Questions tagged [place-names]
For questions about naming cities, countries, islands and other places in Latin.
36 questions
9
votes
0
answers
81
views
Is there an example from Classical antiquity of mixing up cities based on their names?
Is there an example from Classical antiquity of mixing up cities based on their names? Say, an army landed at the wrong town or a traveler gave wrong directions because they were confused which city ...
cmw♦
- 61.4k
7
votes
1
answer
135
views
Is it possible to use an indeclinable noun locatively?
Classical names of cities and towns can be declined in the locative forms, and it seems this can be applied to later names. However, many post-Classical city names are too foreign to have a form ...
- 3,756
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is *Moscovia* a latinists' invention?
Quoting this article on Grammatica Russica by Heinrich Wilhelm Ludolf:
The Russian city of Novgorod (literally ‘new town’) becomes (in the ablative case) Novogorodio. Moscow is Moscovia, though it ...
- 377
2
votes
1
answer
163
views
Meaning of old Greek neighborhoods' names
I was curious about the meaning/origins/etymology of the names of some of the well-known historic neighborhoods of central Athens.
I can assume that due to their age, there's a connection to classical ...
- 121
5
votes
1
answer
176
views
Gender of Street Names and Village Locations
I can find references on the gender of countries and cities, but nothing on street names or small locations (say within a village). Transcribing Manorial Records of the late 17th century, I have a ...
- 61
5
votes
1
answer
242
views
Gadiovala / Kadiofala meaning
Ksar Sbahi, or Ksar Sebihi, is a town in the district of Oum El Bouaki, Algeria.
Under the Roman occupation, the same town held the name Gadiovala or Kadiofala.
I wonder if someone can explain the ...
- 181
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are prepositions really never used with cities?
We're taught that the names of cities and small islands do not use prepositions for being in, going into, or leaving these places:
It's not in Roma but Romae.
It's not in Romam but Romam.
It's not e/...
- 120k
16
votes
5
answers
5k
views
A Latin adjective for New York?
The city of New York is often called Novum Eboracum in Latin.
Let us ignore other options for the purpose of this question; I just want to understand city names with two or more words through an ...
- 120k
11
votes
2
answers
976
views
How to pronounce "Roterodamus"?
The adjective roterodamus means “of Rotterdam” (the city in Holland). To lovers of Latin, unless they entertain an unusual interest in Dutch geography, the word is familiar probably primarily because ...
- 37.9k
4
votes
1
answer
644
views
"Washington, DC" in latin
Is there a more-or-less commonly accepted translation of "Washington, DC" (i.e., the city, but I would assume the same word would work for the state) in contemporary-latin? I'll happily use ...
- 193
5
votes
3
answers
238
views
What was the decision regarding this Paris convent in 1561?
This is the decision of the General Chapter of the Dominicans regarding some trouble in the Paris convent in 1561.
Fratres vero Antonium Abeli magistrum et Dominicum Sergent ut indignos
denegamus, ...
- 481
2
votes
2
answers
155
views
Why is Novarupta feminine?
Today is the anniversary of the Novarupta eruption, the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. Nova rupta is of course good Latin for "new broken thing", where the thing in question is ...
- 6,239
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Mountains and Mountain Ranges: Names
I have been recently enjoying Mark Walker's delightful translation of Professor Tolkien's masterpiece, The Hobbit (Hobbitus Ille). I was especially charmed by Tolkien's maps, translated into Latin (...
- 6,239
2
votes
1
answer
77
views
Translate location names for two continents
I've been working on a fictional world called 'Solum'. On this planet are two continents. Is it grammatically correct to call the larger continent 'Soli Major' and the smaller 'Soli Minor'? I'm not ...
- 8,807
9
votes
2
answers
409
views
Is the locative used with multi-part city names?
The Duolingo Latin course mentions New York a lot.
(I'd rather have it focused on the geography of ancient Italy than the modern US, but that's beside the point now.)
The locative comes up regularly: ...
- 120k