Use of Gothic language in Spain (baurgs, Burgos, burgus)

[llama_nom]

>   There are currently two main theories about the origin of the
Burgos toponyme. Both of them, though, take the name "Burgos" as
coming from Germanic burgs through Latin.burgus. The first theory sees
"Burgos" as evolving directly from burgus (with the final -s). The
second theory assumes that the word descending from burgus was burgo,
not burgos. In that case, the name "Burgos" would be a plural and
would be a reference to an agglomeration of fortresses or castles.

Thanks Rydwlf!  At first sight, the second of these theories seems the
more logical, and maybe it's supported by those placenames where the
article appears: los burgos, el burgo.  At the very leastm that must
be how such names where interpreted in later times.  But are there any
other inherited words where Latin -s of the nominative singular is
preserved, and under what circumstances would that happen?

Do you think it's significant that the names are concentrated in the
north?  Could this imply that they were indeed originally connected
with the Gothic and/or Suebic settlement?  Or are there other factors
which could account for that, e.g. Moorish sway in the south, later
Frankish influences elsewhere; or simply geographical factors?  Are
there other words applied in placenames to the same sorts of locations
in the south?

LN

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/gothic-l/attachments/20070807/a26b2870/attachment.htm>