Richard Coates

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Richard Coates is professor of linguistics at the University of the West of England in Bristol. He was formerly professor of linguistics at the University of Sussex. He is honorary director of the English Place-Name Society.

He is Editor of the Survey of English Place-Names for Hampshire, and has introduced a new interpretation of the etymology of "London" in recent years. He derives it from Old European (p)lowonida, meaning "boat river", ie. "river too wide to ford", and suggests that this was a name given to the part of the River Thames which flows through London; from this, the settlement was named 'Lowonidonjon'.^[1]

[edit] External links

• University of the West of England: Richard Coates

[edit] References

1. ^ Coates, Richard (1998). "A new explanation of the name of London". Transactions of the Philological Society 96 (2): 203-229. doi:10.1111/1467-968X.00027.