Germanic Toponymy in Portugal and Galicia

[o_cossue]

Well, this was going to be some arguing about Suevic and Gothic toponymy
in Spain and Portugal, though now I think it should be better my
presentation to the Group. I'm Galician (NW Spain), I'm in my late
thirties, and I'm an aficionado in old Galician onomastics, i.e. I love
toponymy and anthroponymy, specially if they are older than a thousand
years. Now, Galicia is pretty rich in a group of toponyms modeled around
old Germanic names, and my interest in that particular group of toponyms
have brought me here :-) Now let's go with what I had written... It's
extensive, so I really hope you find it, at least, interesting.

There are in Galicia and Northern Portugal thousands of places with
names containing Germanic elements, although most of these names have
been generated from local Romance or Vulgar Latin, after Galicians
adopted the anthroponyms of the Suevi -a single Germanic name with no
cognomen or patronymic attached-  and some tens of words of their
language. These toponyms were fist studied in the C18th by Martin
Sarmiento, a Galician illustrated scholar who identified them correctly
as Germanic (he was also the first person to point out some Germanisms
of the Galician language like laverca 'lark', lobio 'framework
supporting a vine, frequently in front of a house' -cf. lobby- or grova
'groove'). Latter, in the C20th they were studied by a large number of
scholar, many of them Germans: W. Meyer-Lübke, J. Jungfer, G. Sachs,
Leite de Vasconcellos, J. Piel and D. Kremer. Incidentally, Piel (you
can reach his initial researches here:
http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/bdc/lingua/boletimfilologia/02/boletim02.\
html
<http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/bdc/lingua/boletimfilologia/02/boletim02\
.html> ) and Kremer have considered these toponyms as Gothic, but i)
these toponyms are congruent with the personal names of the Sueves, ii)
these toponyms are almost completely absent from Central, South and East
of Spain, precisely in the regions where we positively know of Goth
dwellers, and iii) there's not documented organized or unorganized
settlement of Goths in Galicia and Norther Portugal before or after the
conquest of the Suevi by the Visigoths. So, the most economic theory is
to consider these place names as Suevi (or better, as formed under or
after Suevi influence):




[1] First, there are in Galicia, Portugal and western Asturias -in the
ancient Suevic kingdom- several parishes and villages holding the name
of the Sueves, Goths and Taifali:




- (Santa Eulalia de) Suegos (rural parish with 161 inhabitants in 7
hamlets.- Pol, Lugo). It was 'Suevos' in the C12th.

- (Santa Maria de) Suegos (rural parish with 328 inhabitants in 14
hamlets.- O Vicedo, Lugo)

- (Sam Mamede de) Suevos (rural parish with 298 inhabitants in 7
hamlets..- A Baña, A Coruña)

- (Sam Martiño de) Suevos (parish with 532 inhabitants distributed in
a village plus 5 hamlets.- Arteixo, A Coruña)

- Suevos (village with 42 hab.- Ames, A Coruña)

- Suevos (village with 126 hab.- Mazaricos, A Coruña)




- Téifaros (village with 127 inhabitants.- Navia, Asturias) Ë‚
*Taifalos

The Taifali could have come together with the Suevi in the C5th, or
either if they were the same Taifali established in Poitou, they could
have arrived together with the Britons that came to Norther Galicia in
the C6th (the Britons maintained their own bishopric during C6th and
C7th).




- (Santa Maria de) Godos (rural parish with 669 inhabitants distributed
in 10 hamlets or villages- Caldas de Reis, Pontevedra)

- Valdegodos (village with 348 inhabitants.- Vilamartín de
Valdeorras, Ourense) = 'Valley of Goths'




There is also three other villages containing the names of the Goths in
N and NE of Spain:

- Revillagodos (hamlet with 14 inhabitants, Burgos) =  'Village of
Goths'.

- Godos (village with 82  inhabitants, Teruel)

- Godos (rural parish with 733 inhabitants.- Oviedo, Asturias)




So there are in Spain more places named after the Suevi than after the
Goths (!). And no Vandals or Alans ones, sorry, although some people
used the personal name Uandaliscus = 'Vandal-ish' during the C9th and
C10th in Galicia and Asturias. It's an interesting name, since it
probably shows that some Vandals just stayed in the Iberia Peninsula
among the Sueves, where they were probably known as Vandaliscos, as
Moors were later named Mauriscos by Galicians. This same personal name,
Uandaliscus, also generated the toponym Gondarisco (Vigo, Pontevedra)
Ë‚ Goondalisco Ë‚ Guandalisco Ë‚ Wandaliscu(m).




[2] There are also thousands of place names derived from Germanic
personal names. In fact, most Galicians used these same names from the
C9th to the C12th, when Castilian Spanish like anthroponymy (one name
from a pool of two or three hundreds, a number of them Visigothic + a
patronimic ended in -z)  imposed itself. Let's see as an example a
Galician charter from 954, which presents a partition of serfs among
some noble families; most of the nobles and most of the serfs used
Germanic names -marked in red-, better than names with other origins -in
blue- (in Coleccion Diplomatica de Galicia Historica, d. 47, can be
found here
http://ia351432.us.archive.org/3/items/coleccindiplomt00unkngoog/colecci\
ndiplomt00unkngoog.pdf
<http://ia351432.us.archive.org/3/items/coleccindiplomt00unkngoog/colecc\
indiplomt00unkngoog.pdf> ):




In Dei nomine colmellus diuisionis qui factus est inter filios Placenti
et Romarici licet inter pacificas mentes definito sola constat uerborum
tamen pro memoria temporum testimonium adiuendum est litterarum; igitur
dum inter nos intemptio uertitur ad diuidendum mancipia de parentum
nostrorum Guntine et Rosule de neptos senatoris Siserici et Esmorice et
de suos jermanos:

ideo que euenit in portione de filios Gunterodis id est: Argiuitus
Gentibus Tratiuigia Recedrudi Gaudiosus Tequelo Julia filios Stanildi
Sitiuidis Gluscudilum Framildi Ruderigus Sonobrida Sabarigis, Argeleuba
Ostosia Guntedrudia Uitiza et Leuba Guntildi Julia Ragesindus Sanildi
cum sua filia Ermegundia Seniorina Uisteuerga Sisulfus Branderigus
Astruildi Brilis Ranemirus Goda duas filias Gaudiosi Maria et Felicia
Trudina Quindiuerga filio Frumildi Asarulfo Anulfo Ranulfo Teodeuerga
Sindileuba Ermedrudia filia Sonifrede majore alia filia Sonifrede minore
Aciulfus Recedrudia Uanda Trudildi Ausendus filie Guduigie fili Ostosie
Sabeg(oto) ...... inda duos filios Tequeloni Uimaredus filia Argeleuba
mino(re) ...... de Adaf qui est post Genitibo Tedildi Leodo cum duos
filios id est Gundilo Fargalosus Sisuita cum suo filio.

Euentum in portione de filios Rosule id est: Elias Spintilo Placida
(Gu)ndinum Ebrildi Guntuigia Metoi Tita Bonosa Aroildi. Egildus
Sabaredus Domnelius Astrogoto Leobegoto Uanagildi eb...... Trudilo Genlo
Sisiuertus Nunilo Ansuildi Dauid Sparuildi ...... cum suo filio Ranemiro
Teodilo Guisenda Ariulfus Leouegildus ...... Sabegoto Stefanus Saroi
filios de Spintilo duo Guntemirus (Gunde)redus Leodefredus Gudigeba
filio Sonifrede minore Ausendus Gudileuba Brunildi Ebragundia Nunnina
Astulfus Eldoara Adosinda filio l...... Zaquile Odorio Leoueredus
Sisuertus Manosinda filia Guduigie ...... Edonia et Elias duos f(ili)os
Tequeloni Sisuigia filia Leouegoto ...... filio Adaf Papinum (Gen)etibus
Uitiza Braromirus ...... (G)uendulfus.

..... quod accepit firmiter obtineat. factus colmellus VIII kalendas
octobris era DCCCCXCI(I).

Sil...... ari colmellum diuisionis a me factum.

Munius anc colmellus divisionis a me factum.

Uimara in anc colmellus diuisionis quo ac persona de meos germanos uel
de meo sobrino Spasando diuisi manu mea.... (signo)

Adefonsus anc colmellum diuisionis a me factum.... (signo)

Odoarius in anc colmellum diuisionis a me factum.... (signo)

Gundulfus anc colmellum diuisionis a me factum.... (signo)

Munnia anc colmellum diuisionis a me factum.... (signo)

Gunterode anc colmellum diuisionis a me factum.... (signo)

Ermegildus anc colmellum diuisionis a me factum.... (signo)

X Pelagius ad persona de meos neptos filios Petri in anc colmellum
diuisionis manu mea.... (signo)




[2.1] The most common case is that of the place names derived from a
Latin genitive (a case that was not longer productive in place names
formation after the 9th century) of a Germanic name. There are several
thousands (probably more than 5.000) in Galicia and northern Portugal,
with some 100 or 200 more in Asturias, Leon and Zamora (lands which also
belonged to the Suevi kingdom until 585 AD). The interpretation of these
toponyms as Latin genitives of personal Germanic names is not merely
based on guessing the etymology of a certain toponym thought known sound
changes, but on the recorded history of many of these places from the
800's (there's a pair of on-line databases of medieval Galician
documents here http://corpus.cirp.es/codolga/
<http://corpus.cirp.es/codolga/>   <http://corpus.cirp.es/codolga/>  and
here  http://sli.uvigo.es/xelmirez/index.html. 
<http://sli.uvigo.es/xelmirez/index.html> Some examples:




- (Santa Baia de) Mariz (rural parish with 197 inhabitants distributed
in 15 hamlets- Guitiriz, Lugo), is known from the C10th 'in ualle
Parriga (...) uilla Malarici media' (doc. from the monatery of Sobrado,
in Coruña, 966). So, Mariz derives from (villa) Malarici, though
regular sound changes, and 'villa Malarici' is Latin for 'Malaric's
villa', Malaricus being the same name of the last Suevi who proclaimed
himself king during the war with the Visigoths of 585.




- Toimil (a hamlet with 30 inhabitants.- Sam Xian de Roca, Begonte,
Lugo), known from the C10th 'villa quo dicunt Teodemiri, territorio
Parricense, ad sanctorum Iulianum a Roca' (doc. from the monatery of
Lourenzá, in Lugo, 922). It is derived from the Latin genitive
Teodemiri, name of one of the Suevi kings of the C6th.




- [Santa Maria de] Razamonde (rural parish with 172 inhabitants in 7
hamlets- Cenlle, Ourense), was ' in ripa Minei, ecclesiam sancte Marie
de Recemundi. cum sua concurrentia' (doc. from Santiago de Compostela,
in Corunna, 1142). Derived from the genitive Recemundi, of Reccemundus,
name for example of a Suevi king from the C5th.




Here are some other examples of modern toponyms from all over Galicia
(the Förstemann can be accessed here:
http://sul-derivatives.stanford.edu/derivative?CSNID=00003871&mediaType=\
application/pdf
<http://sul-derivatives.stanford.edu/derivative?CSNID=00003871&mediaType\
=application/pdf>  ; a search facility into Galician toponymy can be
accessed here http://sli.uvigo.es/toponimia/
<http://sli.uvigo.es/toponimia/> ):




Derived from a Latin genitive of names ended in -frid:

Almofrei ( Ë‚ Ermefredi), Aldobrén ( Ë‚ Hildefredi), Roxofrei
( Ë‚ Regefredi), Guilfrei ( Ë‚ Williafredi)...




>From names in -gildi:

Vilaxilde ( Ë‚ villa Agildi), Vilarfruxilde ( Ë‚ villare
Frogildi), Luxilde ( Ë‚ villa Leovegildi), Saville ( Ë‚
Sabegildi), Tanxil ( Ë‚ Atanagildi), Gradaílle ( Ë‚
Witragildi)...




>From names in -(h)ari:

Astrar ( Ë‚ Austrarii), Baltar ( Ë‚ Baldarii), Belesar ( Ë‚
Belisarii), Bretal ( Ë‚ Bertarii), Armear ( Ë‚ Ermiarii),
Sanformar ( Ë‚ Sala Frumarii), Goldar ( Ë‚ Goldarii or
Wultharii), Gondar ( Ë‚ Wandalarii), Guntar ( Ë‚ Guntharii),
Gulfar ( Ë‚ Wulfarii), Roupar ( Ë‚ Rauparii), Soñar ( Ë‚
Suaniarii), Tosar ( Ë‚ Turisarii), Guestrar ( Ë‚ Wistrarii),
Gaifar ( Ë‚ Waifarii)...




>From names in -(w)ulf:

Adoufe ( Ë‚ Adaulfi), Arulfe ( Ë‚ Arulfi), Arnufe (
Ë‚Arnulfi), Vilastrofe ( Ë‚ villa Astrulfi), Berulfe ( Ë‚
Berulfi), Brandufe ( Ë‚ Brandulfi), Esmolfe ( Ë‚ Ermulfi),
Froufe ( Ë‚ Fredulfi), Gresulfe ( Ë‚ Grisulfi), Gondufe ( Ë‚
Gundulfi), Aldurfe ( Ë‚ Aldulfi or Hildulfi), Liúlfe ( Ë‚
Leodulfi), Meitufe ( Ë‚ Mactulfi), Nandufe ( Ë‚ Nandulfi),
Randulfe ( Ë‚ Randulfi), Sesulfe ( Ë‚ Sisulfi), Tiulfe ( Ë‚
Theodulfi), Trasulfe ( Ë‚ Thrasulfi), Gallufe ( Ë‚ Waliulfi),
Vilaguillulfe ( Ë‚ villa Wiliulfi)...




>From names in -mar / -mir:

Ansemil and Ansemar ( Ë‚ Ansemiri, Ansemari), Arxemil ( Ë‚
Harjamiri), Vilaestremil ( Ë‚ villa Austremiri), Baldomar and
Baldomil ( Ë‚ Baldomari, Baldemiri), Bertamil ( Ë‚ Bertamiri),
Cendamil ( Ë‚ Kindamiri), Angumil ( Ë‚ Ingumiri), Ardemil (
Ë‚ Hardermiri), Franzomil ( Ë‚ Francemiri), Gondomar and
Gondomil ( Ë‚ Gunthemari, Gunthemiri), Golmar ( Ë‚ Walamari),
Vilagormar ( Ë‚ villa Walamari), Aldemir ( Ë‚ Hildemiri), Loimil
and  Loimar ( Ë‚ Leodemiri, Leodemari), Lantemil ( Ë‚
Nandemiri), Randamil ( Ë‚ Randamiri), Recimil ( Ë‚ Reccemiri),
Rosomil ( Ë‚ Rausemiri), Samil ( Ë‚ Salamiri), Toimil ( Ë‚
Theodemiri), Troitomil ( Ë‚ Tructemiri), Gradamil ( Ë‚
Witramiri), Cristimil ( Ë‚ Guistrimir Ë‚ Wistremiri)...




>From names in -mar / -mir:

Aldemunde ( Ë‚ Hildimundi), Baamonde ( Ë‚ Baudamundi),
Estramundi ( Ë‚ Astramundi), Razamonde ( Ë‚ Rasuamundi)...




>From names in -ric:

Alperiz ( Ë‚ Hilperici), Baldriz ( Ë‚ Balderici), Brandariz (
Ë‚ Branderici), Contariz ( Ë‚ Cuntarici), Esmoriz ( Ë‚
Ermorici), Gomariz ( Ë‚ Gumarici), Guldriz ( Ë‚ Wuldarici),
Golfariz ( Ë‚ Wulfarici), Mondariz ( Ë‚ Mundarici)...




Etc, etc, etc. I'm serious when I affirm that in Galicia and Portugal
there are thousands of place names based on Germanic names. And we have
a direct attestation -specially in C9th-C12th Galician monastical
records- of most of the personal names that originated the above
mentioned toponyms.




[2.2] There are also hundreds (maybe +1000) toponyms where a Germanic
inflection is adapted into Latin. As an example, Latin genitive of the
nominative Rickila should be Rickiliae, but we find Rickilani or
Rickilanis instead:




- Requiám (hamlet with 37 hab.- A Estrada, Pontevedra) Ë‚ 'et est
ipsa hereditate conclusa in omnique giro per suos terminos antiquos id
est per fenales iusta domus Catoni et inde ad Causelio et inde per Fouea
Uentuosa et per terminos de Magani. de alia parte per terminos de
Exeuerneco. per terminos de Sancto Mamede. et inde per arca que diuidet
inter Cordario et uilla Riquilani et feret ipso termino in Pedroso et
plicat ad porta de fratres' (doc. from Santiago, 947). So it was 'villa
Riquilani' = 'Rickla's villa' in 947,  derived of the Germanic Rickila,
which was also the name of one of the Suevic kings of Galicia of the
C5th.




In much the same way (/l/ felt when intervocalic  in the evolution of
Galician language) :




Names with hipocoristic -ila: Andeán ( Ë‚ Andilani), Anseán (
Ë‚ Ansilani), Ateán ( Ë‚ Attilani), Baldráns ( Ë‚
Baldilanis), Verlás ( Ë‚ Berilanis), Brandián ( Ë‚
Brandilani), Burgáns ( Ë‚ Burgalanis), Cutián ( Ë‚
Cuttilani), Ameán ( Ë‚ Emilani), Armeá ( Ë‚ Ermilani),
Fafiás ( Ë‚ Faffilanis), Frameán ( Ë‚ Framilani),
Franqueán ( Ë‚ Frankilani), Froiás ( Ë‚ Froilanis),
Goiáns ( Ë‚ Gaudilanis), Gabián ( Ë‚ Gawilani),  Gomeán
( Ë‚ Gomilani), Gundiás ( Ë‚ Gundilanis), Gulfián ( Ë‚
Wulfilani), Galiñáns ( Ë‚ Walilanis),  Xudán ( Ë‚
Iutilani), Xustáns ( Ë‚ Iustilani), Lubián ( Ë‚
Leobilani), Quintián ( Ë‚ Kintilani), Santián ( Ë‚
Sindilani), Tanquián ( Ë‚ Tankilani), Guitián ( Ë‚
Wittilani), Quistiláns ( Ë‚ Wistilanis)...




Other names:

Aldrá ( Ë‚ Aldrani), Atán ( Ë‚ Attani), Berán ( Ë‚
Berani), Bodán ( Ë‚ Botani), Ardán ( Ë‚ Ardani), Forxás
( Ë‚ Frojanis),  Gontán ( Ë‚ Guntani), Guillán ( Ë‚
Wiliani), Manán ( Ë‚ Mannani), Miumás ( Ë‚ Medumanis),
Moscán ( Ë‚ Muskani), Segán ( Ë‚ Seggani), Sendán (
Ë‚ Sendani), Boizán ( Ë‚ Bonizani), Guitizá ( Ë‚
Wittizani), Xigán ( Ë‚ Egicani)...





[2.3] There are even some few toponyms where we can probably find pure
german genitives:

Camondes ( Ë‚ Camundis), Godulfes ( Ë‚ Gotulfis), Gondulfes (
Ë‚ Gundulfis), Raxacendes ( Ë‚ Regesendis), Espasantes ( Ë‚
Spassantis), Guntís ( Ë‚ Guntinis)...




And toponyms witch generalizes the use of some weird inflexions:

Señoráns ( Ë‚ Suniaranes, from Suniarius), Bertamiráns (
Ë‚ Bertamiranes, from Bertamirus), Ramiráns ( Ë‚ Ranmiranes,
from Ranamirus), Guldrigáns ( Ë‚ Guldricanis, from Wuldericus)...







[3] There are also toponyms derived from Germanic words. Most of then
are words either incorporated into modern or medieval Galician, and
still alive today, or words which were incorporated into local Latin,
although they felt out of use before they could be recorded in the
documentation of the C9th and later centuries.




[3.1] Toponyms based on the PGmc word *salam 'house, hall'. In Portugal
they have evolved into Sâ or Sâs, and there are some fifty, all in
the North, around Braga and Porto; in Galicia they are Sa, Saa, Sas or
Zas, and we have another fifty, especially around Lugo and along the
valley of the Minho river; in Spanish speaking provinces the form is
Sala, and there are some ten (in Catalonia is more frequent, over
twenty, but Catalan ones, and maybe even Castilians, can have French or
Frankish origin; the Galician and Portuguese ones must have been formed
before C10th, when the intervocalic /l/ felt). Although in Galicia we
have not recorded the word *sá 'house' (we have sala 'room' and
salón 'saloon, room', but they entered through French after the
C12th), it can be proved that all or part of these toponyms were formed
through Vulgar Latin or local Romance. As an example:




- Saavedra (several ones, all around Galicia), probably from 'Sala
Vetera', that is 'Old House/Hall'. The word order shows that the toponym
have been generated in local Romance or late vulgar Latin (before C8th,
probably).

- Sasdónigas (Mondoñedo, Lugo), from 'Salas Dominicas', 'Lord's
Halls/Houses'.

- Sanformar (Negueira, Lugo) probably from 'Sala Frumarii'. Although the
word sala is Germanic, and the name Frumarii is Germanic (is documented
among the Suevi and later on), word order and  inflexion is
unquestionably Latin.

- Salmeán (Pontenova, Lugo), from 'Sala Mediana' = 'House of the
Middle' (in a up-down dichotomy).




[3.2] Toponyms based on the word *bûrjô 'house', related to PGmc
*bûran 'idem', which originated serveral Boiro and Buiro in Galicia,
and Bouro in N Portugal. We have pretty old documentation (C10th) for
these places also, and they are generally presumed to be
"Suevi", either as direct settlements, or as a word incorporated
into local Latin before it had fallen out of use, but it's unknown if
these place names where formed directly from a Germanic dialect or
through Romance.




[3.3] There are also a large number of toponyms derived from some
Galician Germanisms like:

- albergue 'shelter, lodging': Albergue, Albergaría...

- banda 'side, flank': Acalabanda = 'That Side', Bandorrio 'flank of the
river'...

- barón 'man': Baróns.

- bordo 'rim, extreme': Bordeiras, Bordo...

- burgo  'hillfort': Malburgo, Burgo, Burgueiros, Malburguete...

- estaca 'stick, spear': Estaca, Estacada...

- guardia 'watch post': Aguarda, Guarda, Gardados...

- infanzón 'lesser nobleman, free man, client': Vilar dos
Infanzós.

- marco 'boundary, boundary stone, mark': Marco, Marcadoiro...

- rapar 'to take, to cut, to scrape': Rapa, Rapadas, Rapadoiro...

- guisa 'way, guise': Vila Guisada...

And a long etc. Similar toponyms can be found also in France, Italy, and
even Spain. Of these the most interesting are the various Malburgo and
Malburguete, since word order is Germanic, and there are similar
toponyms in France (Maubourguet in Hautes-Pyrènèes, ), Switzerland
(Mauburguet in Vaud), Italy (Malborghetto in Udine, near Austria) and in
Germanic countries (Marburg and Maulburg in Germany, Malburgen in the
Netherlands, Marbourg in Luxemburg...)




[3.4] There are also plenty of toponyms based on Galician (or Galician
and Portuguese) exclusive germanisms (there are a some few dozens of
them, and are still little studied; for the proto-Germanic forms, V.
Orel, A Handbook of Germanic Etymology
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21206305/A-Handbook-of-Germanic-Etymology
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/21206305/A-Handbook-of-Germanic-Etymology> 
):

laverca 'lark' Ë‚ PGmc *laiwarikôn 'idem',

meixengra 'titmouse' Ë‚ PGmc *maisôn 'idem' + -ingaz,

ouva 'sprite, elf' from *auba Ë‚ PGmc *albaz 'elf',

gueste 'food offered to a group of workers' Ë‚ PGmc *westiz
'sustenance, food, provisions',

maga 'guts' Ë‚ PGmc *magôn 'stomach',

britar 'to break, to destroy' Ë‚ PGmc *breutanan 'idem',

esmorecer 'to faint, to choke' from ancient esmorir 'idem' Ë‚ PGmc
*smurjanan 'to choke, to suffocate', gastallar 'to immobilize, to stop,
to keep in place' Ë‚ PGmc *ga-stelljanan 'to still, to soothe'...

Some of these toponyms are old, and have very old documentation (before
C11th), but others could be recent, since many of these words are still
alive:

- lobio 'vineyard' (Ë‚ PGmc *laubjôn, related to *lauban
'foliage' ): Lobio, Lobios, Lóivo, Loxe, Loio... dozens,  in Galicia,
N of Portugal and Asturias.

- groba 'hole, cave, ravine' ( Ë‚ PGmc *grôbô 'dugout, hole,
pit'): Groba, Grobas, Encrobas... Dozens.

- gasalla 'communal property' ( Ë‚ PGmc *ga-salj-, from *saljanan
'to offer, to give'): Gasalla, several.

And some others like 'Esculca', 'Esculqueira' 'post of vigilance': less
than ten, in Galicia and Portugal; 'Gaspalleira', from gaspallar 'to
split, trounce' ( Ë‚ PGmc *ga-spelljanan 'to split'), Faísca
'ash' Ë‚ falisca Ë‚ PGmc *falwiskô  'flying ash'. Etc.







[3.5] There are some other toponyms based on (locally) unattested
Germanisms, like:




- Foristo (in W Asturias, near Galicia), identical with Old High German
'furisto' 'first', and with no etymology in Latin, Celtic, Basque, Arab
or any other language historically attested in the area; or like

- Samos Ë‚ Samanos, a very ancient Galician monastery (it already
existed in the C7th, although we don't really know when it was founded)
cf. Old High German 'samanunga' 'community, congregation' (samanos would
be a latinized form = 'reunited, congregated (men)').




Maybe also the next, if the first element is the same with the Longobard
fara 'family group': Frá (Vilalba, Lugo), Frá (Muras, Lugo),
Fraguizón (Valdoviño, Coruña) Ë‚ *'Fara Wizoni', Faramenga
(Sada, Coruña) Ë‚ *'Fara Aminga' (?), Fraemelle (Monfero,
Coruña)...




[3.6] Other interesting toponyms which shows Germanic influence are
those based on mixed words,  like the Galician and Portuguese 'reguengo'
'propriety of the king', from ancient *regalingo = regal (='royal',
Latin) + -ing ('pertaining to', Germanic). There are dozens of these
places in Galicia and Portugal, under the form Reguengo / Reguenga /
Vila Reguenga, but they are irrelevant in Spanish speaking provinces (I
know just three, under the form Realengo). Other toponyms which include
the -ing Germanic suffix are Faramenga (Sada, Coruña) Ë‚ *'Fara
Aminga' (?), Meirengos (Ribadeo, Lugo) = `People from (the valley of the
river) Meira', or Alvarenga in Portugal 'Alvaro's (village)'.




Well, that's it. I think I've made my point on the Germanic toponymy of
Galicia, N Portugal, and neighboring territories: these toponyms are
rather numerous, they are rather diverse too, and they are
characteristically modeled with Germanic clay in a Roman potter's wheel.
In fact, when people speak about the post-Roman Germanic kingdoms, the
Suevi are generally neglected, though they founded a stable kingdom,
coined money, maintained diplomatic relations with Vandals, Franks,
Burgundians, Romans and Goths, and even worked out an administrative and
ecclesiastic reform of their country -in the C6th through a series of
Councils- which really converted their ethnic kingdom into a territorial
one (the Kingdom of Galicia, as used by Gregory of Tours)... And when
their kingdom was taken by the Goths, we know that they kept their lives
and jobs, and were not punished or substituted -catholic Suevic bishops
kept their sees under Arrian Goths-, simply annexed. It is probably not
a coincidence that Galicians counts and settlers had already taken back
from the Arabs all of the ancient Suevi kingdom by 878, including the
southernmost Suevic city of Coimbra, while most of Spain up to the
Pyrenees was still under Arab rule.




Sorry for the extension. Cheers.

Cossue.







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