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[Surname] Cholmondeley
I know Cholmondeley is an English surname owned by several peers and an author or two, but I can't for the life of me find out what it means. Does anyone have any information about this surname? My own searching has unearthed that Cholmondeley is pronounced like Chumly. According to Wikipedia: :Cholmondeley is the word in the English language with the most silent and/or superfluous letters. The silent letters are, in order, 'l', 'o', 'n', 'd', 'e', and 'e' again. The first 'o' is not silent, but is pronounced as a 'u'."Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Laurie :)Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
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Cholmondeley is a Cheshire place name. Basil Cottle, in the Penguin Dictionary of Surnames, explains it thus: 'wood/clearing of (an AS called ship(cf. keel)protector'. If you say so, Mr Cottle. AS stands for Anglo-Saxon.
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Yes, it's definitely pronounced Chumley in Britain, just as Featherstonehaugh is pronounced Fanshawe!
They are both posh names!
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