Etymology of Prague?

[Jeff Holdeman]

The most "popular" etymology of Prague/Praha (that is, the etymology that
most people and guidebooks cite) comes from the legend of Princess Libuse
(Libus^e).  The legend goes that she had a vision of a city on the river
which would be built where a man was constructing the threshold (pra'h) of
his home.  So this "threshold" is not necessarily a land or cultural border
(like the aforementioned etymology of Ukraina), but rather a spatial
domestic border.  Of course, the legendary vision and idea of threshold
could then be interpreted symbolically, but that would just be speculation.

However, I have heard many Czech linguists say that the threshold etymology
is only a folk etymology.  The Czech etymological dictionaries that I have
within my reach at present have nothing to say on the matter.

Jeff


Jeff Holdeman
The Ohio State University
holdeman.2 at osu.edu


>I am not 100pc sure, but I think that the name PRAHA
>derives from the Czech PRAH (threshold). What I do not
>know is how this name was conferred on the city and
>why it acquired a final -A, and feminine gender.
>
>If the "threshold" derivation is correct, then this
>coincides with the country name UKRAINA ("Edge"), and
>also chimes with Russia's discussion of itself as an
>intermediary between Eastern and Western cultures
>(Evraistvo-Eurasianism). Can anyone think of other
>Slavic place names expressing liminality?
>
>Regards,
>Charles Price

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