Celtic toponymy


Celtic toponymy is the study of place names wholly or partially of Celtic origin. These names are found throughout continental Europe, Britain, Ireland, Anatolia and, latterly, through various other parts of the globe not originally occupied by Celts.

Celtic languages

The Proto-Indo-European language developed into various daughter languages, including the Proto-Celtic language.
In Proto-Celtic, the Proto-Indo-European sound *p disappeared, perhaps through an intermediate *. It is a common point between all the Celtic languages. Examples : Latin pater "father", but Gaulish *atir / ater, Irish athair / athir.
After that, languages derived from Proto-Celtic changed PC *kw into either *p or *k. In P-Celtic languages, PC *kw changed into *p. In Q-Celtic dialects it developed into /k/.
P-Celtic languages include the Continental Gaulish language and the Brittonic branch of Insular Celtic. Common Brittonic is the ancestor of Welsh, Cornish and Breton.
Ancient Q-Celtic languages include the Continental Celtiberian and the Goidelic branch of Insular Celtic. Goidelic is the ancestor of the Gaelic languages Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
Examples : PIE kʷetwóres "four" >
  • Proto-Italic kʷettwōr "four" > Latin quattuor
  • Proto-Celtic kʷetwares "four" > Irish ceathair, Scottish Gaelic ceithir "four", but Gaulish petuar "fourth", Welsh pedwar "four", Old Breton petguar > Breton pevar "four"

    Frequent elements in place-names and their cognates in modern Celtic languages

  • Celtic *-āko-, suffix : Gaulish -acon acum / < endings -y, -y, -é, -ac in Gaul. Brittonic *-ocon / -*ogon 'place of, property of'; Old Breton -oc > -euc > -ek / -eg, Welsh -og, etc.
  • Celtic bonus, *bona 'base, foundation' > Old Irish bun 'base, stem, stock', Welsh bon 'base, stem, stock'
  • Celtic briga 'hill, high place' > Welsh bri 'honourable, respected', Irish brí 'hill; strength, vigour, significance'.
  • Celtic brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'; used as a feminine divine name, rendered Brigantia in Latin, Old Irish Brigit 'exalted one', name of a goddess.
  • Celtic brīwa, *brīua 'bridge'
  • Celtic dubros 'water' > Old Irish dobur 'water', Welsh Welsh dwr, Cornish dur, Breton dour 'water'
  • Celtic dūnon 'fortress' > Welsh dinas 'city' and din 'fortress', Irish dún 'fortress'
  • Celtic duro- 'door, gate, forum' > Welsh dor, Breton dor 'door'
  • Celtic ialo- 'clearing, assart' > Welsh ial
  • Celtic kwenno- 'head' > Gallo-Brythonic *penn-, Welsh pen 'head, end, chief, supreme', Breton penn, but Old Irish cenn > Irish ceann 'head'
  • Celtic magos 'field, plain' > Welsh maes 'field', Old Irish mag > Irish magh 'plain'
  • Celtic nemeto- 'wood', 'sacred enclosure', 'sanctuary' > Old Irish nemed 'sanctuary'
  • Celtic rito- 'ford' > Welsh rhyd 'ford'
  • Celtic windo- 'white, fair, blessed' > Welsh gwyn/wyn / gwen/wen 'white, blessed', Old Irish find, Irish fionn 'fair'

    European connection

  • Brigantes
  • Cambodunum > Champéon, Champbezon, Kempten
  • Mediolanum > Meulan, Milano..
  • Noviomagus > Nouvion, Nogent, Novion, Nijon, etc., Nijmegen ; former name of Chichester, Crayford, England
  • Eburacum > Ivry, Évry, former name of York, England
  • Epiacum > Epfig ; X
  • Lugdunum > Lyon, Lion, Loudun, Laon, Lauzun, Leiden / Leyde
  • Rigomagus > Riom, Remagen
  • Segodunum > Suin, Syon ; X unclear location near Würzburg
  • Vuerodunum > several Verdun, Verduno, Verdú, Birten

    Continental Celtic

Austria

  • Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Latin Brigantium : from Celtic brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'
  • Wien, English Vienna, Latin Vindobona : from Celtic windo- 'white' + bona 'base, foundation'

    Belgium

  • Ardennes, Latin Arduenna Silva : from divine name Arduinna : from Celtic ardu- 'high' + Latin silva 'forest'
  • Gent, English Ghent, Latin Gandavum : from divine name ''Gontia''

    France

Most of the main cities in France have a Celtic name.
  • Amiens : from Ambiani, a Celtic tribe, replaces Samarobriva 'bridge on the river Somme'
  • Angers : from Andecavi, a Celtic tribe, replaces Juliomagus 'market place dedicated to Julius'
  • Argentan : from Argentomagus 'silver market', based on arganto- 'silver' cognate to Old Welsh argant > ariant, Old Breton argant > Breton arc'hant 'silver' + magos 'market'
  • *several places called Argenton
  • Argentorate, now Strasbourg
  • Arles : from Arelate
  • Arras : from Atrebates, a Celtic tribe, replaces Nemetacum, nemeto- 'sacred place' + suffix -acon
  • Augustonemetum, now Clermont-Ferrand
  • Autun : from Augustodunum, 'town dedicated to Augustus'
  • Avignon : from Avenii a Celtic tribe. It was one of the three cities of the Cavari
  • Bayeux : from Badiocassi / Bodiocassi, a Celtic tribe, replaces Augustodurum. 'forum dedicated to Augustus'
  • Bourges : from Biturigi, a Celtic tribe, replaces Avaricum
  • Briançon < Brigantium, from Celtic brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'
  • *several places called Briançon
  • Brive < Briva 'bridge'
  • *several places called Brives
  • Caen < Catumagos : from Old Celtic catu- 'battle' 'fight' 'combat', Old Irish cath 'battle, battalion, troop', Breton -kad /-gad, Welsh cad 'combat, troop'; mago- 'field, plain', Old Irish magh. The general meaning seems to be 'battlefield'
  • *several places called Cahan, Cahon
  • Cahors
  • Carentan : from Carentomagus
  • *several places called Charenton, etc.
  • Chambord
  • *several places called Chambord, Chambors, Chambourg
  • Chartres : from Carnuti, name of a Celtic tribe, replaces Autricum
  • Condom : from Condatomagus
  • *other place : Condom-d'Aubrac
  • Divodurum, now Metz, Lorraine, from Celtic diwo- 'god, holy, divine' + *duro- 'fort'
  • Douvres from Celtic dubron, dubra 'water'
  • *several places called Douvres
  • Drevant : from Derventum, Celtic dervo 'oak tree' + suffix -entu
  • Évreux : from Eburovici replaces Mediolanum
  • Issoudun
  • Jort : from Divoritum 'ford on the river Dives'
  • Lillebonne : from Juliobona 'foundation dedicated to Julius'
  • Limoges
  • Lisieux < Lexoviensis; former Noviomagus 'new market', Old Celtic noviios 'new', magos 'field, plain'.
  • Lyon, Rhône, Latin Lugdunum : from Celtic lug- 'Lugus' or perhaps 'light' + *dūnon 'fortress'
  • *several places called Lugdunum : Laon, Lion-en-Beauce, Loudun, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, etc.
  • Mediolanum : from Celtic
  • *several places called Meillant, Meulan, etc.
  • Nant
  • *several places called Nant, Nans
  • Nantes
  • Nanteuil
  • *several places called Nanteuil, Nantheuil, Nampteuil, Nanteau..
  • Nanterre : from nemeto- 'sacred place' + duro- 'gate', 'forum'
  • Noyon, Latin Noviomagus Veromanduorum, from Celtic nowijo- 'new' + magos 'field, plain'
  • *several places called Noviomagus : Nouvion, Noyen, Nyons, Nijon, Nojeon, Lisieux, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, etc.
  • Oissel
  • *several places called Oisseau, Ussel, etc.
  • Orange : from Arausio, a water god
  • Paris : from Parisii, name of a Celtic tribe, replaces Lukotekia / Lutetia
  • Périgueux / Périgord : from Petrocorii 'the four armies'
  • Pierremande < Petromantalum < petro-mantalo- 'four road' = 'crossing'
  • Rennes : from Redones, a Celtic tribe, replaces Condate
  • *several places called Condé, Condat, Candé, etc.
  • Riom : from Rigomagus
  • Rouen < Rotomagus, sometimes Ratómagos or Ratumacos. It can be roto-, the word for 'wheel' or 'race', cf. Old Irish roth 'wheel' 'race' or Welsh rhod 'wheel' 'race'. Magos is surer here : 'field', 'plain' or later 'market' cf. Old Irish mag 'field' 'plain', Old Breton ma 'place'. The whole thing could mean 'hippodrome', 'racecourse' or 'wheel market'.
  • *several places called Rouans, Ruan, Rom, etc.
  • Vandœuvre < *vindo-briga 'white fortress'
  • *several places called Vandœuvres, Vendeuvre, Vendœuvres
  • Verdun, Virodunum or Verodunum, from Celtic *uiro-, *uero- 'high' and dūnon 'hill, fortress'
  • *several places called Verdun
  • Verneuil : from verno- + ialo- 'clearing, plain with alder-trees'
  • *several places called Verneuil
  • Vernon < Vernomagus. There are other Vernons in France, but they come directly from Vernō 'place of the alder-trees'. 'plain of the alder-trees'. uernā 'alder-tree', Old Irish fern, Breton, Welsh gwern, dial. French verne / vergne.
  • *several places called Vernon
  • Veuves : from vidua 'forest' Voves, Vion
  • *several places called Voves, Vove
  • Vion' : from Vidumagus 'forest market'
  • *several places called Vion, Vions