Hi -- I am new to this site and hoping that it is OK to ask a non-English question. We live part time in Languedoc (just West of Provence) and a huge number of village names in the area end in '-argues'. Examples: Lansargues, Baillargues, Saturargues -- the list is endless. And of course, just to the South is Camargue (no 's' here). I have failed so far to find anything on the meaning or etymology of this suffix (?). Any hints?

thanks

Not quite sure, but you're bound to find all kinds of speculations on the Web. The question is which ones to believe. You might want to look it up in Toponymie générale de la France (link) in a largish library. The problem with words with obscure or unknown etymologies is that they attract unqualified word puzzlers to them. That goes doubly so for topnonyms. In one 19th century book I consulted on Google Books, the author purposefully said he was not going to discuss the Langadocian suffix -argues at all.

I did find a nice map of the distribution of placenames ending in -argues (link) in the French Wikipedia article on Toponomie française (link).

Herre it is suggested that it is a derivation of the common Latin suffix -anicum which usually desingates a 'field'. Though elsewhere, I found an alternate etymology 'petit domaine' (link). Whence the intrusive r? Again, I'm not sure, but it might help to look at the history of Occitan (and Provençal). I do know that the southern French r is more likely to be trilled than the northern more uvular r. I hope this helps, and good luck.

Double topic? (Words with unusual etymologies)

Hi, Chatter--you might look here. I don't trust my French enough to be sure I wouldn't miss something. I found it by Googling french etymological dictionary; you may find something else there helpful.
Or, you might ask this lady.