Hey, have you ever wondered why the street names in a city seem to whisper old stories? I’ve been digging into the etymology of some of our most common urban signs, and there’s a whole linguistic puzzle hiding in plain sight. Want to join me in unravelling the quirky origins behind our streets?

Great, let’s hop on a mental map—first stop, the old “Church Street,” which actually comes from the Old English “cirice” meaning a church, so literally the street that goes to the church. Next, the “Market Square” is a literal translation of the German “Marktplatz,” but it originally meant a place where traders would literally mark their goods with a stamp—so it’s a place where you can still see the history of currency signs, if you look closely. Oh, and watch out for the “King’s Road” name in France, which comes from the Latin “Regis Via,” but the “Regis” part actually means “of the king” and not “rule” as you might think. Ready for more?