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 ("PC"), the Proto-Indo-European ("PIE") 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 (atrebo, dativ plural), (Old) Irish athair / athir.Pierre-Yves Lambert, La Langue gauloise, Editions Errance, 1994, p. 16 - 17
After that, languages derived from Proto-Celtic changed PC *kw into either *p or *k (see: P-Celtic and Q-Celtic languages). 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 "four" > Proto-Italic "four" > Latin Proto-Celtic "four" > Irish , Scottish Gaelic "four", but Gaulish "fourth", Welsh "four", Old Breton > Breton "four"
Frequent elements in place-names and their cognates in modern Celtic languages
Celtic , suffix : Gaulish -(i)acon (Latin -(i)acum / (i)acus) < endings -[a]y, -[e]y, -é, -(i)ac in Gaul.Pierre-Yves Lambert, La langue gauloise, Editions Errance, 1994, p. 39. Brittonic *-ocon / -*ogon 'place of, property of'; Old Breton -oc > -euc > -ek / -eg (-ec), Welsh -(i)og, etc. Celtic 'base, foundation' > Old Irish 'base, stem, stock', Welsh 'base, stem, stock' Celtic 'hill, high place'Lambert, p. 37 > Welsh 'honourable, respected' (not directly related to Welsh 'hill'), Irish 'hill; strength, vigour, significance'. Celtic 'high, lofty, elevated'; used as a feminine divine name, rendered Brigantia in Latin, Old Irish 'exalted one', name of a goddess. Celtic 'bridge' Celtic 'water' > Old Irish 'water', Welsh Welsh , Cornish dur, Breton dour 'water' Celtic 'fortress' > Welsh 'city' and 'fortress', Irish 'fortress' Celtic 'door, gate, forum' > Welsh , Breton dor 'door' Celtic 'clearing (wood), assart' > Welsh (tir) ial Celtic 'head' > Gallo-Brythonic *penn-, Welsh 'head, end, chief, supreme', Breton penn, but Old Irish cenn > Irish 'head' Celtic 'field, plain' > Welsh 'field', Old Irish mag > Irish 'plain' Celtic 'wood', 'sacred enclosure', 'sanctuary' > Old Irish nemed 'sanctuary' Celtic 'ford' > Welsh rhyd 'ford' Celtic 'white, fair, blessed' > Welsh / 'white, blessed', Old Irish , Irish 'fair'
European connection
Brigantes Cambodunum > Champéon (France, Cambdonno / Cambindonno 6-7th century), Champbezon (France, Chambedon 11th century), Kempten (Germany, Camboduno 3rd century) Mediolanum > Meulan (France), Milano (Italy).. Noviomagus > Nouvion, Nogent, Novion, Nijon, etc. (France), Nijmegen (Netherland); former name of Chichester, Crayford, England Ebur(i)acum > Ivry, Évry (France), former name of York, England Epiacum > Epfig (Alsace, France, Epiaco 12th century); X (unknown location in Great-Britain) Lugdunum > Lyon, Lion, Loudun, Laon, Lauzun (France), Leiden / Leyde (Netherlands) Rigomagus > Riom (France), Remagen (Germany) Segodunum > Suin, Syon (France); X unclear location near Würzburg (Germany) Vuerodunum > several Verdun (France), Verduno (Italy, Piedmont), Verdú (Spain, Catalonia), Birten (Germany, Xanten)
Continental Celtic
Austria Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Latin Brigantium : from Celtic 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia) Wien, English Vienna, Latin Vindobona : from Celtic 'white' (Welsh ) + 'base, foundation' (Welsh 'base, bottom, stump', Irish 'bottom, base')
Belgium Ardennes, Latin Arduenna Silva : from divine name Arduinna : from Celtic 'high' (Irish ) + Latin 'forest' Gent, English Ghent, Latin Gandavum : from divine name Gontia
France Most of the main cities in France have a Celtic name (the original Gaulish one or the name of the Gaulish tribe).
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 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia) several places called Briançon Brive < Briva 'bridge' several places called Brives Caen < Catumagos : from Old Celtic 'battle' 'fight' 'combat', Old Irish 'battle, battalion, troop', Breton /, Welsh 'combat, troop'; 'field, plain', Old Irish . The general meaning seems to be 'battlefield'Xavier Delamarre, Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise, 2nd edn. (Paris: Errance, 2003), p. 111. 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 (Latin), now Metz, Lorraine, from Celtic 'god, holy, divine' (Scottish Gaelic 'god') + * 'fort' Douvres (also the French name of Dover) from Celtic dubron, dubra 'water' several places called Douvres Drevant : from Derventum, Celtic dervo 'oak tree' + suffix -entu Évreux : from Eburovici replaces Mediolanum (see below) Issoudun Jort : from Divoritum 'ford on the river Dives' (Dives from Celtic *dewo 'stream') Lillebonne : from Juliobona 'foundation dedicated to Julius' Limoges Lisieux < (Civitas) Lexoviensis; former NoviomagusSee Noviomagus and Lexovii. 'new market', Old Celtic 'new', 'field, plain'. Lyon, Rhône, Latin Lugdunum : from Celtic 'Lugus' (divine name) 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 (Nemptu doro 5th century) : from nemeto- 'sacred place' + duro- 'gate', 'forum' Noyon, Latin Noviomagus Veromanduorum, from Celtic 'new' (Welsh ) + '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 (Gaul), 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,Other examples include Ruan (Rothomago 1233 / Rotomagus 5th century), Rom. sometimes Ratómagos or Ratumacos (on the coins of the Veliocassi tribe). 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 (gen. ) 'field' 'plain', Old Breton 'place'. The whole thing could mean 'hippodrome', 'racecourse' or 'wheel market'.Delamarre 2003, pp. 261-2. several places called Rouans, Ruan, Rom, etc. Vandœuvre < *vindo-briga 'white fortress' several places called Vandœuvres, Vendeuvre, Vendœuvres Verdun, Virodunum or Verodunum, from Celtic 'high' and '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 , Breton, Welsh , dial. French / . 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
Germany
Alzenau From Celtic , s.f., 'alder'. (Compare the modern German Erlenbach) and Old High German (OHG) aha, s.n., 'flowing water'.
de Amarahe (?), a lost river name near Fulda c. 800 CE Amerbach, a stream near Groß-Umstadt, Babenhausen, Ober-Ramstadt Ammer Ammerbach Ammergraben, a stream near Harpertshausen Amorbach, a stream near Mümling and the village named after it. Amorsbrunn Wald-Amorbach < Perhaps from Celtic , 'channel, river'. Compare Indo-European , 'channel, river' > Greek ἀμάρη (amárē), 'channel'. Or, from Celtic , 'spelt, a type of grain'. Annelsbach a suburb of Höchst Ansbach in Mittelfranken originally Onoltesbah 837 CE : from Celtic -, 'ash tree' plus an OHG bach, 'small river'. Boiodurum, now Innstadt, Passau, Niederbayern : first element is Celtic , tribal name (Boii), possibly 'cattle-owner' (cf. Irish 'cow') or 'warrior'. Second element is Celtic 'fort'. Bonn : from Celtic 'base, foundation' (Welsh 'base, bottom, stump') Boppard : from Gaulish , "hill of victory". Containing the elements 'victory' (Welsh 'gain, benefit') + , 'hill'. Düren, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Latin : from Celtic 'fort' Hercynia Silva (Latin), a vast forest including the modern Black Forest : from Celtic 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin 'forest' Kempten im Allgäu, Bavaria, Latin Cambodūnum : Celtic cambodūnom, *cambo- 'curved, bent, bowed, crooked', dūnon 'fortress' Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Moguntiacum : from Celtic , 'mighty, great, powerful', used as a divine name (see Mogons) + Celtic suffix -(i)acon Meggingen : from Celtic 'plain, field' Neumagen-Dhron, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Noviomagus Trevirorum Noviomagus Nemetum (Latin), now Speyer, Rheinland-Pfalz : from Celtic 'new' (Welsh ) + 'field, plain' Remagen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Rigomagus or Ricomagus : second element is from Celtic 'field, plain'. The first may be a variant of Celtic 'king, chief of *touta' Tübingen : maybe hybrid form comprising a Celtic element and a Germanic suffix -ingen.Bahlow, Hans. 1955. Namenforschung als Wissenschaft. Deutschlands Ortsnamen als Denkmäler keltischer Vorzeit. Frankfurt am Main. 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 cf. river Doubs (France) and Dove (GB); if so, then the name can be compared to Tubney, Tubbanford, Tub Hole in England. Compare the late Vulgar Latin 'morass', from Gaulish. The root is found in Old Irish > Irish , Old Welsh dub > Welsh , Old Cornish duw > Middle Cornish du, Breton , Gaulish , , all meaning 'black; dark' Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Borbetomagus : second element from Celtic , 'plain, field', first perhaps related to Old Irish 'fierce, violent, rough, arrogant; foolish'
Hungary Hercynium jugum (Latin) : from Celtic 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin 'summit'
Italy