county

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

"In speaking of counties," says Mr. Pickering, "the names of which are composed of the word shire, we say the county of Hampshire, the county of Berkshire, &c. In England they would say, either Hampshire or Berkshire simply, without the word county; or, the county of Hants, the county of Berks, &c. The word shire of itself, as every body knows, means county; and in one instance (in Massachusetts), this latter word is used instead of shire, as a part of the name--'The county of Duke's County.'"--Pickering's Vocabulary.

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