I came across Craven in my Dictionary of English Place Names (Oxford University Press 1991). Craven, a district of North Yorkshire, is thought to be an old Celtic name meaning garlic place. This led me to ponder the meaning of craven as a word, which is very cowardly; not at all brave. It is thought to be an adaptation of the Old French cravent meaning defeated or beaten.

Language never fails to fascinate me. If you want to share a word, I’d be delighted to hear from you.