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 *. 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.

Frequent elements

Austria

From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'
From Celtic *windo- 'white' + *bona 'base, foundation'

Belgium

From divine name Arduinna, from Celtic *ardu- 'high' + Latin silva 'forest'
From divine name Gontia

Czech Republic

Most of the main cities in France have a Celtic name.
From Celtic alisa, s.f., 'alder'. and Old High German aha, s.n., 'flowing water'.
Perhaps from Celtic ambara, 'channel, river'. Compare Indo-European *amer-, 'channel, river' > Greek ἀμάρη, 'channel'. Or, from Celtic amara, 'spelt, a type of grain'.
From Celtic *onno-, 'ash tree' plus an OHG bach, 'small river'.
First element is Celtic *Boio-, tribal name, possibly 'cattle-owner' or 'warrior'. Second element is Celtic *duro- 'fort'.
From Celtic *bona 'base, foundation'
From Gaulish Boudobriga, "hill of victory". Containing the elements *boudo- 'victory' + *briga, 'hill'.
From Celtic *duro- 'fort'
From Celtic *erkunos 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin silva 'forest'
From Celtic *mogunt-, 'mighty, great, powerful', used as a divine name
From Celtic *mago-, 'plain, field'
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' + *magos 'field, plain'
Second element is from Celtic *magos 'field, plain'. The first may be a variant of Celtic rigi- 'king, chief of *touta'
Some have seen this toponym as a hybrid form comprising a Celtic form and a Germanic suffix -ingen. This may be so, since between the 2nd and 4th centuries, the area around the present day German university town of Tübingen was settled by a Celtic tribe with Germanic tribal elements mixed in. The element tub- in Tübingen could possibly arise from a Celtic dubo-, s.m., 'dark, black; sad; wild'. As found in the Anglo-Irish placenames of Dublin, Devlin, Dowling, Doolin and Ballindoolin. Perhaps the reference is to the darkness of the river waters that flow near the town; if so, then the name can be compared to the English Tubney, Tubbanford, Tub Mead and Tub Hole in England. Compare the late Vulgar Latin tubeta 'morass', from Gaulish. The root is found in Old Irish dub > Irish dubh, Old Welsh dub > Welsh du, Old Cornish duw > Middle Cornish du, Breton du Gaulish dubo-, dubis, all meaning 'black; dark'
Second element from Celtic *magos, 'plain, field', first perhaps related to Old Irish borb' 'fierce, violent, rough, arrogant; foolish'

Hungary

From Celtic *erkunos 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin jugum 'summit'

Italy

From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'
Perhaps from Celtic *genu- 'mouth '.
Unclear. First element looks like Latin medius 'middle'. Second element may be Celtic *landā 'land, place' ; or, *plan- > *lan-, a Celtic cognate of Latin plānus 'plain', with typical Celtic loss of /p/.
From Celtic *Bhel- 'bright' and *dūnon 'fortress'.
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'
From Celtic *briga- 'rocky height or outcrop'.
From Celtic *bona 'base, foundation'

Netherlands

From Celtic *lug- 'Lugus' or perhaps 'light' + *dūnon 'fortress'
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' + *magos 'field, plain'

Poland

Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'

Portugal

From Celtic *Lacobriga- 'Lake of Briga'.

Romania

Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'

Slovenia

Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'

Spain

Asturias and Cantabria
From Celtic *diwā- 'goddess; holy, divine'
Castile
Galicia
Switzerland, especially the Swiss Plateau, has many Celtic toponyms. This old layer of names was overlaid with Latin names in the Gallo-Roman period, and, from the medieval period, with Alemannic German and Romance names.
For some names, there is uncertainty as to whether they are Gaulish or Latin in origin.
In some rare cases, such as Frick, Switzerland, there have even been competing suggestions of Gaulish, Latin and Alemannic etymologies.
Examples of toponyms with established Gaulish etymology:

Goidelic

England

Place names in England derived from Goidelic languages include:
Place names that directly reference the Irish include Irby, Irby upon Humber, Ireby and Ireleth.

Ireland

The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicized Irish language names.

Scotland

The majority of placenames in the Highlands of Scotland are either Scottish Gaelic or anglicized Scottish Gaelic. Gaelic-derived placenames are very common in the rest of mainland Scotland also. Pictish-derived placenames can be found in the northeast, while Brythonic-derived placenames can be found in the south.

Isle of Man

The majority of placenames on the Isle of Man are Manx or anglicized Manx.

Brythonic

England (excluding Cornwall)

Linguistic evidence for Celtic place-names in present-day England can be found in names such as Leatherhead or Litchfield. In addition, evidence of Celtic populations can be found from those place-names including the Old English element wealh "foreigner, stranger, Briton". Such names are a minority, but are widespread across England. For example, a smattering of villages around the Fenland town of Wisbech hint at this: West Walton, Walsoken, and the Walpoles indicate the continued presence of an indigenous population, and Wisbech, King's Lynn and Chatteris retain Celtic topographical elements.
Some villages that exhibit "Tydd" in their name, e.g. Tydd St Giles, may obtain that element from the Britonnic word for "small holding". Compare the Welsh tyddyn.
From Celtic *ardu- 'high'
From Brythonic *abona 'river'
From Celtic *iska 'water'
First element from Celtic *briga 'hill'
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'
Derived from Welsh bryn, 'hill'.
From *kamulos 'Camulus' + Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
First element from Brythonic *crüg 'hill'
From tribal name Dumnonii or Dumnones, from Celtic *dumno- 'deep', 'world'
From Celtic *dubr- 'water', *dubrās 'waters'
First element is possibly dun, ' hill fort'.
First element from Celtic *duro- 'fort'; in Dūrobrīvae, Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'
Possibly derived from Brythonic *iska, 'water, fish' and *leith, 'damp, wet'.
From Celtic *iska 'water' ; second element in Isca Dumnoniorum is a tribal name
From Brythonic *lēd- + *rïd- = "Grey Ford"
From Celtic *lindo- 'pool' + Latin colonia 'colony'
From Celtic *mamm- 'breast'
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' + *magos 'field, plain'
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' + possibly *kelli 'to stand'
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' + *koid- 'wood', or *cēd- 'wood'
First element from Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' = Irish ceann 'head', from Proto-Celtic *kwenno-
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill'
From English lower + Brythonic *penn- 'hill'
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill' and possibly p-Celtic *carr 'rocks'. This matches the earliest attestation from c. 1190, Pencher.
Old Sarum, Wiltshire, Latin Sorviodūnum
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
First element conjectured to be Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry'. Second element is Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'.
From Celtic *seno- 'old' + *dūnon 'fortress'
Possibly from Celtic *tames- 'dark'. Other theories.
'Of the Trinovantes', a tribal name, perhaps 'very energetic people' from Celtic *tri- + *now- 'energetic', related to *nowijo- 'new'
From Brittonic *weru- 'broad' + *lam- 'hand'
First element from Celtic *windo- 'white' ; in Vindolanda, Celtic *landā 'land, place'. In Vindomora, second element could be 'sea'.
The vast majority of placenames in Wales are either Welsh or anglicized Welsh.

Cornwall

The vast majority of placenames in Cornwall are either Cornish or anglicized Cornish. For examples, see List of places in Cornwall.

Brittany

The vast majority of placenames in the west of Brittany are either Breton or derived from Breton. For examples, see :Category:Populated places in Brittany.