Wessex
/ˈwɛs.ɪks/ proper noun
- proper noun (historical) One of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, existing between the 6th and 9th centuries, and comprising most of England south of the Thames.
- proper noun The West Country, a geographic area in the south west of England.
Etymology
From Middle English Westsex, from Old English Westseaxan (literally “West Saxons”), which stood for both Wessex and its people. The use of Wessex in a modern context for the West Country was popularised by Thomas Hardy, who used the term for his semi-fictional setting based on the region.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “Wessex”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details