Why we call Newcastle the 'Toon' - it is rooted in 1,500 years of history (2024)
Why do we call Newcastle the Toon?
The answer to the question may seem obvious: we call our town the Toon because that’s how Geordies pronounce the word.
We were keen to find out how long the people of Newcastle have been referring to their homeland as the Toon, and where the pronunciation comes from.
And it turns out, next time a southerner 'corrects' you on how you to pronounce the words "down", "town", "right" and "night" you can point out that it’s them who has been getting it wrang for years.
That’s because, in Old English, the word “tun” which evolved to become town, was pronounced "toon”
Dr Adams Means, a lecturer in the History of the English Language at Newcastle University, explains: “Old English (the language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons, 500 AD up to the Norman conquest) had a word, tun. This meant ‘enclosure, estate, farm, village’. It’s the origin of our present-day English word, town, and survives also as an element in place names like Darlington. In Old English, this word would have been pronounced like “Toon”.
So there you have it, towns have been toons for 1,500 years.
It’s all down to the “Great Vowel Shift”, which is when most of England decided to start mispronouncing words.
Dr Means explains: “Between the 14th and 17th centuries there was a gradual but very significant shift in the pronunciation of vowels in English. This is called the Great Vowel Shift. One effect of this shift was that many words that had previously been pronounced with an 'oo' sound came to be pronounced with the 'ow' sound we hear in present-day house, now, cow and town.
“Although the Great Vowel Shift affected most accents of English, some areas remained unaffected. In Scotland, for example, and in the north of England many people would still have been saying 'hoose' for house and 'toon' for town.”
How come we have changed some words but not others?
The old, “unshifted” pronunciation became rooted as a feature of traditional or broad accents in the North East.
Although some similar words did change, and people may not always pronounce words like “frown" as “froon”, many terms are still frequently said in the same way they used to be. Geordies, Mackems, Northumbrians, Sanddancers et all are rightly proud of their heritage, and show it through the unique way they talk.
While many seem to interchange the two “ow/oo” pronunciations, others still stick to the old or new way. But even for the most Queen’s English of North Easterners, the “Toon” is the one Old English word they hang on to, even if it is just to refer to Newcastle as a city or its football team.
Are you a Geordie?
Why does Toon specifically mean Newcastle?
It doesn’t have to - obviously you could be talking about any town, but it’s clear that to most the “Toon” primarily refers to the city on the Tyne’s north bank, or Newcastle United.
Again, it’s probably to do with identity. Due to the football team, and Newcastle’s place as the North East’s key city, the word “Toon” is synonymous with Newcastle.
Dr Means said: “Although the accent has changed, and many people on Tyneside now wouldn’t pronounce house as “hoose”, or now as “noo” – or even town as “toon” when talking about towns in other parts of the country – the traditional pronunciation of town as “toon” has become so strongly linked with the city that it has become a synonym for the city itself – so, Newcastle is the Toon.”
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
The main reason for Newcastle being referred to as 'The Toon' comes down to the Geordie
Geordie
Geordie (/ˈdʒɔːrdi/) is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England and the dialect used by its inhabitants, also known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English. There are different definitions of what constitutes a Geordie.
pronunciation of the word 'town'. Interestingly, it can be argued this pronunciation actually predates 'town', which has become recognised as the English Standard version of the word.
It is due to the Geordie pronunciation of the word "Town". It is actually the "Town army" pronounced in the Geordie way as the "Toon Army", and the media has subsequently labelled the NUFC supporters as the Toon Army. Geordies represent major portion of the Tyneside or the North East.
The history of Newcastle upon Tyne dates back almost 2,000 years, during which it has been controlled by the Romans, the Angles and the Norsem*n amongst others. Newcastle upon Tyne was originally known by its Roman name Pons Aelius. The name "Newcastle" has been used since the Norman conquest of England.
The term Toon Army for Newcastle United originates from the Geordie pronunciation of “town” as “toon,” combined with the common football fan practice of adding “army” to signify unity and strength.
Definitions of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. a port city in northeastern England on the River Tyne; a center for coal exports (giving rise to the expression `carry coals to Newcastle' meaning to do something unnecessary) synonyms: Newcastle. example of: city, metropolis, urban center.
Definitions of toon. a film made by photographing a series of cartoon drawings to give the illusion of movement when projected in rapid sequence. synonyms: animated cartoon, cartoon.
Etymology 1. From Dutch toon, dialectal form of teen, from Middle Dutch têe, from Old Dutch *tēa, from Proto-Germanic *taihwǭ. The vocalism -oo- is also present in some Dutch dialects in Utrecht and Holland, but seems unclear. The -n was originally a plural ending that was reanalysed as a singular form.
The settlement was known as Pons Aelius, or Aelian Bridge in Latin, 'Aelian' being the family name of Emperor Hadrian. In the wake of the Roman's departure from Britain in 410AD, Pons Aelius was renamed Monkchester and subsumed into the influential Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria.
Newcastle developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius. The settlement became known as Monkchester before taking on the name of a castle built in 1080 by William the Conqueror's eldest son, Robert Curthose.
The origins of Newcastle United Football Club itself can be traced back to the formation of a football club by the Stanley Cricket Club of Byker in November 1881. This team was renamed Newcastle East End F.C. in October 1882, to avoid confusion with the cricket club in Stanley, County Durham.
The term 'Toon Army' originated from the nickname for Newcastle upon Tyne, often referred to as 'the Toon' by locals (possibly down to the Geordie pronunciation of the word 'town' as 'toon').
It is due to the Geordie pronunciation of the word "Town". It is actually the "Town army" pronounced in the Geordie way as the "Toon Army", and the media has subsequently labelled the NUFC supporters as the Toon Army. Geordies represent major portion of the Tyneside or the North East.
Newcastle fans are called Magpies, which is due to the club's iconic magpie-styled black and white kit. They are also often referred to as The Toon Army or the Geordies. Newcastle United has many celebrity fans including Sam Fender, Charlie Hunnam, Ant and Dec, Sting, Cheryl and Chris Eubank.
The first European to explore the area was Lieutenant John Shortland in September 1797. He had been sent in search of convicts who had seized HMS Cumberland sailing from Sydney Cove.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a Geordie is 'A native or inhabitant of Tyneside or a neighbouring region of north-east England', or 'The dialect or accent of people from Tyneside, esp. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, or (more generally) neighbouring regions of north-east England.
The term 'Toon Army' originated from the nickname for Newcastle upon Tyne, often referred to as 'the Toon' by locals (possibly down to the Geordie pronunciation of the word 'town' as 'toon').
This meant 'enclosure, estate, farm, village'. It's the origin of our present-day English word, town, and survives also as an element in place names like Darlington. In Old English, this word would have been pronounced like “Toon”. So there you have it, towns have been toons for 1,500 years.
He believed that "Geordie" originated as an insult, pointing to an 1823 quote from local singer and comedian William Purvis. "Noo yor a fair doon feul, not an artificial feul like Billy Purvis," said the showman. "Thous a real Geordie!"
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
