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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Southern French place names #178656 08/12/08 07:02 AM Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 2 California C Chatter OP stranger OP Chatter stranger C Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 2 California 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 Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Southern French place names Chatter #178658 08/12/08 12:52 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh 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).  Quote: Probablement dérivé de ce suffixe, le suffixe -anicum, au pluriel -anicos, qui sous-entend le terme agros (= champs), se retrouve dans de nombreux toponymes du sud de la France sous la forme -argues : Baillargues, Marsillargues, Olargues, Vauvenargues. 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. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Southern French place names zmjezhd #178684 08/13/08 05:03 AM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Double topic? (Words with unusual etymologies) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Southern French place names Chatter #179076 09/10/08 01:29 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,913 Posts229,316 Members9,182 Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011 Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV 9,182 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 members (), 504 guests, and 3 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 30 A C Bowden 13 ddrinnan 1 LukeJavan8 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 tsuwm 10,542 wofahulicodoc 10,533 LukeJavan8 9,916 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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