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May 25[edit]

French translation needed[edit]

Does this plaque say something to the effect that Cafe Procope (Le Procope) was the world's first cafe or the world's oldest continually functioning cafe? --Doug Coldwell ^talk 11:36, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

translation available here:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cafe_Procope_plaque.jpg#Summary Alberto Fernandez Fernandez (talk) 12:29, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. --Doug Coldwell ^talk 12:35, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Old/Middle English meaning of Chel[edit]

What does the "chel" in "Chelsea" mean?

I've heard lots of name definitions for "Chelsea", like "sea port", "chalk landing place", and "limestone (cliffs) by the sea". I understand the port/ocean connection ("sea"), but "chel" no longer holds any meaning in English. Was it a word in Old or Middle English? What did it mean? It has the same initial sound as "chalk", which would tie into the "chalk landing place" name origin. But I can't find "chel" in any Middle or Old English dictionaries...

I did find some possibilities, but I don't know if any fit.

In Old English

- - "Cele"/"Ceole"/"Céo"/"Céole" can mean "the beak/keel of a ship"
  - "Ceolas" or "Ciele" can mean means "cold winds" or "cold"/"chill"

In Middle English

- - "Chelle"/"Chele" can mean "the bow of a ship"
  - "Chele" can mean "cold"/"chill"
  - "Chele" can mean "a bowl", "incense vessel" or "drinking cup"

Which is it? Or is it something else?

71.174.26.231 (talk) 14:51, 25 May 2009 (UTC)Olivia[reply]

See paragraph 2 at http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Chelsea,_England. -- Wavelength (talk) 15:23, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See the first paragraph of Chelsea, London#History. -- Wavelength (talk) 15:28, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Adrian Room, in Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings, agrees with the etymology given in the WP article cited by Wavelength above. To clarify, I meant that he agrees with the derivation from cealc and hyð, not with Norden's suggestion. Deor (talk) 15:41, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Apparently, the supposed element sea involves false etymology. -- Wavelength (talk) 16:25, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

and often represents either OE 'ea' (stream) or 'ey' from Norse word meaning 'island' --ColinFine (talk) 17:20, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Now if I could only understand why Elvis Costello didn't want to go to Chelsea... -- AnonMoos (talk) 17:52, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps it's because he supports Liverpool :) Grutness...wha? 01:40, 27 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

but dee doo, doh, don't dee, doh? --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 20:01, 27 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]