THE ORIGIN OF " OXFORD " AND "CAMBRIDGE."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE “srEcvAvott."l Si,—With reference to Mr. Francis Darwin's statement that Can in Cambridge signifies "crooked," may I point out that all the available evidence as to the origin of the name is collected and discussed by Professor Skeet in his hook entitled "A Student's Pastime" (1896), pages 384-5 and 393- 401, and that he comes to the conclusion that it is undoubtedly derived from Grantabridge ? Other suggested etymologies appear to have no more basis in fact than the derivation of Girton from girl-town. I do not know what ground there is for supposing that bridge in the case of Cambridge has the peculiar sense of "a pavement going into water." Why should the word not have its ordinary sense ? As regards Oxford, the Chaucerian form "Oxenford" seems to support the customary derivation, rather than the theory that it is a corruption of Ouseford, from the river Ouse, now the Isis, cognate with
Usk, Esk, Axe, &c.—I am, Sir, &c., C. L. D.
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