

     […] and specıallẏ from euerẏ shire' ende / Of Engelond to Caunterburẏ theẏ wende / The holẏ blıſful martır foꝛ to seke / That hem hath holpen whan þᵗ theẏ weere seeke […]

     […] and specially from every county's end / of England to Canterbury they went / to seek the holy blessed martyr / that had helped them when they were sick […]

   • 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., Thomas Malory], “[Morte Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 482, recto:

     Than ẜ Bedwere tolde the Ermyte all as ye haue harde tofore And ſo he be laffte w^t the Ermyte that was before hande byſſhop of Caunturbyry.

     Then Sir Bedivere told the hermit everything that you've heard up to this point before he departed with the hermit, who was previously Bishop of Canterbury.

• English: Canterbury (obsolete Cantelbury)
• → Middle Dutch: Cantelburch, Cantellenborch
  • Dutch: Kantelburg, Kantelberg (obsolete)
• → Middle High German: Candelberc
  • German: Kantelburg (obsolete)
• → Middle Welsh: Kawntlberi