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--- In romconlang@yahoogroups.com, Peter Collier <petecollier@...> wrote: > > I'm looking at town names, and wonder if any one can > answer this for me. Is there a widespread Romance > toponym meaning the same as the Germanic loanword > "-b(o)urg", i.e. castle/fortified place? > Yes, indeed. In France we have, in various dialects: Château, Châtel, Cassel, Castel < castellum Castres, Chastres, Castries < castra(s) Morsain, Morsang, Morchain < murocinctus Murat < muratus Le Châtelier, Castellard, Castéra < castellare You could also bring in a Celtic element: Argentre < Argentorate "white fortifications" (the Roman army loved whitewash!) Rouen < Ratomagos "walled market" Berte < Verta "fort" Nouan, Neung < Noviodunum "new fort" On the question of Strassburg, Strasse is oviously from the Latin strata, which occurs in French placenames like Estrées and Obtrée (< alba strata). Perhaps Castra Strata. For Habichts Burg, Castra Falconis; the -s would survive, as oblique cases do in set expressions like Fr. Aix < aquis or Sp. mártes < martis. I'm glad you asked this question: I'd quite forgotten that I had a dozen pages of notes on French placenames. Have fun! David