Why are the names of places in Jane Austin and the book Jane Eyre blocked out with a hyphen example... -shire?

Answer 1

Because they don't exsist. Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte were both using fictional places, so instead of making up names and taking away from the reality of the books, they did as was the custom during that time and just ignored the first part of the name.

Answer 2

The hyphenated names of places in Jane Austen's novels and Jane Eyre are often used to give a sense of fictionalized or generalized location, as the specific locations are not significant to the overall themes or characters of the story. It adds to the timeless and universal quality of the setting without being tied to real-world geographical accuracy.