A: Historically, "shire" was the Saxon word, and "county" was the Norman French word (introduced after 1066). Today, they mean the same thing.
The term was exported through the British Empire. Today, you will find "Shires" in: what is a shire
J.R.R. Tolkien, a professor of English language and history, based the Hobbits’ peaceful homeland on the rural English countryside of Worcestershire (where he grew up). The name was a deliberate nod to the comfort and traditional structure of the English shire system. A: Historically, "shire" was the Saxon word, and
A: No. London is a city and a region, but historically it sits within the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, and Kent—not all of which are shires. Today, you will find "Shires" in: J
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