Germanic toponymy

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Germanic toponyms are the names given to places by Germanic peoples and tribes. Besides areas with current speakers of Germanic languages, many regions with previous Germanic speakers or Germanic influence had or still have Germanic toponymic elements, such as places in France, Wallonia, Poland, Northern Portugal, Spain and Northern Italy.

Contents

Comparative table

In round brackets, the contemporary cognate for the toponym in the respective language is given. In the square brackets, the most frequently used name in English is given.

Proto-Germanic
(or ancient loan word from
Celtic, Greek or Latin)		 English

and Scots

Dutch

and Afrikaans

Low German (High) German Continental
North Germanic
(Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)		Other Germanic languagesLoans or remnants in
non-Germanic languages (mainly in Old Northern French)
*baki [1]
"creek"		-bach, -beck, -batch, -brook, -brooke, -bech, -beach, -broke, (beck)
(1) Harbrook , Emm Brook, Sparkbrook, Walbrook, Marshbrook, Fullabrook, Sandbach , Comberbach, Brinsabach, Eastbach, etc., (2) Fulbeck , (3) Caldbeck , (4) Holbeck , Wansbeck, Starbeck, Welbeck, Skirpenbeck, Boosbeck, Killingbeck, Pinchbeck, Purbeck, Birkbeck, Swaffham Bulbeck, Leigh Beck, Waterbeck, etc., Pulverbatch, Inglesbatch, Oxbatch, Snailbatch, Wagbatch, Radbatch, Wisbech, Holbeach, Holbeck, Holbrook, Addenbrooke, Kidbrooke, Holbech, Bolingbroke, Stradbroke, Begbroke, Kembroke Hall, Hazelbadge, Burbage, Brocton, Brockweir, Brogden, Brookhampton, Brookland, Brooksby etc.		-beek (beek)
(5) Boutersem , Bierbeek, Lembeek, Schaarbeek [Schaerbeek], Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, etc.		-bek, -beck, -brook, -brock,
(1) de:Harbrook , de:Billbrook, Hilkenbrook, Wesuwer Brook, de:Marschbrook, de:Hammerbrook, (2) Fuhlbek (Wehrau (river)), [2] Reinbek, Wandsbek, Hasselbeck, Gladbeck, Havixbeck, Fuhlenbrock, Batenbrock, etc.		-bach, -bock
de:Sandbach , (6) Wambach , (5) Rohrbach , (3) Kaltenbach , Hasselbach, Bütgenbach (Belgium), de: Schnellbach, Mühlbock [Ołobok], etc.		-beck, -bekk, -bäck, -bæk
(2) Fulebæk (DK), (4) Holbæk (DK)
*berga- [3]
"hill, mountain"		-bergh-berrow-barrow-berry-berge-bear (barrow)
Sedbergh, Thrybergh, Caldbergh, Bedbergh, Babergh Hundred, Rubergh Hundred, East Bergholt, Bergh Apton, Berghersh, Inkberrow, Bromsberrow, Sedgeberrow, Whitbarrow, Cruckbarrow, Fellbarrow, Wanbarrow, Brockenbarrow, Inkberrow, Rowberrow, Ingleberry, Skelberry, Solberge, Sadberge, Thurlbear 		-berg, -bergen (berg)
(2) Bergen [Mons], Geraardsbergen, Grimbergen, Kortenberg 		(1) Barg , (2) Bargen [4] -berg
Heidelberg, Kaisersberg [Kaysersberg], Königsberg [Kaliningrad], Nürnberg [Nuremberg], Bamberg, Bromsberg, Bromberg, Kruckenberg, de:Fellberg, Berghain 		-berg, -berj
(2) Bergen 		-bergue(s) in Northern French via Old Low Frankish or Old Saxon
Isbergues, (1) Berck, Barques, Barc, Bierges
*brugjō- [5]
"bridge"		-bridge-brigg (bridge)
Cambridge, Knightsbridge, Woodbridge, Fordingbridge, Seabridge, Weybridge, Uxbridge, Agbrigg, Felbrigg, Lambrigg, Gillingbrigg, Brigg, Brigroyd 		-brugge (brug)
Brugge [Bruges], Zeebrugge 		-brücken, -brück, -bruck-brig
Innsbruck, Osnabrück, Saarbrücken, Brig 		-bro, -bru
Hobro, Holstebro, Nybro, Örebro
*burg- [6] [7]
"city, fortified town, fort"		-borough, -bury, -burgh, -brough (borough)
Canterbury, Tilbury, Aldbury, Grimsbury, Limbury, Cissbury, Kentisbury, Holmbury St Mary, Shoeburyness, Irthlingborough, Peterborough, Knaresborough, Middlesbrough, Hemingbrough, Mickleburgh, Aldeburgh, Rumburgh, Happisburgh, Bamburgh, Edinburgh, Salsburgh, Pedlersburgh, Cunningsburgh, Mayburgh Henge 		-burg (burg, burcht)
Aardenburg, Limburg, Middelburg, Tilburg 		-borg
Hamborg [Hamburg]		-burg
Burg bei Magdeburg, Regensburg, Neuburg, Salzburg, German: Straßburg, Lower Elsassish/Alsatian-German: Strossburi, Luxembourgish -buerg
Lëtzebuerg [ Luxembourg ]		-borg, -borj
Nordborg, Rendsborg, Sønderborg

-bourg in Northern French, via Old Saxon, Old English, Old Norse and German
Cherbourg, Cabourg, Bourbourg, le Neubourg, Luxembourg, Strasbourg (single Bourg, Borgo, Buergo, etc. or with a following element are common everywhere in the Romance speaking world)

*felthuz [8]
"plain, open land, field"		-field-fold (field)
Huddersfield, Mansfield, Macclesfield, Mirfield, Wakefield, Sheffield, Moorfields, Dogmersfield, Aperfield, Archenfield, Kerfield, Whisterfield, Bentfield Green, Bloomfield, Westerfield, Summerfield, Thunderfield, Bassingfield, Lindfield, Englefield Green, Exfold, Penfold, Chiddingfold 		-veld
Schinveld, Warnsveld 		-feld, -felde, -filde (Feld)
Bielefeld, Mansfeld, de:Moorfeld, de:Mirfeld, de:Westerfilde, Sommerfeld, Urfeld, de:Eichsfeld
*furdi-, *furdu- [9]
"low water crossing"		-ford, -forth (ford)
Bradford, Guildford, Oxford, Stafford, Watford, Hereford, Sandford, Thetford, Stanford, Arford, Conford, Lemsford, Hannaford, Filford, Wyfordby, Catford, Gosforth, Garforth, Stainforth, Ampleforth, Handforth, Dishforth, Catforth, Shawforth, Birdforth, Yafforth, Hollowforth, Strafforth, Hartforth, Bedford

-firth (firth)
Burrafirth, Holmfirth, Firth of Forth

-foort, -voort, -voorde (voorde)
Amersfoort, Vilvoorde, Eexter-Zandvoort, Zandvoorde, Papenvoort 		-ford, -fordt, -vörde, -forde
Herford, de:Herzford, Bremervörde, de:Diersfordt, de:Conneforde, Osterforde, Lemförde, Buttforde, Bökenförde -forth de:Steinforth, de:Bruneforth, de:Kaiforth, de:Honigforth, de:Achelforth, de:Stallforth, Braunsforth 		-furt
Dietfurt, Erfurt, Frankfurt, Ochsenfurt, Steinfurt,		-fjord(en)
Oslofjorden, Limfjord 		-fort
Northern French Houllefort
*hafnō- [10]
"harbor, port"		-haven "-avon" (haven)
Shellhaven, Sandhaven, Buckhaven, Newhaven, Whitehaven, Greenhaven, Peacehaven, Cockhaven, Middlehaven, Stonehaven, Littlehaven, Fairhaven, Balhaven, Cuckmere Haven, Orwell Haven, Holland Haven, Anton Haven, Cuckhold's Haven, Milford Haven, East Haven, Sun Haven 		-haven (haven)
Eemshaven, Ketelhaven, Delfshaven 		-haven (haven)
Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven 		-hafen (Hafen)
Friedrichshafen 		-hamn, -havn
København [Copenhagen], Åkrahamn 		Faroese: -havn
Tórshavn, Skudeneshavn 		French Le Havre, several le Hable
*haima- [11]
"homestead, dwelling"		-ham, -om (home)
Denham, Dunham, Newham, Nottingham, Rotherham, Tottenham, Ickenham, Twickenham, Sydenham, Dagenham, Alkham, Wokingham, Manningham, Edmondsham, Kirkham, Gotham, Egham, Debenham, Bassingham, Foxham, Great Blakenham, Berkhamsted, Walthamstow, Ebbisham, Epsom, Wilsom, Besom, Hollom, Hysom, Allum Green, Cocum, Hoccum, Cottam, Hannam's Hall, Ednam, Dagnam Park, Buckinghamshire, Bodiam, Northiam, Mitchum 		-(g)em, -(h)em, -en, -um-ham (heem, heim)
Alphen, Berchem, Nossegem, Wevelgem, Zaventem, Blijham, Kolham, Dongjum (Donningham), Drogeham, Foxham, Blankenham, Den Ham, Schophem, Dalhem 		-um,
Alkersum, Nordenham, Bochum, Borkum, Wilsum, Walsum, Fulerum, Loccum, Arnum Bolzum, Achtum, Heyersum, Westernam 		-(h)am,-heim, -(h)em, -um (Heim)
Crailsheim, Kirchham, Hausham, de:Hundham, de:Borkerham, Mannheim, Pforzheim, Schiltigheim, Bassenheim, Hildesheim, Cochem, Waldhambach, Babensham, Egglham 		-heim, -hem, -um, Trondheim, Varnhem, Lerum Unknown East-Germanic language:
*Boiohaimum [Bohemia] [12] 		-ham, -hem, -ain, -[s]ent in Northern French via Old Low Frankish, Old Norse or Old English
Ouistreham, Étréham, Huppain, Surrain (Surrehain 11th century, then Surreheim 12th century [13] ), Inxent (Flemish Enessem)
*hufa- [14]
"enclosed area, garden"		-hope, -hop-op-hove
Woolhope, Stanhope, Mithope, Bullinghope, Byerhope, Dinchope, Dryhope, Longhope, Mythop, Northop, Middop, Glossop, Worksop, Warsop, Hove 		-hof, -hoven, -hove (hof)
Wintershoven, Zonhoven, Volckerinckhove, Hove 		-hoft,
Bockhoft, Ahrenshoft 		-hof, -hofen (Hof)
Bechhofen, Diedenhofen [Thionville]		-hof, -hoff(translated into -court in Northern France, compare Bettenhoven, Bettenhoff with Bettencourt, Bethancourt, etc.)
*hulmaz [15]
"elevation, hill, island"		-holm, -holme, -hulme (holm)
Grassholm, Denholm, Buckholm, Marholm, Bromholm Priory, Killingholme, Hempholme, Skokholm, Nunburnholme, Hubberholme, Skyreholme, Holmsgarth, Holmwrangle, Holmethorpe, Holmbush, Holmwood, Holmsted, Holmegate, Steep Holm, Cobholm, Levenshulme, Kirkmanshulme 		-holm (holm)
De Holm 		-holm (holm)
Holm, Holm 		-holm (holm)
Holm, Holm 		-holm (holm)
Stockholm, Holm 		Faroese: -hólmur (hólmur)
Gáshólmur 		-homme, le Houlme, le Hom in Old Norman
Robehomme, le Houlme
W.Gmc. *kirika from Greek kyriakon, "Lord's assembly"-kirk (church)
Colkirk, Falkirk, Ormskirk, Chadkirk, Peakirk, Romaldkirk, Halkirk, Woodkirk, Algarkirk, Laithkirk, Whitkirk, Oswaldkirk, Bradkirk Hall, Houndkirk Moor, Kirkcambeck, Kirkcudbright, Kirkwall, Kirkby, kirklees, Whitchurch, Stokenchurch, Baschurch, Dymchurch, Hornchurch, Offchurch, Kenderchurch, Churchover, Churchstoke, Churcham 		-kerk, -kerke (kerk)
Duinkerke (Dunkirk), Middelkerke, Nijkerk, Ridderkerk, Koudekerk aan den Rijn, Adinkerke, Koolkerke, Kaaskerke, Klemskerke, Grijpskerk, Oldekerk, Niekerk 		-kerk, (Kirche)
Aldekerk 		-kirche, -kirchen (Kirche)
Feldkirch, Neunkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Kirchweyhe, Kirchham 		-kirke, -kyrkje, -kjerke
Kyrkjebø 		-crique, -kerque in Northern French
Yvecrique, Criquetot, Dunkerque (Dunkirk)
*landom [16]
"land, ground, soil"		 -land (land)
England, Ireland, Scotland, Sunderland, Northumberland, Shetland, Lothingland, Bishop Auckland, Holland, Breckland, Upholland, Rutland, Hartland, Kessingland, Westmorland, Heligoland, Leyland, Buckland, Kingsland, Westlands, West Midlands, Fenland, Litherland, Thurgoland, Dormansland, Leesland, Thurland Castle, Backaland, West Heogaland, Swaisland, Wringsland, Sealand, Ecklands, Austerlands, Maylandsea 		-land (land)
Friesland, Holland, Nederland [Netherlands], Zeeland, Gelderland, Westland, Nuland, Dirksland, Duiveland, Sint Philipsland, Flevoland, Hamaland, Heuvelland, Rilland, Kempenland, Reiderland, Engeland, Nieuwlande, Lageland, Pajottenland 		-land (land) -land (land)
Deutschland, Sudetenland, Moormerland, Wangerland, Blockland, Holtland, Ammerland, Sauerland, Westerland, Saarland, Seeland, Münsterland, Vierlande, [Germany], Emsland, Burg-Reuland, Rheinland, Carinerland, Muttland, Südbrookmerland, Thurland, Neuholland, Oberneuland, Helgoland, Baselland, Arelerland 		-land (land)
Jylland [Jutland], Sjælland [Zealand], Nordland, Hjelmeland, Jørpeland, Iveland, Froland, Hogland [Gogland], Oppland 		-land, -lan in Northern French
château d'Ételan, Heuland, le Tingland, le Vatland, etc.
*rotha
"clearing"		-royd, -rode, -rod, -rith, -road, -royde
Ackroyd, Murgatroyd, Kebroyd, Hangingroyd, Boothroyd, Oldroyd, Mytholmroyd, Dockroyd, Odd Rode, Bergerode, North Rode, Wivelrod, Blackrod, Heyrod, Gollinrod, Ormerod, Harrod, Walkerith, Huntroyde Hall, Cockroad 		-rade, -ray, -rode, -rooi (rode)
Asenray, Gijzenrooi, Landsrade, Middelrode, Nieuwrode, Nistelrode, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Stamproy, Kerkrade 		-rade, -rath, -rode, -roth-rod-rith
Overath, Radebeul, Radevormwald, Roth, Wernigerode, Heyerode, Darlingerode, Ivenrode, Hainrode, Rainrod, Rumrod, Wallmerod, Karith, Herzogenrath 		-rud, -rød, -röd, -ryd, -rue-rui
Buskerud, Birkerød, Kajerød, Bergeröd, Tolvsrød 		Rœulx, Rœux, Ruitz in Northern French [17] Swiss: Cormérod (Kormerat)
*stainaz [18]
"stone"		-stan, -stam, -stein, -stone (stone)
Stanlow, Stanmore, Stanfree, Stanground, Stambermill, Waterstein, Dangstein, Stamford, Stonehaven, Staines, Stanwick, Stenhousemuir 		-steen (steen)
Steenokkerzeel, Steenkwijk 		-steen (steen)
Sleswig-Holsteen [Schleswig-Holstein]		 -stein (Stein)
Schleswig-Holstein, Stein, Steinfurt, Stein-Wingert 		-sten, -stein-stain, -étan in Northern French
Grestain, Roche Gélétan, Étaimpuis, Estaimpuis (Dutch Steenput)
*thurpa- [19]
"farm, settlement"		-thorp, -thorpe-throp-trop-thrup-drup-drop
Cleethorpes, Scunthorpe, Mablethorpe, Casthorpe, Catthorpe, Boothorpe, Ibthorpe, Cutthorpe, Swanthorpe, Ingmanthorpe, Copmanthorpe, Thorpeness, Burthrop(Eastleach Martin), Heythrop, Winthrop, Colethrop, Casthrope House, Knostrop, Wilstrop, Westrop, Etrop, Upthrup, Pindrup, Staindrop, Newdrop, Souldrop, Burdrop, Huntingdrop, Hilldrop, Throop 		-dorp (dorp)
Hazerswoude-Dorp, Opdorp 		-dorp, -trop (dorp)
Dusseldorp [Düsseldorf], Bottrop, Waltrop, Frintrop, Uentrop, Hiltrop, Castrop-Rauxel, Huttrop 		-dorf, -torf (Dorf)
Dorf 		-torp, -arp, -rup Kattarp, Kastrup, Olofstorp Lorrain -troff Bénestroff (German Bensdorf)-tourp(s), -tour, Torp in Old Norman
Clitourps, Saussetour, le Torp-Mesnil
Lat vīcus [20]
"dwelling place, village"
*wīhsą
"village, settlement"		-wich
Ipswich, Norwich, Harwich, Aldwych, Lower Ledwyche, Lutwyche Hall, Heckmondwike, Warwick, Alnwick, Gatwick, Lerwick, Hawick, Fenwick, Berwick, Gippeswyk Park, Walwick, Glodwick, Hardwicke, Rumboldswyke, Ankerwycke Yew, Lowick, Shopwyke, Casewick, Borthwick, Breiwick, Edgwick, Keckwick, Muggleswick, Osbaldwick, Barnoldswick, Smethwick, Withernwick, Plardiwick, Sesswick, Marwick Hall, Wick, Hamwick Green, Hackney Wick, East wick, Feldwicke Cottage, Marchweeke, Northweek, Highweek,		-wijk (wijk)
Ewijk, Waalwijk, Harderwijk, Oisterwijk, Noordwijk, Beverwijk, Noorderwijk, Meeswijk, Wervik 		-wig, -wich -wick
Sleswig-Holsteen [Schleswig-Holstein], Kettwig, Dellwig, Sleswick, Brunswick, de:Suderwich, de:Suderwick, Schüttwich, Oer-Erkenschwick, de:Berwicke, Lowick, de:Harwick, de:Crosewick, de:Ellewick, de:Wennewick, de:Holtwick, de:Kockelwick, de:Marwick, Am Halswick, Feldwicker Weg 		-wig, -wiek (Weich)
Schleswig-Holstein, Prorer Wiek, Wyk 		Craywick, Salperwick, French Flanders
*walhaz [21] [22]
"stranger, non-Germanic person"		wal- (Welsh)
Cornwall, Wales, Walsall, Walsden 		wal- (Waal)
Wallonië [Wallonia]		wal-
Wallis [Valais]
Welschneudorf 		Unknown Germanic language:
Wallachia 		Germanic wal- became:
  • gal- in Gaelic, via Old English
    Galloway
  • gaul- in French, via Frankish
    Gaul
*walþuz [23] "forest"-wold
Easingwold, Hockwold, Southwold 		-wald
Greifswald 		-voll ("meadow")
Tingvoll

East Germanic

Southern France

The Goths left toponymic traces in France, particularly in the south, however towards Savoy and further north of the Alps it was the Burgundians who also spoke an East Germanic language. [24]

Spain

Iberia was mostly occupied by the Visigothic Kingdom from the 5th to the 8th century, in which the ruling classes spoke the East Germanic language Gothic. A limited number of Germanic-derived place-names survive in Spain. [25] Examples include:

North Germanic

Denmark

Proto-Norse is documented in Denmark as far back as 400 AD. As is general in Scandinavian countries, Denmark's toponymy is characterised by uniformity, as the country did not experience language changes during the period in which the names were given; thus the languages that gave rise to the oldest names, Proto-Germanic and Proto-Nordic, are the direct precursors of the languages Old Norse and Old Danish in which the later names were coined.

Norway

The vast majority of place-names in Norway were coined in the North Germanic language Norwegian.

Republic of Ireland

Russia

Normandy

The Duchy of Normandy in modern-day France had its roots in the early 10th century, when the Scandinavian Viking leader Rollo became a vassal of the King of the West Franks, Charles III and, in exchange for homage, acquired territory on the lower Seine. The area was subject to significant Scandinavian settlement. One legacy of such settlement is a body of place-names derived from the North Germanic language Old Norse. Such names include:

Both from Old Norse djuprdalr ("deep valley") (c.f. Deepdale, Yorks, England).

United Kingdom

England

In the 9th and 10th centuries, some parts of Northern, Midland and Eastern England formed a part of the Danelaw, an area of England which formed a confederacy under the Kingdom of Denmark and was subject to Scandinavian settlement. As a result, place-names containing North Germanic elements are common in much of the former Danelaw, especially in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the East Midland counties such as Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. North Germanic toponyms are also common in neighbouring parts of Durham, and in other areas of Norse influence, such as Cumberland and the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire. They are rare in the West Midlands and most of southern England. Notable examples include:

All from Old Norse kirkju-bȳr ("church farm"). [29]

As with the "Kirby" group, all from kirkju-bȳr ("church farm").

  • Leagram, Lancashire, from Old Norse leið-gríma ("trail blaze"). [29]
  • Leake, Nottinghamshire, from Old Norse lœ´kr ("brook"). [29]
  • Lowestoft, Suffolk, from Old Norse Hlothvers-toft ("Hlothver's plot"). [29]
  • Sadberge, County Durham, from Old Norse setberg ("flat-topped hill"). [29]
  • Scarborough, Yorkshire, from Old Norse Skarthiborg ("Skarthi's fort"). [29]
  • Scole, Norfolk, from Old Norse skáli ("shielings"). [29]
  • Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, from Old Norse Skuma-þorp ("Skuma's outlying settlement"). [29]
  • St Agnes, Cornwall, from hagi-nes ("pasture headland"). [29]
  • Swinscoe, Staffordshire, from Old Norse svín-skógr ("swine wood"). [29]
  • Swithland, Leicestershire, from Old Norse sviðinn-lundr ("grove cleared by burning"). [29]
  • Thingwall, Cheshire, from Old Norse þing-vǫllr ("assembly field"). [29]
  • Ulleskelf, Yorkshire, from Old Norse Ulfr-skelf ("Ulfr's shelf"). [29]
  • Wing, Rutland, from Old Norse vengi. [29]
  • Witherslack, Westmorland, from Old Norse víðir-slakki ("wither (shallow) valley"). [29]
  • Wreay, Cumberland, from Old Norse vrá ("nook"). [29]

Scotland

Place-names derived from the North Germanic language Old Norse have been established in Scotland since around the 9th century. There is a plurality of such names in Orkney and Shetland as these remained a part of the Kingdom of Norway until the 15th century, and the Norse daughter language Norn remained in use there until c. 1850. Norse toponyms are also frequent in the Hebrides, the Highlands and south-west Scotland, but are uncommon in most other regions. [30] Norse place-names in Scotland include:

  • Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, from Old Norse byr ("farm, village"). [30]
  • Humbie, East Lothian, from Old Norse Hunda-byr ("Hunda's farm"). [30]
  • Knoydart, Inverness-shire, from Old Norse Knútafjörðr ("Knut's fjord"). [31]
  • Laxford, Sutherland, from Old Norse laxafjörðr ("salmon fjord"). [31]
  • Lynedale, Inverness-shire (Skye), from Old Norse lín-dalr ("flax valley"). [31]
  • Monkstadt, Inverness-shire (Skye), from Old Norse munkastaðr ("monk place"). [31]
  • Moorfoot, Midlothian, from Old Norse mór ("moor") + þveit ("clearing"). [30]
  • Sorbie, Wigtownshire, from saur ("mud") + býr ("farm, village"). [30]

Wales

  • Fishguard, Pembrokshire, from Old Norse fiskr-gardr ("fish yard"). [32]
  • Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, from Old Norse melrfjordr ("sand-band fjord/inlet") (+ haven). [32]
  • Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, from Old Norse stokkr-holmr ("island of the sound"). [32]
  • Swansea, Glamorgan, from Old Norse Sveinnsey ("Svienn's island"). [32]

West Germanic

France

France originates with the kingdom Francia of the 5th-9th centuries, which was established by the Germanic Franks. Some place-names in France originate in the Franks' West Germanic language Frankish (and the descendants of that language, Dutch and Flemish), and in other West Germanic languages. [27]

There are some place-names with Saxon or Old English etymologies in France (Normandy and Boulonnais), including:

Galicia, northern Portugal, western Asturias

The Suevi spoke a West Germanic language: an Elbe Germanic or a Weser–Rhine Germanic language. They left some toponyms and male personal names included or not[ clarification needed ] in the Romance toponyms.

Germany

Most place-names in Germany are derived from the West Germanic language German.

Italy

Northern Italy was settled in the 6th century AD by the Lombards, whose West Germanic language Lombardic was used in the region until around the 11th century AD. Some places in Italy have names of Lombardic origin, including:

United Kingdom

England

The overwhelming majority of place-names in most parts of England are derived, at least in their present form, from the West Germanic language Old English, after that language became established in Britain during the Anglo-Saxon period (410–1066). For common Old English place-naming elements see the generic forms in place names in the British Isles. Some prominent place-names with common Old English naming suffixes are:

  • Birmingham, from Old English Beorma-ingahām ("home of Beorma"). [42]
  • Bradford, Yorkshire, from Old English brad-ford ("broad ford"). [42]
  • Bristol, from Old English Bryċġ-stōw ("bridge place"). [42]
  • Heanor, Derbyshire, from Old English heah-ofer ("high ridge") (c.f. Hanover, Germany). [43]
  • Sunderland, County Durham, from Old English sundor-land ("separate land"). [42]
  • Warwick, Warwickshire, from Old English Wær-ing-wic ("dwelling of the weir"). [42]

Scotland

Many place-names in parts of Scotland are derived from Old English or its descendant languages such as Scots. This is particularly the case in the south-eastern counties of Scotland such as Berwickshire, East Lothian and Roxburghshire, which were part of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria at its height in the early 8th century. [30] Prominent examples include:

  • Edinburgh, Midlothian, from Old English *Edynburg, with burg ("fort, stronghold"), a calque on the Cumbric name Din Eidyn .
  • Gretna, Dumfriesshire, from Old English grēoten-hōh ("gravelly hill"). [42]
  • Prestwick, Ayrshire, from Old English preostwic ("priest's dwelling"). [30]
  • Wigtown, Wigtownshire, from Old English wigcton ("Wigca's farm"). [30]

Furthermore, there are a few place-names in Scotland derived from continental Germanic languages such as Dutch and German, mainly from the early modern period (16th-19th century):

  • Friockheim, Angus, German heim added to an existing place-name. [30]
  • John O'Groats, Sutherland, from the Dutch personal name Jan De Groot ("John the large").

Wales

Place-names in Wales are overwhelmingly derived from the Celtic language Welsh or its predecessors, but a small number are of Old English origin. Examples include:

  • Buckley, Flintshire, from Old English buccleah ("wood/clearing of the bucks"). [44]
  • Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, from Old English heahfore-ford ("heifer ford") (+ west added later). [42]
  • Prestatyn, Denbighshire, from Old English preost-tūn ("homestead of the priest"). [44]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forseti</span> Norse god of peace, truth, and justice

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germanic languages</span> Branch of the Indo-European language family

The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people mainly in Europe, North America, Oceania, and Southern Africa. The most widely spoken Germanic language, English, is also the world's most widely spoken language with an estimated 2 billion speakers. All Germanic languages are derived from Proto-Germanic, spoken in Iron Age Scandinavia, Iron Age Northern Germany and along the North Sea and Baltic coasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ullr</span> Norse deity

In Norse mythology, Ullr is a god associated with skiing. Although literary attestations of Ullr are sparse, evidence including relatively ancient place-name evidence from Scandinavia suggests that he was a major god in earlier Germanic paganism. Proto-Germanic *wulþuz ('glory') appears to have been an important concept of which his name is a reflex. The word appears as owlþu- on the 3rd-century Thorsberg chape.

Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of toponyms, including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of any geographical feature, and full scope of the term also includes proper names of all cosmographical features.

The toponymy of England derives from a variety of linguistic origins. Many English toponyms have been corrupted and broken down over the years, due to language changes which have caused the original meanings to be lost. In some cases, words used in these place-names are derived from languages that are extinct, and of which there are no known definitions. Place-names may also be compounds composed of elements derived from two or more languages from different periods. The majority of the toponyms predate the radical changes in the English language triggered by the Norman Conquest, and some Celtic names even predate the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in the first millennium AD.

This is a list of etymological lists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grangues</span> Commune in Normandy, France

Grangues is a commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankish language</span> West Germanic language spoken by the Franks from the 5th to 9th century

Frankish, also known as Old Franconian or Old Frankish, was the West Germanic language spoken by the Franks from the 5th to 9th century.

"Uncleftish Beholding" (1989) is a short text by Poul Anderson, included in his anthology "All One Universe". It is designed to illustrate what English might look like without its large number of words derived from languages such as French, Greek, and Latin, especially with regard to the proportion of scientific words with origins in those languages.

An English exonym is a name in the English language for a place, or occasionally other terms, which does not follow the local usage. Exonyms and endonyms are features of all languages, and other languages may have their own exonym for English endonyms, for example Llundain is the Welsh exonym for the English endonym "London".

Present-day Irish has numerous loanwords from English. The native term for these is béarlachas, from Béarla, the Irish word for the English language. It is a result of language contact and bilingualism within a society where there is a dominant, superstrate language and a minority substrate language with few or no monolingual speakers and a perceived "lesser" status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vé (shrine)</span> Shrine or sacred place in Germanic paganism

In Germanic paganism, a vé or wēoh is a type of shrine, sacred enclosure or other place with religious significance. The term appears in skaldic poetry and in place names in Scandinavia, often in connection with an Old Norse deity or a geographic feature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lombardic language</span> Extinct Germanic language

Lombardic or Langobardic is an extinct West Germanic language that was spoken by the Lombards, the Germanic people who settled in present-day Italy in the sixth century and established the Kingdom of the Lombards. It was already declining by the seventh century because the invaders quickly adopted the Vulgar Latin spoken by the local population. Many toponyms in modern Lombardy and Greater Lombardy and items of Lombard and broader Gallo-Italic vocabulary derive from Lombardic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman toponymy</span>

Placenames in Normandy have a variety of origins. Some belong to the common heritage of the Langue d'oïl extension zone in northern France and Belgium; this is called "Pre-Normanic". Others contain Old Norse and Old English male names and toponymic appellatives. These intermingle with Romance male names and place-name elements to create a very specific superstratum, typical of Normandy within the extension zone of the Langue d'oïl. These are sometimes called "Normanic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic language decline in England</span>

Prior to the 5th century AD, most people in Great Britain spoke the Brythonic languages, but these numbers declined sharply throughout the Anglo-Saxon period, when Brythonic languages were displaced by the West Germanic dialects that are now known collectively as Old English.

References

  1. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Laur, Historisches Ortsnamenlexikon von Schleswig-Holstein, Karl Wachholtz Verlag, 1992, p. 261b.
  3. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  4. ↑ Wolfgang Laur 138b.
  5. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. 1922-04-05. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  6. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  7. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  8. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  9. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  10. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  11. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  12. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  13. ↑ Louis Guinet, « Des toponymes normands en Ham (-ain) et de l'étymologie du français hameau » in Annales de Normandie, 1963, Volume 13, Numéro 13-2, p. 76 (online : French) Persée Revues scientifique
  14. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  15. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. 1973-08-23. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  16. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  17. ↑ Albert Dauzat et Charles Rostaing, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieu en France, Edition Larousse 1968, réédition Librairie Guénégaud, Paris, 1979, p. 566a.
  18. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  19. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  20. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  21. ↑ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  22. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  23. ↑ Alwin Kloekhorst (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden, Boston: Brill Academic Publishers
  24. 1 2 3 Charles Rostaing, Les Noms de lieux, presses Universitaires de France, coll. que sais-je ?, 1985 (réédition de 1945), p. 64-65-66-67
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 De Orueta, Luis (2022). "A Dictionary of Spanish Place Names" . Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "Vyborg > Articles 1". Northern Fortress. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  27. 1 2 3 Rostaing, Charles; Dauzat, Albert (1979). Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France. Paris: Librairie Guénégaud. ISBN   2-85023-076-6.
  28. 1 2 3 4 De Beaurepaire, François (2022). Les Noms de lieux du Calvados (annoté par Dominique Fournier ). Paris: L'Harmattan. ISBN   978-2-14-028854-8., p. 376 - 345.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "A Key to English Place-Names". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Nicolaisen, W. F. H. (2001). Scottish Place-Names. Edinburgh: John Donald. ISBN   1906566364.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Kalemouth (Roxburgh)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  32. 1 2 3 4 Owen, Hywel Wyn; Morgan, Richard (20 May 2022). Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales. Y Lolfa. ISBN   978-1800992399 . Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  33. 1 2 3 Gysseling, Maurits (1960). oponymisch Woordenboek van België, Nederland, Luxemburg, Noord-Frankrijk en West-Duitsland (vóór 1226). Tongeren: Belgisch Interuniversitair Centrum voor Neerlandistie. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Negre, Ernest (1996). General toponymy of France, Volume 2. Librairie Droz.
  35. 1 2 Jean-Marie Cassagne, Mariola Korsak, "Origine des noms de villes et villages Nord, Editions Bordessoules
  36. ↑ De Beaurepaire, François (1981). The names of the communes and former parishes of Eure. Paris: A. and J. Picard. ISBN   2-7084-0067-3.
  37. ↑ Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p. 529.
  38. ↑ Sachs (1932) p. 81.
  39. ↑ Sachs (1932) p. 58.
  40. ↑ "Comune di Bergamo (BG)". comune.bergamo.it. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  41. ↑ Gamillscheg, Ernst (2017) [First published 1935]. Die Ostgoten. Die Langobarden. Die altgermanischen Bestandteile des Ostromanischen. Altgermanisches im Alpenromanischen[The Ostrogoths. The Lombards. The old Germanic components of Eastern Romanic. Old Germanic in Alpine Romance]. Romania Germanica (in German). Vol. 2. de Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110827439. ISBN   978-3-11-082743-9.
    • Hutterer, Claus Jürgen (1999). "Langobardisch" [Lombardic]. Die Germanischen Sprachen[The Germanic Languages] (in German). Wiesbaden: Albus. pp. 336–341. ISBN   3-928127-57-8.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mills, David (20 October 2011). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. OUP Oxford. p. 393. ISBN   978-0-19-960908-6 . Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  43. ↑ "Heanor :: Survey of English Place-Names".
  44. 1 2 Owens, Hywel Wyn (2015). The Place-Names of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN   978-1783161669 . Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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