Discover Gascony !

Lège-Cap-Ferret : "Le Cap Ferret" (Buch)

2012-01-26T21:41:00.010+01:00

All in all, I'm a lame romantic ! I've been living for one year in Toulouse that I somehow enjoy but I miss my years in Bordeaux. When in Bordeaux, one of my great pleasures was going to the nearby ocean just for contemplation purposes. Miraculously enough, I could avoid the masses of tourists as I fled to my home Béarn in summertime ... The Bay of Arcachon in mid-winter is a marvel : the smell of mimosa is already here to make us know spring is not that far. But above all, winter in the bay means that three iconic symbols of Gascony are at their best : the sea, sand and pinetrees.

From the great dune of Pyla (Los Sablonèirs /lus sablu'nejs/ in local Gascon, quite simply "the sandy place" : Pyla is a ridiculous pedantic French way of writing another Gascon word pilar "pile"), the tallest sand dune in Europe, one can have a beautiful view on the whole bay and more precisely on the peninsula known in French as "Le Cap Ferret", a fashionable place for artists and celebrities, made famous once more by a recent movie "Les Petits Mouchoirs". There's no need to assert that not much of the vernacular Gascon culture remains in Cap Ferret : still, Gascony still is here through its language which has not yet been erased from official placenames (Claouey, Piquey, Piraillan, ...) even though its sonorities are long gone with the last genuine fishermen.

The very name "Cap Ferret" is a frenchification of what once in the 17th century "Cap de Horret" of unknown origin but clearly Gascon in appearance : it then got deformed in local Gascon as herret /hə'rrət/ - probably because it sounded like hèr /he/ "iron" from Latin ferrum - which thus was frenchified as ferret (it is a well known fact that the Gascon language transforms f into h, like Spanish). Let me remember to come back to Arcachon next month, for a weekend !

Buzy : "Belair" (Béarn)

2011-12-28T22:39:00.010+01:00

Localization

The road from Pau to Oloron allows drivers to follow the Pyrenees and to have a glimpse of the entrances to its many valleys. From the coast of Belair, one can have a beautiful view on the "door" to the Valley of Ossau (Aussau /aʊ'saʊ/ in Gascon, formerly *Orzal, quite probably from pre-i.e. *urz/urd "plateau" : some sources claim that the Basque name for the valley is Urzari - see Roncal/Erronkari for a hint to -ari being transcribed as -al in Romance dialects).

Belair doesn't sound like a genuine Gascon name : it is a rather common "topical" placename in France which describes a pleasant location. The meaning of Belair is "pleasant air" as in "Bel Air". Some linguists believe that the many placenames named Belair hide former "Bel Erm" (erm /ɛrm/ in Occitan, from Latin eremus) but in Gascon-speaking lands, the Latin bellum is always bèth, never bèl as in Languedocian or ancient French. The placename "Belair" is already mentioned in 18th century maps by Cassini : at some point in Béarn's history, its elite decided to name locations according to French idiomatisms. This is the only reasonable explaination.

Muret : "Les Camps des Monges" (Murétain)

2011-12-12T22:02:00.010+01:00

Localization

Gascony is the land from where one can see the Pyrenees : this personal definition somehow matches a reality, the blue mountains can be seen from all parts of Gascon lands, except in Médoc which is too far away. From the heights of Muret, next to a place named "Les Camps des Monges" (Les Camps deus Monges /lej camps duj 'munʒes/ in Gascon ; "the Monks' Fields"), one can have a clear vision of the whole range, from Catalan peaks to Gascon ones. There is somehow a sharp division between the Eastern Pyrenees and the Western Pyrenees (as seen on the pic) : Catalano-Languedocian peaks appear to be more massive but are less dramatic than their Gascon counterparts which are quite "indented".

Muret (Murèth /murɛt/ in Gascon ; from Latin murell(um) "little wall" showing the classical Gascon mutation -ll > -th, see Mureau in French or Murulu in Basque) used to be the capital of medieval Comminges, not far from Languedoc then : these lands indeed belonged to the Celtic city of the Volcae but it looks like Aquitanian people got advantage of the fall of the Roman Empire to get those lands back which then got to be included in the Gascon medieval successors of ancient civitates thus retaining their Gascon character up to this date. Muret is famous for being the place where the Count of Toulouse and the King of Aragon lost to the French "Oïlic" crusaders led by Simon de Montfort in the 13th century thus ending the project of uniting North Iberia with South Gaul.

These days, Muret is a suburb of Toulouse. Consequently, its proper Gascon character is vanishing. In the few local schools where the vernacular language is being taught, occitanist militants don't teach Gascon but Languedocian thus implementing a linguistic standard that they hope will soon prevail all over South France. There is no hope the former capital of Comminges will escape this : frenchification induced by metropolization is too strong a phenomenon and what remains of people attached to local identity all stick to the idea of a greater Occitania from the Atlantic to the Alps. Yet, if one has a walk in the streets of Muret, one may get to see one streetname that proves that this was not always the case : "Rue de Vasconia". Too late unfortunately enough ...

Aussonne (Toulousain)

2011-10-23T19:03:00.006+02:00

Localization

It's fall in the outskirts of the mighty Toulouse. 6PM : people are coming back home after hours in traffic jams to reach their newly-built pavillions in "lotissements" fostered by formerly rural municipalities which thus hope to save administrative services such as schools or a post office thanks to newcomers who are settling in SW France to work for Airbus, or just in the unceasingly growing town of Toulouse. Aussonne (Aussona /aʊ'sunɔ/ in Gascon) is one of those villages on the Gascon left bank of the Garonne river which are now part of the metropolis of Toulouse, its vast lands being used for new constructions. Still, one of the bright aspects of a dormitory town is its rather quiet appearance : the charm of residential areas is quite subtle and after all not that unpleasant though one can miss the now extinct rural past of all these villages. Plus old buildings can be well restaured : have a look at the wooden house on the main square, a rare remnant of vernacular Gascon architecture.

It is a well known fact that the Celtic Volques Tectosages whose capital was Tolosa (modern-day Toulouse) also more or less controlled the lands situated on the left bank of the Garonne river which would later be known as "Gascogne Toulousaine". The fact that lands which had been administrated from Toulouse for centuries eventually switched to Gascon rather than to the more obvious Languedocian - though the Languedocian spoken in Toulouse also shows light Gascon features - really hints to a strong Vasconic substrate in the area that centuries of Roman then Wisigothic then Languedocian domination could not erase.

Nevertheless, it is rather probable that Aussonne takes its name from a well identified Celtic root that has given many placenames and hydronyms in France such as the rivers named Aussonne. To be more precise, Aussonne takes its name from the river once known as Aussonne, now dubbed La Bordette (La Bordeta /la bur'detɔ/ in Gascon ; "little house") which certainly comes from Celtic *alisunna, from alisia "rock" (see the Gaulish oppidum of Alesia) and unna "stream" which would make Aussonne a doublet of Garonne (except the latter is based on the pre-IE root *gar/gal).

Montaner : "Ourbère" (Béarn)

2011-10-08T23:26:00.011+02:00

Localization

Montanérès (Montanerés /muntane'res/ in Gascon) constitutes the eastern border of Béarn : a former area made of lands where Pyrenean flock was grazing, it was initially part of neighbouring Bigorre and was still ruled from Tarbes from a religious point of view up to 1813's Concordat of Fontainebleau which saw the disappearance of the ancient Catholic dioceses replaced by new ones emulating the newly created departemental borders (thus erasing borders that were directly heir to ancient Aquitanian civitates some 2 millenia back in time). Montanérès was annexed to Béarn in the 12th century when Gaston IV "the Crusader" Viscount of Béarn married Talesa of Aragon (also known as Ataresa and a member of the Jiménez family), Viscountess of Montanérès. Only 5 parishes remained a possession of the County of Bigorre hence the two exclaves that still can be seen on maps and which have resisted projects of administrative "streamlining" since then.

O(u)rbère (Orbèra /ur'bɛrɔ/ in Gascon) is one of the many churches one can find within the limits of the commune of Montaner (Montaner /munta'ne/ in Gascon, literally "Mount of Aznar", Aner being the Gascon form for Aznar) : the name is now largely forgotten and was replaced by a more simple "Parsan", parçan being the Gascon word for district. Orbère remains unexplained : the suffix -èr/èra clearly is the Gascon heir to Latin -arium/aria (notice that Gascon followed the same phonetic rules as Spanish -ero/era or Catalan -er/era : compare with French -ier/ière and mainstream Occitan -ièr/ièra) but *orb- remains obscure though one might want to link this term with the Gascon word òrba for blindworm. Not far from Orbère is the village of Corbère based on Gascon còrb "raven". Consequently, Orbère might just be named according to its soil where blindworms might have been abundant.

Antin (Bigorre)

2011-09-18T18:56:00.008+02:00

Localization

Antin is situated in Rustan, the NE corner of Bigorre (see Discover Gascony! : Mun for some developments on this name). It was one of the eleven baronies of Bigorre and its owner was the third more important individual in the County. The fact that Antin is situated on the border with Astarac - materialized by the Boués river (Boés /bwes/ in Gascon) - may explain the importance of the parish : the ruins of what may have been a camp were found in the hamlet of "Le Castéra" (Lo Casterar /lu kaste'ra/ in Gascon, from Latin castellare).

Antin (Antin /an'ti/ in Gascon) probably takes its name from a personal first name. Indeed, Ante was a rather common Gascon first name in the Middle-Ages which was used to forge very characteristic Gascon first names such as Antaner (Ante + Aner i.e. "Ante son of Aznar"), Ante Gassan (Ante + Gassan i.e. "Ante son of Garcia"), Ante Fuert (Ante + Fort i.e. "Ante son of Fort") ... Antin is thus probably an unattested variant based on the diminutive suffix -in though one cannot discard the theory that it might directly originate from Latin gentilicium "Antinus" (which would make Antin heir to a Roman villa). The many people named Danty/Dantin originally come from Antin or another homonymous placename in Gascony.

Savarthès (Comminges)

2011-09-15T21:18:00.007+02:00

Localization

One cannot miss Savarthès when driving on the A64 highway. When coming from Pau, Savarthès tells me I'll soon leave the Pyrenees - more precisely the "Little Pyrenees" - and will enter the large plain of the Garonne river which leads me to Toulouse. When coming from Toulouse, Savarthès is already like home : in the distance I can see the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the iconic triangle-shaped mount which has been dominating my Béarnais ancestors for millenia.

Savarthès (Savartés /sawar'tes/ in Gascon) seems to be based on a rather extinct word savart "waste land" through the Latin suffix -ensem (-és in East Gascon). The term existed in Old French as savart as well and might have originated from Celtic *savartos. The words was more abundant in Languedocian and Catalan lands as placenames named "Sabart" are not rare.

Lembeye (Béarn)

2011-09-04T21:45:00.007+02:00

Localization

Lembeye - the former capital of Vic-Bilh - is a dead city. Not much remains of the once vibrant market place which attracted Béarnais, Armagnacais and Bigourdan people. More than a decade ago, when I a young boy, Lembeye had still a bit of obsolete charm : lost on its hill overlooking the valley of the Léez river (Les /les/ in Gascon, from Basque leize "torrent"), the old burg, dominated by its prison tower, was like frozen in the 50s, no supermarkets, old-fashioned shops set in a picturesque central square surrounded by venerable white and russet Béarnaise houses, everywhere typical old people with their iconic béret speaking Gascon*. This world is vanishing as I write these words : most shops have now closed, Béarnaise houses are beyond repair and Gascon is mostly a dead language. In just 15 years' time.

Lembeye (Lenveja /lem'bejɔ/ in Gascon) is a common placename in Gascony : it is the Gascon form - plus contracted article l'- of Latin invidia "envy". It was a "commercial" game given to a place which was disputed by many feudal entities. Or just a grandiloquent appellation ... In our case, Lembeye is indeed situated near Armagnac and Bigorre. Let's note that in the Basque Country, many medieval houses were also dubbed "Inbidia" which corroborates the local use of the Latin term.

* : For those interested, you can hear to an extract of Gascon as spoken in Lembeye here. The locutor was a local teacher, a collegue of my grandmother who was born in a village next to Lembeye.

Virazeil (Agenais)

2011-08-27T15:37:00.013+02:00

Localization

The former province of Agenais (Agenés /aje'nes/ in Gascon) is heir to the Celtic city of the Nitiobriges ("those who have a land", "auochtonous people" in Gaulish) on the right bank of the Garonne river. Its history is one of multiple contradictory influences, halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse and stuck inbetween the Garonne valley and the foothills of Massif Central on the right bank it occupies. No wonder this land was so disputed in the Middle-Ages : in 960 William Sánchez (Gilen Antso in Basque, Guilhem Sans in Gascon), Duke of Vasconia, integrates Agenais into his duchy in what was the great expansion of Vasconia into lands which may have belonged to Aquitanian tribes centuries before. Subsequently, Agenais was disputed by the Duchy of Guienne, the County of Toulouse, the Kingdoms of France and England, ...

Linguistically wise, Agenais' situaton reflects its status of march country : parts of the right bank of the Garonne river (see the fine line in the "Localization" map) undoubtedly speaks a Gascon dialect noted for its obvious characteristics such as f being transformed into h and many other features. Gascon-speaking towns in Agenais include Marmande (Marmanda /mar'mandə/ in Gascon), Tonneins (Tonens /tu'nens/ in Gascon), Aiguillon (Agulhon /agy'juŋ/ in Gascon). The remainder of Agenais mostly speaks a Guyennais dialect, an intermediate linguistic domain centred in the former province of Guienne, including the city of Agen (Agen /a'ʒen/ in Gascon) despite its long history of claiming being a Gascon town. No theory has ever explained Agenais' bicephalism.

Virazeil (Viraselh /bira'zej/ in Gascon) is one of those villages belonging to that strip of land on the right bank of the Garonne river speaking Gascon : situated east of Marmande, it is one of the last hamlets before entering Guyennais-speaking lands after leaving the large Garonne valley. Yet, as the whole province of Agenais was formerly part of Celtic lands, it is of no surprise that this placename must be analyzed through Celtic. The most plausible theory is that Virazeil is a former Celtic placename named *uiratialo based on Uiratius, a male first name from Celtic *uir "man" (see Viriatus the Celtiberian hero) and *ialo "glade" i.e. "the glade of Uiratius".

NB : For those interested, you can compare the languages of two neighbouring villages : (click on the village names for audio extracts). Here's a detailed map of the linguistic border near Marmande.

- Beaupuy is situated North of Marmande in Gascon-speaking territories. Even though the language is a bit altered, it's clearly part of the Gascon domain with obvious features such as f > h or -arium > -èr.

- Cambes is situated North of the aforementioned Beaupuy but already in Guyennais-speaking lands. For those familiar with Romance languages, it is clear both dialects don't possess the same prosody even though denying they're somewhat similar would be hypocrisy. Yet when entering in Cambes, whole linguistic features disappear.

Aurensan (Armagnac)

2011-08-03T13:12:00.006+02:00

Localization

Overlooking the valley of the Larcis river (L'Arcis /lar'sis/ in Gascon, formerly Arsis of unknown origin, Basque roots such as (h)arr- "stone" might come in handy), Aurensan (Aurençan /aʊren'saŋ/ in Gascon) is situated not far from the ancient border between Béarn, Tursan and Armagnac. When coming from Béarn, the transition to Armagnac is rather abrupt at least as far as architecture is concerned : high Pyrenean roofs suddenly disappear replaced by Vasconic houses which show up now and then even though they are in competition with 19th century bourgeois houses of classical dimensions which were deemed to be more spacious and now with the plague of Californian pavillions.

Aurensan - like its Bigourdan homonym - is part of a well-identified series of Latin placenames ending in -anum even though linguists believe such formations actually were created up to the Middle Ages : *(fundum) aurentianum clearly is the basis for this toponym i.e. "the property of Aurentius". As far as placenames are concerned, this area not far from Atura and the Adour valley was home to Roman colonization or more precisely was central for romanization as it is highly probable that landowners were of local extraction. In the vicinity of Aurensan, one can find obvious Latin placenames such as Madiran (Materius), Corneillan (Cornelius), Projan (Prodius), ... Funnily enough, Basque linguists such as Caro Baroja or Mujika believe that Aurentius is also the basis for Orendáin, a village in Guipúzcoa not far from Tolosa, through Basque phonetics : the origin of Basque placenames ending in -ain still is mysterious, yet it is likely some of them indeed are the evolution of the Latin suffix -anum. Consequently, it would be the proof that Aurentius - as a first name - was locally rather common.

Arricau-Bordes : "Arricau" (Béarn)

2011-07-28T22:12:00.013+02:00

Localization

The castle of Arricau (Arricau /arri'kaʊ/ in Gascon) is what remains of the now disappeared homonymous village that got to be fused with the neighbouring hamlet of Bordes (Bòrdas /'bɔrdɔs/ in Gascon) : it dominates the valley of the Léès river (Les /les/ in Gascon, from a Pyrenean hydronym *liz/lez linked to Basque leize "torrent") and its slopes do grow vineyard used for famous wines such as Madiran (Madiran /madi'raŋ/ in Gascon) or Pacherenc. The castle used to belong to one branch of the famous Montesquiou d'Artagnan family and also to the Monpezat family, the ancestors of Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark.

There is no agreement on how the toponym should be decyphered : Arricau is a rather common placename in Gascony, albeit under frenchified forms such as Ricau(d). Eventually the most plausible theory is that it is simply "arric cau" i.e. "straight fissure" (cau /kaʊ/ in Gascon comes from Latin cavus). The Gascon term arric/arrec "fissure, line" is to be linked with old Spanish riego, Asturian riegu, Galician rego, Catalan rec and ancient Provençal rèc with similar meanings : the Basque erreka "stream" might be part of the same linguistic family, in relation with a hypothetical pre-Roman root which might have been *reku.

Audressein (Couserans)

2011-07-11T20:43:00.016+02:00

Localization

Couserans (Coserans /kuze'ras/ in Gascon) is Gascony's easternmost province next to the former County of Foix which was formerly part of the territory of the Celtic Volcae Tectosages whereas Couserans was populated by the ethnically Aquitanian Consoranni. The equation between an ancient belonging to Aquitanian ethnicity and a modern-day Gascon identity is remarkable. Unfortunately enough, Couserans was fused into the modern-day département of Ariège the capital of which is not situated in Couserans : consequently, Gascon identity in Couserans is being distorted and used to promote an "Ariégeois" identity which only exists in touristic leaflets. Yet Couserans and Foix don't share much : Couserans is your quintessential Western Pyrenean land when Foix is already half-Mediterranean. The contrast is obvious as far as landscapes, myths and languages are concerned.

Audressein (Audressenh /aʊdre'seɲ/ in Gascon) is situated in one of the many valleys of Couserans named Bellongue (Era Vath Longa /era ba'llungɔ/ in Gascon ; "the long valley") which links Couserans to Comminges through the infamous port named "Portet d'Aspet" (Eth Portèth d'Aspet /ep pur'tɛtʃ das'pet/ in Gascon). It is one of the many placenames ending in -ein one can find in Couserans : Argein, Illartein, Irazein, Orchein, Uchentein, Idrein, Esquein, Samortein, ... The list is endless : such placenames are amongst Gascony's most curious toponyms. Many theories can be built to explain these placenames but it would be a bit too long to explain them all.

Still, two facts can be told. Firstly, in Couseranais Gascon, what was once -enn will indeed be pronounced as -enh /eɲ/ : it is one the many features of Gascon as spoken in the area. It happens that ancient Aquitanian epigraphy do show an abundance of such double counsonants (the very name of the Consoranni is a proof). Many examples could be given : the Aquitanian god Leherenn is the most famous one (see modern Basque lehen "first"). Consequently, -ein could just be a local variant of a Basque locative suffix -en.

Secondly, one cannot escape the fact that miles away from Couserans are two series of toponyms ending in -ain/ein : one is around the town of Pamplona (Paternáin, Burutáin, Barañáin, Berriáin, ...) and another one is on the border between Béarn and Soule (Méritein, Andrein, Munein, Monein, ... in Béarn and Gotein, Undurein, Garindein, ... in Soule). It looks like most of these placenames are based on anthroponyms : Paternáin on Paternus, Burutáin on Brutus, Andrein on Andere, Munein on Muño, Garindein on Galindo, ... As a consequence, a Basque suffix -ain/ein might have existed to forge early medieval domains : in that respect Audressein could very well be a former Audericius + -ain i.e. "the domain of Oderic". It means that Basque was still spoken when these villages were founded, maybe around the 10th century but that local lords had Germanic first names in accordance to the fashion of the times. Nevertheless I'm opened to more descriptive theories - resorting to fully Basque roots - in order to decypher these toponyms.

Arnos (Béarn)

2011-06-19T11:24:00.006+02:00

Localization

Arnos (Arnòs /ar'nɔs/ in Gascon) is situated in Soubestre (Seuveste /su'beste/ in Gascon, from Latin sylvestrum) the formerly densely wooded northern march of Béarn, heir to the civitas of the Venarni. Medieval texts are silent about Arnos : it used to be an annex of Boumourt (Bomort /bu'murt/ in Gascon) a neighboring parish, now a commune. Arnos is quite typical of villages in northern Béarn : roofs are covered with peculiar red tiles known as "tuiles picou" (teulas picons in Gascon) which somehow are the source for a different atmosphere than the one one can find in Pyrenean Béarn with its more oppressive lead-like slate roofs.

Despite the relative distance to modern Basque lands, Arnos is situated in an area surprisingly rather dense in ancient Basque placenames more or less deformed by the Gascon language : Artix, Arthez, Urdès, Arrac, Mascouette, Aurit, ... Arnos is part of the well-known series of placenames ending in -os (from Basque -o(t)z) of which the former capital of Soubestre - Garos - is also part. The basis for such placename is more obscure : there are many placenames in modern Basque lands which exhibit such root (Arnéguy, Arnostéguy, ...). In my opinion the ancient forms for Arnéguy (Arnegi in Basque, in ancient texts "Arranegui") can help us decypher the Béarnaise placename : the basis might be the Basque arr(h)an ("blackthorn" ; linked to modern Basque aran "plum") which is in conformity with the many botanical placenames in the surroundings of Arnos that I'll tackle later on. *arr(h)anoz ("where blackthorn can be found") was reduced to *arnoz which is a pretty classical feature in both Basque and Gascon.

Mazères : "Roquetaillade" (Bazadais)

2011-05-29T19:38:00.015+02:00

Localization

The Castle of Roquetaillade (Arròca Talhada /a'rrɔkə ta'ʎadə/ in Gascon, "pierced rock") is situated on a little prominence at the confluence of the Brion river (Brion /bri'uŋ/ in Gascon, a clear Celtic placename, from Celtic brigantion=eminence ; the river probably takes its name from the homonymous placename in the nearby town of Langon - known for its Celtic influence - where this very river meets with the Garonne river) and the Pesquey stream (Pesquèir /pes'kɛj/ in Gascon, "fishpond" from Latin pescarium). It used to more or less materialize the ancient border between Bordelais (Bordalés /burda'les/ in Gascon) and Bazadais (Vasadés /baza'des/ in Gascon).

The castle has been a possession of the very same family since the 11th century : the La Mothe family (La Mòta in Gascon) allied to the De Got family famous for the only Gascon Pope in History (Pope Clement V aka Bertrand de Got). It is part of a series of northern Gascon castles dubbed "Clementine" as an allusion to Pope Clement V who had them built. It was heavily restaured by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and in my opinion a bit too heavily as I prefer the charms of a ruin than the desillusion of 19th century neo-medievalism.

On a side note, the name of the castle is rather interesting linguistically wise : a 1243 citation found in the acts of the parish of Sainte-Eulalie in Bordeaux makes us learn of a man named "Esteue d'Errocatailhada" i.e. "Stephen of Roquetaillade". A common Gascon feature, prosthetic ar- seems to have known variants such as er- which is the modern Basque way to deal with the "Vasconic" revulsion for initial r (see Latin rotam "wheel" : arròda in Gascon, errota in Basque).

Angous (Béarn)

2011-05-21T19:08:00.009+02:00

Localization

Angous (Angós /an'gus/ in Gascon) is the last Béarnais village on the road between Navarrenx and Mauléon in Basque-speaking Soule : some historians believe that the road might be the ancient "carreira cava" uniting Béarn and Soule which is mentioned in the Liber Rubeus of Dax, a road the identification of which remains unsolved. The census of 1385 proves that some houses still had obvious Basque names (3 out of 16) : Goeyhenche (Goienetxe), Alharitz and Saratsague (Saratsaga). Let's note that the famous Souletine Basque surname Serbielle actually originates from the village of Angous : the house is already attested in 1385 as Serviele.

At first, the very name of the village appears to be part of a well-defined series of toponyms : originally known as Anguos/Angos, many counterparts can be found in Gascon lands such as the many "Angos/Angosse" one can detect either in Béarn or Bigorre. Let's add Angüés in the province of Huesca which seems to be a classical Aragonese - diphtonged - variant. Those placenames are all forged thanks to the Basco-Aquitanian suffix -o(t)z/(a), the radical being obscure in this case. Still, though being expectedly known as Angoze in the Basque language, the village also appears to be named Angastue by some speakers : this might contradict the whole explaination and Angous might then be heir to Latin angustum ("gorge" ; see angòst in Gascon, angosto in Spanish and Angosto in Álava) which indeed would be adapted as something close to *angastu in Basque : the name of the village might then confirm that the road indeed is the former "carreira cava", a strict synonym.

Pauillac : "L'Île de Trompeloup" (Médoc)

2011-05-10T01:06:00.011+02:00

Localization

L'Île de Trompeloup (L'Isla de Trompalop /'lislu de trumpə'lup/ in Gascon ; "trick the wolf") takes its name from a nearby port situated just next to the famous Château Mouton-Rothschild (the original and true name of which - before being bought by the Rothschild family - was Château de Brane Mouton : Castèth de Brana Moton /kas'tɛt de 'branu mu'tuŋ/ in Gascon, see Discover Gascony! : Branne for an explaination). It is one of the many islands found in the Gironde estuary the shapes of which are quite changing as sandbanks are rather volatile in the mighty mouth of the Garonne river.

On the other bank of the estuary is the infamous power plant of "Blayais" (Blaiés /bla'jes/in Gascon i.e. "the area of Blaye"). Interestingly enough, it is situated in traditional Oïl-speaking lands (of the Poitevin-Saintongeais variety : see the map of the Gascon language) : after the Hundred Years' War, the lands around Blaye (Blaia /'blajə/ in Gascon) were a devastated no man's land ; consequently "French" colonists from Poitou and nearby Saintonge - that Gascon people derogatorily named "Gabache" (Gavache /ga'βa(t)ʃə/ in Gascon, see Spanish gabacho) - were "imported" in order to cultivate the land hence why an Oïlic Romance language was spoken up to the 20th century on the right bank of the Gironde estuary despite Gascon placenames remaining strong, at least in the southern part of Blayais. For instance, the power plant is built within the limits of the municipality of Braud-Saint-Louis, formerly "Lo Brau" i.e. the swamp in Gascon.

Vielle-Adour : "Cap du Bois" (Bigorre)

2011-04-25T19:08:00.007+02:00

Localization

The road from Tarbes (Tarba /'tarbɔ/ in Gascon, formerly Turba and known as Aturbe in Basque) to Bagnères-de-Bigorre (Banhèras /ba'ɲɛrɔs/ in Gascon) through the heights separating the Adour valley from the valley of the Arrêt Darré river (Arret Darrèr /a'rret da'rrɛ/ in Gascon) is one of the most beautiful roads in Gascony as one is dominated by the whole mountains of Bigorre with two of its most iconic summits (see the whole panorama here) : the Peak of Midi de Bigorre and the Montagut (formerly Oscaga : see Discover Gascony! : Astugue). Vielle-Adour (Viela(-Ador) /'bielɔ/ in Gascon) is situated halfway Tarbes and Bagnères : its name clearly originates from the Latin villa though archeologic excavations remains mute about the presence of an important Roman villa in the area (minor remains were found nevertheless).

"Cap du Bois" is the unfortunate half-translation of a very iconic Gascon idiomatism - and also a common Gascon surname - generally transcribed as "Capdebosc(q)" (Cap de Bòsc /cadde'bos(k)/ in Gascon) meaning "end of the forest" (from Gascon cap "end" - Latin caput - and Gascon bòsc "forest"). More interestingly, it is part of those many linguistic replica common to both Gascon and Basque, despite both languages not being part of the same linguistic family : one can find in Basque the exact counterpart to the Gascon Capdeboscq under the form Oihanburu. The presence of many similar idiomatisms between both languages hints to a common way to describe the world surrounding us : both Gascon and Basque people tended to resort to simple descriptive and geographic words whereas their neighbours were more into surnames and nicknames. Indeed, before being identified by one's lineage, one originated from a house the situation of which had remained unchanged for centuries. Either in Capdeboscq or Oihanburu ended a forest and people originated from this specific location would receive such name.

Eslourenties-Daban : "Le Gabas" (Béarn)

2011-03-19T11:46:00.005+01:00

Localization

Here was the valley of the Gabas river (Gavars /ga'βas/ in Gascon) : it was flooded to please SW French corn growers who still cannot cope with the fact that the mass production of corn might not be that ideal even in humid Atlantic France. Nevertheless the birth of this giant artificial lake in the austere landscapes of eastern Béarn has not been that unpleasant to the eyes even though it had to mean the disappearance of the Gabas river for some kilometres, the river which actually watered my grandmother's family farm a bit more northwards. "Throwing oneself into the Gabas river" was synonymous with killing oneself : ending in the Gabas river was more or less the fate that awaited them all !

The etymology behind the name of the river is not clear : it had long been thought to be a classical derivate of the famous Pyrenean hydronym *gave(r) (see the many Gascon rivers named "Gave de" ; probably from a reconstructed proto-Basque *gabarr to be curiously linked with botanical roots such as gabarr/kaparr "brumble" for instance which have given many obscure words in Gascon, Catalan or Aragonese) through a pejorative Latin suffix -às. The Charts of Saint-Sever (988) confirm that it must be a derivate of *gabarr but the suffix differs : "ab Alpheano qui modo vocatur Aturris usque ad Gavarsuaensem". The basic form is then something like gabars/gabarsua which is pretty consistent with the modern Gascon form (final -rs > -s in Gascon) though the suffix remains unexplained (a Basque frequentative suffix -zu ?).

Montamat : "Montaugé" (Savès)

2011-03-13T20:50:00.009+01:00

Localization

Winter is ending in Gascony : the sky gets misty as winter waters are evaporating. The Pyrenees get blurrier : soon they'll be all about blue as snow is surely disappearing. As I ascend the coast leading towards Montamat, a little miracle : eventually a newly-built house emulating the vernacular Vasconic style of this land ! Amongst the dangers affecting Gascon identity is the cruel yet unstoppable deterioration of Gascon landscapes : Gascony is being "provençalized" by thousands and thousands of cheap Californian pavillions butchering most villages. Unfortunately enough, Gascon identity is too damaged to counter-attack : both in the Pyrenees or in the plains, Gascon villages now look like suburbs of Marseilles up to olive trees which will freeze in winter nevertheless. This is one of the side effects of "Occitania" : the whole of Southern France is being lumped into a single entity the sentimental universe of which is based on Mediterranean clichés. The delicate Vasconic features of vernacular Gascon architecture are a thing of the past.

Montamat (Montamat /munta'mat/ in Gascon) is a little village in the vicinity of Lombez (generally believed to be formerly known as Illumberris : "new city" in ancient Aquitanian) in a little entity named Savès (Savés /sa'wes/ in Gascon), centred on the middle valley of the Save river (Sava /'sawɔ/ in Gascon) and which used to belong to Comminges despite now being integrated into the modern département of Gers. Medieval Romance placenames are quite abundant in the area : Montamat is just the "Mount of Amat", Amat being a medieval Gascon first name (from Latin Amatus). Amongst other similar and neighbouring formations are : Mongauzy ("Mount of Gaudin"), Montadet ("Mount of Adet"), Montaugé ("Mount of Auger" : it can be seen in the background of the pic on the right), ...

Saint-Barthélémy (Gosse)

2011-03-10T21:38:00.008+01:00

Localization

On the right bank of the Adour river, opposite the Basque viscounty of Labourd, is a little entity named Gosse (Gòssa /'gɔsə/ in Gascon, formerly Gonossa in the 11th century, probably from Basque goien=highest + locative Aquitanian suffix -o(t)za : "the highest lands" hinting to the relative altitude of the relief on the right bank of the Adour river). Gosse was probably romanized rather lately as attested by its dense Basque toponymy and its many hagiotoponyms hiding forgotten names.

Saint-Barthélémy (Sent Bertomiu /sən bərtu'miʊ/ in Gascon) is one of those parishes bearing the name of a Saint (in that precise case, Bartholomew). It was formerly known as "Saint Barthélémi de Paluda" in French (Paludar /paly'da/ in Gascon, from Latin paludium=swamp + botanical suffix -ar : "where swamps are"), a name which was resurrected by the French Revolution as "Mont-Paluda" when religion was banned from the Republic in favour of more abstract concepts.

As hinted by its revolutionary name, Saint-Barthélémy indeed is situated on a little prominence dominating the Adour valley and the Isle of Broc (Bròc /brɔc/ in Gascon : "bush") situated within the limits of the neighbouring municipality of Urcuit (Urketa in Basque, Urcoeit /yr'kwəjt/ in Gascon, from Basque urki=birch + locative suffix -eta) on the left bank of the Adour river. You can have a glimpse of the whole panorama as seen from Lahonce (Lehuntza in Basque), in Basque lands as well : the Adour river is not as majestic as its northern brother the Garonne river, yet it is worth seeing. Despite being rather confined as far as its territory is concerned, the commune of Saint-Barthélémy still offers a fair share of archaic placenames which are to be analysed thanks to the Basque language : Bardos, Gouros, Narbay, Singou, ...

Montfort-en-Chalosse : "Laiterie" (Chalosse)

2011-03-05T12:43:00.008+01:00

Localization

Chalosse (Shalòssa /ʃa'lɔsə/ in Gascon ; Xaloza would be the Basque form used by the Basque neighbours) is a strong geographic entity more or less bordered by the Adour river in the North and Béarn in the South : it never really had a true historical existence as it had been divided inbetween the dioceses of Aquae Tarbellicae (modern Dax) and Atura (modern Aire-sur-l'Adour) from time immemorial. Yet it was a true pagus for the autochtonous inhabitants and somehow one can say that Chalosse was a silent reality for centuries. The very name of Chalosse is mysterious : ancient attestations are ambiguous (Salosse, Sialosse, Silosse, ...) and don't allow us to decypher the linguistic root behind this term. The suffix is more obvious : it is a well-known iteration of the Basque locative suffix -o(t)z : -o(t)za is famously encountered in Biscarrosse (Biscarròssa in Gascon, a Basque form would be Bizkarro(t)za).

The house named "Laiterie" (Leiteria /ləjtə'ri/ in Gascon, "dairy") is a good example of vernacular Gascon architecture : triangle-shaped gabled houses punctuate the many and diverse Gascon landscapes from Médoc to the Pyrenees and show the clear Vasconic substrate of this land. Unfortunately enough, the house is now pedantically known as "Le Clos d'Aliénor" : the erasing of traditional Gascon placenames in favour of some vague French idiomatisms mimicking "le Grand Siècle" is worrying. French preciosity is endless.

"Laiterie" is situated on the main square of Montfort's original site where a Romanic church can still be found : the parish used to be named "Oiosses", a clear Basque name which remains unexplained (one can detect the aforementioned suffix -oz which appears to be precised by another "fricative" suffix). The name Montfort (Monthòrt /mun'hɔrt/ in Gascon, "strong mount") only appears in the 16th century.

Peyrouzet : "L'Arribasse" (Comminges)

2011-02-13T18:55:00.004+01:00

Localization

When coming from Toulouse after the large valley of the Garonne river, one reaches the summits known as "the Little Pyrenees" that the Garonne must slice in Boussens (Bossens /bu'sens/ in Gascon), the former entrance into episcopal Comminges. It is a striking natural border which more or less delimitates the influence of Toulouse architecturally and linguistically wise. Furthermore the whole area is widely known because of its main town Aurignac (Aurinhac /aʊri'ɲak/ in Gascon) and its famous prehistoric remains, which led to the definition of the Aurignacian culture.

Peyrouzet (Peiroset /pejru'zet/ in Gascon, from Gascon peirós "rocky", petrosus in Latin + diminutif suffix -et from Latin -ittum) is one of those villages commanded by the town of Aurignac. It is situated on a crest overlooking two tributaries to the Garonne river : the Louge river (Loja /'luʒɔ/ in Gascon) which will go as far as the outskirts of Toulouse and the Noue river (Noa /'nuɔ/ in Gascon) which soon unites with the mighty Garonne before the aforementioned gorge in Boussens. From the village of Peyrouzet, one can have a pretty view on the whole area : it is "L'Arribasse" (Er'Arribassa /er arri'basɔ/ in Gascon, from Gascon arriba "bank", Latin ripa + pejorative suffix -assa). In the distance ends Comminges and begins another Gascony, one that intimately linked with Toulouse that it is simply known as "Gascogne Toulousaine".

Maspie-Lalonquère-Juillacq : "Juillacq" (Béarn)

2011-02-06T20:36:00.006+01:00

Localization

There are two Béarns : one dominated by the Pic du Midi d'Ossau and another one dominated by the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. The now hamlet of Juillacq (Julhac /jy'ʎak/ in Gascon) is situated in the latter, in the NE corner of Béarn, in a former subdivision named Vic-Bilh (Vic Vielh /bik bieʎ/ in Gascon, "the old vic"), the initial heart of the Venarni. In Vic-Bilh, one cannot escape the conic shape of the venerable peak situated in neighbouring Bigorre.

Juillacq is more precisely situated in the large valley of the Lées river (Les /les/ in Gascon, from Basque leize="torrent"), one of the many asymmetrical valleys of Vic-Bilh (the western side being steeper than the smoother eastern one). Its names originates from a former Roman villa which must have been *(fundum) iuliacum i.e. "the property of Julius" : remnants of this villa were excavated in a location named "Glizia" (Glisiar /gli'zia/ in Gascon, from Latin ecclesiarum, hinting to an early Christian use) next to the church which is typical from Gascony because of its specific bell tower dubbed "clocher-mur" in French (the bell tower is made of a vertical wall, the bells being situated in openings).

Ossun : "La Lanne Mourine" (Bigorre)

2011-01-24T20:46:00.007+01:00

Localization

South of Tarbes is the vast moorland known as "La Lanne Mourine" (Era Lana Morina /era 'lanɔ mu'rinɔ/ in Gascon, quite probably "the obscure moorland" from Latin maurina). It is popularly believed to be the location where the Bigorri fouth the Sarracens in 733 but it is quite probably a forgery based on the analogy between "Moor" and Latin "maurus". If anything the plain used to be a vast necropolis where one could find many tumuli in which the cremated remains of the ancient Aquitanians could be excavated. Unfortunately enough the 1960s' agricultural revolution erased these venerable remnants of a distant past.

Inbetween Tarbes and Lourdes and situated on the road leading to Béarn, Ossun (Aussun /aʊ'sy/ in Gascon) is the main town situated in the vast plain. It was known for its butter industry and its costumes which was summed up by a famous proverb : "Burraires d'Aussun, grana culòta e petit cul" ("Butter producers from Ossun : large panties but small butts"). Ossun is a placename part of a well identified series found in Gascon and Basque lands : Ossau, Ossenx (Béarn), Ossun (x2), Ossen (Bigorre), Ossès (known as Orzaize, in Lower Navarre), ...

It cannot be doubted that the final suffix simply is the Basque locative suffix -un found in many archaic placenames in Gascony and more particularly in the Pyrenees even though the dental articulation of final "n" was lost in the modern prononciation. The initial root is more dubious : as proved by Ossès - the Gascon official name for Orzaiz(e) - initial "oss-" can hide a Basque root "orz-" which is consistent with Gascon phonetics (for instance, Garcia was Gassia in Gascon). Jean-Baptiste Orpustan believes such root urz- is to be explained as a simple variant of urd- ("flat" in Basque, see ordoki=plateau). Still other analogies could be found with the ancient Basque first name Otso ("Wolf" in Basque, "Lop(e)" in medieval Romance languages) which already appears amongst Aquitanian first names as Osson and Oxson. For instance, Osserain in Soule clearly is "the domain of Otsar", a derivate of Otso (we'll deal with the famous suffix -ain/ein later).

Saint-Gladie-Arrive-Munein : "Saint-Gladie" (Béarn)

2011-01-15T18:43:00.013+01:00

Localization

Inbetween the Saison and the Gave d'Oloron rivers is a former subdivision of Béarn named Reveset (Arrevesèth /arreβe'zɛtj/ in Gascon, from Latin reversellu(m) "little reverse"). Placenames have retained a strong Basque character which hints to the fact that this area probably lost the Basque language later than other parts of Béarn, maybe circa 1200. The whole area initially belonged to the diocese of Dax before being religiously integrated into the diocese of Oloron along with the Basque viscounty of Soule in the 12th century.

Saint-Gladie (Sent Gladia /sen gla'diə/ in Gascon, a late deformation of Sent Ledier, a Romance form for Sanctus Lidorus) is one of those villages where one begins to strongly feel the presence of the Basque Country which constitutes the landscape's background. In 1385 out of 14 houses two possessed a romanized Basque name : Lardoeyt (??) and Haritsague (Haritzaga). Such placenames have disappeared nowadays. Saint-Gladie was fused with the two hamlets of Arrive (Arriba /a'rribə/ in Gascon) and Munein (Munenh /my'neɲ/ in Gascon) in the 19th century hence such a long name for the commune. Saint-Gladie is known for being the resting place of Léon Bérard, Vichy's ambassador to the Holy See.

Serres-Castet : "Le Pont Long" (Béarn)

2011-01-03T00:30:00.012+01:00

Localization

The immense moorlands of "Le Pont Long" (Lo Pont Long /lu pun lunk/ in Gascon, from Latin pontes longi "wooden roads built in bog") constitute the original heart of the ancient territory of the Venarni which later would be known as Béarn. This is also the landscape where many of my ancestors - already attested in 1385 - lived and wandered trying to avoid the punitive expeditions of the Ossalois all of them shepherds in the Ossau Valley who claimed this land had belonged to them from time immemorial. The battle between the nomadic agropastoralists and the sedentary farmers lasted for centuries when eventually a 19th century court decision divided the moorlands between neighbouring villages and the Ossau Valley. Unfortunately enough, the vast plain is now steadily becoming a vast housing estate where nouveaux riches can show their absolute lack of state and their disdain for vernacular architecture : Béarn won't escape "occitanization".

South of this vast plain was where Gaston IV de Foix-Béarn decided to relocate its capital in the 15th century : the then fortified hamlet was known as Pau (Pau /paʊ/ in Gascon, probably from an ancient p.i.e. oronymic root *pal) and was strategically situated on a ford overlooking the Gave river. The Pic du Midi d'Ossau (Lo Pic de Mieidia d'Aussau /lu pik de miej'diɔ daʊ'saʊ/ in Gascon) got to become Béarn's most emblematic mountain as its conic shape is at its best when seen from Pau and its surroundings. It is colloquially known as "Le Grand Cachaou" (Lo Gran Caishau /lu gran ka'ʃaʊ/ in Gascon, "the big tooth") by the inhabitants of the plain.

Laborde (Bigorre)

2010-12-29T15:27:00.008+01:00

Localization

Are we in Bigorre or in Comminges ? It is impossible to give a proper answer : both the administrative and religious maps (see : Carte des Hautes-Pyrénées) were utterly complicated prior to the birth of (artificial) départements. Inbetween proper Bigorre and Comminges was a whole string of obscure entities : amongst them were the Baronnies (Eras Baronias /eras baru'niɔs/ in Gascon) centred on Esparros - its capital - and the high valley of the Arros river. Funnily enough, this area constituted an exclave of northern Astarac from an administrative point of view : such situation might have been linked with a traditional way of life such as transhumance with shepherds from the Baronnies migrating to Astarac in winter time with their livestock. Still, from a religious point of view, it looks like the Baronnies belonged to the diocese of Tarbes heir to the city of Bigorra, the border with the city of the Convenae being situated on the nearby "Col de Coupe", a pass leading to the valley of the Neste river.

Laborde (Era Bòrda /era 'bɔrdɔ/ in Gascon) is one of those villages part of the labyrinthic Baronnies : it is a rather recent medieval creation as hinted by its name (presence of an article and bòrda is a Gascon term meaning "barn" inherited from Germanic *bord=plank, see French borde : the vitality of "borda" both in Basque and Gascon is rather amazing and some theories state that it might have replaced a similar autochtonous term). Still, human occupation in the area predates the Middle-Ages : Laborde is dominated by a mountain named Bassia (Bassiar /ba'sia/ in Gascon : philologists link such name with Basque baso="forest") the name of which seems to be attested in ancient epigraphy found in the area as another name for the Aquitanian god Ageion : "DEO/AGEIONI/BASSARI[.]".

La Vallée de Larboust (Comminges)

2010-12-28T02:41:00.008+01:00

Localization

From the summit of the pass of Peyresourde (Pèirasorda /'pɛjrɔsurdɔ/ in Gascon, from Latin petra sorda="drab stone"), one can see the whole valley of Larboust, the entrance into the former territory of the Onesii, an obscure Aquitanian tribe which was part of the confederation of the Convenae (modern-day Comminges) whose possessions were centred on the high valley of the Garonne river. The Larboust Valley (Era Vath dej'Arbost /era batʃ dedʃar'bust/ in Gascon) matches the valley of the One river (Ona /'unɔ/ in Gascon, clearly an ancient hydronym *onna found in many rivers such as the Garonne river) : it leads to the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon and its famous thermal waters.

The valley is very dense in epigraphic testimonies from Roman times : many Aquitanian first names and theonyms were found in funeral material exacavated in the area in past centuries. We know that the ancient inhabitants of the valley were named Cisonten, Cissonbonnis (see Basque gizon=man), Hanacon, Hunnu, Ulohoxis, ... They venerated gods named Abellion, Iscitt, Exprcennio, ... Amongst these gods, one is particularly interesting as its name helps us decypher the very name of Larboust (formerly Arboust : Larboust is a modern French form with an agglutinated article) : Aherbelst. A plausible interpretation* invokes a duplicated variant of Basque ar(r)- "stone" + Basque bel(t)z "black" : "the black stones". Aherbelst would then be the divinized name of the valley and its meaning would be identical to the Romance and subsequent name "Peyresourde" : note that Aquitanian names such as Harbelex or Harbelesteg (found in Sos in modern Lot-et-Garonne 200km northwards ! Quite probably Harbelex + ancient form for -tegi) show strong similarities. A modern Basque name for the valley would be something like "Arbeltz".

* The Gascon form is easily explained : aher'belst(e) > ar'bewst (vocalization) then ar'bust through diphthong reduction.

Urgosse (Armagnac Noir)

2010-12-15T22:22:00.013+01:00

Localization

Urgosse (Urgòssa /ur'gɔsɔ/ in Gascon) is situated in Armagnac Noir (Armanhac Negre /arma'ɲak 'negre/ in Gascon : "Black Armagnac") the name of which originates from the dark forests which originally were the main landscape of the area. It dominates the valley of the Midour river (Midor /mi'du/ in Gascon : this river's etymology is unknown but one cannot help noticing that *dor/dur may be a root meaning "water"), one of the main axes of this little subregion along with one little portion of the valley of the Adour river (Ador /a'du/ in Gascon).

At first sight, it seems obvious that Urgosse belongs to the well-identified series of Basco-Aquitanian placenames even though the root behind such toponym remains unexplained. One can find similar placenames in modern Basque lands : Urgozaga in Otxondio (Biscay) and Urgozoko Iturria in Amorebieta (Biscay). To that list one has to add the following Gascon placenames : Urgos in Moumour (Béarn) and Urgons in the Landes. There are no clear examples of a possible sonorization of k after lateral consonants (r,l) in the Basque language contrary to local Romance dialects (either Gascon or Aragonese) : consequently, the Basque urki=birch is not a plausible explaination. Similarly, the alternation d/g seems to be an intervocalic-only phenomenon which makes a derivate of urd- (plateau) less plausible as well.

Eventually such placenames could be analyzed as : ur + goi(t)z, ur meaning water and goi(t)z being either "situated in the East" (see goiz=morning) or a suffixed derivate of goi=height. A similar formation seems to exist in the Landes with Arengosse which must be Arangoitza "valley in the East". The final meaning is thus a bit blurry : "above the water" ? Let's note that urr also means "hazel tree" : could Urgosse simply mean "height of the hazel trees" ? The village is undoubtedly situated on a hillock. Still, this placename's meaning remains unsolved, the least that can be said is that a Basque form for it would be something like "Urgoza".

Branne (Haut Entre-deux-Mers)

2010-12-12T13:16:00.011+01:00

Localization

Entre-deux-Mers (Entre duas Mars /'entrə 'duəs mas/ in Gascon) is a geographic entity clearly delineated by the two mighty rivers watering the northern edges of Gascony : the Garonne (Garona /ga'runə/ in Gascon) and the Dordogne (Dordonha /dur'duɲə/ in Gascon) hence its transparent name : "inbetween the two seas", both rivers being that large that autochtonous people named them "mar". Yet, despite its geographic unity, Entre-deux-Mers was divided as its easternmost part belonged to the diocese of Bazas, heir to the city of the Vasates, thus allowing the latter to reach the Dordogne river. Even though the very presence of Gascon dialects on both banks of the Dordogne river was enough to decuce an Aquitanian past in this area (either under the juridiction of Burdigala or Cossio, now Bazas), the existence of Basco-Aquitanian placenames ending in -os/osse reinforces the hypothesis that the linguistic domain of the Gascon language emulates the extension of the ancient Aquitanians : amongst such placenames - generally matching demoted hamlets - are Sambosse, Bardos, Garosse, Marosse, Gueyrosse, Mauros, ...

Branne (Brana /'branə/ in Gascon) is one of these crucial ports allowing the Vasates to access the valley of the Dordogner river. Though there are many theories to explain such placename (amongst them one dealing with a Gaulish landlord who would have been named Brannos), there is no doubt that Branne originates from a simple Gascon word brana, from Low Latin branda meaning "heath" and is part of a series of vegetable placenames rather common in the district. It is a very interesting placename as it proves that one of Gascon's most prominent linguistic features (intervocalic -nd- > -n- : see map , it is shared with Catalan) was lost in the vicinity of Bordeaux, probably in modern times due to French influence.

Nabas (Béarn)

2010-12-08T23:17:00.016+01:00

Localization

Soon after flowing through Mauléon, the capital of Soule, the Saison river (Sason /sa'zũ/ in Gascon, formerly Gaison, see my comments on Discover Iparralde !) is captured by Béarn as the valley gets larger and approaches its confluence with the Gave d'Oloron. Nevertheless, the medieval administrative map was rather complex with Soule maintaining two advances on the river (Gestas and Osserain-Rivareyte). The linguistic map used to be as complex : medieval charts clearly show that most Béarnais villages in that area were Basque-speaking in the 14th century. Nowadays, the linguistic border emulates the ancestral division between Soule and Béarn which means that these villages got to be "gasconized" lately through the influence of Sauveterre (Sauvatèrra /saʊβə'tɛrrə/ in Gascon, known as Salbaterra in Basque) a medieval new town from which these lands were administrated as "la viguerie de Mongaston" (La Vegueria de Montgaston /la beɣe'riə de mungas'tũ/ in Gascon, from Latin vicaria, Mongaston being the name of a castle overlooking the border).

Nabas (Navars /na'βas/ in Gascon) is amongst those Béarnais parishes about which a not so distant Basque-speaking past can be infered. In neighbouring Basque lands, Nabas is known as Nabarzi, the etymology of which still is dubious (the only clear analogy is to be made with the Basque word nabarr=colourful and eventually with Navarre which is some miles away, the suffixation ending in -i seems to be archaic as well) but which must be the basis for the modern Gascon name. The village is dominated by a proto-historical camp named Curquou (from Basque kurku=circle, from Latin circum). Other Basque placenames include : Cluchague (a deformation of Kurutxaga : Basque kurutz=cross + locative suffix -aga), Jauréguy (Basque jauregi=noble domain), the remainder being Gascon. Funnily enough, when speaking French, the inhabitants of Nabas are named "les Nabasar" (invariable), a clear adaptation of the Basque ethnonym -ar(rak).

Discover Iparralde !

2010-12-07T23:40:00.004+01:00

"Discover Iparralde" is the little brother of "Discover Gascony !" : unfortunately enough I don't speak Basque but my Gascon background can help you have a distinct vision of northern Basque lands, one that doesn't make Iparralde a remote and eccentric paradise for the Basques - yet mostly unknown - but the cultural heart of "Aquitanian Vasconia" i.e. the northern extension of the ancient Vasconians from whom both the Basques and my fellow Gascon people descend. Feel free to comment !

"Discover Iparralde !"

Toulouse : "Lafourguette" (Toulousain)

2010-12-03T00:35:00.015+01:00

Localization

The bicephalism of Toulouse (Tolosa /tu'luzɔ/ in Gascon) is one of the most amazing phenomenons in the history of SW France : the town has been situated on the border between two worlds - emulating the division between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean - for more than six millenia after the Volcae Tectosages - a Celtic tribe - conquered the oppidum of Vieille-Toulouse ("Old Toulouse") on the right bank of the Garonne river (Garona /ga'runɔ/ in Gascon) which might have been previously controled by the Tolosates, probably an Aquitanian tribe as hinted by their name (the Latin suffix -ates was mostly used to name Aquitanian tribes). Tolosa appears to be a Pre-Indo-European name as proved by the many placenames named "Tolosa" in pre-Roman Iberia (Las Navas de Tolosa in Andalusia, Labitolosa in Aragon, ... whereas Tolosa in the Basque Country and Tolosa in Portugal are actually medieval new towns which took their name from Toulouse).

The Romans said of Tolosa that "Aquitanos hostes respicere debebat" ("it had to watch the Aquitanian enemies") : up to modern times, Toulouse was situated on the linguistic border between Gascon-speaking and Languedocian-speaking lands as proved by this map by the Gascon linguist Jacques Allières (who after learning Basque and being a member of the Euskaltzaindia signed Baratxurieta, his surname's translation). Still, one has not to overestimate this border : both Gascon and South Languedocian are rather intelligible on the border as both languages fuse thus defining intermediary Romance dialects such as the famous language of Toulouse : "le parlar mondin" illustrated by Toulouse's most famous poet Pèire Godolin, of Gascon descent himself.

Lafourguette (La Horgueta /la hur'ɣetɔ/ in mainstream Gascon, from Gascon (h/f)òrga=forge, Latin fabrica + diminutive suffix -eta, Latin -itta) is one of those districts on the left bank of the Garonne river which used to speak Gascon : it comprised rural dependencies such as Fontaine-Lestang, Larrieu, Bordelongue, Braqueville, ... Undoubtedly enough, it is now part of the metropolis that is Toulouse. It was part of the territory named Lardenne (L'Ardena /lar'denɔ/ in Gascon, from Celtic arduenna=forest), the name that the Celtic-speaking aristocracy on the right bank of the Garonne river gave to the now vanished great forest on the left bank where began Aquitanian lands.

Saint-Savin : "Piétat" (Bigorre)

2010-12-01T01:07:00.006+01:00

Localization

Within the county of Bigorre, Lavedan (Lavedan /labe'da/ in Gascon) constituted a well-defined viscountal subdivision centred on the high valleys of the many rivers named "Gave" (Gave /'gabe/ in Gascon, formerly gaver probably from a reconstructed pre-Roman root *gabarra, strangely akin to Basque gabar(r) which designates thorny plants : see gavarra in Catalan, gabardera in Aragonese). It was heir to one Roman pagus named Levitania (notice the suffix -tania found in Aquitania, Auscitania, Lacetania now Catalonia, Ceretania now Cerdanya, ... : it was used as an ethnonym by the Romans and was quite abundant in Iberia) and was made of seven valleys.

Saint-Savin (Sent Savin /sensa'bi/ in Gascon) was the main town of one those seven valleys named "la Rivière de Saint-Savin" (Er'Arribèra de Sent Savin /erarri'bɛra de sensa'bi/ in Gascon). It is the resting place of Saint Sabinus, an Iberian monk who was son of the Count of Barcelona in the 5th century and who according to tradition died in "Palatium Æmilianum", quite probably the former name of the town and an ancient Roman palace on which a monastery was built. The chapel "Notre-Dame de Piétat" (Pietat /pie'tat/ in Gascon, from Latin pietatem=pity) is one of the many religious monuments surrounding the medieval abbey church in Saint-Savin.

New : "Now with sound !"

2010-11-30T23:48:00.004+01:00

I've added audio extracts whenever I indicated how to pronounce Gascon words. I've tried my best to respect local phonology as far I was able to know it precisely. If you believe I was wrong about some words, tell me !

Qu'èi hornit extrèits sonòrs cada còp qui ensenhavi quin e's disèn los mots gascons. Que hasoi lo possible tad arrespectar la fonologia locau per tant qui podossi conéisher-la precisament. Se pensatz qui m'enganèi sus uas paraulas, digatz-m'ac !

Lugos : "Le Lagourat" (Buch)

2010-11-29T01:06:00.010+01:00

Localization

Lugos is not one of the many Aquitanian placenames ending in -os. The initial site of Lugos - dubbed "Le Vieux Lugo" - is unambiguous : Lugo (Lugòr /ly'gɔ/ in Gascon) is the true name of that locality and got to be wrongly named "Lugos" because of the many neighbouring Aquitanian placenames in the area (Caudos, Mios, Balanos, ...). Nevertheless, Lugo might still be of Basco-Aquitanian origin : situated on a meander of the Eyre river, "old" Lugo could be explained through Basque lur(r)=earth (lu- before a consonant) + gor(r)=arid or gorri=red. Such placenames are found in modern Basque lands : Lugorrieta in Salvatierra (Álava), Lurgorreta/Lugorreta in Mendaro (Guipúzcoa), Lugorri Iturria in Lekeitio (Biscay), ... The Gascon form would be easily explained through the elimination of final -rr which is standard in the local Gascon. Ancient written forms are unfortunately missing even though Lesgor (Lesgòr /ləs'gɔ/ in Gascon, probably from Basque lats=river + gor(r)=arid) in the Landes makes such theory quite plausible.

"Le Lagourat" (Lo Lagorat /lu lagu'rat/ in Gascon) is the epitome of the Landes, an uneasy yet subtle landscape made of pinetrees, sand and fern producing an unmistakable odor that smells like everlasting holidays from my childhood's memories. From Bayonne to Soulac the scenery is unchanged only vaguely altered by the changing seasons. I have yet to find a correct explaination behind this placename : it might actually be a deformation of an unattested *Lugourat which would simply be Lugo(r) + diminutive suffix -at (from Latin -attus, see Spanish -ato) i.e. "little Lugo".

Lacadée (Béarn)

2010-11-25T22:41:00.009+01:00

Localization

The borders of Béarn used to be quite chaotic : the French Revolution hugely simplified the administrative map of SW France thus erasing old sovereignties and local peculiarisms. In the North of Béarn was "le Petit Lescar en France" ("little Lescar in France") i.e. parishes that belonged to "France" - read : Gascon entities belonging to the Kingdom of France, Chalosse in this particular case, Béarn being independent up to 1620 - despite coming under the diocese of Lescar, heir to the ancient civitas of the Venarni, from a religious point of view. Those parishes were reunited with Béarn in the then département of Basses-Pyrénées even though some of them escaped this little "Anschluss" such as Argelos or Poudenx.

Lacadée (La Cadea /la ka'deə/ in Gascon) is one of those parishes collectively known as Rivière-Luy (Arribèra Lui /arri'bɛrə lyj/ in Gascon) which got to join Béarn and its religious capital Lescar (Lescar /les'ka/ in Gascon, formerly Lascurris, from Basque lats=river + gorri=red), now in the suburbs of Pau. It is situated on the left bank of the river named "Luy de Béarn" (Lui /lyj/ in Gascon, probably from Basque lohi=silt), a late denomination to distinguish it from its neighbour "Luy de France". The very name of "La Cadea" hints to its border character : it originates from Latin catena=chain through a common Gascon nasalization that eliminated intervocalic n (such phenomenon exists in the Basque language and more famously in Portuguese as well : see Basque katea meaning chain) ; it then got to mean "limit" which is the exact situation of Lacadée, inbetween Béarn and Chalosse.

Montmaurin (Comminges)

2010-11-21T15:27:00.012+01:00

Localization

Nébouzan (Nebosan /nebu'zaŋ/ in Gascon) was an oddly-shaped subdivision of Comminges and a former viscounty that got to be divided between the modern départements of the Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne. It was a true natural entity separated from its neighbours by vast moorlands in the West, the Little Pyrenees in the East and the Garonne valley in the South : it is surely heir to one antique pagus and its heart in the high valley of the Save river (Sava /'sawɔ/ in Gascon, a link with the Save river in the Balkans is probable) may have been the domain of a powerful Roman landowner named Nepotius - a common Latin surname - from which Nébouzan takes its name (the etymon would then be : *(fundum) nepotianum).

The great Roman villa of Lassalles (Las Salas /las 'salɔs/ in Gascon, from Gascon sala=domain) in Montmaurin might be what remains of such fundum : it was part of a greater system of Roman villae in the Save valley the many remnants of which can still be admired. The village of Montmaurin (Montmaurin /mummaʊ'riŋ/ in Gascon) is a more recent medieval creation as hinted by its name : "the Mount of Maurin", Maurin being the first name of the first lord of the seigneury of Martres in Comminges. Along with Puymaurin (Poimaurin /pujmaʊ'riŋ/ in Gascon, from Gascon poi=eminence, Latin podium) and many other medieval creations such as Montbernard or Montgaillard, Montmaurin watched the western bordern of Comminges and the ancient Roman roads uniting the Pyrenees with the middle Garonne valley around Agen, formerly Aginnum.

Puydarrieux : "La Pène" (Astarac)

2010-11-12T15:22:00.005+01:00

Localization

Les Affites (Las Ahitas /laz a'hitɔs/ in Gascon, from Latin (petra) ficta=limit) were a southern district of the former county of Astarac (Astarac /asta'rak/ in Gascon) now largely included into the modern département of Gers whereas Les Affites got to be included into the département of the Hautes-Pyrénées alongside neighbouring Magnoac in the East to which they had been traditionally linked. Like the remainder of Astarac (the etymology of which is not clear : either *(fundum) astaracum i.e. the domain of Aster, Aster being a common medieval Gascon surname in the Middle-Ages from Latin Astarius, or an unknown Basque formation that would be *aztaraga), Les Affites belonged to the diocese of Auch and beforehand to the city of the Ausci so that the latter could control the northern border of the plateau of Lannemezan where the springs of most central Gascon rivers are to be found.

Situated in Puydarrieux (Poidarrius /pujda'rriʊs/ in Gascon, "hill of the rivers" from Gascon poi/puei=hill and Gascon arriu=river), La Pène (La Pena /la 'penɔ/ in Gascon) is situated on a little hillock dominating the valley of the Baysolle river (Baisòla in Gascon : the little "Bayse" which is the name of the main river in Astarac, maybe from ancient Basque bai=river) that separates it from the first villages in Magnoac, hence its name (see Spanish peña). Notice the beautiful Vasconic house next to the Church : such houses -known as "maisons gasconnes" - are now getting rare as they fall into disrepair and are replaced by modern Mediterranean/Provençal pavillions, a true architectural plague disfiguring Gascony and eliminating all traces of its once distinctive character.

Le Sen : "Maisonave" (Bazadais)

2010-11-10T22:24:00.016+01:00

Localization

People now largely ignore that great parts of the modern département of the Landes used to belong to the northern Gascon towns of Bordeaux and Bazas : the whole coast up to Contis known as "Pays de Born" belonged to Burdigala (modern Bordeaux known as Bordèu /bur'dɛʊ/ in Gascon) and the city of the Vasates whose capital was modern Bazas (Basatz /ba'zats/ in Gascon) extented as far south as Luxey near the springs of the Eyre river.

The little village of Le Sen (Lo Sen /lu'sen/ in Gascon) is one of those parishes that belonged to Bazadais yet were annexed to the Landes. Attested as Elesen then Eùsen in the 14th century, Le Sen - which was still Ausen in the 18th century - is an unfortunate deformation since vocalized initial eu/au- was taken for "a + lo" hence the popular Gascon "Lou Sen" then French "Le Sen". An authentic Gascon form would be "Eussen". It is part of a well-identified series of Landaise placenames containing the suffix -en which is a probable West Gascon deformation of Basque locative suffix -un like in Bidache (from Basque *bidaitzun, known as Bidàishen in Gascon) in Gascon-speaking Lower Navarre. Still, the first part of the toponym remains unexplained : a medieval placename "elessu" is attested in Basque lands and eli means flock in Basque.

Maisonave (Maisonava /majzu'nawə/ in Gascon, "new house" from Latin mansionem) is a classical Landaise house characterized by its disposal in "airial" (airiau /aj'riaʊ/ in Gascon, from Latin area) i.e. a glade with the many dependencies of the house arranged around the latter. Landaise houses also belong to the greater family of Vasconic houses, the only remaining example of gabled houses in Western Europe along with Alpine chalets. The main difference between Basque and Landaise houses is that houses in the Landes don't have floors and are mostly made of wood like Basque houses used to be before the reconstructions of the 17th century.

Saint-Mont (Armagnac)

2010-10-28T23:01:00.008+02:00

Localization

Armagnac (Armanhac /arma'ɲak/ in Gascon) is a former feudal entity that got to be united with neighbouring Astarac and other obscure entities within the département of Gers, in many ways the modern avatar of the Roman city of Augusta Auscorum - now known as Auch - which commanded the Ausci people. Many linguists have noticed the similarity between the name "Ausci" and the Basque ethnonymic root *eusk found in Euskal Herria which is the way the Basque people name themselves. The Ausci were Aquitania's most powerful and central tribe according to Strabo.

In the west of the now extinct "Auscitania" is a little subdivision of Armagnac known as Armagnac Noir (Armanhac Negre /arma'ɲak 'negre/ in Gascon : "Black Armagnac") : the modest Saint-Mont (Sent Mont /sem'mun/ in Gascon) is one of the biggest agglomerations in the area. Such name might be surprising : literally, it is "Saint Mount" i.e. the Bible's Calvary or Golgotha and indeed Saint-Mont is a former priory situated on the hills dominating the Adour river. It was founded by Bernard II of Armagnac in 1050 quite probably on a distinct hill than the present one as proved by toponymy : a now abandoned and nearby location is named "Saint-Mont-Vieux" on maps which must be the original site. Interestingly enough, next to "Saint-Mont-Vieux" is a placename named Burosse (Buròssa /by'rɔsɔ/ in Gascon), a Basco-Aquitanian toponym : Basque buru=summit + locative suffix -o(t)za. Could it be the very original site later occupied by Christian institutions ?

Garos (Béarn)

2010-10-18T16:37:00.010+02:00

Localization

Attested as Guaros or Gayros in the 14th century, Garos (Garòs /ga'rɔs/ in Gascon) was the capital of Soubestre (Seuveste /su'beste/ in Gascon, from Latin sylvestrum) the then densely wooded northern march of Béarn, heir to the civitas of the Venarni. Before the French Revolution, the northern border of Béarn was quite complex with some villages belonging to the diocese of Lescar (Béarn) but which were administratively part of Tursan (Aire) or Chalosse (Dax) : Arzacq, the main town in modern-day Soubestre, was one of those ambiguous possessions. Undoubtedly enough, Garos - which had always been Béarnais both religiously and administratively - was a strategic location to watch the whole area, overlooking the valleys of the two Luy rivers (Lui /lyj/ in Gascon, probably a reduction of Basque lohi=muddy*).

It is generally believed that Garos is to be explained thanks to the pre-i.e. root *gar/gal="rocky summit" found in modern Basque in garr- (rock, summit) and maybe in garai=high. The loss of strong -rr- is rather common in Gascon placenames and it might have been a very ancient Romance trait as the old Roman station of Carasa situated in the region is identified either with Carresse (Béarn) or Garris (the Gascon name for Basque Garruz in Lower Navarre), both showing an etymological double rr. The idea of a summit suits the situation of the village by the way. The final part of this placename is once more the famous Basco-Aquitanian suffix -o(t)z, -os in Gascon placenames.

* : lo(h)i > loy > louy (in contact with a palatal) > lüy (classical yet late [u]>[y] through a French influence) ; see Luz the Gascon form for Lohitz as in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, known as Lohitz(un) in Basque.

Hautaget : "Le Mont Caup" (Nestès)

2010-10-11T23:22:00.014+02:00

Localization

Nestès (Nestés /nes'tes/ in Gascon) is a former entity belonging to Comminges : like many areas of this old feudal county, it was divided between the modern départments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne by the French revolutionaries thus blurring borders that were more than 2 millenia old. Its name is pretty straightforward : it is the land of the "Nestes". Neste (Nèsta /'nɛstɔ/ in Gascon) is a name given to rivers in the high valley of the Adour river as well as in the westernmost valleys of Comminges : the etymology of this name is unknown, it is probably pre-i.e. though no definite proofs have been given.

The road from Nestier to Hautaget (Hautaget /haʊta'jet/ in Gascon, from Gascon haut=high + haget=beech grove, from Latin fagetum) is dominated by a peak named "Mont Caup" (Eth Mont Cauv /em mun kaʊp/ in Gascon, from Gascon mont=mount + cauv=bald, from Latin calvu) culminating at 1246m. On this side of the mountain, the peak overlooks the valley of Nistos (Nistòs /nis'tɔs/ in Gascon, yet another derivate of nèsta with Basco-Aquitanian locative suffix -os) which takes its name from the Nistos river the main tributary of which is the Arize river (Arisa /a'rizɔ/ in Gascon, probably from Basque *(h)ar(r)=stone + iz(a)=water ie : "rocky river"), homonymous to the other Arize river more eastwards but still in Gascony. On the other side of the mountain is the antique town of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, formerly Lugdunum Convenarum, the capital of the Convenae.

Ibos (Bigorre)

2010-09-26T22:54:00.011+02:00

Localization

When reaching the outskirts of Tarbes on the highway, one cannot escape the monumental and hypnotic silhouette of the 14th century collegial of Ibos in the large valley of the Adour river. Ibos has been populated since prehistoric times : many tumuli were excavated amongst them the famous oppidum of Castéra (Casterar /kaste'ra/ in Gascon, from Latin castellare). Unfortunately enough, most of the venerable graves of these ancient Bigorritanian people were destroyed in the 60s because of the agricultural revolution : what used to be an infinite moor is now a vast cornfield.

Ibos (Ibòs /i'bɔs/ in Gascon) is one of the many Gascon placenames ending in -os/osse, a remnant of the Basco-Aquitanian language once spoken in Gascony, then Aquitania. It's part of a greater series of locative suffixes ending in -(t)z in modern Basque : -atz/etz/itz/otz/utz. In Spanish, the original -o(t)z was made a diphtong as -ués hence double placenames such Biscarrués (Aragon) / Biscarrosse (Landes). The radical of Ibos is more uneasy to explain : some autors believe that modern Basque ibi=ford could explain that placename : ib(i) + -o(t)z. It's true that Ibos was built on a territory known for its many rivulets joining the Adour river. Author autors believe that *ib is to be linked with the Aragonese ibón=lake, from a reconstructed root *ibone which explains the rare Pyrenean Gascon words ion, eon and bom that German linguist Gerhard Rohlfs collected in the 30s and which all mean "lake" as well.

Geüs-d'Oloron (Béarn)

2010-09-25T22:39:00.009+02:00

Localization

The valley of Josbaig (Geusvath /ʒuz'batʃ/ in Gascon, Josbaig being an old Béarnaise orthography not maintained in the modern standardized language) is a tiny valley centred on the Joos, a river originating from neighbouring Soule in Basque-speaking lands. Josbaig (Yausbag in 1249, La Bag de Geus in 1328) is a rather transparent name : it is simply Joos + vath (Gascon for valley, from Latin vall(em) through a well-known Gascon feature -ll- > -r- and -ll > th, common in Aragonese as well). The Souletine Basques know the valley as Josibaia. Joos - also known as Jéous - is a more obscure hydronym. It must probably be linked to Josse, a village in the Landes which was known as Aiossa in the 12th century, from Basque ai=downslope + Basco-Aquitanian suffix -o(t)za. Some autors theoricize a hydronymic root which would be *gel.

The village of Geüs (Gèus /ʒɛʊs/ in Gascon) undoubtedly takes its name from the river Joos : it was known as Yeus in 1385 and was a dependency of neighbouring Saint-Goin. Because of another village named Geüs near Arzacq in Béarn as well, the modern administration added "d'Oloron" to the name of the village in reference to the nearby town of Oloron. The western heights of the village in the forest of Josbaig are still Basque-speaking and do border the former Basque viscounty of Soule : the hamlets are named Mainhagu, Elgueheguia and Ibarle which are undoubtedly very Basque placenames in sharp contrast with the Romance ones in the valley of the Joos river. Let's note that Geüs is known as Üztazü in Souletine Basque, a totally different name, from Basque uzt=plateau + -zu (frequentative suffix). The Basque influence in the whole Josbaig valley is somehow rather strong : let's notice for instance the trinitarian tower bell of the church, a typical trait from Soule.

Arbéost : "Turon de Herret" (Bigorre)

2010-08-30T16:30:00.010+02:00

Localization

The valley of Ouzoum (Osom /u'zum/ in Gascon, known as Oson in the 15th century) is strangely divided between Béarn and Bigorre. The high valley of Ouzoum belongs to Bigorre and the hamlets of Ferrières and Arbéost were inhabited by cadets from the neighbouring valley of Azun in Lavedan. The lower part of the valley belongs to Béarn and is totally connected with the plain of Nay. The word "turon" (turon /ty'ru/ in Gascon) is a Gascon word for hillock, a counterpart to Catalan turó.

Since the valley of Ouzoum is a former centre of iron extraction the second part of that mountain's name is transparent : Herret, from Gascon hèr(r)=iron through Latin ferrum, showing the famous Gasco-Castillian repugnance for initial Latin f (hierro in Castillian). Yet in Gascon, "h" is clearly inspired, it is one of the most recognizable traits of Gascon people when speaking French even though Gascon phonetism is suffering from frenchification with newer generations unable to properly roll an r or hiss an s for instance. Iron mines undoubtedly explain the names of Ferrières (Herrèra /he'rrɛrɔ/ in Gascon : hèr(r) + suffix -èra from Latin -aria ; compare with Castillian Herrera) and Arbéost (Arbiost /ar'bjus/ in Gascon) from Basque ar(r)=rock + beltz=black, with a classical inversion tz/st in Gascon placenames and homonym to a Gascon valley in Comminges named Arboust where the Aquitanian god Aherbelste was venerated.

Roquefort (Marsan)

2010-08-25T18:44:00.007+02:00

Localization

North of the Adour river, in the former diocese of Atura (modern Aire-sur-l'Adour), is the country of Marsan (Marsan /mar'saŋ/ in Gascon), coloquially known as "Petites Landes". Here the landscape is more hilly than in the area west of this zone known as "Haute-Lande". Marsan was a possession of the Kings of Navarre when the last Navarrese king Henri III became King of France as Henri IV and subsequently united his two kingdoms thus making Marsan a part of France.

Roquefort (Ròcahòrt in Gascon but pronounced Recohòrt /reku'hɔrt/ in local Gascon) was the first capital of the Viscounts of Marsan, at the junction of the Douze (Dosa /'duzɔ/ in Gascon) and the Estampon rivers, then known as the fortress of Pènecadet. In the 12th century, Roquefort was improved as a fortified castelnau and the antiquated castle was converted into a church by the Benedictines in Saint-Sever, then Caput Vasconiae. Roquefort is a very common medieval placename in Western Europe, from Latin 'roca forte' ("strong rock") : Rochefort in French, Roccaforte in Italian, Rocaforte/Rocafuerte in Spanish, Rocafort in Catalan, ...

Pauillac : "Le Chenal du Gaët" (Médoc)

2010-08-23T00:24:00.011+02:00

Localization

The Gironde estuary is a gigantic torrent of mud smelling like vinegar. By many aspects, it is an interior sea and one of France's most remarkable borders. On the left bank is Médoc, a flat mix of vineyards and pinetrees, the quintessential image of western Gascony. There, little rivers that enlarge the mighty estuary such as the "Chenal du Gaët" are named esteys (estèir /es'tɛj/ in Gascon, from Latin estuarium). On the right bank begins France : the French language is at home in the midst of wheat fields and étiers (the French counterpart to estey). Europe's greatest power had failed to land on the left bank of this sordid channel named "Gironde" (Gironda /ʒi'rundə/ in Gascon, from a famous Celtic toponym *icoranda that delimitated Roman cities, in that case Burdigala from Mediolanum, modern Saintes).

The "Chenal du Gaët" (La Canau dau Gahet /la ka'naw daw ga'het/ in Gascon, "the channel of the Gaët" in English) is one of those aforementioned esteys. Its name proves the presence of Gahet people in this area, named Cagot in South Gascony and Agota in Basque lands. The Cagots were a persecuted and despised minority found in the west of France (Gascony, Poitou Brittany, ...) and northern Spain : they were not an ethnic group, nor a religious group. They spoke the same language as the ordinary people and generally kept the same religion as well. They were required to live in separate quarters in towns, called cagoteries, which were often on the far outskirts of the villages. Cagots were excluded from all political and social rights. They were only allowed to enter a church by a special door, and during the service a rail separated them from the other worshipers. Many of them were carpenters and could not own land.

There are many theories about the Cagot people, the most plausible one being that they were a mix of descendants of leprous people and members of some fallen medieval guild of carpenters. My own contribution is that the ancient Gascon society excelled at creating excluded members : because Gascon people were obsessed with maintaining the integrity of the familial casa (Gascon for house, etxe in Basque) from which they inherited their name, younger childs named cadets were forced into either becoming servants in the house or leaving. Cagot suburbs may have been born from younger childs founding their own home in the outskirts of villages and being forced into taking jobs that did not require owning land and were disregarded by a then very rural society. I do have Cagot ancestors on my father's side : they were named Menuzé, an unmistakable Cagot surname (menusèr : Gascon for woodsman).

Saint-Martory (Comminges)

2010-08-21T23:08:00.010+02:00

Localization

The country of Comminges (Comenge /ku'menʒe/ in Gascon, from Latin [pagus] convenicus="the country of the Convenes") was dismantled by the French revolutionaries : heir to the city of Lugdunum Convenarum (modern Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges), one of the great Roman towns of the Pyrenees, it reached Muret (Murèth /mu'rɛt/ in Gascon, from Latin murellum) in the outskirts of Toulouse at its greatest extent. Nowadays, not much remains on maps of this vanished entity but it retains a strong geographic meaning : Comminges is the high basin of the Garonne river.

Saint-Martory (Sent Martòri /semmar'tɔri/ in Gascon) is generally identified with the Roman station of Calagorris. A rather mainstream explaination for this placename is the following one : pre-IE root *kala/gala=elevation (see Burdigala, modern Bordeaux or Portus Cale, modern Porto) + Basque gorri=red + Basque locative fricative -tz ie "red hill". Saint-Martory has been inhabited since prehistoric times : excavations have proved that the rocky hillside encircling the modern town - now on the banks of the Garonne river - was the initial site of human occupation : this oppidum is named "L'Escalère" (Er' Escalèra /eresca'lɛrɔ/ in Gascon "the staircase"). The precise nature of "gorri" is still dubious in that case.

Lescun (Béarn)

2010-08-20T13:25:00.008+02:00

Localization

Located in the Aspe valley and dominated by an impressive mountainous cirque that separates Gascon lands from Navarre and Aragon, Lescun is Béarn's highest village at 900m altitude. The cirque is made of numerous peaks amongst them the Duc de Lhers, the Peak of Ansabère and Mount Billar(r)e on the extreme right (quite probably from Basque *bil=rounded + *arri/arre=rock). The very famous Peak of Anie (Ania /a'niɔ/ in Gascon, Auñamendi in Basque) - not featured on the pic - is situated within the limits of the municipality : according to the legend, it was the domain of Jaunagorri ("the Red Lord") where immortality fruits grew.

Lescun (Lascun /las'ky/ in Gascon, still known as Laskun(e) in neighbouring Basque dialects) is undoubtedly another Basque placename in Gascony : from Basque lats=stream of water + locative suffix -(g)un "where streams of water are", which is the exact description of the cirque. It reminds us of the name of the former capital of Béarn : Lescar (Lascurris in 980, probably from Basque "lats gorri"=red river). Placenames in Lescun were already Romance in 1385 : Sopervie (from Latin "super via"=above the road), Casebielhe ("old casa"), Arripe (Gascon form for Latin ripa=shore), ... Still some toponyms seemed to be deformed Basque names as they cannot be explained through Gascon : Candoche, Igun (*ihigun), Sodorce, Arunh, Erete (*ereta), ...

Astugue (Bigorre)

2010-08-18T19:01:00.012+02:00

Localization

Inbetween Lourdes and Bagnères-de-Bigorre is the little valley of the Echez river (the true name of which is actually Léchez : Lexez in 1342, from a well-known pre-IE hydronymic and Pyrenean root *lez) : this entity is known by the name of "Les Angles" (Eras Anglas /eras 'anglas/ in Gascon). The whole area is dominated by the Peak of Montaigu (Montagut /munta'gut/ in Gascon , "acute mount") easily identified because of its conic shape. Yet, medieval texts prove that this mountain had a former name : Oscaga/Oscaya (from Basque ozka=breach + locative suffix -aga).

Astugue (Astuga /as'tuga/ in Gascon) is one of those perched villages in the Angles area. It might originate from the pre-IE oronymic root *ast="rocky height" (modern Basque aitz). Note that ancient Aquitanian inscriptions do show that -st- and -ss- could alternate : Andos/Andosso an Aquitanian surname is also attested as Andost/Andoston : -st- could very well be an archaic form of Basque fricative -tz as well. Consequently, Astuga could be something like *aitzuaga (then reduced as *aztuga) : aitz + -zu (frequentative suffix) + -aga (locative suffix) : "where rocky heights abound". It might describe the initial location of this village in the now hamlet of Astuguevieille (Astuga Vielha "old Astugue").

Aire-sur-l'Adour (Tursan)

2010-08-15T23:17:00.013+02:00

Localization

Atura was the capital of an obscure Aquitanian tribe named the Tarusates (also known as the Aturenses) whose territory will eventually be known as Tursan (pagus aturensis in Latin), its modern name. Situated on the Adour river coming from the Pyrenees, the oppidum of Atura got to be one capital of the Wisigothic kingdom in the Vth century. Saint Quiteria, a Wisigothic princess, was allegedly beheaded in the town : her relics are conserved in an eponymous church in the town. Atura was also the siege of a diocese ruling over the immensity of the neighbouring desert of the Landes : the French Revolution put an end to this heritage of antique divisions and the diocese of Aire was united with parts of the diocese of Dax to form the modern département of the Landes.

Aire (Aira /'ajrɔ/ in Gascon) is the modern Romance form for Atura (through vulgar *atra). It undoubtedly takes its name from the Adour river (Ador /a'du/ in Gascon) it overlooks, still known as Aturri in now distant Basque-speaking lands. The similarity with modern Basque iturri for fountain is to be noticed. In archaic Pyrenean Gascon dialects, ador simply means "water spring". In Roman Atura the local deity Lelhunno was honored : the phonetic structure of his name - uneasily adopted to Latin script (aspired counsonant "lh", "nn", ...) - confirms the Basque-speaking past of the city.

Auvillar (Lomagne)

2010-08-06T22:34:00.006+02:00

Localization

"Tarn-et-Garonne" is a tragedy. This late département was created by Napoléon in order to please the citizens of Montauban, a town in Quercy, who believed that it was unfair that their town was not a préfecture. As a consequence, historical Gascon lands bordering the left bank of the Garonne river were cut from their natural centre : Lectoure. Yet, administrative borders cannot distort physical geography : the Garonne and the Tarn rivers divide three distinct entities that don't share much. On the left bank is Lomagne (Gascony) and its green and yellow rolling hills, its Vasconic wooden-built houses. Inbetween the Garonne and the Tarn rivers, the large fluvial valley is one extreme advance of Toulouse (Languedoc) : red brick rules. On the right bank of the Tarn river is Quercy (Guienne), heir to the Celtic city of the Cadurci and its fortified puègs, its stone-built houses.

Auvillar (Autvilar /awbi'la/ in Gascon) has been Gascony's border town in the area from time immemorial. Its name simply means "high village" from Latin "altu villare". Its vernacular Romance language has suffered from Languedocian influence but placenames do retain the major Gascon features : -aria > -èra in "La Mesplère", -ll- > -r- in "Casterus", vocalization of l in "La Sauvetat", ... Here was born the famous Gascon troubadour Marcabru, one of the only two Gascon troubadours in History : while Languedocians and their neighbours wrote poetry, the Gascon people were preoccupied with writing administrative texts ... Note that in those times, it was quite clear that the Gascon language - dubbed "lengatge estranh" (foreign language) by troubadours - differed from the then called Provençal one : Raimbaut de Vaqueiras in one famous descort wrote various stanzas in different languages. Gascon is differentiated from Provençal, now abusively named "Occitan".

Gujan-Mestras : "Larros" (Buch)

2010-08-04T19:36:00.006+02:00

Localization

Buch is a former feudal entity centred on the delta of the Eyre river (Eira /'ejrə/ in Gascon) - the modern Bay of Arcachon - inhabited by the Aquitanian Boiates the capital of which was Boios (modern Lamothe). Coming from the estuary of the Adour river around Bayonne, this is the first navigable breach into the Atlantic after kilometres of dunes.

Larros (Larròs /la'rrɔs/ in Gascon) is one of the seven ports of Gujan-Mestras, the oyster-farming capital of Gascony. It is part of a famous series of Basco-Aquitanian placenames around Arcachon (a Basque toponym itself) ending in -os : Biganos, Balanos, Mios, ... Larros undoubtedly originates from the Basque word larre for 'moorland' + locative suffix -os (from Basque -o(t)z ; see Larués in Jacetania for a diphtongued Aragonese variant).

Lectoure (Lomagne)

2010-07-19T00:16:00.005+02:00

Localization

The borders of the old country of Lomagne were butchered when Napoléon Bonaparte decided to create the département of Tarn-et-Garonne centred on Montauban, a town in Quercy (Guienne). Lomagne was divided in two for the first time in more than two millenia. Nowadays, nothing reminds us of the former civitas of the Lactorates, one of the nine peoples that constituted ethnic Aquitania later known as Novempopulania then Vasconia Ulterior in the Middle-Ages.

In Lactora (modern Lectoure, Leitora /lej'turɔ/ in Gascon), all the refinements of Roman civilization could be found : the town is known for its impressive collection of taurobolic altars. Contrary to their Aquitanian neighbours - the Auscii (Auch) and the Elusates (Eauze) - the Lactorates under King Piso had not resisted the assaults of Crassus in 59BC and had embraced Roman civilization.

Aramits (Béarn)

2010-07-17T01:28:00.004+02:00

Localization

Aramits is the capital of Barétous, Béarn's westernmost Pyrenean valley, close to the Basque Country, in the valley of the Vert river. Alexandre Dumas forged the character of Aramis - one of the main characters appearing in his novel "The Three Musketeers" - on Henri d'Aramitz a local noble and "abbé laïc"* of Aramits.

* "Abbé laïc" was a special charge unique to Gascony : members of the secular society could collect taxes due to the Clergy.

Known as Aramitz(e) in Souletine Basque, Aramits (Aràmitz /a'ramits/ in Gascon) proceeds from the Basque word "aran"(=valley) + "-itz" (locative suffix) i.e. : "where a valley is". The Basque language still is spoken in some isolated houses neighbouring the former viscounty of Soule in the hamlets of Mizpira and Lapeyrère. Yet, in 1385, most houses already had Gascon names : Abadie (=abbey , "abadia"), Domec, Safores, Glere, Carrere (=street , "carrèra"), Casebone (=good house , "casabona"), ... with only one house named "Achari" retaining a Basque name.

Mun (Bigorre)

2010-07-04T18:45:00.009+02:00

Localization

In the NE corner of the former county of Bigorre, Rustan is an old and blurry entity centred on the Arros river (probably from an ancient Basque root *har(r)=rock) hence its name : Russitania (Arrostanh /arrus'taɲ/ in Gascon). The wild green hills dominated by the central Pyrenees confer a feeling of desolation.

Mun (Mun /myn/ with dental final n in Gascon) is one of those villages at the end of the world. Known as Munio in ancient texts, Mun is 350m high and overhangs the little valley dug by the Chela river. An explanation through the Basque root *bun/mun(=mount) cannot be escaped.

Saint-Julien-Beychevelle : "Saint-Julien" (Médoc)

2010-06-10T23:26:00.002+02:00

Localization

Médoc is the kingdom of clouds : an immutably purple sky fuses with the sandy horizon. The feeling conveyed by those uneasy landscapes is one of a finis terrae. Here lived the Medulli as described by Ausonius.

Saint-Julien used to be known as Saint-Julien-de-Rignac (Sent Julian de Rinhac /sendzy'liãŋ de ri'ɲak/ in local Gascon), Rignac being one Gallo-Roman placename ending in -acum (from Celtic-akos) hinting to land occupation in Antiquity ("domain of Reginius" : *fundum reginiacum). Beychevelle is the name of a famous wine castle situated in Saint-Julien : probably from Gascon vaisherèra (/baıʃe'rɛrə/ from Latin vascellella=little vessels, hinting to port activities in the Gironde estuary).

Ger : "Buala" (Béarn)

2010-06-05T22:58:00.001+02:00

Localization

Bualar (/bya'la /) in Gascon means "pastures kept for bullocks". Before being cultivated from the 60s onwards, the former moorlands of the plateau of Ger had an agro-pastoral function reflected by placenames. Here were also buried the ancient Aquitanians as proved by the many tumuli that were excavated (many of them were eventually destroyed in the last decades).

Facing the central Pyrenees, this plateau belonged to the Bigorritani whose capital was Bigorra (modern département of Hautes-Pyrénées). This area - named Montanérès - was eventually annexed to the neighbouring viscounty of Béarn in the XIth century. My paternal grandfather was born in those sordid landscapes, in the fear of God and the spirits.

Gascony !

2010-06-05T22:14:00.000+02:00

Gascony is the land of the Gascon people. It is one of France's many nations, heir to one of the most stable ethnic situation in Western Europe. Even though Gascony has disappeared from administravive maps for 2 centuries, its originality still can be observed. Inbetween the Atlantic, the Garonne river and the Pyrenees, the Gascon triangle is a geographic and sentimental reality.

The Gascon people are the descendants of the ancient Aquitanians as described by Strabo :

"For, speaking in a general way, the Aquitani differ from the Galatic race in the build of their bodies as well as in their speech; that is, they are more like the Iberians. Their country is bounded by the Garumna River, since they live between this and the Pyrenees."

Gascony : Bayonne, Bordeaux and Toulouse are our summits

What would become Gascony used to be known by multiple names such as Novempopulania or Vasconia but the reality those names described was identical : Gascony is the land of the romanized Basque people that inhabited the Aquitanian basin and who did not maintain the ancestral language as opposed to the neighbouring Basque people. Still, links never were lost : the Gascon people still kept very original "Vasconic" features such as Pyrenean law, phonetic features in the vernacular Romance language known as "Gascon" that linked the latter with the Basque language (repugnance for f and v like in Castillian, ...) or vernacular architecture. Even in much northern Gascon areas near the Gironde estuary, the distinct Gascon character was preserved through transhumant Pyrenean shepherds who wandered throughout the infinite moorlands of the Landes.

It cannot be doubted that Gascony is no more that archaic area described by most authors in the XIXth century : the "internal Algeria" that had to be civilized by the French doesn't exist anymore as the rural world is vanishing and towns are expanding. The Gascon language is dying and not much could save it from its fate. That's pretty much why it's high time the memory of Gascony was celebrated : Gascon people are asked to choose between being "Southwesterners" or "Occitans". They don't have to : they are Gascon.